I wrote this last night

Oh dear lord, it’s wet out there! I would just stay in, take a night off, but I’m meeting a friend. According to the forecast it’s going to be rainy until tomorrow late afternoon. I’ve already decided to bake a cake in the morning, haven’t made one in ages and I have a few pears will need eating , so a pear sponge cake it will be!

After saying in my last post that I hadn’t yet been in Teviot I popped in yesterday afternoon after seeing a show in George Square, it is very different, I’m kind of ambivalent to the changes, apart from one, I’m annoyed! The old Library Bar is now exclusively for performers, dammit. At least the room that I think used to be called the Refectory has another name but yay, the upper balcony area is still accessible, that could be a writing spot again. I have a show there tomorrow afternoon, I should the refurb will have included reasonable temperature controls.

So far the warmest venue has been ZOO Playground 1, the heat kind of added an extra uncomfortable edge to the feverish dream quality of the play (not nightmarish, just that unease that you dreamt something awful but can’t recall, and your body shudders when you try). The fact that The Last Drop might be in Brazilian Portuguese (being from Brazil) had not occurred to me, no worries folk, there are subtitles, but this again added to the otherness. I didn’t always follow what was happening but am not sure if that was me or how the play plays; very much like a David Lynch film, just sit back and go with it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

This afternoon I headed to the Westend, off Princes Street, to a place I didn’t know existed. It was to see Mistakes on Maps, I assumed the venue name, Library of Mistakes was just a joke to go along with the show, nope, it’s a real place (dedicated to the study of financial history) tucked away down along a back lane. Historical maps and facts, some quirkier than others, that’s it, interesting if that’s your thing; okay, I thought the presentation was a tad lame, but these are map nerds sharing their passion, fair enough. If you’re not rushing away afterwards there are plenty of maps laid out to peruse and chat about. If you’re a secret map nerd, this may be for you, you’ll need a map to find it!

I would also mention St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral nearby, that bloody huge building at the end of Melville Street. Definitely worth a look if you have time!

Toodle pip!

So far so good

Thursday evening, six shows in, and it’s just occurred to me that I haven’t had a ganders round Teviot yet (Gilded Balloon) despite going past at least twice, I don’t think my head has properly registered that it’s open again. Past years I would definitely have been in by now, even without shows to be seen, a first drink in the Library Bar, oh, I do hope they haven’t ruined it with their refurbishments. I’ve not bought one preview ticket for anything in there, but then previews have generally been cut down to just Wednesday and Thursday; time was when many previews ran right up to Saturday (no wonder I crammed in so many shows). Mind, the 241 days were originally the first Sunday and Monday, the Sunday was a very busy day! Fun times.

Safety warning for The Dark Room

On fun times, John Robertson’s The Dark Room was an excellent end to my first day, love his energy and wild glee as he interacts with the crowd. Last night’s audience was ready to have fun, the Darrens were all great, funny how things can go with these shows, but Robertson is a master of his art, he just wears it lightly, teasing the potential chaos. Now I’m a relative newcomer to The Dark Room but the folk behind me, ha, they were joining in Robertson’s retorts to players’ option choices; he has quite a number of loyal fans, the shows will sell out. Of course he’s doing a free Fringe show too, Excitable Boy! He most certainly is.

Time to head for a late night show; I’ll do a round-up tomorrow of shows seen so far. I’ll leave you with a pic of my first badge this Fringe, I say first, I do hope more shows will have badges to hand out. Toodle pip!

The eyes have it

It’s oh so quiet now

One of my favourite spots in a proper August is sitting with a drink on the balcony in the Library Bar at Teviot, catching up on my fringe diary. That is, during the day or midweek, but when it’s too busy I head over to the other bar (the refectory bar?) on to the balcony there, by the windows in an attempt to get some air. Last year I found myself heading to the other bar rather more as the Library Bar seemed to become an “in” place to go.

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This year there’s neither, instead they have come up with The Garden at Teviot, which seems to be doing rather well whenever I’ve been passing. Of course, it’s all online, booking in, ordering food and drink by app, all so neat and organised. There’s no one milling around, yeah, I know a lot of locals are be delighted by the lack of hoards but not me, or the rhino.

I do so hope the world gets better soon, what is life without fun, spontaneity, creatives creating? Oh, and hugs, we all need hugs  ❤

A couple more pics for you, my dears

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a soggy day with no one about, except, see, there on the left, up on the wall. He’s so lonely, he’s been crying…..

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