fringe fun

August in Edinburgh means creativity and fun as the city is flooded with performers and audience for the Fringe festival. Enjoying the fringe is so much a part of summer for me that I used it for my scavenger hunt item ‘me with something seasonal’

The purple structure in the background is a massive tent that is used for the underbelly venues.

I’ve seen 20 shows so far ranging from very serious theatre to roll in the aisle comedy via some fabulous dance and several treatments of Shakespeare (Seussication of Midsummer Nights dream was the best).

One of the other aspects of the Fringe that I love is the buzzing creativity of the block on the Royal Mile that is used as a gathering place where performers hunt an audience in any way they can – doing taters on the stages, leafleting, stunts, pleading, sales pitch etc.  Street performers also entertain in this space (yes I found a juggler for the scavenger hunt) alongside balloon sculptors and those people who pretend to be statues of various kinds.

This year I’ve noticed a new form of busking – they perform in the hope of being paid so I think of it as busking.

people dressed up in various crowd stopping ways, waiting to pose (including with people)

I’m impressed with the imagination and construction skills of these people

and think it must be a tiring way to earn money.  I always put a coin in their box when I take a photo as I appreciate the work they have done to create something that I want to photograph.

The other act that was attracting a lot of attention at the weekend was this wonderful puppet – i saw several children mesmerised and playing with it as they would a real puppy

now if I could just bottle some of the creative buzz for later in the year!