FESTIVAL PROGRAMME 2021
6 – 29 August 2021 | Venue 26
Welcome back to Summerhall and to our 2021 Fringe festival programme.
After a difficult (really difficult) year and a bit, we are so happy to be presenting artists’ work to audiences again.
Thank you to everyone who helped us survive, by donating to our Crowdfunder campaigns, postponing your gig tickets, buying pints in the Courtyard Bar or sending us messages of support. Summerhall wouldn’t have made it this far without you, and we are profoundly grateful for your help.
For Fringe 2021, you can join us wherever you are in the world, whenever you want, to watch work online and on demand. You can join us online to meet the artists and find out more about them and their work in a series of live discussion events. You can join us to watch new live work, created for an online space. And you can join us in person in Summerhall’s Secret Courtyard to experience live music, theatre, dance, spoken word and storytelling once again.
However you choose to experience our programme this year, we are excited to welcome you back to Summerhall, and looking forward to sharing some brilliant, innovative and resilient artists’ work with you.
– Verity Leigh, Programme Manager
“SUMMERHALL ISN’T JUST AN EXTRAORDINARY PLACE TO SEE THEATRE WITH A PROGRAMME OF UNEQUALLED DIMENSION, BUT A VILLAGE, A COMMUNITY, A PLACE TO FEEL – HOWEVER FANCIFULLY – THAT YOU BELONG, AMONG ALL THE MADNESS.”
THE STAGE, AUGUST 2017
Festival Events…
Fri 06 Aug 2021 - Sun 29 Aug 2021
Lissa is defensive, deaf and failing university – the last thing she needs right now is to fall in love. Siôn is a wide-eyed Pontardawe boy with rock-star dreams, desperately in love and about to have his heart broken. And Josh… Josh just wants to beat the end of level Boss. With humour, honesty and a lot of breakdowns in communication, Fow asks us how we fall in love when we don’t hear each other and finds there is always a way if you just look hard enough. A heart-warming love story told in different languages.
Fri 06 Aug 2021
A 1970’s caravan is the stage for outdoor performances, letting the audience escape into a wildly different world where no experience is ever the same. Visual Theatre incorporating puppetry, object, and physical theatre with live soundscapes to get lost in, no dialogue. ‘Swallow the Sea’s shows take delicate steps into the imagination’ (Guardian). ‘Perfectly pitched’ **** (Scotsman). ‘Swallow the Sea Caravan Theatre offer a real Fringe experience – amusing, slightly bizarre and definitely memorable’ **** (BroadwayWorld.com). MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Fri 06 Aug 2021 - Sun 29 Aug 2021
Catch the Bird Who Won’t Fly is a digital dance-theatre piece made during the Covid lockdowns by working remotely with artists to bring attention to the devastating reality of a crime, which increased during lockdown and is often shrouded in secrecy – domestic violence against women. Using animation and green screen technology, four individual stories are told through Kathak dance from real-life experiences that were researched with the company’s network of women’s group users.
Fri 06 Aug 2021 @ 12:00 am - Sun 29 Aug 2021 @ 11:59 pm
Drawing on a deep lifelong immersion in diverse cultures and an array of pioneering experiences, Scotland’s ‘musical alchemist’ (World Music Report) offers a revelatory new vision for the art of solo guitar. In Pashyanti [Sanskrit: the junction point between the ordinary waking state and pure consciousness] Simon explores every facet of the instrument, from ‘shimmering, fluttering delicacy’ (List) and ‘shifting rhythmic complexity’ (Songlines), to ‘primal, multi-layered sounds’ (Caleidoscope). ‘Punjabi folk song, flamenco and Sephardic music, Sanskrit alchemy and Gaelic folklore… they all seem grist to the mill for Simon Thacker’ (Scotsman). MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Fri 06 Aug 2021 - Sun 29 Aug 2021
Does instant connectivity help our attempts to make meaningful relationships with our surroundings and our fellow humans? Or does it reinforce feelings of isolation and inadequacy as we reflect upon and react to connections made and lost? A dynamic exploration of the ways in which modern methods of communications affect us all, using dance, physicality, aerial acrobatics, tight-wire walking and original music. A modern love story set in our digitally connected world. Distanced by a world of wires, two lost individuals work on finding each other, but in doing so must first find themselves.
Fri 06 Aug 2021 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
The international live yet remote online sensation, ZOO MOTEL, comes to Summerhall’s 2021 digital fringe programme. Limited to only 25 audience participants nightly, who check into virtual “rooms”, ZOO MOTEL is a wild exploration of live theatre and the magic of cinema. ZOO MOTEL opened up in September of 2020 and has since become the longest running live theatre work on earth. The live transmission comes directly from the studio of theatre director, designer and performer Thaddeus Phillips, who performs this work as a live interactive movie.
