The Best Immersive at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023
Fifteen picks from the Edinburgh Fringe & International Festivals
Part Two of our Three Part coverage of the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Find Part One here.
Find Part Three here.
In 1947, a post-WW2 Europe came together to celebrate the arts at the newly formed Edinburgh International Festival. Eight theatre companies who had not been invited decided to show up anyway, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe was created — the first-ever “Fringe Festival.” Since then, cities around the world have formed their own versions of the Fringe, but the original remains the largest. In fact, it holds the record as the largest performing arts festival in the world.
For its 2023 edition, 3,553 shows graced 288 venues all across the city — transforming the medieval streets of the Scottish capital into a bustling hub of creativity. With so many productions during the festival’s three-and-a-half-week run, crafting an itinerary proved to be a daunting task. But with the help of a few Excel spreadsheets, a good pair of walking shoes, and a very full calendar, I was able to see 57 shows during my seven days in Edinburgh — a mere 1.6% of the overall lineup, but a solid dive into the Fringe’s immersive offerings.
Here are my fifteen favorite immersive shows from the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe (including a few in the Edinburgh International Festival):
Big Kid Kindergarten — Play Immersive (USA)
As adults, we don’t often get the time, space, or permission to play. Interests become hobbies become side hustles, and unstructured play is set aside in favor of adulting. Big Kid Kindergarten invites us to reconnect with our childhood selves.
At the beginning of the experience, Soleil Kohl, our teacher for the next hour, asks us to close our eyes and connect with our inner five-year-old. A variety of familiar items are strewn across the room — legos, Play-Doh, coloring books, crafting materials, and plushies. We choose the songs that play in the background — nursery rhymes, Barney, Sharon Lois & Bram — the soundtrack of our childhoods. As our class time comes to an end, we tidy up the space and then cuddle up with a pillow for a quick nap time.
It’s a simple concept and straightforward execution, but a surprisingly emotional experience for some (myself included) largely due to the insight, guidance, and warmth with which Kohl facilitates.
Bodies — Ray Young (UK)
After a twenty-minute Scotrail ride away from the bustle of the festival city, I find myself floating in the pool at Deans Community High School. Colored lights, a sprinkler, and miscellaneous inflatables scatter across the surface of the water. We’ve all been given the identity of a specific international body of water and told that this pool is the gathering place where we’re all to connect. Twinkling projections fill the space and soothing music fills the air.
There’s an oft-used analogy of immersive theatre being likened to immersion in water. As such, the venue and conceit of Bodies seem quite fitting. Though the show offers little in terms of narrative, the space became a place for meditation, and a welcome moment of calm amongst the busyness of the Festival.
Brave Space — Aloft (USA)
We stand gathered around a sheet. When given the signal, our hands grasp its edges and we lift it above our heads, walk underneath, and then lower it beneath our feet. We’ve built a big top, but this one is more intimate than most — the quarters are cramped such that the delineation between stage and audience is blurred. Hoops spin unnervingly close by, acrobats swing from a trapeze directly above my head, and props are handed to us for safekeeping. At one point, I hold onto a piece of rope alongside four other audience members while the performers, kept aloft by the rope and their trust in a handful of strangers, twirl in the air.
‘Audience participation’ and ‘acrobatics’ are two phrases that don’t often appear together. The latter requires peak physical conditioning, hours of practice, and great technical ability… the former an unpredictable entity. By combining these two, Aloft has created a genuine immersive circus experience and necessitated the creation of a brave, trusting, space on both sides to make it work.
Club Life — Fred Deakin (UK)
In Club Life, Fred Deakin tours us through the Edinburgh underground club scene of the 80s and 90s that he helped shape. But this exercise goes beyond a typical bout of reminiscing — instead of simply telling us about the parties he lovingly crafted and DJ’d, Deakin invites us onto the dancefloor to experience them ourselves.
With a few DJ decks, vinyl records, and a cast of dancers, key moments in Deakin’s musical life are recreated onstage. From the genre agnosticism of Thunderball to the delightfully quirky Misery (“the worst club night that there ever was or ever could be,”) we dance our way through seven distinct parties from his past.
