The advance publicity for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2003 predicted that there would be 21,594 performances of 1,541 shows by 668 companies from all around the world, in 207 different venues. A third of all the shows are World Premieres. It is claimed to be the largest arts festival on the planet, featuring a diverse range of comedy, theatre, dance, music, musicals, talks, visual arts and children's shows.
If you didn't manage to see them all (!) or even if you didn't see any, you can always read what other people had to say about them (after all, many will go on to perform their shows in other venues, after the Edinburgh shindig is over). Here are some reviews of a number of Fringe shows by Edinburgh-based Vivien Devlin who is the author of "Kings, Queens and People's Palaces - a history of Scottish Variety Theatre, 1920-1970" (published by Polygon 1991).
- David Benson - Star Struck - A Brilliantly Devised Show. Rated ****
- Duck - A brutally realistic glimpse into the lives of streetwise girls. Rated *****
- Macbeth - Staged in the shadows of Greyfriars Kirk. Rated ****
- A Smile Fell in the Grass - Inspired by the American Poet Sylvia Plath. Rated ****
- The Audition - The ultimate audience participation show. Rated ***
- Cloning Mary Shelley - Life and work of Frankenstein's creator. Rated ***
- One -Two - Hypnotic, mesmerising, and continually shifting. Rated *****
- Dirty Little Secrets - A visually and aurally stimulating piece of theatre. Rated *****
- Perfect Days - An honest debate about mothers and daughters. Rated ****
- Seriously Funny - with Diana Sinclair. Rated ****
- A Friend of Dorothy - a fictionalised account of Judy Garland's life. Rated ****
