A NEW production company will make its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe as part of a programme intended to help “enhance Scotland’s reputation as the UK’s most cultural nation”.
Groupwork, the new company led by Finn den Hertog and Vicki Manderson, will present The Afflicted (right) as part of Made In Scotland, a partnership between Creative Scotland and leading arts organisations supported by £550,000 from the Scottish Government’s Expo Fund.
The dance theatre piece, which is inspired by a real-life case of suspected mass hysteria, is one of six world premieres in this year’s Made In Scotland programme, which features a total of 22 productions.
Nine shows are included in Made In Scotland’s music strand, including From When I Wake, Cryptic’s staging of award-winning musician Kathryn Joseph’s second album (below), and Pianodrome Live, a showcase of new music and movement held in a travelling 100-seater amphitheatre made from pianos.
Next month at the Made In Scotland Festival in Brussels, six Scots production teams will take past hit shows to the Belgium capital including 21Common’s Dancer, Jo Clifford’s The Gospel According To Jesus, Queen of Heaven and FK Alexander’s (I Could Go On Singing) Over The Rainbow.
Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop said Made In Scotland offers artists a way to showcase their work to visitors from around the world.
“The breadth and depth of home-grown talent participating in the programme represents a roll call of gifted Scottish-based performers,” Hyslop said. “It provides artists with an international platform that will enhance Scotland’s reputation as the UK’s most cultural nation, a finding highlighted in a recent British Council survey.”
Shows supported by Made In Scotland in previous years include international hit The Ballad of The Apathetic Son and His Narcissistic Mother and My Left/Right Foot – The Musical, the show currently topping the nominations at the Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland.
This year’s Made In Scotland world premieres:
111: Dancers Joel Brown and Eve Mutso explore their different strengths and vulnerabilities. August 19 to 24, Greenside @Nicolson Square (venue 209).
The Afflicted: New company Groupwork debut with a piece inspired by a real outbreak of “mass hysteria”. July 31 to August 25, Summerhall (venue 26).
Blood and Gold: Mara Menzies uses ancient myth and modern storytelling to shed light on colonialism. August 1 to 26, Scottish Storytelling Centre (venue 30).
Crocodile Fever: Meghan Tyler’s black comedy celebrates sisterhood amid the Troubles. August 2 to 19, Traverse Theatre (venue 15).
How Not To Drown: ThickSkin’s high action show is based on the true story of an 11-year-old asylum-seeker. July 30 to August 25, Traverse Theatre (venue 15).
Notes From Shetland To Shanghai: Musician Sophie Rocks draws on roots and contemporary music to explore the impact of migration. August 19 to August 24, theSpace on the Mile (venue 39).
For full listings of all 22 Made In Scotland shows, see www.madeinscotlandshowcase.com
The full 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme is launched on June 5. www.edfringe.com
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