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!