Martin Powell's Fringe No I haven't fallen out with the new Editor and been banished from the printed version of the magazine to the Web site, in fact it was my idea. I would never have got this much space in the printed magazine and the more relaxed copy dates that applied here seemed attractive. Theatre Another year, another Fringe. Where to start? How about the Traverse? The trouble with that is that there is so much that looks so good there that I'm worried that if I go through the doors I'll never leave. Every time I look at their brochure I see another show I want to see. Is it just me or is there a lot of political theatre about these days? In 2003 we had The Riot Group's Pugilist Specialist about Iraq, the next year brought When the Bulbul Stopped Singing, Raja Shehadeh's book abut living in Ramallah brilliantly adapted by David Greig. Last year the Canadian company Volcano had a play about Private Lynndie England of Abu Ghraib fame. Over the last couple of years, although not at the Fringe, there have been a number of major pieces of verbatim theatre. Two from Out of Joint spring to mind: The Permanent Way took apart railway privitisation and Talking to Terrorists got inside the minds of people demonised as terrorists showing that far from being crazed fanatics many of them made perfectly rational decisions given their life experience. Particularly relevant given what is currently going on in the Middle East. Personally I put all this political theatre down to frustrations at the spineless nature of our politicians. Well get ready for another major piece of verbatim theatre that forces one to challenge ones attitudes on a subject where politicians fear to tread. Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse have Unprotected (Traverse) about street sex workers. Although there are about 20 characters the three main ones are Ali, a street sex worker, and the mothers of two murdered prostitutes. I initially thought the title must refer to unprotected sex. It doesn't. It refers to the way that the system working in what at first sight appears a rational way, with almost everyone doing their best, ends up leaving a group of people unprotected. I said "almost everyone", the one group that don't come across at all well are the UK new Labour government who appear as a bunch of unprincipled bastards who would sell their own granny to the devil if it would give them a good headline tomorrow in the Mail or the Sun. However this may be being too kind to them. I am reminded of the American Frank Leahy's comment "Egotism is the anaesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity". This is first rate theatre that offers no easy answers but makes you come away with the feeling that the present set up is unacceptable. See it. On a related subject Bodies in Transit (Traverse) by Nina Larissa Bassett is a fictional story about Maria, a young woman from Lithuania who ends up working in the brothels of Copenhagen. A story about a very different woman is the Royal Court's My Name is Rachel Corrie (Pleasance Courtyard), a young American peace activist murdered by an Israeli Defence Force bulldozer. Pepperdene University have Necessary Targets (C cubed), Eve Ensler's play about women, war, genocide and the resilience of the human spirit. El-Funoun Group have From Haddington to Palestine (Theatre Workshop). Ninety years on since the famous Balfour Declaration, Omar Hassan, wandering Palestinian and historian, meets the ghost of Lord Arthur James Balfour. Omar brings him up to date with what has happened in the whole region since the creation of the state of Israel and the millions of dispossessed Palestinians searching for their homeland. Babylon Burning (Another Lovely War) (Theatre Workshop)is a hard-hitting docu-drama about the Iraq War. Glamour and grit, showmanship and shame vie for your attention in this lavishly staged and meticulously researched spectacular. Girl Blog from Iraq - Baghdad Burning (Pleasance Courtyard) brings to life the up to the minute true stories from a young Iraqi woman's internet journey. A vivid account of a family trapped in a war zone. Embedded (Quaker Meeting House) is described as a hilarious indictment of Bush's mad rush to war. What I Heard about Iraq (Pleasance Courtyard) exposes the human drama and hidden agendas behind the Iraq conflict through the words of politicians, soldiers, and civilians involved. Canadian company Volcano are back with Goodness (Traverse), a play about genocide and the intricacies of storytelling. Khaki (Theatre Workshop) creates a unique world exploring Iran. Moving to a different part of the world Mercury Theatre Co have Devil's Advocate (Assembly Rooms), Panama City 1989 amid American shock and awe, the Archbishop traps and breaks General Noriega. Closer to home Rough Magic have Improbable