EXCITING NEWS:

Also, NEW WEBSITE COMING SOON! *nom nom nom nom delicious coding*

Applications Closed!

EDIT: Applications for the Fringebiscuit Young Writers Training Scheme are now closed! We'll have some exciting announcements soon though, so follow us on Twitter (@fringebiscuit) or watch this space...


Here at Fringebiscuit, we believe that culture is only as good as the conversations that surround it. We value entertainment by whether it keeps us laughing afterwards, and we value art by whether it keeps us thinking and talking. Really great art relates to all people, and provokes great responses from all voices – and we believe that the more voices involved in these conversations, the better.

That’s why we’re looking for you. We think your voice hasn’t been heard yet. We hear that you’re passionate about writing and talking and arguing about theatre, comedy and dance, but that sometimes you don’t feel informed enough. We hear that you want to gain experience, to hone your tastes at the world’s biggest arts festival, but that the costs are too prohibitive. We hear you, and we want to help.

Surprise!

We've got some big news. Your favourite bite-sized guide to the Edinburgh Fringe just got a whole lot sweeter, with some delicious *social enterprise* squeezed between its moreish layers.

Here's the pitch:

This year, we want to champion new talent. We want to reach our thieving mitts into the depths of the biscuit barrel and pull out the next Lyn Garibaldner, Hobnob Hitchings or Michael Bourbillington. And to achieve this we're going to go further than any other publication.

First, we aim to provide completely free accommodation for 10 exceptional young writers who would otherwise be unable to come to the Fringe. Secondly, we're going to showcase their work on an unlimited scale.

They will become the Ten Biscuiteers (huzzah!), providing full-time coverage from the trenches of the world's biggest and most exciting arts festival. Our website will be theirs to pump full of content as they see fit. They will each watch at least 4 shows a day; they will cover everything over Twitter (in snappy Fringebiscuit style), and they'll write in-depth reviews of at least two shows every day. They will have a carte blanche to track down features, write long-form opinion pieces, and corner celebrity comedians into awkward interviews. Whatever they write, we will publish. If it sounds like the best darn-tootin' month of training for an aspiring theatre critic or arts journalist, that's because we intend it to be.

*crunch*

Well, now the cat is well and truly out of the bag. Maybe you could tell all of your friends about this cat? They’re probably desperate to know.

Coming soon: updates on our fundraising initiatives, the first details of our snazzy website renovation, and of course all the news on the thrilling Biscuiteer application process!

Watch this space.

Team Biscuit, out!

Edit: Applications are now open! http://www.fringebiscuit.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/applications-open.html

(Image used under Creative Commons license, property of Jeremy Bronson: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbrons/5584346268/ )

Roundup: Days 16 - 20

Things are winding down at Biscuit Towers - it has been a pretty heavy year, as we're sure you'll agree...

The Adventures of Wound Man..., Pleasance Courtyard. Chris Goode enchants with this quirky, tender and frequently side-splitting tale. 4/5

Cabaret Whore, Underbelly. Four eccentric stars for the price of one silken-voiced Sarah-Louise Young. Guaranteed to get you guffawing. 4/5

The Caroline Carter Show, Zoo. Pleasant if unexciting. An irresistibly likeable Carter becomes much funnier as the whiskey goes round! 2/5

Comedy Zone, Pleasance Courtyard. A perfectly chosen variety box of impressive stand ups. Each very different, each totally hilarious. 5/5

The End, Pleasance Courtyard. Hypnotic and poignant, this rewardingly dense piece tugs at both your brain stem and your heart strings. 4/5

Hit Comet, Bedlam. 'Dunk your heart in the dipping sauce of my love.' Head to this comic take on the pop industry for the lyrics alone! 3/5

Love Songs For A Timewaster, Gilded Balloon. An uninspiring story sung with mixed metaphors aplenty. It would baffle if it didn't bore. 1/5

Muscle, Zoo Roxy. Moving and neatly layered exploration of men and manliness. Bursting with strong solo work and tight ensemble scenes. 4/5

My Big Gay Italian Wedding, C. Not for everybody, but as fun as they come. Camp, raunchy slapstick with an exceedingly warm heart. 4/5

The Perils of Love and Gravity, Bedlam. Moments of genius flicker, but a flabby script blunts the obvious talent of this creative team. 2/5

