The Fringe Festival is the largest arts festival in the world. The population of Edinburgh doubles during the month of August as it welcomes performers and art lovers from all corners of the globe.
This month, we're conducting reconnaissance work to see how the worlds of art and commerce creatively collide on the city streets of Scotland's capital.
Throughout the month at Fringe, roughly 50,000 shows are performed, so choosing what to see has been a challenge.
However, we've not been let down by Minneapolis' own Rhythmic Circus and their show Feet Don't Fail Me Now. There was no way to stop from dancing during the show and, fortunately, the performers highly encouraged people to get on their feet and shake what the good Lord gave 'em.
London-based ensemble Action to the World delivers an electric rendition of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Modern pop hits are seamlessly performed by the actors themselves as they move from dialogue to song within physical theater that is absolutely breath-taking. We're going to see it again. It's that good.
We are beyond proud to see Fargo's own Experience Blur collective perform Gatsby here at the Fringe. Their transition from the Fargo Theatre to Ecce Gallery to the Assembly Roxy Venue here in Edinburgh has revealed their professionalism in adapting to whatever the environment throws at them. The show has retained an intimate quality, extending an invitation for the audience to experience the drama surrounding Jay Gatsby's complicated revelries.
Now, the city has much more to show us, so we must be off, but you can keep up with more Fringe-related updates on our Instagram and Twitter profiles.
And, if you're here, shout out and let's go drink some whisky!
~ Dane Johnson, Wordsmith on location in Edinburgh, Scotland :)