Tag: edinburgh

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#EdFringe for Language Learners, 2026 Edition

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#EdFringe is here again, and true to form, there’s something for everyone. Language learners and European culture vultures are no exception, of course, with some proper treats in this year’s rich programme.

As per last year (and the year before, and the year before that… I’ve been keeping tabs for a while now), there’s a good balance between shows in the target language as well as shows about target language counties. Here’s my watch list – but be sure to have a browse too, and let me know if I’ve missed any must-sees!

French

Music

Le Vent du Nord – Québecois progressive folk from a well-regarded five-piece.

Mary, Queen of Scots – Queen of 3 Kingdoms (Marianne Beate Kielland & Ben-San Lau) – French arias mingle with Scots and English in a programme celebrating the life of Scotland’s famous queen.

Afternoon Arias (Brian Bannatyne-Scott, Beth Taylor and friends) – French classical highlights from Berlioz to Debussy.

La Chatte Chanteuse (Kat Brooks) – It honestly wouldn’t be #EdFringe without a bit of Piaf. There’s that and more in this hour of chanson from Kat Brooks.

Theatre

Madame La Mort (Full Moon Theatre / Labyrinth Productions) – a radical reimagining of Rachilde’s French Symbolist play (in translation)

Comedy

Tori Morancay – Le French C’est Freak – An anglophone set that nonetheless plunges straight into the francophone world!

German

Music

Handel – Nine German Arias (Angela Hicks)  – Soprano Angela Hicks and ensemble present some of Handel’s few German-language works.

JS Bach (Aidan Jones) – Pianist Aidan Jones plays and presents, taking the audience on a winsome tour through the life of the great composer.

Scottish Lieder (Brian Bannatyne-Scott) – A lovely crossover presenting music of Schubert, Schumann, Loewe and Strauss, inspired by Scottish poets.

Comedy

Michael Brunström: William Tell vs the Algorithm – Swiss surrealist comedy (in English) that takes aim squarely at the Swiss background of this award-nominated return performer.

Jürgen Strack: Achtung! The Only Sauerkraut in Town – Riffing on his Germanness (with shades of Henning Wehn here), Strack has won fans for his sheer originality.

Spanish

Music & Dance

Sobremesa – Where Words and Music Meet at the Table (Nus Duo) – Billed as an interactive musical experience where audience and artists shape something wonderful from Spanish and Latin American texts.

Sounds of St Cecilia’s III: Spanish Flavours: Dance, Fire and Elegance (Cokus Duo) – A harpsichord-led exploration of the music of 18th-century Europe, with a nod to both France and Spain.

Flamenkids (TuFlamenco) – Flamenco is as permanent a fixture on Spanish #EdFringe as Piaf for the French. This family-friendly show introduces the rhythms of Spain in an hour-long show that sounds wonderfully interactive.

Alegria Flamenca (Alba Flamenca) – Appetite freshly whetted, if you’re now hooked on the flamenco check out this vibrant show, with a nearby bar on hand for tapas and drinks!

Theatre

Bull / Fight – Fresh Edinburgh ensemble Mythography presents this odyssey through Lorca’s Spain (in English).

Comedy

Escocia con Ñ (Jotace Loaiza) – Scottish life retold through Spanish eyes, in Spanish! An excellent (and rare) opportunity to attend a full Spanish-language set during the festival.

Mi Casa Es Su Casa (El Purnell) – Billed as a true ‘duo-lingo’ act (hope that’s been run past the owl!), laughs are promised for hispanists and non-hispanists alike.

And the rest…

With hundreds and hundreds of shows, I can’t possibly do the whole programme justice in one short blog post. While I’ve focused on French, German and Spanish, there’s plenty else there too, from the very tempting Four Courses of Italian Song (Anna Vanosi) and the intriguing I Can Make You Italian in 55 Minutes (Stefania Licari), to the Scottish and Norwegian sacred music presentation The Maid of Norway (Nordic Voices Norway) and online viral comedy hitster Thor Stenhaug. I’ll certainly be trying to tick some of those off my list this August, too.

Is there something you’ve bookmarked to see without fail? What other languages are represented in the listings? Let us know in the comments!

#EdFringe 2025 - an illustration of a vibrant street full of performers

#EdFringe for Language Lovers : 2025 Edition

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It’s that time again when we all like to moan about how flippin’ busy the Edinburgh streets are. Yes, #EdFringe is here! But along with the inevitable tourist surge, there’s international comedy and entertainment of all shapes and sizes. And, of course, that means there are a few gems that will light up the language lovers.

So what treats does the 2025 edition have in store for us? Quite a bit, it turns out. Here are my picks for this year, taking in French, German, Spanish, and … Norwegian!

