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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Backstage with street performers at Edinburgh fringe – photo essay | Backstage with street performers at Edinburgh fringe – photo essay |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The Edinburgh festival fringe is the largest event of its kind in the world. It began in 1947 when eight theatre companies turned up, uninvited, alongside the acts performing in the first Edinburgh international festival. Since then the fringe has grown into the biggest of Edinburgh’s festivals. | The Edinburgh festival fringe is the largest event of its kind in the world. It began in 1947 when eight theatre companies turned up, uninvited, alongside the acts performing in the first Edinburgh international festival. Since then the fringe has grown into the biggest of Edinburgh’s festivals. |
| Performer Scott Hutchison AKA Super Scott practising his fire juggling outside St Giles’ Cathedral | Performer Scott Hutchison AKA Super Scott practising his fire juggling outside St Giles’ Cathedral |
| During the fringe, there are two vibrant street performance spaces in the heart of the city: the Royal Mile (between Cockburn Street and George IV Bridge, also known as High Street) and the Mound precinct. These become the focus of the festival atmosphere that takes over Edinburgh in August, with thousands of locals and tourists mingling to see the spectacular acts that travel from all over the world to entertain the crowds. | During the fringe, there are two vibrant street performance spaces in the heart of the city: the Royal Mile (between Cockburn Street and George IV Bridge, also known as High Street) and the Mound precinct. These become the focus of the festival atmosphere that takes over Edinburgh in August, with thousands of locals and tourists mingling to see the spectacular acts that travel from all over the world to entertain the crowds. |
| The draw | The draw |
| Street performers begin each day by putting their identity passes into a bag for a draw to see who gets to perform and at which performance sites. There are more performers than slots so not everybody gets a show each day. | Street performers begin each day by putting their identity passes into a bag for a draw to see who gets to perform and at which performance sites. There are more performers than slots so not everybody gets a show each day. |
| Spikey Will and Maple Staplegun (Amelia Cadwallader) wait for the daily draw to begin | Spikey Will and Maple Staplegun (Amelia Cadwallader) wait for the daily draw to begin |
| The Mighty Gareth claims his pitch. | The Mighty Gareth claims his pitch. |
| Performers claim their spots on the lineup after the draw by signing their names on the sheet for the day. There is a friendly camaraderie in the mornings as the performers spend time together before their shows begin. | Performers claim their spots on the lineup after the draw by signing their names on the sheet for the day. There is a friendly camaraderie in the mornings as the performers spend time together before their shows begin. |
| Spikey Will | Spikey Will |
| Will Ladbrook-Hutt, AKA Spikey Will, is a meat-cleaver juggler. He is renting accommodation in Edinburgh for the festival and his wife, Tabetha, and two-year-old daughter, Mable Rose, are staying with him. | Will Ladbrook-Hutt, AKA Spikey Will, is a meat-cleaver juggler. He is renting accommodation in Edinburgh for the festival and his wife, Tabetha, and two-year-old daughter, Mable Rose, are staying with him. |
| You've got an audience of liberal Europeans, just after the Brexit vote, and you're taking off your clothes to reveal the union jack | You've got an audience of liberal Europeans, just after the Brexit vote, and you're taking off your clothes to reveal the union jack |
| Spikey Will begins his show outside St Giles’ Cathedral. Below: the crowd enjoying the show. | Spikey Will begins his show outside St Giles’ Cathedral. Below: the crowd enjoying the show. |
| The crowds here are legendary – it's a real top-up of performer juice | The crowds here are legendary – it's a real top-up of performer juice |
| Will gets a reminder of the minutes left of his allocated time. | Will gets a reminder of the minutes left of his allocated time. |
| Able Mable | Able Mable |
| Hazel Anderson tours throughout the year with a variety of characters, and Able Mable is the one she has brought to Edinburgh, along with her son, Toby. Her act is a mixture of circus, physical theatre and storytelling. | Hazel Anderson tours throughout the year with a variety of characters, and Able Mable is the one she has brought to Edinburgh, along with her son, Toby. Her act is a mixture of circus, physical theatre and storytelling. |
| Able Mable tries to make a volunteer (Cara in this case) magically disappear during her show. | Able Mable tries to make a volunteer (Cara in this case) magically disappear during her show. |
| I did a foundation in acting, and then an MA in acting, and then I ran away to the circus | I did a foundation in acting, and then an MA in acting, and then I ran away to the circus |
| Mable tries to burst a balloon held by a volunteer by cracking her whip. | Mable tries to burst a balloon held by a volunteer by cracking her whip. |
| Street performing is an incredibly male-dominated profession, with two women out of 42 performers at Covent Garden | Street performing is an incredibly male-dominated profession, with two women out of 42 performers at Covent Garden |
| Able Mable steals a kiss during her show. | Able Mable steals a kiss during her show. |
| Maple Staplegun | Maple Staplegun |
