The Fringe leads a dream-like existence in a world of its own (look at me, talking as if I’m an old hand rather than someone who’s never been before and is only five days in). One day seems pretty much like another, and so this morning I didn’t realise it was Sunday – which wouldn’t have been a problem, if the bus had actually turned up. But it didn’t, and the next one wasn’t for half an hour rather than the usual ten minutes, and so I missed what I was going to try and see first. Oh well, there are other days. I then compounded my misfortune by going to the wrong Assembly venue for my next (first) show, Underneath the Lintel, although thankfully I realised my mistake in plenty of time.
Underneath the Lintel was a one-man show wherein a library book returned anonymously 113 years late opens a world of adventure and mystery for a staid Dutch librarian, putting himself on the path of the Wandering Jew and finding himself becoming as one with the thing he seeks. This was a thoughtful and impressively acted piece, each piece of the puzzle playing out accompanied by musings on past loves and life. “Though we rarely recognize the place, underneath the lintel is where we stand every day, every moment, of our life.”
My only other act of the day was Bridget Christie / A Ant. The ant was the warm up act, and it did the job nicely – I could go so far as saying it was brilli-ant. (I wasn’t quick enough, but savant would have been a third answer to the maths question posed.) The main act was a wonderful meander – told mainly through the medium of buying her husband a cat – of things such as letters from Sainsbury’s, Wikivandalism (I am most pleased to discover this wasn’t just a tall tale), and comparing Richard Dawkins to Jesus. I’m only disappointed that there was apparently a joke involving wooden props that was missed out; if someone else goes, please let me know what it was 🙂
I see a possible proof for P != NP has just been announced, so quite a day, and a fitting introduction to tomorrow’s Science Theme Day, including Helen Keen (twice if I’m lucky, once with a NASA scientist), time travel(ling magicians), and PBH himself talking about stars (or possibly the Edinburgh Skeptics’ At the Fringe of Reason). And Josie Long, which isn’t science themed at all, but she’s great.