PIAF AND BREL: THE IMPOSSIBLE CONCERT (MELANIE GALL)

I’ve often said you can’t walk a yard during festival time without seeing a poster for a Piaf tribute. This year there are three, but writer, singer and music historian Melanie – a familiar face from previous Fringe years – blends in Brel too, and is amongst the best. The music takes centre stage, of course, but her storytelling is excellent.

After you’ve ticked that one off, check out Piaf Revisited and C’est moi as well! 

FRENCH MÉLODIE AND GERMAN LIEDER

A double whammy here – a quartet of musicians present a lunchtime treat of romantic song in French and German. It’s only on Monday 11th August, so be quick if you want to catch it!

SERGI POLO: SPANISH WORK IN PROGRESS

It’s not often you get a whole standup set in a non-English language at #EdFringe, but here we are (hoorah). Sergi Polo has brought his show to Edinburgh in both Spanish and English, although the Spanish set is for one night only (13th August).

FELI Y LOS MALOS

Spanish-language funky blues is the order of the day with this latin-pop quartet led by Colombian-American Felipe Schrieberg. Their last #EdFringe gig is Wednesday 13th, though, so be quick to catch them before they head home!

COPLA : A SPANISH CABARET

The history of Spanish cabaret is intertwined with the queer migrant experience in this moving, dramatic show at George Square. If you want a Spanish show that is on all month (great if you’re occasionally slow to get your ticketing act together, ahem), then this is a great choice.

Achtung! The Superkrauts are Coming!

If it’s winsome takes on German culture you want, then look no further than this duo! Blending music and not a little absurdist comedy, this Bavarian-Rheinland mix should get the laughs going. And if you liked that, you can catch one half of them, Jürgen, in his own standup set too.

LEO MAHR IS A SEASONED *****

It’s a great year for LGBTQIA+ comedy this year, and this is a cheeky one, but I couldn’t resist. Queer-coded, after-hours, Swiss German shenanigans are what’s on offer here, and the best thing about it? It’s free, playing every day at venue #82, the Laughing Horse (actually the iconic City Café) from the 12th to the 25th.

THOR STENHAUG : ONE-NIGHT STAND BABY

Fringe programmes are driven more and more by social media breakouts in recent years, and 2025’s listings are full of them. Norway’s Thor Stenhaug is one, having built a loyal base on TikTok with a set that puts a quirky spin on a Norwegian’s experience of UK life. Obviously I couldn’t not add a Norwegian-themed act, could I?

So there you go – a clutch of fun shows to take you around the world (well, mainly Europe, but there’s a bit of the RoW in there too!). What have I missed? What have you seen that is unmissable? I’d love more recommendations – please share yours in the comments!

Edinburgh Castle, looking down on the Edinburgh Fringe fun!

Edinburgh Fringe for Language Learners : 2024 Edition

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The Edinburgh Fringe Festival – that month when entertainment engulfs the Scottish capital – is round the corner.

And I can’t let a year go by without my regular audit of shows for linguists. As ever, there’s a raft of exciting shows both in our target languages and in English, connected to our target language countries. These are artists travelling from all over the world that can’t wait for our enthusiastic support.

Buckle up – it’s another good one for language learners.

French

  • F*** Me I’m French! by Paul Taylor (The Stand Comedy Club) : A bit of a cult icon, is Paul Taylor. You might have seen him on YouTube, and enjoyed his unique brand of franglais comedy. Laughs guaranteed.
  • No Regrets (Pleasance at EICC) : Where would an #EdFringe be without a Piaf show? This year it’s singer Christine Bovill who keeps the flag flying.
  • Yazmina Reza’s Art (C Arts) : For French drama in English translation, look no further than Clarendon Productions’ reimagining of this deeply explorative piece.
  • More Than Nude (C Arts) : This bilingual French-English production by the Group Performatif Famapoil deconstructs beauty standards in another C Arts presentation – long a familiar, trusty name in our non-anglophone show lists!

German

Spanish

  • Don Quixote Rides Again (Scottish Storytelling Centre) : The venue couldn’t be more apt for this retelling of the classic adventures, with Spanish guitar and flamenco.
  • Flamenco Fiesta (Alba Flamenca) : With flamenco as much of a stalwart at Edinburgh Fringe festivals as Piaf and Brecht, this represents this year! It’s a bit of a theme, as…
  • Flamenco Guitar Odyssey (Alba Flamenca) : …fans of Spanish guitar will delight at this solo show, whose artist has garnered fabulous reviews.
  • Flamenco Jazz Sketches (Alba Flamenca) : Another offering at Edinburgh’s Alba Flamenca, this fusion presentation features two equally fêted artists.
  • Flamencodanza (C Arts) : Showstopping dance from this internationally proven dance duo. And great to see C Arts leading the way with overseas productions again!
  • Found Our Funny – Barcelona Comedy Tapas and Barce-laughter (Greenside) : Two revues of Barcelona’s burgeoning comedy scene.

