With just over 3 weeks to go until the next announcement of shows, anticipation is building for the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe. After covering the first announcement in February, earlier this month another 1300+ shows were added to the festival’s website, bringing the current total to 1600+. Over 240 of the already announced productions are taking place at theSpaceUK: six venues across the Old Town of Edinburgh. They are championing new writing at the festival, covering genres such as theatre, music, comedy and cabaret to name but a few. Here is an insight into what you can expect at theSpaceUK for 2024. Across my last two festival visits I watched shows at Surgeons’ Hall and Symposium Hall and was thrilled to receive a press release of their plans for this year so far.
New musicals
BramwellBrand Productions’ ‘Wallis’ is based at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall and centres on the wife of King Edward VIII, questioning whether their marriage was about love or the public figure’s ambition. Relationships are also put to the test in Grownup Playhouse’s murder-mystery musical ‘The Detective’s Demise’. Finding a home at theSpace Triplex, trainee detective Molly sets out to solve the murder of fellow detective Ben Stone.
From 12-17 August, Chevron Theatre’s ‘Fringe – The Musical’ and Wright and McRitchie’s ‘The Gardening Club’ take to the stage. The first might share a name with the festival, but this new comedy musical at theSpace @ Venue 45 is actually set in an Essex hair salon and follows the financial struggle of the business after the death of one of the employee’s wives. ‘The Gardening Club’ transports audiences to Georgia, USA in 1960, where a group of friends are using their gardening club as a front for their illegal drug ring that supplies birth control pills. This period but topical musical is set to a pop-rock soundtrack at theSpace @ Venue 45.
Theatre
In the theatre genre, you can find Rhiannon Hughes’ dark comedy ‘A Life in Boxes’ at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall. The solo show sees the main character of Charlotte look through her late mother’s loft and uncover some family secrets. Also at this venue, Aurelia Gage is performing ‘All This Must Pass’ for 5 performances only (age 14+). It is a time-travelling play that looks at how history made us, told through the perspective of the central character and their own experiences.
‘Bluffing Your Way in Ballet’ by Seizing The Day Company (Seizing Up!) sees a former Royal Ballet Company ballerina and her fellow dancers take audiences through the history of the dance style at theSpace @ Venue 45. Furthermore, the modern day comedy play ‘Three Bed (No Living Room)’ focuses on a group of twenty-somethings who are traversing the queer dating scene in 2020s Edinburgh. Laldie Theatre’s new play about love and friendship is playing at theSpace on the Mile.
Music
I mentioned in my first announcement article that longtime festival production company Night Owl Shows are back at theSpaceUK, but joining them in the music category is fellow festival returner Elsa Jean McTaggart with 4 productions at theSpaceUK. ‘Caledonia’, Elsa’s Scottish folk and Celtic music collaboration with fellow musician Gary Lister, promises to combine music, storytelling and video footage. Additionally, Essex-based singer-songwriter Sean Lomas makes his Fringe debut with a limited run solo acoustic show at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall.
A Cappella
With theSpaceUK having performance space for acts to book shorter festival runs, the venue is popular with a cappella choirs. There are currently six a cappella shows scheduled: Cadenza (pictured, Cambridge University), Black and Gold (University of Leeds), Trinity A Cappella (Oxford Brookes University), the Oxford Alternotives: A Cappella Off the Rails! (Oxford University), Warped (Perfect Forth) and 74th Annual Sunger Games (a Hunger Games and a cappella crossover show by AcadePitch Productions). These productions cover a multitude of musical genres, with harmonies aplenty.
How to book theSpaceUK shows
With over 240 shows announced already, this list scratches the surface of the shows on offer at the group of six venues. There are also various dance, comedy, spoken word, cabaret and children’s productions which I haven’t highlighted and can be explored on theSpaceUK’s website. Tickets for any of the shows mentioned can be purchased via the Edinburgh Fringe website or directly via theSpaceUK.
Are you heading to the Edinburgh Fringe this year? Why not check out my dedicated Fringe page, which has lots of helpful articles for first timers.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
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