Black Watch is the most critically acclaimed show at the Edinburgh Fringe festival this year and for good reason. Gregory Burke has written what the National Theatre of Scotland calls the unauthorised biography of the now amalgamated Scottish regiment and it as gripping and moving as anything you are likely to see all year. Performed in the city's Drill Hall and directed by John Tiffany, it will be one of the most popular shows this month.
In comedy, Doug Stanhope is taking the plaudits. Stanhope, an American stand-up who tackles difficult subjects such as child abuse has won the best reviews. He accurately calls himself "vulgar, opinionated, brutally honest and shockingly opinionated." And he is one of the first to declare for the 2008 presidential campaign, standing for the Libertarian party. On his campaign website he declares: "This is - at the moment - the most powerful country in the world which makes inexcusable the fact we have become so oppressive and boring."
Stanhope is one of many Americans at the Fringe this year, performing and watching. New York is particularly well represented with at least 25 productions from the city. The Guardian this week gathered many of them together for a photo (above) but some of the performers objected to the US flag and started a "no flag" chant. Tea drinkers at the Traverse cafe looked on as Margarett Perry, director of a political satire called Clean Alternatives, yelled: "We're all whores." She added: "The flag is Kansas, it's Ohio, it is not New York."
Congratulations to Sally Gooda and Paul Stacey who bravely spend most of the time naked in Kangaroo Court Theatre's production of Lady Chatterley's Lover, simulating a variety of sexual positions. It's not going to make it into the West End and, despite the best efforts of the actors, there is something of Acorn Antiques - the Porn Movie, about it.
Chanbara is one of the bestselling events at the Fringe, well up in the top 10. Combining the samurai swordsmen of Kill Bill and Yamato, who are behind the extremely popular Drummers of Japan, it is a fast-paced and elegant display of music and swordsmanship.
