A day in Edinburgh-it's festival time

It's Wednesday the 11th of August 2010.
I'm heading to Edinburgh for the day.
I'm taking the bus over from Glenrothes.Parking in Edinburgh at festival time is at a premium,and i'll save myself the hassle.It's a nice trip over the bridge anyway.
My youngest daughter's in the city and she's at the bus station to meet me.

The first thing we did was to visit my 93 year old aunt at the Braeburn home for the elderly.She's a bit slower than when I last saw her,but she managed to eat a hearty dinner while we visited.
It's a bit drizzly as we head back towards the city.My bus pass comes in handy

Familiar landmarks are passed as we get ourselves to Waverley Station and the Nor' Loch bar for a spot of lunch.I heartily recommend the jumbo haddock and chips...only the Peacock at Newhaven surpasses.
Now we head over the North Bridge.We're going to take a look down the royal mile.
(My plan was to climb Arthurs Seat,but the weather and circumstances put paid to that idea)

There's a carnival atmosphere as we mingle with the crowds at the street shows and previews.Flyers for shows are thrust at us every few yards.
This young lady and her mum are happy to be pictured.All manner of characters are on display today.I've a feeling I may be mistaken in thinking the young lady with the camera was a performer.(No adverse comments please!)Charlie Chaplin was good.
All the hostelries are doing a good trade.
Representatives from every continent seem to be present.
There's a wonderful variety of costumes.I never got a picture of the bikini clad beauties...that's not like me!
Bottom right in the above collage...what about the man in the middle ? I can't figure out if he's part of the act.

Now we have a bevy of beauties and some musical Romans.
I must visit Japan sometime.Also above is a woman in traditional irish dress,and I guess Richard is the blindfolded one.
Now we head back over Princes Street to meet up with the lead musician performing in 'tabú' with Nofitstate Circus.See here
Chris Cundy
Ok.I'm biased,but if you see the show you'll see I'm right.
A welcome drink and a seat in the Guilford Arms on West Register Street follows.
After a while Chris has to get back for rehearsals,so we're still considering Arthurs Seat.We head back to the lower end of the Royal Mile.
The designer of the Herald advert above has created a magical picture.
Don't you just love the outfit and the shoes !.
You either love it or hate it.I reserve my right to remain silent.

The rain makes our mind up for us.We jump on a bus to Easter Road from where we walk to Shrub Place on Leith Walk.
The aliens have landed.(After watching the show later,I think I might be right.Superhuman at the least)
A few of the entourage above.
The circus is sited at Venue 155.It's a derelict piece of ground that was once a tram depot.
According to one previous circus visitor,it had a roof on the last time...
...which is probable looking at the ruins of the remaining sheds.Look closely and you'll see a real old wreck....
...but not this classic.

It's been a very enjoyable day up to now.
Stay tuned for the main attraction.
nofitstate
and the show 'tabú'

Nofitstate Circus-tabú-at the Edinburgh Fringe 2010

Well here we are.I've not been here long,but I've been lucky to have been introduced to a few of the performers.What a friendly troupe they are.
This is the nofitstate circus performing at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Nofit State Circus,was established in Cardiff in 1986,and is funded by the Arts Council of Wales.
Since I'm connected to a member of the cast,they'll let me take pictures.
(I wasn't allowed to use my flash,so the majority of pictures I took were just blurry unrecognisable images.Below are those that came out OK..ish)
They're ready in the shop,the popcorn's popping and the riggers are in position.This is known as a 'Promenade' show,which means the audience are mobile and can be moved.
What's a girl like you doing on a rig like this ?
There are no backroom boys or girls here.Everyone is an important and integral part of the show.
I've been looking on the net for reviews of the show,and there are quite a few,so I'll be quoting some from here on in.
We're crowded into the centre of the big top,where both sides are covered with sheets and the first things we see are silhouettes.

From The Telegraph by By Daisy Bowie-Sell.
When you first walk into the tent you feel slightly claustrophobic as two large squares of the stage are cornered off by hanging white sheets. It’s difficult to know quite where to stand or where to look and incomprehensible shouts are heard from each side of the tent as the performers goad each other on. Then suddenly the sheets fall and disappear to reveal an army of acrobats, hanging in mid-air.
After the initial flying and tumbling about of the whole troupe,the show settles down a little,although there's always something happening around the peripherals.

The music is phenomenal.It's so completely attuned to whats happening around,it's hard to believe the perfect timing isn't recorded music that's been rehearsed to over and over.
As well as aerial acts there's plenty happening at ground level.
Howie who features in the above collage is as large as life throughout the show.When I spoke to him I was convinced he was Italian or Spanish till he told me otherwise.It turns out he's a Yorkshireman who's various talents include forklift driving,hula hooping and making tea.His aim is to do all three simultaneously.

