We are taking five pieces of new writing to the Edinburgh Festivcal Fringe this August! Join us at Just the Tonic’s Just the Fancy Room at the Caves at 19:30 every day of the Fringe. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @theatreparadok so you can stay up to date on all our incredible shows and catch some behind the scenes content from our wonderful casts and crews.
Lights Out (1 to 4 August) (new writing, drama)
‘Witty, yet painfully authentic’ (The Student), Lights Out is an intimate, real-time conversation following two sisters, as they slowly move from playful banter, such as hypothetical debates over fruit salad, to conflicting memories which begin to uncover shared trauma. We start to question themes surrounding the nature of our changing relationships as we grow up, whether ignorance is truly bliss and how reactions shape the moral perception of an event. In a play filled with ‘laughter and silence’ (The Student), the bitterly nostalgic shift of perspectives enlightens our understanding of familial relationships.
The Dink Rodgers Show (5 to 9 August) (character comedy, sketch show)
Dink Rodgers has won two Emmys, three Grammys and 84 Oscars. That’s right, he’s an actor with an EGO! Join us for an unforgettable evening traversing the length and breadth of his illustrious career. Featuring interviews, sketches, songs and more! It’s a sketch show framed as a retrospective look at the career of Dink Rodgers, one of the world’s most celebrated artistes. A man who thinks humility is when there’s a lot of moisture in the air, he’s ruffled a few feathers. Now it looks like his chickens are coming home to roost…
Daily Routine at the Farcical Castle (10 to 15 August) (comedy, new writing)
‘Darling, your wicked brother The Duke greased me up in butter and rolled me down a hill. You have 45 minutes to convince me not to execute him.’ King Barnaby’s had enough. Duke Snortickle’s played one prank too far and it’s time for him to go! But what will the family think!? It’s a race against the show’s runtime to convince the King to change his mind! A new play by Theodore Chevis.
Liminal (16 to 20 August) (lgbtq+, new writing)
Ex-girlfriends Mar and Esme prepare for Mar’s imminent move from the country. Memories are shared and tensions rise as they try to reach an understanding again and again… and again… and again… something’s wrong. Haven’t we been here before? The boxes are packing themselves and the wine is already half-empty and I feel like reality is coming apart at the seams – trapped in time, the two are forced to contend with love, loss and ominous cosmic forces.
This Natural Scene (21 to 25 August) (drama, physical theatre)
‘You know I hate looking back.’ ‘It’s not looking back. We’re still here.’ How does it feel to watch yourself grow old? A woman, Her, returns home to find her childhood in boxes and her mother ready to move on; Her parents have sold the house, and things need sorting through. Over the course of the day, Her and Mother find themselves caught up in some difficult conversations, as they come to terms with what was, what is and what will be. A show about nostalgia, reflection and the ache of leaving the past behind.