My final picks of the Fringe fit with a theme of the Cabaret, probably the place I enjoy most.  A wonderful heady mix of singing, dancing, comedy, theatre, burlesque, magic and circus acts, usually in small intimate venues.  Often accompanied by (many) cocktails.

Firstly my find of the Fringe is the wonderfully deadpan magician in a dragon costume, Piff the Magic Dragon, who really is the last of his kind.  (Although you might have heard of his older brother.  Dave.)  Incredibly funny and extremely talented, Piff has been a real winner this fringe with his shows selling out.  Deservedly so, I find them side-splittingly funny but none of the comedy overwhelms the magic.  PS the levitating Chihuahua  Mr Piffles is a great addition.

And what do we need now?  Ah well a gentleman juggler of course!  I am really glad Mat Ricardo’s show was recommended to me and I got a chance to see it.  How on earth someone can learn to do what he does I don’t know.  He had some really amazing feats of juggling as well as some great laughs and tales.  My favourite is the removal and then replacement of a tablecloth under a whole pile of dishes.  How? How?!

Moving on into the night now is Gorgeous George which is a compilation of various fringe acts to make a cabaret whole for about 2 hours, phew!  We were lucky enough to see Dusty Limits, Vendetta Vain, the Creative Martyrs (more on them later), and some fantastic performances involving others who google is failing to find for me!  We thoroughly enjoyed this show and as the acts change every night, you can keep going back and back.  I really hope they are here again soon.

The Creative Martyrs are a Scottish based act, performing Tales from the Cabaret, a slightly unnerving yet very funny duo doing both political-esque and cabaret-based songs and stories.  Very talented musicians in their own right, their observations and tales through their songs are dark, thoroughly amusing and captivating.  I have also seen them perform at various other cabaret events throughout the fringe and one of my best nights was their singalong (with HATS!) to the End of the World is Nigh.

EastEnd Cabaret are a new act to me but I am so glad I got the chance to see them in one of the most packed out audiences I’ve been in.  Extremely funny and sexual based comedy songs (with half-moustaches!) and the odd bit of audience participation, had the crowd on their feet.   Another very talented duo.

And finally we come to Itsy Kabarett, another cabaret pick and mix but also a regular Edinburgh night.  Doing two shows a day (phew!) one evening and one at midnight, I have seen such a great mix of acts.  From burlesque to ukuleles to tap-dancing to magic to comedy and to finger puppets, Itsy embodies a true cabaret and is always a really good bet to see great entertainers.  Dee always manages to get the top picks of the fringe on the bill.

So the fringe is drawing its last gasps for this year, but I hope that all these acts return for the madness next year.

Well the madness that is the Fringe Festival has descended on Edinburgh and the city has swollen with three times more people than normal.  This does make it rather difficult to get around but we’re nearly done and thankfully I’ve had the last week off on holiday to actually enjoy the madness!

So here are some very brief recommendations if anyone wants to catch a show in the last week of the festival.

Firstly my top pick this year beyond everything else is Dust, a gripping and intense play taking the idea of Arthur Scargill’s reaction to the news of Margaret Thatcher’s death, but really using this as a backdrop for a much more real and believable story of how massive events such as the miners’ strike and the recession affect ordinary people.  It’s a really moving piece and I urge those who can to check it out.

The next two are perhaps more obviously linked to the aesthetic of Kitsch Kitten and basically represent world’s I would like to live in!  The first is the well-known and amazing Camille O’Sullivan who thankfully for me performs at the Fringe most years.  This year she’s back with a new show and performed three of my favourite songs, Amsterdam, Dylan’s Simple Twist of Fate and the Cash version of Hurt.  She is as ever phenomenal and I would love my world to look like her set design because it was truly beautiful.

Another magical performance was a very burlesque styled ballet of Pinocchio: A Fantasy of Pleasures.  The dancing and movements were amazing and the costumes breathtakingly beautiful.  This one appears to be little known which is a real pity because it’s definitely a hidden gem for those who find it.  If you are of burlesque persuasion or really if you just want to see a strong and moving performance then this is for you.  This one really blew me away.

And finally there’s the comedic wonder of Frisky and Mannish who I went to see twice because they really are that good.  Poptastic, very funny and incredible performers and did I mention with a large dose of kitsch!