LGBT Edinburgh Fringe Highlights

This article is from 2009.

Allan Radcliffe previews some of the LGBT-interest shows winging their way to Edinburgh this August

This year’s Fringe features a good scattering of shows for those of an LGBT persuasion. Theatre pleasures range from dramatic monologues such as Jeffrey Solomon’s Mother/Son (Sweet Grassmarket, pictured above), which charts the writer/performer’s developing relationship with his mother after he emerges from the closet, to all-singing all-dancing extravaganza (complete with live band no less) Little Johnny’s Big Gay Musical (Pleasance Dome). Meanwhile, Queer (Augustine’s) follows the complex love lives of a group of cabaret artists as they attempt to mount a show – why, it’s all just so postmodern, darlings!

For a bit of a laugh and a giggle, Rosy Wilbie: the Science of Sex (Sweet Grassmarket) finds the Funny Women finalist investigating all aspects of sexuality, while there are also Fringe performances from gay stand-ups Susan Calman (Underbelly) and Stephen K Amos (Pleasance Courtyard). And if it’s musical virtuosity you seek you could do worse than spend an evening in the company of Jonathan Ross’s sidekicks 4 Poofs and a Piano (Pleasance Courtyard) or the London Gay Men’s Chorus and their show Oklahoma! Far From Kansas (Sweet ECA), which features a mélange of songs from the musicals. And if you’ve never seen a genuine gay ukelele player from NYC in the flesh check out Ben Lerman’s Size Matters (Laughing Horse @ Cafe Renroc), which features a playlist of sick and twisted ditties about love, American Idol and pirates.

For full dates and listings please see www.list.co.uk/festival