Edinburgh Fringe Festival

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival has begun today. Over 16,000 artists will give 27,000 perfermances over the next 4 weeks. Edinburgh is turned upside down with the crowds, the hundreds temporary performance stages and shelters, the street/coffee shop/pub performers, the 1,000's of tourists, and the £70 million infused into the economy.

The first weekend in August is a preview weekend, and John, Mary, Tim and I went to dinner (a wonderful Thai place called Aihuthaya) and then a comedy show. The show, 'Kiki & Herb' was about a pair of over the hill lounge singers, only, they have no sense that they are over the hill. Born in 1930 and having met in the same institution for the mentially retarded, you realize quickly that it is not going to be a politically correct show. The story of how they met (Kiki decides she needs to be the protector of her gay Jewish retarded friend Herb) is woven in between some very unusual renditions of some old and and some obscures songs. Of the more obscure, we heard lyrics like "You're UGLY! What the fuck gave birth to you! You're Ugly! And what the hell is up with that do!" (hair). The political commentary (the performers were American), the exented version on Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and Kiki getting progressively more intoxicated on Jack Daniels proved to be a good combination for laughter.

Tomorrow we are off to see the 'Lady Boys of Bangkok' with Kitty and Donnie, one our our host families. Apparently, these boys use the money they earn from the Fringe and put it towards their real life gender changing surgeries... Should be an interesting show.

Always edgy, Let the Fringe begin.