The Green Green Grass of Leith Walk

Although it might appear that the dance section of the Fringe is shrinking, perhaps because many physical theatre acts prefer to be in the the main theatre listings, Greenside is one of the many venues which has expanded its dance programme. In the absence of Aurora Nova, which brought international stars to Edinburgh in the mid 00s, and following the success of Zoo Venues, experimental performance is flourishing.

"I am really passionate about Dance and Physical Theatre, says venue manager Darren Neale. "A large proportion of our programme is dance and that’s not by mistake!" Certainly, their dance programme is diverse, ranging from interpretations of Led Zeppelin classics through to evocations of Emily Dickinson via poetry and movement.

"Our open programming policy can sometimes be mistaken for a lack of interest in the structure or relevance of our Programme," Neale elaborates. "This couldn’t be further from the truth. My colleague Tara Kilbourne and I create a thoughtful, diverse and powerful programme overflowing with talent and culture from around the globe." Yet the team avoid aesthetic elitism and commercial pressures. "To create a true Fringe Programme you need everything from local amateur dramatic groups right through to professional west end performers – there should be a place for everyone at the Fringe and we believe our Programme reflects that."

Alongside this idealism - which has seen the number of shows at Greenside double from 2010 - Neale acknowledges the importance of practical matters. "I believe one of the reasons Dance isn’t represented to its full at the Fringe is that fringe spaces simply do not cater for the unique requirements that dance requires," he says. "We are acutely aware of dancer's needs for space and height and ensured that our spaces reflected these requirements. Our Studio spaces are amongst the largest at the fringe, enabling lifts and elaborate sets. They are equipped with the latest in LED Lighting enabling the dance to come to life with an endless array of lighting affects and of course a sprung dance floor! We believe we create the ideal space for dance at the fringe."

Thankfully, this floor hasn't been conquered by comedians: Melody LaRouge represents cabaret with a selection from the writers of Chicago and Cabaret - hopefully inspiring some Bob Fosse style grooving in the audience - and Macbeth is given the physical retread that it needs to escape high school predictability. Trama and Daniel Jaber pop over from Brazil with a double bill alongside Leith players Twa Dugs' appropriately named Fetch.

Being on the north side of the city, and having one of the nicer gardens and cafes, rather like a miniature version of the bucolic Book Festival, Greenside has not grown beyond its honest roots, but is shaping up to attract and retain audiences.