Fringe preview

The 2007 Fringe Programme is a formidable beast. This year's Fringe is set to become the largest yet, with 31,000 performances of 2,050 shows taking place throughout the month of August. 18,600 actors, comedians, musicians and street performers are poised to descend upon Edinburgh, in addition to the estimated 400,000 tourists that swamp the city, effectively doubling the city's population. Last year, 1.5 million tickets were sold for Fringe events, a record number that is predicted to be topped next month.

For the uninitiated, these statistics make for daunting reading and the risk of spending an ever increasing amount of money on an absolute turkey is at an all-time high. Therefore, in order to avoid disappointment, we recommend the following as a good place to start trawling your way through the Fringe programme:

Our big theatre tip for 2007 is the new production from the National Theatre of Scotland, Venus As A Boy, which, naturally, is previewed elsewhere on these pages. Given the huge critical acclaim and popular success of the epic Black Watch, any follow-up production by the NTS would bear a significant weight of expectation and Venus as a Boy will be the most significant production on the Fringe, almost by default. It is touted as a dramatic exploration of the power of sexuality and was adapted for the stage by actor-director Tam Dean Burn. Already having received plaudits for its opening performances in Orkney, Venus As A Boy will be one of the top attractions in Fringe-theatre this year.

Two other shining examples of Scottish theatre that will become required viewing over August are Damascus and Yellow Moon, both by David Grieg, which are set in, and which explore, opposing sides of the wealth divide in Scottish society. Damascus, which is housed at the Traverse theatre from 5-26 August, follows a Scottish businessman attempting to get home from Syria after a Lebanese airport is bombed, delaying his flight indefinitely. It is an exploration of a culture in the grip of acute change from an outsider's perspective, one which is clouded by the confusion caused by a lack of understanding and the interpersonal divisions caused by differences in language and symbolism.

Yellow Moon focuses on the other side of the tracks, and is designed for the most minimalist of performances. It follows "the deadest of dead-end kids" who become entangled with murder and their race to find a hiding place. Yellow Moon, having run in Glasgow and been described as "one of the best new plays of the year" by The Times, is certain to become a jewel in the Fringe crown this year.

Tim Crouch, one of Britain's leading figures in experimental theatre, brings the world premiere of England to the Fruitmarket Gallery. The promenade show involves a tour of the gallery, as the audience follow the actors through the exhibitions of artist Andy Smith, adding an interactive dimension to the performance.

The Fringe also continues to showcase heavyweight political theatre, tackling, among others, issues of illegal immigration (The Container – which is additionally notable for being set in a transportation container which can only hold a maximum of twenty people for each performance); the gay rights movement (Stonewall), the Israeli/Palestinian conflict (Dai (Enough)) and African genocide (Miracle in Rwanda).

Meanwhile, musical theatre also seems to be taking on political issues, albeit in a somewhat gaudier manner. Tony Blair: The Musical and Tony! The Blair Musical jostle for attention, while Cabaret Auschwitz, Chav: It's A Musical, Innit and Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical offer what will most certainly be sober, balanced and delicate reflections upon the holocaust, anti-social behaviour and female exploitation. Edinburgh city councillors can prepare themselves for some angry letters…