Dishoom Loves Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Each year as August dawns, the streets and rooms and corners of Edinburgh fill with music, art, laughter and song. Wander into grand halls and pokey pubs, as the morning sun rises or in the dark of night, to see creations of every kind as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In honour of this wonderful celebration of the performing arts (and as a little treat), here’s a special edition Dishoom Loves, covering all the acts we’ve circled on our festival programme.

We’re finding front row seats:—

To catch comedian Sapan Verma – who’s flown in from Bombay – make his much-anticipated Fringe debut. Expect Bollywood songs, very real (albeit often absurd) newspaper headlines, quips about life as a middle-class Indian, cheers for being internet famous and gasps when he recounts speaking about (and sometimes against) local political parties in his videos online.

We’re laughing, but with a tear in our eye:—

As Sid Singh regales us with tales of his journey (not to Edinburgh, but as a comedian and human rights advocate) as part of his show Table for One. Did he beat a powerful administration to save 70,000 refugees by accident? Perhaps. Will he be donating 50% of ticket sales and donations to the Centre for Gender and Refugee Studies? Definitely! 

We’re going from Instagram:—

To IRL as we watch Urooj Ashfaq’s show Oh No!. Show up for the occasional punchline in Hindi, but don’t show up with a pair of sunglasses (for you’ll soon become aware of Urooj’s aversion to them). Sit through sessions with her therapist and brave through her lighthearted teasing. Mainly, as Urooj herself will say, “Why don't you just show up, be surprised, and go with the flow?” 

We’re hunched forward as we:—

Listen to Evening Conversations, a warm-hearted monologue about identity and heritage. Written and performed by middle-class, middle-aged, multicultural mother of millennial sons, Sudha Bhuchar – who is also an award-winning actor/ playwright. The show is inspired by dialogue she has with her ‘dual heritage, fiercely British, mono-lingual’ sons.

We’re marvelling at:—

Spellbound, the new show from Suhani Shah, the world's most-subscribed mentalist. Sit transfixed as she reads minds, hacks memories and performs unfathomable card tricks. Just don’t give her your phone – she already knows your passcode. 

We’re being transported:—

Through history, stories, backgrounds and time, by way of these two delights: 

FIND ALL SHOWTIMES BELOW:—

Read the café stories

Suggested Reading

See the journal

Vaisakhi

Vaisakhi, a day marked across India by people of many faiths, is celebrated in the Punjab as the start of the new Harvest. It falls on the 13th or 14th April depending on the calendar for that year.

Dishoom Loves. Issue XV.

Spring has gently tiptoed in. As the days lengthen and the sun grows bolder, here’s a glimpse of what we eagerly await in April.

Ayesha Erkin shares one of her delectable date recipes

We’re turning page after page of Ayesha Erkin’s recipe book Date of the Day, featuring 30+ recipes for the modest date – timely for breaking fast and after. Our dear friend Ayesha has now kindly shared a recipe for you to make at home. Try it this Iftar or any time you need a salty-spiced sticky treat.

Celebrate Iftar with Dishoom

The holy month of Ramadan is upon us, when Muslims around the world fast daily from dawn till dusk. It is a time of private worship and spiritual discipline, but also of shared joy and abundant feasting. Families and communities come together at suhoor, the pre-dawn meal, and at iftar, the evening meal, to break their fasts with copious, delicious dishes. Join us on 7th April for our own Iftar celebration – for an evening of feasting and live music.