The Best of the Rest!

  • Who Owns Languages? (The Stand Comedy Club) : A thoughtful exploration of languages by Edinburgh University’s own Dr Thomas Bak.
  • The Secret Life of the Scots Language (St Columba’s by the Castle) : Dr Clive Young introduces a language finally moving towards official recognition.
  • 100% C*ntinental (Laughing Horse) : Hot takes on European life galore in this stand-up revue show, which promises to be a fun one.
  • Hygge (Just the Tonic at the Caves) : Humorous Scandi takes by a group of Norwegian comedians. Maybe together, we’ll pin down this mysterious hygge…

So there you go – a wee selection of affordable (sometimes free!) shows covering all manner of languages. They take in the whole track of the emotional rollercoaster, too, from high drama to belly laughs. It must be said, when it comes to international artists, the Edinburgh Fringe never disappoints.

I’ve focused on the big ‘mainstream’ languages for the most part here, but this little lot should whet the appetite. Do comment if I’ve missed any goodies, though!

And above all: have a great laugh.

The Edinburgh Fringe is a great opportunity for language lovers to get some target language entertainment! Image from freeimages.com.

Laughs for Linguists : Polyglot Picks for Edinburgh Fringe 2019

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The Edinburgh Fringe is back! And, in what has become a Polyglossic tradition, we have leafed through the flyers and brochures to compile our polyglot picks for #EdFringe 2019.

There is something on offer for every language aficionado, with culturally diverse shows spanning comedy, music and theatre. Some are performed in the target language, while others are in English, but featuring strong links with target languages of interest. Whether for some listening practice, or simply a bit of cultural exploration, there is plenty to keep polyglots and linguaphiles busy this August in Edinburgh.

French 🇫🇷

Surprisingly, the festival line-up is missing its usual Piaf and Brel content, usually a staple of the francophone side of the fest. Never fear, though: there are still a couple of Gallic gems on the list. Appropriately, a couple of them are even hosted at the Institut Français Écosse.

German 🇩🇪

  • Henning Wehn: Get On With It
    Festival favourite Henning Wehn, German Comedy Ambassador to the UK, is back with his quirky take on UK life through teutonic eyes. Expect quite a bit of reference to the B-word, naturally – one of the recurring themes running across successive recent fringes!
  • Franz and Marie : Woyzeck Retold
    This might catch your eye if you read German as a foreign language at university; Georg Büchner’s unfinished Woyzeck is a regular feature on first-year reading lists. Enjoy this fresh adaptation of a play with challenging – and still painfully relevant – themes.
  • The literary vein continues with Borchert – A Life. Aiming to bring the short-lived German writer to the attention of English-speaking audiences, the show highlights “a life worth knowing about“.
  • This year’s festival also sees several plays emerge dealing with various themes from 20th Century German history. Walls and Bridges brings to life a long-forgotten uprising of East German students in 1953. Meanwhile, The Good Scout dramatises a rather eyebrow-raising pre-war collaboration.
  • And where would we be without a good Lieder recital at the Edinburgh Fringe? Thankfully, Susan McNaught, Barbara Scott and Robert Duncan step up to that challenge, presenting Schubert and Wagner to festival-goers.

Italian 🇮🇹

  • Corde InCanto
    For a truly polyglot experience, give this Italian duo a whirl. As well as Italian arias, there are German Lieder and Spanish songs mixed into the musical menu.
  • Arlecchino Torn in Three
    Bilingual, family-friendly fun is the order of the day here. Blending Italian, English and musical accompaniment, the production brings the masked magic of Venice to the festival.
  • Me and the Mask – Commedia dell’Arte
    More hands-on, kid-friendly, masked fun, this time taking place at Edinburgh’s Italian Cultural Institute. Attending the show makes a great introduction to the centre, which is a valuable source of information on local events and courses.

Spanish 🇪🇸

  • Drunk Lion
    Drunk Lion is back!  Aptly for learners, this is an original play about an life-changing encounter with the Spanish language. And what’s more, it’s still one of the festival’s many free shows. That means there’s no excuse to miss it if you’re passing by the Newsroom Bar!  Incidentally, the venue is also a nice place to grab a drink and a bite to eat.
  • Sonia Aste : Made In Spain
    With a personable set exploring UK-Spanish connections, Sonia Aste shares her unique perspectives on our cultural touchpoints and differences. A dynamic and interactive approach ensures that this will make for a lively evening out!
  • As always, there is a broad choice for lovers of traditional Spanish guitar music and Flamenco. Highlights include Alba Flamenca, ¡Viva el Flamenco! and – particularly tempting if you have little ones to keep engaged – Flamenco for Kids!

