DAY 7: Sixty-Two Percent Alcohol, Thousands of Bookshelves and Reflections for a Lifetime

What happens when what started on the “fringe” takes centrestage?

It becomes a global celebration of everything art. For 78 years, the cobblestones of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe have witnessed the move of the margin to the mainstream. …And this year, it will also give volume to the 50 curated climate narratives that refuse to stay silent.

Storyteller and Arts Enthusiast Himali Kothari reports from Edinburgh.

Day 7: Today, I am out to experience the Fringe beyond the stage. First stop: a whisky tasting. A Dram is Worth a Thousand Words is curated by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. The Society was established in 1983, which makes it a toddler in comparison to Scotch whisky’s history, which goes back over 500 years. The only other person at the tasting is an elderly gentleman, Brian, who is also a member of the Society and a long-time whisky drinker. Between him and the connoisseur leading the experience, it is a trivia-filled hour for yours truly. Tidbits on history, prices, distillation process, flavour profile, etc., swirl in my head as the three different varieties swirl in my mouth and leave a burning track down my throat.

Sufficiently educated, I bid goodbye to my two whisky teachers and teeter out to the street. The drams were a fun change, but I think I will stick to starting my day with a thousand words!

The 20-minute uphill walk to the National Library of Scotland sobers me up in time for the next show, Joy of Spines. A law passed in the UK and Ireland in 2003 mandated publishers to deposit a copy of every title they publish with designated libraries. The aforementioned is one of them. The intention to preserve for the sake of cultural heritage is well-meaning. But it has also resulted in some comical situations on the shelves, with A Comprehensive Guide on Caring for Your Turtle followed closely by Green Turtle Soup & Other Recipes. The Library’s Head of Published Collections, Graeme Hawley’s slideshow features dozens of titles picked out from the hundreds of shelves here. At first thought, they evoke a “why would someone write about this” reaction. But, deliberate further and they reveal the endlessly curious nature of the human mind and its ability to wonder and investigate.

A Huge Round of Applause, NOT!

Venue 13 has transformed into a carnival for the day. Twelve stations have been set up with metallic balloons denoting their numbers. A red and white curtain at one end evokes the image of a circus big top. But first, the plays.

The first play that is read today is Chris Thorpe’s Not Because We’re Good, performed by the playwright. The previous day, it had been integrated into the gaming format by Urbane Arcane. Today, it is a stand-up-and-simply-read-aloud kind of performance. The different presentations are driven by the context and intent that the performer(s) has connected to, making each unique. Both work.

The next playwright to be featured today, Katie Pearl, says her play Appreciation was borne out of “her anger that our national response to tragedy has become about sending thoughts and prayers rather than taking action. Appreciation can become part of the destructive force on the planet.”

The play’s narrative starts off by asking the audience to applaud and roar uproariously for an audience member simply because they would like it. As the play unfolds, the reasons for inviting the applause and the hooting get increasingly bizarre — for instance, clapping for no rain and then too much rain, to a tsunami. And applauding the ocean for swallowing up all that we spew into it. The annoyance in the words escalates with every situation, and the end drives home the writer’s purpose.

Anne Kelly, experience designer and creative director of Switchboard Operations, which has curated today’s show, then invites the audience to visit the different stalls of The Carnival of Ineffectual Climate Actions. Each stall invites the visitor to scan the QR code, which leads to a recorded message on how to participate in that activity. From sticking leaves back to branches for reforestation, to refreezing glaciers, to ridiculously detailed trash segregation — it is a tongue-in-cheek reminder of how innocuous actions make us feel that we “did our part.” Elaborating on the concept, Anne says she looped in her background in design and theatre to create this self-guided interactive installation rather than live theatre.

My association with the CCTA has made me more mindful about the environmental friendliness of my actions, and I have attempted to make small changes. And, I have to admit, given myself a little pat on the back for the same. But, as I reflect on the plays today, I have to question if I have used self-appreciation to mask the many gross transgressions I continue to commit.