1 – 25 AUGUST 2014
FOR its biggest Festival Fringe to date, the Institut français inaugurates a chapiteau in the gardens of Randolph Crescent and presents a programme from France and Belgium that features theatre, puppetry, circus, science, and a freak show.
In a bid to raise the area’s attractiveness for Festival-goers, the Institut will take over the Randolph Crescent gardens and welcome the chapiteau of Belgian company Theatre d’un Jour.
From 6 to 24 August, the 150 seats tailor-made big top will be the home of L’Enfant qui…, a stunning physical theatre performance combining acrobatics, puppetry and live music.
Also in the circus strand, Cie des Femmes à Barbe will present Antiquithon, a unique theatrical experience inspired by circus side shows and carnivals. Five times a day during three week, the two mysterious owners of Antiquithon will give a tour of their cabinet of curiosities installed in the Institut’s studio and filled with haunted antiques and freak phenomenons.
Liverpool-born, French transplant artist and puppeteer, Colette Garrigan, will make her first ever appearance at the Fringe with her Normandy-based company, Akselere.
Her Sleeping Beauty is a modern and dark take on the princess tale, told through puppetry and shadow theatre. A stunningly poetic and original solo show that marks an emotional return to her homeland for Garrigan.
Finally, Avignon Festival regulars Cie les sens des mots will bring science and theatre together in binôme – Souris Chaos, a play born from the conversation between the playwright Fréderic Sonntag and the neuroscientist, Daniela Cota, specialist of physiopathology of obesity.
A cruel and witty comedy about food as catharsis, combining videos, theatre and a Q&A session with the audience, it will appeal to theatre and science lovers alike.
Since its return on the Fringe in 2011, the Institut français has built a reputation for excellence with a French flavour, showcasing a wide spectrum of performances, from object theatre to traditional Parisian cabaret, from sitespecific creation to new writing theatre.
Vincent Guerin, director of the Institut français said: “The Fringe is an incredible opportunity for us to showcase the crème de la crème of Francophone theatre, and every summer we’re committed to push our ambition a little further.
“It is also the culmination of our all year round commitment to the local community in the West End. Bringing in a chapiteau and programming circus are fantastic developments.
“As is welcoming Matthieu Roy’s show in Edinburgh directly after its run at the Avignon Official Festival. But what I am particularly excited about every year is to accompany artists with remarkable stories, such as Colette Garrigan’s, in their first dip into Fringe waters. That’s the Auld Alliance in all its glory!”
The full programme for the Institut français d’Ecosse Fringe 2014 is on sale from 5 June at www.edfringe.com and at the Institut français: 0131 225 5366
Please visit www.vivelefringe.org and follow us on Twitter for exclusive updates: @vivelefringe
For more information, interview requests and HD images, please contact Vanessa Bismuth: pr@ifecosse.org.uk / 0131 225 5366.
Institut français d’Ecosse/ Venue 134 – 13 Randolph Crescent, Edinburgh EH3 7TT.
Box Office: 0131 225 53 66
Mon – Sun 9.30 am – 9.00 pm.
- END -
ÉCOSSE 01 – 25 August
Note to editors:
SHOW DETAILS
L’Enfant qui… / T1J
8 to 24 August (not 11, 14, 18 and 21) at 18:00 (55 mins)
Antiquithon / Cie des Femmes à Barbe
1 to 23 August (not 11 and 18) at 13:30, 14:05, 14:40, 15:30 and 16:05 (30 mins)
Sleeping Beauty / Cie Akselere
1 to 25 August (not 11 and 18) at 13:00 (55 mins)
binôme – Souris Chaos/ Thibault Rossigneux and Cie les sens des mots
8 to 17 August (not 11 and 12) at 16:40 (one hour)
The Institut français is the agency of the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs with responsibility for cultural activity outside France. In Scotland, the agency is represented by the Institut français d’Ecosse (Edinburgh) which promotes French language and culture by providing French courses and organising events (film screenings, talks, exhibitions, concerts, etc.). It also aims to encourage cross-cultural exchange between France and Scotland, in cooperation with Scottish Francophile institutions.
Additional information is available on www.ifecosse.org.uk or follow us on Twitter @ifecosse.
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Contact: Vanessa Bismuth
Phone: 01312255366
Email: pr@ifecosse.org.uk
Website: http://www.vivelegringe.org