Part dance party, part autobiography, Club Life is an engaging and heartwarming deep dive into a creative soul.
Ctrl Room :_ — Black Hound Productions (UK)
In the not-so-distant future, technology has changed the face of the battlefield. Armed with lethal AI innovations, tech giant Polemas has become a global military powerhouse. As I enter the Edinburgh Army Reserve Centre, I’m greeted by a uniformed individual. Are they part of the show or an army member using the space? This blurring of show vs. reality was present throughout the experience and contributed to Ctrl Room :_ being the most immersive production I attended during the festival.
After choosing to align myself with the civilian resistance, I’m brought to their control room. Over the next 60 minutes, we identify an aerial strike drone, build explosive weapons, devise a military strategy, and attempt to decode a mysterious device. Meanwhile, our opponents at Polemas work through their own set of challenges, and every action, puzzle solved, and decision made by both sides influences the final outcome.
Throughout, our rebel leaders emphasize the urgency of the task at hand — some of the best acting I’ve ever seen in an escape room environment. The overall experience felt so realistic that at one point I found myself cowering under a table in genuine fear. As we exited the room for the finale, bulletproof vests on our chests and Molotov cocktails in hand, I mentally steeled myself for the battlefield… then breathed a sigh of relief when we were instead led to a cutscene in the initial briefing room.
Food — Geoff Sobelle (USA) [International Festival]
Food is a playful and thoughtful exploration of society’s relationship with food — from the grandiosity of the fine dining industry to the humble origins, and increasingly complicated reality of the agricultural systems that feed us.
While sitting around a large fine dining table, Sobelle hands me a wine menu with a very specific set of instructions: I should not drink the glass of wine he’s about to pour for me. Instead, I’m asked to smell the liquid and connect the scent to a year and memory. The odor of whiteboard marker fills my nose and I share an early high school memory. A mix of magic, cleverness, and absurdity brings this half of the show to life. An order of salmon rolls is conjured from thin air, an impromptu trip to the “Arctic” produces the freshest of arctic char, and our enigmatic waiter decides to scarf down all the leftovers. The magic elements may not be the most elegant I’ve seen — Sobelle’s sleight of hand is at times visible, but this is easily forgiven as the true magic lies in the delightful absurdity of the situation.
As the restaurant “closes” for the night, Sobelle pulls the tablecloth off — dishes and all — to reveal a large surface of dirt underneath. He crawls into the space, unaffected by the damage being done to his dress shirt and slacks. From here, a once chatty Sobelle guides us in a silent demonstration of the industrialization of farming, as well as the infrastructure and communities that we built around it.
They say it’s bad manners to play with your food, but for Geoff Sobelle I think we can make an exception. With charm and a healthy dose of playfulness, Food is a thoughtful and whimsical meditation on an important industry.
Funeral — Ontroerend Goed (Belgium)
“If you want to remember, remember.
If you want to forget, forget.
But sometimes, when you want to remember you forget.
But sometimes, when you want to forget your remember”
So go the translated lyrics of the Latin song we’re taught at the beginning of Funeral. The show, by immersive stalwarts Ontroerend Goed, is a collective ritual celebrating finiteness and the knowledge that we are not alone in whatever endings we mourn.
From start to end, Funeral emphasizes the importance of community. In one of the most unique openings I’ve experienced, we’re directed to shake hands with each and every audience member as we enter the room. Later, we pass logs down from person to person until each individual has a post to sit on. At the start of the show, we are offered the chance to share the names of those we are mourning. As these names are read out loud, I feel my eyes prickle with tears, and look around the room to see my emotions mirrored in the faces of others.
The most notable display of community-building that Funeral initiated was inviting people to the venue’s basement for a cup of post-show tea. This created a space where audience members could unpack the experience together. While many shows at this year’s Fringe emphasized the importance of community and connection, Funeral’s poignant joint rituals and creation of space for discussion made it the most successful at exploring these themes.
