Three Words

WOMEN     SPOKEN WORD     FREE     DISCUSSION     POETRY

     Yes, we've added in some extra boxes just so we can tick them here, since this year's Fringe programme contains a whole section devoted to the still hazy title of Spoken Word acts. First things first- DO NOT BE SCARED. Yes, You, the one who remained a wallflower during our forays into improvised comedy, You who skirted round the Physical Theatre section of the programme, You who baulks at anything involving a 'fascinating real-life story' or puppets (they are creepy). Yes, You is, in this respect, Me, but we've gone past that now. My first Spoken Word event was attended on a whim and I'm very glad I went. Ranging from rap to epic poetry, this section is small for now, but promises to bloom in future years. A large amount of the performers here give their words away for free, and the smaller venues they occupy create a more intimate atmosphere for any performance. A lot of first-timers, but some old hands too, and between them are ties and lines of familiarity that don't seem to be there in the more competitive mainstream fields.

 Flea Circus Open Slam

     Remember how I told you not to be scared? Newcomers to Slam Poetry (that means You. And, in this case, Me) are eased into the genre with this one, where performers from across the Fringe come up against members of the public in a tournament-style slam, the winners competing in a final show on the 14th of August. The idea of Spoken Word is a loose one here, and performers rap, sing, tell jokes, read poetry or any combination of the above, and the output is simply brilliant. From classical triplets of poems to the- slightly hal-ting speech ofthe true- slam poet, andeventhosewhosimplydon'tbreathe, the flea circus is many and varied, and leaves you with the feeling that, actually, You could do that.

Lucy Ayrton: Lullabies to Make Your Children Cry

     Poet, songstress and modern-day feminist (again, please don't be scared) Lucy Ayrton takes us on an hour's journey through the fairytales that we tell our children, and asks whether we should, in fact, still be telling them. Delivery seems only loosely scripted, which means she tells us straight-forwardly the effects of these stories on young people, and frankly the effects on her personally. We don't live in a place where knights come to sweep up modern-day feminists, nor where our hair is strong and healthy enough to be used as a grappling hook, but such worlds can be useful and wonderful, and none does this any more than Ayrton's own fairytale of the sherpherdess who drowns a  dragon with her own willpower. Accompanied by music just the right side of blockbuster theme quality, Ayrton's voice is crisp and inspiring, and her stories will follow you home with metaphorical swords still waving heavenwards.

At the Fringe of Reason

     Edinburgh Skeptics Society has joined forces with the Humanist Society of Scotland to bring three weeks of talks and seminars to the Fringe, and not one of them looks as dry as the opening of this paragraph may seem. All for free, and all presented by forward-thinking intellectuals who have retained a sense of humour, the talks cover such important topics as whether the world will end on the 20th of December (no.) , whether the Loch Ness Monster exists (no.) and whether there is a real 'average' penis (no, apparently.) again, the intimacy of the venue adds to our appreciation of the speaker- this isn't someone trying to prove themselves right, this is the guy at the party who laughs into his drink and says, well, actually, that isn't strictly true...