| Amelia Cadwallader lives in Barcelona with her husband who she met in Ibiza studying clowning. Amelia transforms herself into Maple Staplegun, watched by her daughter Ainoa, in the makeshift backstage area behind St Giles’ Cathedral. | Amelia Cadwallader lives in Barcelona with her husband who she met in Ibiza studying clowning. Amelia transforms herself into Maple Staplegun, watched by her daughter Ainoa, in the makeshift backstage area behind St Giles’ Cathedral. |
| We performers are often pushed together when we are working, looking after each other’s children. | We performers are often pushed together when we are working, looking after each other’s children. |
| Maple Staplegun and is loaned tights by fellow performer Able Mable backstage. | Maple Staplegun and is loaned tights by fellow performer Able Mable backstage. |
| Amelia has been performing since the age of five when she took part in her first Scottish dancing competition in a country hall in Australia. She has studied clowning in five countries and performed in over 10 countries. | Amelia has been performing since the age of five when she took part in her first Scottish dancing competition in a country hall in Australia. She has studied clowning in five countries and performed in over 10 countries. |
| Maple Staplegun performs her hula hoop show outside St Giles’ Cathedral. | Maple Staplegun performs her hula hoop show outside St Giles’ Cathedral. |
| I liked the idea that I start looking normal – a secretary, building it up from there – like going wild on a Friday | I liked the idea that I start looking normal – a secretary, building it up from there – like going wild on a Friday |
| Maple engages with the crowd, and gets friendly with the spectators. | Maple engages with the crowd, and gets friendly with the spectators. |
| Based in Barcelona, Amelia continues to train in physical theatre and comedy, teaches hula hoop classes, co-manages a rehearsal and cabaret space Cabaret de Cent, and co-produces cabaret nights there. | Based in Barcelona, Amelia continues to train in physical theatre and comedy, teaches hula hoop classes, co-manages a rehearsal and cabaret space Cabaret de Cent, and co-produces cabaret nights there. |
| David Splatt | David Splatt |
| David Splatt is a Melbourne-based mime and puppeteer with a whimsical style of silent clowning and a unique take on the vaudeville. There is musical saw-playing, marionette manipulation, and a lot of powder. | David Splatt is a Melbourne-based mime and puppeteer with a whimsical style of silent clowning and a unique take on the vaudeville. There is musical saw-playing, marionette manipulation, and a lot of powder. |
| David Splatt applies his makeup in the makeshift backstage area behind St Giles’ Cathedral. | David Splatt applies his makeup in the makeshift backstage area behind St Giles’ Cathedral. |
| Maple Staplegun walks by David Splatt behind St Giles’ Cathedral. | Maple Staplegun walks by David Splatt behind St Giles’ Cathedral. |
| Herbie Treehead | Herbie Treehead |
| Herbie is originally from Consett in County Durham. He has travelled widely but cut his teeth on the streets of Covent Garden as a street performer. He has also trained as a teacher, and created music and stage acts along with a dinosaur circus show. This year his act centres around his pantomime horse. | Herbie is originally from Consett in County Durham. He has travelled widely but cut his teeth on the streets of Covent Garden as a street performer. He has also trained as a teacher, and created music and stage acts along with a dinosaur circus show. This year his act centres around his pantomime horse. |
| The dragon puppet needs to fit in the suitcase so I can get it on the X53 bus | The dragon puppet needs to fit in the suitcase so I can get it on the X53 bus |
| Herbie Treehead gets the public to volunteer to be his pantomime horse on the Royal Mile. | Herbie Treehead gets the public to volunteer to be his pantomime horse on the Royal Mile. |
| An hour before the draw, there's about five of us; we sit in the corner and have coffee. This is how people develop ideas | An hour before the draw, there's about five of us; we sit in the corner and have coffee. This is how people develop ideas |
| Hero-san | Hero-san |
| Hiroshi Usuea’s character, Hero-san, is a world-travelling Japanese street performer, born in Japan, raised partly in the UK, who as an experienced breakdancer and gymnast combines incredible acrobatic skills with comedy, and even kung-fu routines and chopstick skills. | Hiroshi Usuea’s character, Hero-san, is a world-travelling Japanese street performer, born in Japan, raised partly in the UK, who as an experienced breakdancer and gymnast combines incredible acrobatic skills with comedy, and even kung-fu routines and chopstick skills. |
| The earthquake made me think about what I wanted to do; I saw a performer at the evacuation site, making people laugh, it was beautiful | The earthquake made me think about what I wanted to do; I saw a performer at the evacuation site, making people laugh, it was beautiful |
| Performer Living Space receives his just rewards after his show on the Royal Mile. | Performer Living Space receives his just rewards after his show on the Royal Mile. |
| Tony Roberts | Tony Roberts |
| Escapologist and magician Tony Roberts puts on a show in front of the National Galleries on the Mound. | Escapologist and magician Tony Roberts puts on a show in front of the National Galleries on the Mound. |
| A mime artist gets ready in the backstage area behind St Giles’ Cathedral. | |
| Kwabana Lindsay packs up and heads off on his bicycle with his trailer after his show in Parliament Square. | Kwabana Lindsay packs up and heads off on his bicycle with his trailer after his show in Parliament Square. |