Hayfever — Emerge Production House (UK)
Hayfever has the honor of being the “fringiest” show I had the pleasure of seeing at the festival.
As I walk into the room, a hot pink gorilla hands me two pieces of cardstock, one red and one green. We’re told that we’re actually in outer space and part of the studio audience for a TV show. At certain times, we can vote for an outcome using our colored cards, and at any point in the show, we can pause the action to request a monologue, a musical theatre number, an interpretive dance, or an on-the-spot “auction” of any item on stage. All the while, a drama about love, murder, xenophobia, and feminism unfolds.
It sounds chaotic, and once us audience members get the hang of things, it absolutely is. Heartfelt speeches are interrupted by songs about ham; during an auction, I deprive the male lead of his glasses; a monologue reveals the nefarious purpose this television program serves and the classist structures that keep it running. There’s too much going on, and the ambitiousness of the conceit often leaves me confused, but it’s just so much fun.
Klanghaus: Darkroom — KlangHaus (UK)
“Try and keep your eyes open.” But as I sit alone in the church basement, the lights starting to dim, the urge to shut my eyes is persistent. Eyes-open darkness is a very different sensation from eyes-closed darkness. Music fills the air, and I feel my body begin to relax. As the sound of waves crashing fills the room, the percussive reverberation of drums fills my chest. I didn’t notice at first, but live instruments are being played all around me. I’ve become so accustomed to pre-recorded sound within immersive audio experiences, so this realization catches me off guard and leaves me with a giant grin.
As the music calms to silence, the lights switch on and I’m escorted onto a couch. There, I unpack the experience with the two musicians who moved from instrument to instrument — counting their steps in the dark — to perform for me.
Whereas Klanghaus’ other Fringe show, Klanghaus: Inhaus, is a communal audio-visual experience, Darkroom is its antithesis — a solo experience in the dark. Both allowed me to engage in the music on a deeper level, but in the eyes wide open darkness of Klanghaus: Darkroom, I felt an intense, personal connection with the music.
Lucy and Friends — Soho Theatre, John Mackay and United Agents (UK)
After being recommended the show by a friend, I purchased a ticket to Lucy and Friends — an effort to diversify my Fringe showgoing. Halfway through the opening number, while covered in confetti and being crawled on by a tree cosplayer, I realized this show would probably count as immersive.
Lucy and Friends is a one-woman show where the role of “Lucy” is performed by the absurdly hilarious Lucy McCormick, and the role of “Friends” is played by the entire audience. Song sheets are distributed as we enter the venue, glasses of wine are shared with the audience, and we’re even tasked with cleaning up the theater. At the end of the show, a cell phone is passed around and audience members enter their contact info to start a group text chat.
Hilarious and unexpected, Lucy and Friends consistently caught me off guard while I absolutely laughed my head off.
Sensuous Governing — Sisters Hope (Denmark)
A line forms outside the Danish Consulate building, where a veiled figure in a white blouse and floor-length skirt stands barefoot. One by one, she beckons us forward and instructs us to remain silent as we fill out a cryptic questionnaire about the current state of our body, mind, and society as a whole.
Thus, began one of the most curious and thought-provoking experiences I had throughout my time at the Fringe. Over the next hour and a half I dance with a stranger, engage in a tender staring contest, and walk blindfolded up a spiral staircase. Throughout, the ethereal “Sisters” serve as my guide, their every motion a delicate dance whose tenderness I can sense even with my eyes bound.
It’s difficult to describe what makes Sensuous Governing so beautiful. It’s a strange experience, and will definitely leave some participants skeptical, but I also found it incredibly moving. As I exited the building, I locked eyes with another audience member. We tried to discuss what we had both just experienced but were at a loss for words — perhaps in part a side effect of having remained silent for so long. Finally, we both agreed, “That was really special.”
The Lost Lending Library — Punchdrunk Enrichment (UK)
[International Festival]
At 314 floors high and with 78 spiral-side departments, this library is the largest collection of books and stories in the entire world. But, as the title suggests, it’s currently lost and we’ll need some expert-level storytellers to find it.
