Made in Scotland reveals 2018 showcase

The annual curated showcase of music, theatre and dance performed returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for its tenth

Article by Jamie Dunn | 24 May 2018

Made in Scotland celebrates a decade of showcasing world class performance in 2018, and for its tenth year it'll support 23 shows at the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, chosen by a panel of experts from the Scottish and international performing arts community. “The programme represents a mix of established companies and vibrant emerging artists producing theatre, dance, children’s shows and music in Scotland today,” says Made in Scotland's announcement.

Among the highlights is a show from Blue Rose Code, whose most recent album, The Water of Leith, was voted Scottish Album of 2017 by The Skinny’s readers. We’re told Ross Wilson (aka Blue Rose Code) will be attempting to answer the question, What is Caledonian Soul? Queens Hall, 14 Aug

We also love the sound of Crow Hill, presented by Edinburgh indie folk band Meursault. Described as “a series of ‘urban horror story’ vignettes, set in the titular, fictional, Scottish town,” the multi-media project comprises of a studio album, a feature film and a graphic novel. Meursault will perform the album in full on two nights during the Fringe, with support from Carla Easton one night and Adam Stafford the other. Summerhall, 15 & 16 Aug

Catching our eye in the theatre lineup is psychological thriller Coriolanus Vanishes from theatre-maker David Leddy (Traverse Theatre, 2-26 Aug); My Left Right Foot – The Musical, a satirical musical about a local amdram society putting on a stage version of My Left Foot, but who are unable to find any disabled actors for the lead role of Christy Brown – although that didn’t stop Daniel Day-Lewis (Assembly Roxy, 1-27 Aug); and Love Song to Lavender Menace, a funny paean to Edinburgh’s great radical, lesbian, gay and feminist bookshop of the title (Summerhall, 1-26 Aug).

Another highlight looks to be dance piece Void. Taking its inspiration from JG Ballard’s cult novel Concrete Island, we’re told this performance will explore typically Ballardian themes of dystopian worlds, liminal spaces and urban paranoia through a combo of experimental dance and abstract glitch-video landscapes (Summerhall, 14-26 Aug). Any new play by Cora Bissett will always be high on our priority list too, and What Girls are Made Of sounds particularly vital. Deeply autobiographical – it's based on Bissett’s teen diaries – the piece is set in 1992 and follows a schoolgirl from Fife who finds herself catapulted into the life of a rock star as part of an indie band. The show itself will feature a live band on stage and will celebrate “life’s euphoric highs and epic shitstorms” (Traverse Theatre, 2-16 Aug).

This is just a fraction of Made in Scotland’s showcase and lectures. Take a look at the full programme online at www.madeinscotlandshowcase.com