Frequency (Traverse), an award winning musical comedy about neutral Ireland's role in world war two. Mel Smith is doing Allegiance - Winston Churchill and Michael Collins (Assembly Rooms) about the relationship between the two men. Tourist Campsite Productions have A Tourist's Guide to Terrorism (Sweet Grassmarket), Pakistan just before 9/11. A campsite for backpackers run by the son of an executed general. Enter an ex-IRA man and an American born-again Christian. Fantastic Redhead have Hillary Agonistes (C). It's 2009, Hilary Rodham Clinton becomes President. One afternoon 65 million people vanish. Stephen Hawking, Pat Robertson, Chelsea, and The Antichrist offer explanations. Does this mean Frantic Redhead are not doing their Macbeth through the streets of the Old town? Of course they are, it starts at C at Greyfriers Kirkyard. Anyone who wants a preview can get one by visiting the Jolly Judge pub for a drink at the appropriate time and waiting for them to pass outside. They are also doing another walking play Sherlock Holmes: The Three Students (C outside St Patricks). The always excellent Double Edge Drama are back with Bajazet (Smirnoff Baby Belly). A dazzling portrait of love and deceptions within the Ottoman court. Guy Masterson directing a play by Rich Hall should be interesting. Levelland (Assembly Rooms), oil prices are soaring, the economy is in meltdown, a controversial radio talkshow host is violently interrupted by a drifter claiming to be the Messiah. Borderline have Breaking the Pope (Smirnoff Baby Belly), , three women reveal one of the Catholic Church's dark secrets, The Magdeline Laundries. One I'm not sure of is The Putney Players show Caught on Tape: The US Undressed (The Zoo), twelve actors, six tape recorders, four cities, countless conversations. Equally bizarre is The Phone Book Live (Smirnoff Baby Belly), they say truly great performers can read the phone book and make it entertaining, but can they? Different guest readers each day. Red Card Theatre have two plays, Denial and Descent (Calton Theatre Cafe Bar). The later is set in 1943, a woman prepares for a long journey, tomorrow she travels east to an unknown destination, perhaps life will be better. The former is set in Auschwitz in the present day. Three pilgrims come to celebrate the architects of the final solution. El Conquistador! (Traverse) is described as simultaneously a foreign film, play, epic history and telenovela. It centres around Polonio, a Columbian peasant who flees his war ravaged village to become a soap opera star. Back again is Lies Have Been Told (Pleasance Dome), Rod Beacham's play about Robert Maxwell. Miles Gallent has One Night Stan (Cafe Royal) about Stan Laurel. A more unusual biography is Jane Galloway's Potatoes (Club WEST), a blend of history, horticulture, and haute cuisine. The Bush Theatre have Pumpgirl (Traverse) by Abbie Spallen. A turbo charged race through the diesel fumes and country music of Armagh. A comic play about three lives colliding. Rabbit (C cubed) is about Madeline and her junkie boyfriend whose caustic father has a secret and her drunken mother debates how to kill a rabbit for dinner. The Richard Hardwick Co have The Same...But Different (Pleasance Dome), soldiers can be gay, wives can be unfaithful, and drugging your one night stand's drink and tying her up can be a highly original way of telling her you love her. Is it really 10 years since David Benson first performed his marvellous Think No Evil of Us: My Life With Kenneth Williams (Pleasance Dome), I remember it as if it were yesterday. The title says it all. Unmissable. Totally different yet I expect just as unmissable, Arches Theatre Co are doing Tone Clusters (Traverse) by Joyce Carol Oates. The body of a 13 year old girl is discovered in the basement of Frank and Emily Gulick's home, their son is the prime suspect and the family fragments. I said at the start that I kept seeing things in the Traverse brochure, here are two more I found while writing the above. Petrol Jesus Nightmare #5 (In the Time of the Messiah) by Henry Adam looks like it could be the Fringe sensation - a chillingly apocalyptic thriller about the violent consequences of five people caught under fire in occupied territory. The other one is Stories in January, which is by Traverse Theatre Co in association with Paines Plough. I don't care what it's about, if Paines Plough are involved I want to see it. Finally in the theatre section, C theatre are doing Shakespeare for Breakfast (C), 50 minutes of the bard at 10 am. Definitely a Fringe institution, it is now in its 15th year and will probably outlive me. Dance Turning to dance the Norwegian Jo Stromgren Kompani are back with The Convent (Aurora Nova@St Stephen's). If this is anything like their witty and manic The Hospital of last year it will be