We wanted to do a written round-up of artists we've supported heading to Ed Fringe 2023. But it turns out that's a mammoth feat! A handful include Flawbored's It's a Motherf**king Pleasure, Peyvand Sadeghian's Dual دوگانه, Adam Lenson's What We Wanted To Be, Roshi Nasehi's Ramalama Ding Dong, and Victor Esses' The Death & Life of All of Us.
So we've done a slightly more reasonable round-up of the hot shows doing their Ed Fringe previews at CPT instead. And trust us: you don't want to miss these.
Looking For Giants by That What's Wild | Wed 12 - Thu 13 July at 7.30pm
On the back of the 10th anniversary of our festival of feminism, it only seems right to kick off the summer Fringe season at CPT with a cracking piece of feminist theatre! Cesca Echlin’s perplexing and seductive debut play follows a girl's quest while she attempts to separate fantasy from reality.
Declan by Alistair Hall | Fri 14 - Sat 15 July at 7.15pm
Alistair's work-in-progress of Declan in our Autumn season captivated audiences and reviewers alike. Now a recipient of the Keep It Fringe 2023 Award (led by Phoebe Waller-Bridge), the show is set to be one of this year's festival highlights. Billy Barrett returns as director for this "enthralling" (Theatre Weekly) and "electric" (Reviews Hub) queer thriller.
Nan, Me & Barbara Pravi by Hannah Maxwell | Wed 19 - Thu 20 Jul at 7.15pm
One of CPT's Starting Blocks alumni and critically-acclaimed creator of I, AMDRAM presents their latest offering: an epic tale of care, crisis and the Eurovision Song Contest. We're proud to have commissioned this "masterful excavation into the art of obsession" (Playwright ShayShay Konno)
Hive by Mushmoss Collective & Speakerphone Productions | Sun 23 Jul at 7.15pm
Originally commissioned by The Space London, non-binary, queer and neurodivergent multi-disciplinary collective Mushmoss and women-led production company Speakerphone present this uncanny adventure set at a demolition site. A queer, weird fiction about memory, family, and corporate development. Using lyrical language to explore lost homes, new storms and eldritch infestations.
Vanya is Alive by L'Oeil Epissé Sur Âme pure | Thu 27 July at 7:15pm
A powerful new play echoing the actual political situation in Russia, presented by artists in exile due to their anti-war position.
Written by Natalia Lizorkina in March 2022, this dark tale reflects on the price of truth and freedom with a touch of absurdity and disarming sincerity. Vanya Is Alive has already been presented as a reading at numerous Russian-speaking theatre festivals around the globe and the premiere of its English translation hits CPT before heading up to Edinburgh this summer.
"A play in which the petrifying reality is reflected with detailed accuracy in a shield of brilliant playwriting." - Award-winning Russian playwright Mikhail Durnenkov
Hysterical by Carrie Rudzinski and Olivia Hall | Fri 28 July at 7.15pm
Internationally acclaimed poets Carrie Rudzinski and Olivia Hall are hitting CPT for one night with their UK debut of Hysterical: a powerhouse performance that confronts the narrative that women are too emotional. Fierce, feminist, and fulfilling, the show celebrates the multitudes of women and will leave you feeling empowered and alive.
Scent by Stacey Cullen | Sat 29 - Sun 30 Jul at 7.15pm
Stacey Cullen's is a playwright, poet, and performer whose work most often focuses on intergenerational trauma, women, queerness, and death. Her first play, Scent, is a solo show about the iron grip of grief, the unwieldiness of love, and the joy and the pain of remembering.
If these shows haven't convinced you that you don't need to journey to Scotland to still get your Ed Fringe hit, we don't know what will!