Fri 06 Aug 2021 @ 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Knot is a trilogy, a three-part immersive audio experience unfolding in three different locations – for the first episode audiences will situate themselves on a park bench, for the second in a car, and for the third in a room of their home. Three intersecting, interwoven episodes revolve around a traumatic event and question how inevitable anything is. You will need to experience all three for the story to be complete. To access the experience you will need a phone, the Darkfield Radio app, tickets and headphones.
Fri 06 Aug 2021 @ 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
The international live yet remote online sensation, ZOO MOTEL, comes to Summerhall’s 2021 digital fringe programme. Limited to only 25 audience participants nightly, who check into virtual “rooms”, ZOO MOTEL is a wild exploration of live theatre and the magic of cinema. ZOO MOTEL opened up in September of 2020 and has since become the longest running live theatre work on earth. The live transmission comes directly from the studio of theatre director, designer and performer Thaddeus Phillips, who performs this work as a live interactive movie.
Sat 07 Aug 2021
A 1970’s caravan is the stage for outdoor performances, letting the audience escape into a wildly different world where no experience is ever the same. Visual Theatre incorporating puppetry, object, and physical theatre with live soundscapes to get lost in, no dialogue. ‘Swallow the Sea’s shows take delicate steps into the imagination’ (Guardian). ‘Perfectly pitched’ **** (Scotsman). ‘Swallow the Sea Caravan Theatre offer a real Fringe experience – amusing, slightly bizarre and definitely memorable’ **** (BroadwayWorld.com). MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Sat 07 Aug 2021 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
The international live yet remote online sensation, ZOO MOTEL, comes to Summerhall’s 2021 digital fringe programme. Limited to only 25 audience participants nightly, who check into virtual “rooms”, ZOO MOTEL is a wild exploration of live theatre and the magic of cinema. ZOO MOTEL opened up in September of 2020 and has since become the longest running live theatre work on earth. The live transmission comes directly from the studio of theatre director, designer and performer Thaddeus Phillips, who performs this work as a live interactive movie.
Sat 07 Aug 2021 @ 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Knot is a trilogy, a three-part immersive audio experience unfolding in three different locations – for the first episode audiences will situate themselves on a park bench, for the second in a car, and for the third in a room of their home. Three intersecting, interwoven episodes revolve around a traumatic event and question how inevitable anything is. You will need to experience all three for the story to be complete. To access the experience you will need a phone, the Darkfield Radio app, tickets and headphones.
Sun 08 Aug 2021
A 1970’s caravan is the stage for outdoor performances, letting the audience escape into a wildly different world where no experience is ever the same. Visual Theatre incorporating puppetry, object, and physical theatre with live soundscapes to get lost in, no dialogue. ‘Swallow the Sea’s shows take delicate steps into the imagination’ (Guardian). ‘Perfectly pitched’ **** (Scotsman). ‘Swallow the Sea Caravan Theatre offer a real Fringe experience – amusing, slightly bizarre and definitely memorable’ **** (BroadwayWorld.com). MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Sun 08 Aug 2021 @ 12:50 pm - 2:00 pm
City Breakz is an outdoor pop-up hip-hop performance trail taking over unexpected places in city and town landscapes, where anything can become a dancefloor. Four dancers – each armed with a patch of linoleum and sound system – journey through urban environments, throwing shapes as they navigate the uneven surfaces and gradients of the city. Will they find each other in time for the final showdown? It’s hip-hop… but not as you know it. Funded by Creative Scotland Touring Fund for Theatre and Dance. Supported by: The Workroom, Merchant City Festival, The Brunton, Summerhall and Tramway Residency Programme.
Sun 08 Aug 2021 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
The international live yet remote online sensation, ZOO MOTEL, comes to Summerhall’s 2021 digital fringe programme. Limited to only 25 audience participants nightly, who check into virtual “rooms”, ZOO MOTEL is a wild exploration of live theatre and the magic of cinema. ZOO MOTEL opened up in September of 2020 and has since become the longest running live theatre work on earth. The live transmission comes directly from the studio of theatre director, designer and performer Thaddeus Phillips, who performs this work as a live interactive movie.
Sun 08 Aug 2021 @ 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Knot is a trilogy, a three-part immersive audio experience unfolding in three different locations – for the first episode audiences will situate themselves on a park bench, for the second in a car, and for the third in a room of their home. Three intersecting, interwoven episodes revolve around a traumatic event and question how inevitable anything is. You will need to experience all three for the story to be complete. To access the experience you will need a phone, the Darkfield Radio app, tickets and headphones.