Share your Edinburgh Fringe

Of course, this is a miniscule representation of the hundreds and hundreds of shows on offer. Apologies to all the wonderful shows we missed out. Perhaps some of the above will pique your interest if you are visiting Edinburgh this August. But if you attend a gem we overlooked, please share it with us in the comments!

To comb through the multiple offerings yourself and buy tickets online, visit https://tickets.edfringe.com/. And have a wonderful Edinburgh Fringe!

Edinburgh Castle is a stunning backdrop to the Edinburgh Fringe each August (EdFringe)

Edinburgh Fringe for Language Lovers: Shows for Linguists!

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Edinburgh Fringe has filled the streets of Scotland’s capital for another colourful August. There are literally thousands of shows available to see. The sheer number of them means that there is bound to be something of interest to everyone. And that includes linguists!

After trawling through the masses on offer, here are some promising-sounding events for students / teachers / fans of languages. Inevitably, it’s the ‘mainstream’ languages of French, German and Spanish that crop up most. But amongst them, there are shows that will appeal to non-speakers, too. And that’s a great excuse to take along a friend or two to spread the language love!

French

The festival can’t get enough of Piaf this year. There are at least five cabaret shows featuring chansons from the renowned songstress! They include:

If you prefer your music folksy, then a set from Les Poules à Coulin looks like a good bet. For dance / physical theatre with a French slant, check out “La Maladie de la Mort d’Après Marguerite Duras”. Check the website, though, as some performances may be in English translation.

Something that really captures the imagination is a bilingual puppetry and storytelling event in French. “The Wonderful World of Lapin” looks like a particularly cute way to introduce the little ones to a bit of français. Most likely, quite a few big ‘uns would also find it magical!

German

German is a little under-represented compared to French (keine Überraschung, sadly!). However, there are a couple of interesting listings that might be worth a punt.

Absurdist theatre your bag? Well, there’s a show for you, performed in German with some English explanations. “Leere Zeit – Idle Time” is on at theSpace on the Mile, a venue that promises a global aspect to its line-up.

For some more classical, musical entertainment, you can enjoy Strauss’ opera Ariadne auf Naxos in the church setting of Broughton St Mary’s.

Spanish

As ubiquitous as Piaf is for French, you can’t seem to get away from Flamenco at this year’s Fringe. There are three shows that feature the quintessential Spanish musical / dance style:

The poetry of Lorca takes centre stage at “Frost and Lorca”. The event features artwork by Sir Terry Frost, inspired by the Spanish writer; the presentation is in Spanish and English, so should be suitable for non-hispanist friends!

And for a proper melting pot of storytelling, try “Mimi’s Suitcase”, which blends English, Spanish and Persian to explore themes of identity and displacement.

Even the good old Edinburgh Ghost Tour gets the Spanish treatment this year. “Tour de fantasmas en español” sounds like a fun way to get a stock Edinburgh tourist tick and practise español at the same time!

Russian

Although it’s chiefly English-language comedy, Abi Robert’s show Anglichanka (Englishwoman) is worth a mention. Abi spent considerable time in Russia, and weaves her many tall tales into a wonderfully hilarious hour of laughter. I caught her performing a similar show at my very first Edinburgh Fringe (quite) some years ago, and it’s great to see her back at the festival with more of that hugely funny format!

Culture (without the language)

As well as the above shows, there are hundreds more without a specific language hook, but of cultural interest to linguaphiles. Russia is under the spotlight in several satirical / topical shows, for example.

Less controversially, Russian classical music is on the programme at a number of concerts. Scottish Sinfonia’s line-up sounds like quite a treat. Likewise, you can learn about imagined lives in Russia at theatre events like “The Girl Who Loved Stalin”.

If the aim is to steep yourself in the culture of Russia (or many other target language cultures), then there is a wealth of choice.

Edinburgh Fringe: take a punt

I’ve always found that the best way to enjoy the Fringe is to take a risk. With shows priced so reasonably, you can easily try something you wouldn’t normally see. Thought you hated Piaf? Give her a chance at one of the several shows on offer. Irritated by flamenco? Then give the Scottish twist on it a chance! Personally, the German absurdist theatre tempts the risk-taker in me. It could be worth a shot! And if not, then at least it gets me out of the house for an hour or two…

Have you managed to catch any of the shows above? Are there any others that you’d recommend? Please share in the comments below!