One of the things I love about Edinburgh is the sheer range of shows on offer. Take my first day on the Fringe. I took in a children's musical (the enormously enjoyable Cloudcukooland), an entertaining display of card-sharpery by an international copyright lawyer turned purveyor of magic tricks (The Expert at the Table), and a headphone show at Assembly called Supper - which actually takes place at 2.30pm, and perhaps ought to be called Late Lunch.
Then in the evening I saw drag artist Johnny Woo, who is a bit like an English Taylor Mac. If I'd wanted to I could have also taken in some serious drama at the Traverse, a couple of circuses, dozens of comics and plenty of Shakespeare. I may draw the line at Macbeth performed by American high school students, but clearly hundreds don't.
Even London would be hard-pressed to offer this kind of variety in a single day, and its one of the reasons that I love festivals, and Edinburgh in particular. As you move about the city you become that there are worlds within worlds operating at this time of the year. The jazz festival is in full swing; if you wanted to you could spend your time going to see productions performed only by Polish companies you actually could; and at George Square early evening I spotted hordes of locals trying to get into Only the Brave, a musical whose main appeal appears to be that it stars two finalists from reality TV casting shows.
George Square - a rather soulless place that resembles the Shaw in London - has reinvented itself this year as a festival within a festival, hosting 29 musicals from around the world and a terrific range of musical masterclasses. Even the box office is covered in glitter. I reckon the season could be a real draw: the programme ranges from Broadway-style extravaganzas to the burlesque-inspired And the Devil May Drag You Under, plus the Ken Campbell-directed improv musical Showstopper!
Aurora Nova may be taking a break (but hopes to return next year), but Hill Street is back as an independent venue with an interesting programme, including some of those aforementioned Poles. Even the Assembly theatre programme looks more appealing on paper than it has in recent years. Yet for me the Fringe proper doesn't start I've stepped inside the Traverse, which had its first press performances on Friday. Spending the entire day underground left leave me, as it does every year, feeling like a mole as I finally emerge blinking in to the light, but I've high hopes that Dominic Hill's inaugural festival season will be a cracker.
