सभी का स्वागत
All Welcome
All Welcome
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:—
The July issue of Dishoom Loves is already here (and perky, for your eyes). Fill your mind with some of the best South Asian talent, from a 17-year-old playwright sharing her life story, to a beauty expert’s top tips and tricks. And, a doctor who writes about henna.
Arched into the cobbled lane of Trinity Street, behind a mustard yellow door, an all-day bar-café cuts loose. Not to be confused with the buzzy bars in Dishoom cafés, this Permit Room is entirely other – a tribute to the way Bombay kicks back and cuts loose – a salute to the city’s permit rooms, beer bars and drinking holes.
June brings the promise of sun-drenched days – or monsoons – balmy nights and a smattering of first-class cultural happenings.
People, community and planet.