Listings: After 5pm, Books

The Pleasance / Scroobius Pip. Scroobius Pip presents a unique mix of humour and heart-wrenching explorations of the human condition. When Words was premiered at Latitude Festivals poetry tent in 2012 it drew an unexpected crowd of 4,000 and went on to enjoy a sell-out December tour. Scroobius Pip will once again prove…

Andrea Dworkin: radical feminist. Alan Bissett: man. One microphone. Bissett plays himself, and one of the most original, reviled women in history, telling stories from his own life and from Dworkin’s. Expect an unflinching examination of porn culture, laughter and Led Zeppelin. From the team behind Fringe hits The…

David Campbell & Janis Mackay. Out of the northern mists the ancient hag of the mountain ridges – The Cailleach – dropped from her creel the peats that formed her beloved Caledonia. Join master storytellers David Campbell and Janis Mackay, with musician Wendy Weatherby, as they tell in words and haunting music, the…

Award-nominated Idle Motion take you back to 1940s England, to an eccentric country house which became the melting pot of Britain’s greatest minds: Alan Turing, Gordon Welchman and the thousands of others whose work was the hidden heroism of the war. In this show Idle Motion delves into the untold stories of Bletchley…

Assembly. The ultimate once in a lifetime show. Never to be repeated! No reviews. No stars. No idea what's going to happen. No idea who's going to be on our stage. No idea what they're going to say. Welcome to the dangerous and unpredictable world of ad lib! You have been warned. Ages 18+.

Mathew Horton. The story of the Sawney slaughter/ Is told in rhyme by Sawney's daughter/ Who has escaped her killer clan/ And found herself an honest man./ But her redemption and her fate/ Cannot escape her swinging fate./ Let her tale of woe appall./ Hear it all @ Surgeons Hall. Ages 14+.

Neil O'Brien Entertainment Ltd. Two of the titans of UK cricket with a side-splitting show full of memories from within the Test Match Special commentary boxes from all over the world. The fun spills out from the most famous grounds to taxis, buses, beaches, deserts and hotels. Anecdotes never before heard of legendary…

Scottish Storytelling Centre. Enjoy oral storytelling, poetry by memory, music and song in the relaxed ambience of the Storytelling Café. Come prepared with a piece to perform or just to enjoy the evening. Featuring a special guest host and many friends. Ages 14+.

In Evie’s world, you are punished for being overweight, your sister is perfect and your job sucks. So, do you really think you can have your cake and eat it? Join satirical cakeaholic and poet Tina Sederholm for a spongy hour seeking answers to health, happiness and an end to universal suffering. ‘…Tina’s language…

Based on Beckett’s trilogy of novels – Molloy, Malone Dies and The Unnamable – this one-man show performed by celebrated Beckett interpreter Barry McGovern brings together three monologues that unify the central characters of each novel, revealing successively deepening layers of reflection and emotion. Firstly there is…

‘Dynamic, funny, sharply political … captivating… metaphor master… kept his packed audience utterly transfixed… sharp one-liners … Hilarious … The Godfather of Scottish Performance Poetry …Go see’ (Scotsman). ‘Fast, funny and angry’ (Herald). ‘Hilarious … hypnotic… A true Fringe gem’ (Toronto Now).‘Absolute master…

Damian Barr brings his celebrated Shoreditch House Literary Salon to Edinburgh. Join him for exclusive readings and revealing interviews with some of the world’s best writers. Guests include the formidably fabulous Janice Galloway and the most marvellous Maggie O’Farrell. Tickets include one delightful cocktail.

Drop by our carnival for The Liars’ League, and be transported to another literary dimension at their live storytelling salon where writers write, actors read, the audience listens, and everyone wins as they present one of their signature events.

Ditto Productions / Escalator East To Edinburgh. Ever seen a lion? In the wild? In England? Last year in Clacton some campers thought they did. They didn't of course, lions aren't native to north-east Essex. But their not-sighting triggered something in the brain of Radio 4 poet Luke Wright. Now he too is seeing things…

Stand-up poetry from multi award-winning simian. ‘Very funny' (Scotsman). 'Funny, furious, filthy' (Jersey Evening Post). 'The darkest, rudest and funniest thing you will see' (BroadwayBaby.com). www.monkeypoet.co.uk

Two of the pillars of contemporary music come together for an intimate evening of poetry, music and song in tribute to their friend, the great Beat Generation poet Allen Ginsberg. Punk poet and provocateur Patti Smith performs both her own and Ginsberg’s poetry, with accompaniment and solo pieces for piano from founding…

PBH Free Fringe Spoken Word Showcases and Competitions bring you some of the best performers, open mics, and live competitions on the UK scene today. A raft of talented, experienced, lively spoken word collectives staging some amazing shows: Word House, I’m Sorry I Haven’t Haiku, The Anti-Slam, Flea Circus, Hammer and…

Had it up to here with hilarity? Fed up with the feel good factor? Well, commiserations, because the Stand-Up Tragedy team are here to wipe that smile off your face! After successful London runs at the Leicester Square Theatre and the Hackney Attic, Sony Award-nominated Dave Pickering's ‘entertaining bunch of…

Fishing for freshness? You’ll get what’s coming with Threesome. Hook up with us for the un/spoken word lifted off the page in surprising ways. Jay Walker’s excerpts from Explicit embody poetic licentiousness. Everyday language made queerly transfixing. ‘The nearest English translation of jouissance I've ever seen…

Get Involved. Created and hosted by the UK's sharpest poets, storytellers and comedians who perform with improvised soundtracks from the genre-hopping Tongue Fu Band (Nostalgia 77). Created and hosted by performance poet Chris Redmond (Scroobius Pip's Spoken Word Surgery - BBC Radio One, Bespoken Word, Pick Of The Week…