Rockertinkler, Zoo. Good-humoured play covering everything from nudism to philosophy. At times breadth became isolating, but well acted. 3/5

Shane & Eddie, Just The Tonic. Imagine two peppy dads from a village panto being given their own show. Bad impressions of rich people. 2/5

Tim Key, Pleasance. Superlative stand-up from a man who loves baths so much he's got one on stage. Deep breath: prepare to belly laugh. 5/5

Viewless, Remarkable Arts. An intriguing, unsettling and at times hilarious exploration of a mundane job that literally changes lives. 3/5

Day 15 Roundup

Choose Death, Just The Tonic. An inspired set of disturbing characters in this dark comedy. At points repetitive, but enjoyable overall. 3/5

Guilt & Shame, Just The Tonic. For 'depraved comedy' this is far cleverer than the title suggests. Hilarious, if not inspired. 4/5

Mark Olver, Just The Tonic. A dark narrative runs nicely alongside traditional stand up. Likable and often very funny. 3/5

The Oxford Revue, Underbelly.Ticks off every student sketch comedy stereotype. Some laughs, but full of cheap gags and lazy references. 2/5

Opposition, Zoo Southside. A madcap medley of poetry, delivered with gusto and skill, turns our leaders' political language on its head. 3/5

Tomboy Blues, Zoo Southside. Warm and well-observed exploration of gender by two hyper-charming performers. Original, if a little wordy. 3/5

Day 14 Roundup

Dry Ice, Underbelly. Poetic monologue on life in a strip club. Each rapid-fire rhyme hits its target; don't miss this. 4/5 

Heavy Like the Weight of a Flame, Underbelly. A noble idea doesn't redeem this over-long, over-complicated and over-acted solo show. 1/5

In The Dust, Zoo Southside. Fierce choreography and impressive physical feats, but there's an absence of heart in this dance triptych. 3/5

Matt Tiller, Just The Tonic. Like watching a caught fish flap impotently on the deck, before, at last, its eyes glaze over, and it dies. 1/5

Toby, Pleasance Courtyard. Superbly characterised comedy duo, with wonderful onstage tension. Comedy interspersed with subtle theatrics. 4/5

Waiting For Alice, Pleasance Courtyard. Witty script, superb acting, beautiful set - a brilliantly original take on Alice in Wonderland. 4/5

Within Range, Zoo Southside. A bold dance concept, and yet overly cerebral choreography and heavy-handed symbolism fail to enthrall. 2/5

Day 13 Roundup

Asher Treleaven, Pleasance Courtyard. Ingenious, highly original set. Socially responsible rhetoric + cock jokes = a winning formula. 4/5

Body Of Water, Pleasance Courtyard. Anarchic squat drama with a nicely eked out story, but the flat staging and substance of a TV drama. 3/5

The Boom Jennies, Pleasance Courtyard. The constant dancing & physical gags became samey or lost purpose, although they worked for some. 2/5

Christmas For Two, Just The Tonic. Promising female duo have hilarious comic presence and strong characters, but some skits need a trim. 3/5

Doris Day Can Fuck Off, Zoo Southside. Behind its barmy facade, this challenging show is packed with insight. Provocative and uplifting. 4/5

Dream Pill, Underbelly. Carefully directed, bravely performed, this short issue-based play balances charms and chills. Bracing. 4/5

Ian D Montford - Spirit Comedium, Pleasance Courtyard. Phoney psychic attempts to entertain with three tricks - and even fewer jokes. 2/5

Kalagora, Zoo Roxy. Rich-voiced Bose is a charismatic performer - unfortunately his poetry is packed full of jarringly empty metaphors. 2/5

Steal Compass.., Zoo Southside. A brilliantly astute dissection of modern fatherhood; solo performer Rachel Blackman is a fierce talent. 4/5

Story Shakespeare: Love's Labours Lost, C too. A warm, finely honed adaptation, with some terrific left-field gags and enchanting songs. 4/5

Wil Hodgson, The Stand. An engaging storyteller who makes cracking company for an hour. Often funny, always entertaining. 3/5

The World Holds Everyone Apart..., Underbelly. A dull narrative, no visuals and a confusing performance leaves you unaffected. Lacking. 2/5