As I said earlier the majority of my pictures were too blurred to publish,so none of the real acrobatics came out.

This is Foucauld on the Chinese Pole.While the pole goes rapidly upwards he drops rapidly downwards.He's bound to hit the floor you're thinking,but somehow miraculously has a little bit of pole left to cling to.
Howie and Marcella.

Lyn Gardner of the Guardian.
A young woman appears to have a nervous breakdown on a trapeze, but eventually swings wildly through the air; a man falls down a rope to what appears to be certain death, but is actually sensuous abandon; a woman teeters across a tightrope in high heels, an act of absurd optimism in a cruel world.
A few times during the show the whole troupe seemed to be performing.Here the two female artistes involved the audience by pretending to fall towards them.
Lyn Gardner of the Guardian.
There are moments of exquisite pleasure. There's an erotic aerial act that is so tender and thrilling, it is like watching the physical manifestation of orgasm; a trampoline/trapeze piece that so incorporates failure it becomes a metaphor for life itself; a woman cocooned in a shower as the rain comes down. There are moments as thrilling as anything by Argentine circus pioneers De la Guarda, and watching this show makes you tingle with a sense of being alive. If I were 20 years younger, I would sign up for trapeze lessons immediately.
This was a musical journey.
Another spectacle involving the whole troupe.You could swear there'd be a collision,but with split second immaculate timing they pull it off with ease.
Specialist Hula Hooping.
This part is like a painting coming to life as the characters on the canvas move around.
Marcella is Italian and an acclaimed clown.
Here on the trapeze she proves she's also an accomplished acrobat.

Lyn Gardner of the Guardian.
With Tabu, UK circus grows up. It's the follow-up show from the Wales-based NoFit State Circus, whose Immortal, from 2004, was a real breakthrough. Inspired by Gabriel García Márquez's novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, Tabu takes the theme of fear and anxiety and turns it into an achingly beautiful two hours of circus performance, in which idea and form seem perfectly matched.
Coming towards the end of the show we're treated to some fireworks.
All the members of the cast take a bow in turn as the spotlight falls on them.
It's been a brilliant night.

I get to socialise with the cast after the show.
Me and Chris are pictured with Tania above left and right with my bonnie lassie.

I can't remember everyone I met,so I've copied the names of all the company from their own website.
Thank you nofitstate,it was a pleasure.


NoFit State Circus is an ensemble based Circus with a cast of home grown and international peformers. This year many of the NoFit State family are on tour again, but as always we have a few new faces who bring with them new skills and surprises. This year we have performers and crew from Wales, Italy, Argentina, Australlia, Mexico, France, Finland, Scotland, England and Ireland.

Company 2010
Artistic Director tabú project - Firenza Guidi
Producer and Tour Manager- Tom Rack
Co Producer- Ali Williams
Operations Manager - Tim Adam
Assistant Producer - Zoe Munn
Executive Director – Alison Woods
Administrator - Leath Bradley

Creative Team -
Firenza Guidi, Ali Williams, Tom Rack
Director & Writer - Firenza Guidi
Composer & Musical Director - Peter Reynolds
Design team - Tom Rack, Firenza Guidi, Barnz, Rhiannon Matthews
Costume Design - The Ugly Sister
Original Lighting Design concept - Aðalsteinn Stefánsson
Video makers - Chris Nurse, Lissy Moore
Set Construction - Tarn Aitken, Tanc, Iolo lavender, Spike

Cast
Foucauld Falguerolles
Tania Cervantes Chamorro
Adie Delaney
Petri Ekqvist
Vanina Fandino
Natalia Fandino
Marco Fiera
Kadja Karjalainen
Marcella Manzilli
Tanwen Watson
Howard Morley
Simone Riccio
Gareth Jones ( Musician)
Dylan Leonard ( Musician)
Chris Cundy ( Musician)
Andy Moore ( Musician)

Crew
Stage Manager - Helen Fagelman
Technical Director - Chris Hills
Tent Master - Howard Morley
Lighting Technician – Leif Le Page
AV Design/Technician – Lissy Moore
Sound Engineer - Pete Storer
Wardrobe – Frances Aitken
Head Rigger – Tarn Aitken
Second Rigger – Sandro Spanu
Bar Manager/Crew – Dave Rook
Catering - Alastair Miller
Physiotherapist - Joni Anderson
Crew - Rozie Boulter
Crew - Will Flay
Crew - Esther Baum