superb. All the signs are that it will be. Dance Base are doing a series of mostly triple bills under the title Dance Base Presents.... Based on past form they should be well worth seeking out. The one that's top of my list is the one featuring X Factor who are described as "always great and quirky", I'm not sure about the quirky. Cie Didier Theron have En Forme (Aurora Nova@St Stephen's), and inspired funny show inspired by Kafka's writings from this French company. Kataklo (Aurora Nova@St Stephen's) is from the company that created the opening ceremony for the Turin Winter Olympics and is described as a dance spectacle of mind boggling acrobatics and gravity defying stunts. Coisceim Dance have Knots (Aurora Nova@St Stephen's) a blend of high-octane choreography and writings from R D Laing. Cocoondance have Lovers and Other Strangers (Aurora Nova@St Stephen's), a man and a woman, the struggle between two strong wills on the verge of destruction. Arches Theatre Co/Al Seed have The Factory (Smirnoff Baby Belly), a mixture of clown, dance, and stand-up in a tale about war, greed, torture, and you. In the Underbelly's programme this one is listed under theatre, in the Fringe programme it's dance. Liss Fane Dance (Zoo Southside) from San Fransisco mixes modern dance with the vertical lift of ballet. Sounds like just my thing. The ever brilliant Scottish Dance Theatre (Zoo Southside) are back with Jan De Schynkel's No Stronger Than A Flower. Definitely on the must see list. Comedy Things listed under comedy I usually don't find funny but there are a few exceptions. Before going on to them it's worth mentioning what looks like a new movement within the Fringe and that is the development of the free Fringe http://www.freefringe.com. 12 years ago Peter Buckley Hill came to Edinburgh and like most performers lost a fortune. After a couple of years he used the talents that he needed for his MBA degree and came up with a different business model. Instead of finding a Masonic Lodge or University or Council building where the owners were out to make the most money possible, which was passed on in costs through venue managers to performers, he realised if you found a pub with a room they were happy if you brought in extra drinkers. So he started doing his show in a pub, they gave him the room for free, he didn't issue tickets so there was less administration, and admission was free but with a collection at the end. He still lost money but far less than before. Over the last couple of years the idea has taken off. From Peter doing his two shows there are this year over 60 shows on the free Fringe. It gets even better. One of Peter's shows Peter Buckley Hill and Some Comedians (Laughing Horse@Canon's Gait) consists of Peter hosting other comedians, most of whom have shows but are not getting audiences, so they do the free show to attract them. So you get to see performers you would normally have to pay to see for free. Peter's other show How Much Longer Can He Get Away With It (Laughing Horse@Canon's Gait). Peter has been writing songs about the events of 2006 so far, from the London whale to the hosepipe ban (not currently an Edinburgh problem), via Slobodan Milosevic. Will he get away with it? Probably. Perhaps the most promising show is Count Arthur Strong - The Musical? (Assembly Rooms). Steve Delaney returns as the Count no doubt doing what he does best. Failing to realise how ridiculous his behaviour is. It will be interesting to see what effect his Radio 4 series has on audiences. I've seen him in fairly empty rooms in the past. I'm not sure about Unnecessarily Offensive Theatre and Acts of Depravity (Club WEST), a sex in the city brief encounter between Tennessee Williams, Alan Bennett, Chekhov, and an existential vibrator. I've more confidence in Richard Herring - Menage a Un (Smirnoff Underbelly) where he reflects on solitude and Onanism. A suitable follow up to his show about the penis, Talking Cock. A couple that may or may not work are Toby Miitchell's A British Guide to World Religions (C Central), journey from Anglicanism to Zoroastrianism and vote on the 3 new commandments. Jesus: The Guantanamo Years (Smirnoff Underbelly) by Abie looks interesting, a bearded Middle Eastern guy willing to die as a religious martyr faces US immigration. I expect I'll have better things to do than Lunch with the Hamiltons (Pleasance Dome), Neil and Christine Hamilton try to entertain a Fringe Audience. And finally make sure you get the right show. I'll never forget the time a perplexed American wanting Theatre 84's production of My Fair Lady, which was on at the Church Hill Theatre, turned up at Venue 84 (Holyrood Tavern) and wondered where the show was. The Ladyboys of Banknock (Diverse Attractions) are not The Lady Boys of Bangkok (Meadows Theatre Big Top). Have fun, I will.