Mon 09 Aug 2021 @ 12:00 pm - Fri 13 Aug 2021 @ 12:10 pm
Queen Jesus Productions presents A Space to Bless, live from St Mary’s Cathedral – a radical queer space for contemplation, connection and meditation. Each daily chapter will be streamed at noon, offering a gathering, a text, space for meditation and a blessing for a short time each day – filmed at the stunning St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, in Edinburgh. The blessings incorporate elements of Jo Clifford’s groundbreaking play, The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven, reimagined in this unique setting – inspired by the building’s use, stunning features and fascinating history.
Mon 09 Aug 2021 @ 12:00 pm - Fri 13 Aug 2021 @ 12:10 pm
Queen Jesus Productions presents A Space to Bless, live from St Mary’s Cathedral – a radical queer space for contemplation, connection and meditation. Each daily chapter will be streamed at noon, offering a gathering, a text, space for meditation and a blessing for a short time each day – filmed at the stunning St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, in Edinburgh. The blessings incorporate elements of Jo Clifford’s groundbreaking play, The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven, reimagined in this unique setting – inspired by the building’s use, stunning features and fascinating history.
Wed 11 Aug 2021
A 1970’s caravan is the stage for outdoor performances, letting the audience escape into a wildly different world where no experience is ever the same. Visual Theatre incorporating puppetry, object, and physical theatre with live soundscapes to get lost in, no dialogue. ‘Swallow the Sea’s shows take delicate steps into the imagination’ (Guardian). ‘Perfectly pitched’ **** (Scotsman). ‘Swallow the Sea Caravan Theatre offer a real Fringe experience – amusing, slightly bizarre and definitely memorable’ **** (BroadwayWorld.com). MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Wed 11 Aug 2021 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
My Car Plays Tapes is the new storytelling show by John Osborne, about getting older, jobs, cars that don’t really work and how to make big decisions with your life. From the creator of John Peel’s Shed ***** (Scotsman).
Wed 11 Aug 2021 @ 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Drawing on a deep lifelong immersion in diverse cultures and an array of pioneering experiences, Scotland’s ‘musical alchemist’ (World Music Report) offers a revelatory new vision for the art of solo guitar. In Pashyanti [Sanskrit: the junction point between the ordinary waking state and pure consciousness] Simon explores every facet of the instrument, from ‘shimmering, fluttering delicacy’ (List) and ‘shifting rhythmic complexity’ (Songlines), to ‘primal, multi-layered sounds’ (Caleidoscope). ‘Punjabi folk song, flamenco and Sephardic music, Sanskrit alchemy and Gaelic folklore… they all seem grist to the mill for Simon Thacker’ (Scotsman). MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Thu 12 Aug 2021
A 1970’s caravan is the stage for outdoor performances, letting the audience escape into a wildly different world where no experience is ever the same. Visual Theatre incorporating puppetry, object, and physical theatre with live soundscapes to get lost in, no dialogue. ‘Swallow the Sea’s shows take delicate steps into the imagination’ (Guardian). ‘Perfectly pitched’ **** (Scotsman). ‘Swallow the Sea Caravan Theatre offer a real Fringe experience – amusing, slightly bizarre and definitely memorable’ **** (BroadwayWorld.com). MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Thu 12 Aug 2021 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
My Car Plays Tapes is the new storytelling show by John Osborne, about getting older, jobs, cars that don’t really work and how to make big decisions with your life. From the creator of John Peel’s Shed ***** (Scotsman).
Thu 12 Aug 2021 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
The stars are empty, the moon has fallen from the sky and the mountains are full of monsters. Barri collects newspaper clippings and listens to vinyl in her grandmother’s attic. Sam is trying to outrun a community support officer investigating the murder of several domestic badgers. Weaved from folklore and fable Every Wild Beast is about fear, fate and running away from really big scary things. Sell-out show, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2016.
Fri 13 Aug 2021
A 1970’s caravan is the stage for outdoor performances, letting the audience escape into a wildly different world where no experience is ever the same. Visual Theatre incorporating puppetry, object, and physical theatre with live soundscapes to get lost in, no dialogue. ‘Swallow the Sea’s shows take delicate steps into the imagination’ (Guardian). ‘Perfectly pitched’ **** (Scotsman). ‘Swallow the Sea Caravan Theatre offer a real Fringe experience – amusing, slightly bizarre and definitely memorable’ **** (BroadwayWorld.com). MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
