16 of the best shows at the Edinburgh International Festival

• Brian Donaldson
• 8 July 2015

This article is from 2015.

Murmel Murmel / credit: Thomas Aurin

From Juliette Binoche in Antigone to multi-instrumentalist Sufjan Stevens

This year's Edinburgh International Festival lineup is one of its most exciting for years; we pick out some of the finest shows the Festival has to offer in 2015.

Antigone
Hollywood star Juliette Binoche adds a little glamour to Edinburgh's lineup this August. She stops off at the International Festival in Sophocles' Antigone, directed by celebrated Belgian director Ivo van Hove in a new translation by Anne Carson. Read our interview with Juliette Binoche.
King’s Theatre, Leven Street, 7–22 Aug (not 10, 17), 7.30pm, £15–£48.

Lanark
Citizens Theatre is attempting the near-impossible task of bringing Alasdair Gray’s Lanark to the stage. We asked those close to both the original book and the new EIF production what that classic of Scottish literature means to them. Read the full feature.
Royal Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay Street, 23 Aug, 6pm; 24–30 Aug (not 26), 7pm; 25, 27, 29, 31 Aug, 1pm, £10–£32. Preview 22 Aug, 7pm, £15.

887
French Canadian theatremaker Robert Lepage returns to Edinburgh with the European premiere of 887. Fringe stalwart Stewart Lee told us why 887 is on his festival calendar in 2015.
EICC, Morrison Street, 13–15, 18, 20, 23 Aug, 7.30pm, 16, 19, 21 & 22 Aug, 2.30pm, £32.

Max Richter
Ahead of an EIF debut, composer Max Richter tells us how he prevented a Vivaldi classic becoming a degrading jingle. Read the interview.
Edinburgh Playhouse, Greenside Place, 24–29 Aug, 8pm, £10–£32.

Fanfare
We hear from those behind a project which seeks to bring Scottish bands out of their shells.
Various venues & times, free.

The Magic Flute
Komische Oper, Barrie Kosky and Fringe award-winners 1927 give Mozart’s opera the freshest of spins. We spoke to them to find out more.
Festival Theatre, Nicolson Street, 27–30 Aug, 7.15pm, £18.

Sufjan Stevens
With his new album, Carrie & Lowell, the Detroit-born singer-songwriter has returned to his folk roots. Stevens’ music will also be heard in Round-Up at The Hub with Yarn / Wire performing a live score of his work on this rodeo film.
Edinburgh Playhouse, Greenside Place, 30 Aug, 8pm, £20–£30; The Hub, Royal Mile, 29 Aug, 10pm, £25.

Murmel Murmel
This year’s EIF seems to be rife with works previously believed to be unstageable. Hot on the heels of Lanark, then, comes this adaptation of Swiss artist Dieter Roth’s psychedelic slapstick in which just one word is spoken throughout and often: ‘murmel’ (translated as mumbling).
King’s Theatre, Leven Street, 28 & 29 Aug, 8pm; 29 & 30 Aug, 3pm, £12–£32.

FFS
A meeting of perfect art-pop minds here with Franz Ferdinand (the FF) and Sparks (they’ll be the S, then) bridging the decades to collaborate on some urgent modern and theatrical music.
Festival Theatre, Nicolson Street, 24 Aug, 8pm, £20–£25.

Festival Soundbites
The International Festival isn’t just about popping into a play or concert and then disappearing off into the day or night. You can now sample more classical music online thanks to the festival’s digital media partners, Sinfini Music, who produce cartoons (see illustrator William Elliot's take on The Marriage of Figaro below), films, playlists, podcasts, guides and competitions.
sinfinimusic.com