Backstage on the Fringe

A stunning showcase of song, circus, dance, striptease and vaudeville, combined with the confessional art of storytelling. Burlesque queen and storyteller Becky Lou has trawled the glittery underbelly of the international Fringe circuit, queer parties, circus spaces and burlesque bars to bring together this incredible line-up of alt-cabaret artists willing to embrace their vulnerability and share personal stories.

The Vanishing Man

'I've been able to work out, deconstruct and rebuild every trick I've ever seen. Except one.' Hugo Cedar was an Edwardian magician known as The Vanishing Man; he performed the perfect trick and then was never seen or heard of again. Director/performers Simon Evans and David Aula present a time-hopping, misdirection-busting, mind-bending examination of what really happens when a man in full view, simply ceases to be. So much more than a magic show, it is the story of a magic trick: the greatest one ever performed.

The Extinction Event

At the end of 60 minutes, mankind will vanish. 'A magician is an actor playing the part of a god', or so said Hugo Cedar. So, what happens when science makes gods of us all? Hypnotist magicians David Aula and Simon Evans present another mind-hopping, time-space continuum-busting, misdirection-bending examination of what really happens when science starts thinking for itself. What tricks will we have it do? Not the story of a magic trick. The story of real magic. Not a matter of 'if' and 'how', but 'when' and 'where'. Philosophy with a deadline. Tick-tock. Now... relax.

Showcasing underrepresented working-class comedy voices. Sponsored by Spam, chippy teas, waste grounds, hanging around, knock-off trainers, a fella your dad knows, weed, the unions, crap schools, bunking off, electric meters, Brixton, Toxteth, Grenfell, hand-me-down clothes, caravans, the back of a lorry, failed MOTs, failed GCSEs, bus stops, payday loans, bacon, pubs, pints, tobacco, Margret f*cking Thatcher, Cash Converters, job seekers allowance, zero-hour contracts, jam butties, gravy, pyjamas, broken glass, broken homes, playing out, white lightning, E, backyards, slums, dying young, the NHS, tired dads, fierce mums and empowerment.

Nominated for the 2017 Golden Gibbo (Best Independent Production) at Melbourne Comedy Festival. In the summer of 2001, Clara Cupcakes invented the worst video game of all time: the unplayable tale of an octopus looking for love in this crazy world. The levels made no sense and the final boss was unbeatable. Distraught and alone, she hurled it into the garbage to be forgotten. Game over? Nothing stays buried forever. It's time to play...

With her body, a tightwire and a physical composition that draws on the Japanese rope art of Shibari, Hanna Moisala’s WireDo tells a mesmerizing story of stepping out to the unknown. With its three-dimensional view, WireDo explores the inner balance of human behaviour, with the question ‘what happens to the body when it chooses to surrender and be manipulated?’ Daring stunts on tightwire combined with Moisala’s captivating presence and skilled rope manipulation offer an unprecedented spectacle.

We've all encountered the wine wankers' insufferable diatribe. We endure it because we have no f*cking idea what they're talking about. Follow one woman's accidental journey over 12 months from shallow wine novice to full-blown wine wanker. A little rudimentary knowledge to accompany her game face and voila, she became so much more!

Incognito return with their explosive physical style to tell the story of five resourceful young men and women attempting to carve out a place in the murky underworld of 1920s London. In the wake of the Great War, can they find the fame and wealth they crave or will their desperate need to belong lead to disastrous consequences?