The Lost Lending Library by Punchdrunk Enrichment (Punchdrunk’s educational and outreach arm) is an enchanting immersive experience designed for children. The show is a fine example of entertainment talking to children rather than talking down to them, and in doing so creates a memorable experience for both kids and their accompanying adults. Throughout the performance, the actors engage directly with the young audience members, who field every query and conversation with an ease and creativity far superior to what you’d ever find in an adult audience.
Once we do find the library, even the most skeptical of adults is in awe. The set is absolutely gorgeous, filled with intricate details and surprises to be uncovered. It’s a real treat to see Punchdrunk’s immersive magic go to work at teaching the importance of storytelling. As we leave the library, we’re each handed a special “library card,” and from the squeals of excitement this garners, you can tell that Punchdrunk’s teachings have made a genuine impact.
The Most Toast — RGB Monster (UK)
The premise is simple: “Somebody in the audience will have eaten the most toast. We will find them.”
Armed with a large piece of chart paper, a permanent marker, and a wonderfully dry sense of wit, hosts Katharyn Henson and Ollie Horn interrogate the audience as to the quantity of their toast consumption. Approximations are not permitted. Uncertainty is dismissed. This is a serious scientific inquiry, and they accept nothing but precise measurements.
Charts are charted. Calculators are utilized. Integrity is called into question. Then, a winner is chosen and brought onstage for a celebration fitting of a toast-eating champion. The Most Toast is what happens when a brilliantly simple hook, a quick-witted pair of hosts, and an enthusiastic audience come together. It’s everything it’s advertised to be, but with a level of commitment that elevates its silliness into hilarity.
Two Strangers Walk Into A Bar — Tilda Cobham-Hervey (Australia)
I sit down at a bar. Someone hands me a suspiciously heavy tote bag and a headset, then tells me everything I’ll need is contained within. And that’s how my meet-cute begins… but maybe reality has different plans.
Through a series of audio prompts, worksheets, and semi-scripted dialogue, Two Strangers Walk Into A Bar creates the circumstances for a real-life rom-com to unfold. Except, instead of falling in love with a stranger, all that quirkiness and convenient serendipity sets you up to fall in love with that beautiful, messy, unpredictable thing called real life.
Humanity-affirming, grin-inducing, and absolutely charming, Two Strangers Walk Into A Bar is one of the most memorable immersive experiences I’ve ever had.
Without Sin — Without Sin (Ireland)
Two strangers enter a confessional booth and through a series of guided questions leave with a knowledge of the other far greater than what a typical 20-minute conversation would create.
As I step inside the dimly lit booth, I slip the provided headphones over my ears. Soothing music fills the space, and a voice instructs me to open the slot on my right where a deck of cards is placed. One by one, my companion and I take turns drawing from the pile and asking each other the questions written on them. “Have you ever taken something that wasn’t yours?” “What’s something you used to believe that you don’t anymore?” “Who are you most worried about disappointing?” We volley back and forth, sometimes offering elaborate responses, other times opting for more cryptic answers. Unable to see the face of our partner, all we can do is focus on the inflections in their voice.
The end of the experience arrives all too soon, and we are prompted to write a note to our partner. I reflect on the morsels of truth and vulnerability she shared and pen a heartfelt wish for a stranger I barely know, yet find myself rooting for. As we exit the booth, we embrace, squeezing each other tight through slightly teary eyes. Human connection is a beautiful thing, and Without Sin fosters it in a simple, but beautiful way.
Discover the latest immersive events, festivals, workshops, and more at our new site EVERYTHING IMMERSIVE, new home of NoPro’s show listings.
NoPro is a labor of love made possible by our generous Patreon backers. Join them today!
In addition to the No Proscenium website, our podcast, and our newsletters, you can find NoPro on Facebook, LinkedIn,YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, in the Facebook community Everything Immersive, and on our Patreon Backer exclusive Discord.
