‘Every Brilliant Thing’ with Ambika Mod, Ed Fringe shows (left), playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti – listings

For theatre lovers, we’ve got fun, history, laughter and grief all taking centre stage. And it’s the last days of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, so we’ve picked a few highlights…

By Suman Bhuchar

Every Brilliant Thing – Different rotating stars in lead roles

‘ONE DAY’ star Ambika Mod features in this production which is now making its West End debut.
Written by Duncan MacMillan with Jonny Donahoe, it debuted at the Summerhall venue in Edinburgh in 2014 and since then it has enjoyed huge success. ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ has toured 80 countries, been turned into an HBO film.
The basic premise of ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ is that a young boy begins a list of things that are worth living for, when his mother, who is depressed, tries to commit suicide.
It begins with items like ice-cream but as the child grows, it becomes a source of comfort for him. Plot spoiler below…
The promo blurb goes: “You’re seven years old. Mum’s in hospital. Dad says she’s ‘done something stupid’. She finds it hard to be happy. You start a list of everything that’s brilliant about the world. Everything worth living for. You leave it on her pillow. You know she’s read it because she’s corrected your spelling.”
Directed by Jeremy Herrin and Duncan Macmillan, the show is a comedy that speaks to our common humanity. This West End Premiere sees it performed by a range of actors. Lenny Henry, Ambika Mod, Jonny Donahoe, Sue Perkins and Minnie Driver. For the star turns see the website for the dates for each.

‘Every Brilliant Thing’ by Duncan MacMillan with Jonny Donahoe and with Lenny Henry (till next Saturday (August 30) in the lead role now, the shows closes on November 8. Mod appears from September 2-26 @sohoplace, 4 Soho Place, Charing Cross, London W1D 3BG
https://sohoplace.org/shows/every-brilliant-thing/

Choir – fun and memorable

THIS an enjoyable musical drama about a community choir that meets regularly to sing, drink and come together in harmony. It is a feel good show packed with new arrangements of contemporary pop songs ‘Choir’ is a great night out.
Written by Gurpeet Kaur Bhatti who marks 25 years as a playwright, www.asianculturevulture.com went to see the show and had a great evening (see below).
You can combine your theatre visit to Chichester with a weekend or day jaunt by going to East and/or West Wittering where there are beaches.
Our review https://asianculturevulture.com/portfolios/choir-musical-drama-comedy-has-power-tracks-and-a-feel-good-vibe/

Choir by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti ends next Saturday (August 30)
Chichester Festival Theatre. Oaklands Park, Chichester PO19 6AP
https://www.cft.org.uk/events/choir

‘A Man For All Seasons’ – Martin Shaw and Asif Khan

COMING to the West End for the first time now, ‘A Man For All Seasons’, is a show that has been touring the country.
It deals with politics, religion and belief and is set in 16th century England.
Leading actors Martin Shaw (Sir Thomas More) and Asif Khan (Imperial ambassador Chapuys – both pictured right) and Gary Wilmot (plays The Common Man, giving voice to non-courtly perspectives in the show) appear in this drama that centres around Henry VIII seeking a divorce from Catherine of Aragon, so he can marry Anne Boleyn. Sir Thomas opposes the divorce and faces being executed for disagreeing with the King.
Written by Robert Bolt (1924-95) and directed by Jonathan Church, it first premiered in 1960.

‘A Man for all Seasons’ by Robert Bolt, until September 6 at Harold Pinter Theatre, Panton Street, London SW1Y 4DN.
See here

Edinburgh Fringe (ends August Bank Holiday Monday – August 25) shows

Last Rites – Innovative soundscape production that goes to India

CREATED by Ramesh Meyyappan and George Mann ‘Last Rites’ is about a deaf man – and how Arjun processes the death of his father. It is borne out of the personal experiences of the creators.
This not a conventional play with traditional narration or dialogue – it is a mixture of performance and storytelling, featuring creative captions and British Sign Language and takes the audience from the UK to India. Meyyappan is a Singaporean theatremaker and performer from Glasgow.
‘Last Rites’ is part of a Hear and Now Showcase which supports England based artists in live performance to platform work at Edinburgh and invites international partners. Mann is from a theatre company called As Infitum.

