Tag: theatre

A mic stands on a stage, ready for #EdFringe

#EdFringe for Language Learners, 2026 Edition

Leave a comment

#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!

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

EdFringe 2023 : Language Hunting at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Leave a comment

EdFringe is here again! And, as every year, I’ve been scouring the schedules to find shows that pique our language learning interest.

While there are plenty of performers offering entertaining insights from outside the UK, like Iceland’s Ari Eldjárn, and a swathe of non-English drama in translation such as this updated version of Cyrano de Bergerac, there are considerably fewer non-anglophone performances this year. It’s perhaps sad news for such an internationally oriented festival, especially considering the number of foreign language offerings in previous years.

That said, there are still some treats for linguists at EdFringe 2023. Here’s our round-up!

Paris: From Piaf to Pop

There’s always Piaf. Even in a dearth of foreign-language shows, the empress of chanson usually makes an appearance each festival, and this is one of two name-checking her this year. The focus, however, is the move into ye-ye in the 1960s, and the subsequent Americanisation of the French sound. It’s a two-date affair only, with fans still able to catch singer Christine Bovill’s second show at the Loretto School Theatre on 19th August.

Chansons: Songs and Stories from Piaf, Brel and Me

C Arts is hosting this digital, on-demand celebration of all things chanson by Stefanie Rummel. With tickets sold on a pay what you can basis, it’s a very accessible way to enjoy the festival even if you’re not in Edinburgh.

The Opera Diva’s Boudoir

Entwining narrative and a whole host of arias, Lieder and musicals numbers in their original languages, the Baroness treats punters to classical singing with a rags-to-riches storyline. Touted as fun for both opera fans and the opera-curious, it’s running at theSpace up to the 22nd August.

Latin Hearts Soprano-Guitar

Singing, amongst other numbers, songs by Lorca, soprano Silvia Mirarchi and guitarist Luca Villani serve up entertainment for the hispanists amongst us. It’s one show only, so be quick – they’ll be performing at artSpace@StMarks on Friday 25th August.

Gusla

Polish learners are in for an unexpected treat with this original language production, based on Adam Mickiewicz’s poetic drama Dziady. With shows running up to the 27th August, you can catch it at the Summerhall venue.

Have you caught any of these? Have we missed any gems? Let us know in the comments!

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

1 Comment

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!