‘Last Rites’ finishes on Sunday (August 24)
60 The Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9TJ
https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/last-rites-here-now-showcase

Kanpur: 1857 – dark cannon fodder

AN INTRIGUING premise for a show around the fight for Indian independence during 1857.
It received a Scotsman Fringe First award at the festival last year. It was also winner of Charlie Hartill Fund 2025, which supports UK based theatremakers and comedians bring their shows to the fringe.
Niall Moorjani is the writer, performer and co-director who along with Jonathan Oldfield (performer and co-director) present ‘Kanpur: 1857’, a dark comic satire where an Indian rebel is strapped to a cannon (standard punishment in those days) and answers to a British officer for the crimes of Kanpur – an Indian uprising against British colonial forces. There is a villain and a hero or is there? The show is accompanied by live tabla playing by musician Sodhi.

‘Kanpur: 1857’ by Niall Moorjani on till Sunday (August 24) at Pleasance Courtyard, 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9TJ
https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/kanpur-1857

Nowhere – Khalid Abdalla anti-biography

ANOTHER Hear and Now Showcase, this is inspired by the personal story of the Glaswegian British Egyptian actor and writer, Khalid Abdalla.
He describes his personal story as an “anti-biography” – so, not a conventional approach to biography and it links his personal tale with the wider political story of Arabs, colonialism and ‘dehumanisation’ in reel and real life.
Directed by Omar Elerian, ‘Nowhere’ is a tour de force.
www.asianculturevulture saw it at BAC (Battersea Arts Centre) London last year and you can read our review here.
https://asianculturevulture.com/portfolios/nowhere-a-bold-take-on-how-arabs-are-dehumanised-in-reel-and-real-life/

‘Nowhere’ by Khalid Abdalla is on till Sunday (August 24) at Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street, Edinburgh EH1 2ED
https://www.traverse.co.uk/whats-on/event/nowhere-festival-25

Brown Girls Do it Too: Mama Told Me Not to Come – Dating, lust, aunties

DUO POPPY JAY and RUBINA PABANI are making their Edinburgh debut with their much talked about show that tackles subjects such as sex, relationships – mothers, aunties, masturbation, and everything pertaining to being a woman today.
It’s a ‘no holds’ barred look, celebrating the Brown British Woman through sketches, acting and singing.

Brown Girls Do It Too: Mama Told Me Not to Come by Poppy Jay and Rubina Pabani until Sunday (August 24) at Underbelly, Bristo Square, Cowbarn, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/brown-girls-do-it-too-mama-told-me-not-to-come

Chatterbox & Lunchbox – Growing up different

LUBNA KERR is a regular performer at the Edinburgh Fringe and for the last three years she has been performing her autobiographically inspired shows, brimming with authenticity and candour.
This year, she has two shows from what has been termed her Box Trilogy.
The first, ‘Chatterbox’ is about the power of language, words and the impact of labels. How do you cope if you are a young Pakistani girl in school during the 1960s and English is not your first language and your parents only speak Urdu at home? How can you make friends and fit in?
The second show, ‘Lunchbox’ is about the impact of bullying, through the eyes of a troubled Scottish boy, Steven and a Pakistani girl, Lubna. Can two teenagers brought up in the same street in Glasgow have different outcomes in life? This show deals with the nature versus nurture debate.

Chatterbox until Bank Holiday Monday (August 25) – 33, Pleasance Courtyard, The Green EH8 9TJ (1pm-2pm)
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/chatterbox

Lunchbox until Saturday (August 24), same venue (4.45pm-5.45pm)
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/lunchbox

Love Me Like a Chai Tea Latte – Dating, love, Bollywood magic get airing

WINNER OF THE ART AWARD – which supports Scottish artists’ run at Edinburgh, Sanjay Lago brings his one man, tell it like it is, on an extended run for the first time.
Personal, thoughtful and funny, Lago spoke to us about it how it all came about…
https://asianculturevulture.com/portfolios/love-me-like-a-chai-tea-latte-sanjay-lagos-award-winning-tea-spilling-show-hits-edinburgh/

Love Me Like a Chai Tea Latte by Sanjay Lago on till Bank Holiday Monday (August 25) at The Assembly, Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place EH 8 9SU
https://assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/987-love-me-like-a-chai-tea-latte/performances