18 - 24 August at Edinburgh Fringe 2025: Showcase returns with bold, personal and political performance

Here & Now

Here & Now Showcase returns in 2025 with six bold and brilliant tour-ready performances from 18 -24 August.

Featuring the best dance, installation, integrated performance, movement and theatre being created in England right now, it takes place in venues including Dance Base, Pleasance, Traverse Theatre and Zoo Venues.

This year’s showcase will bring 11 artists to the festival which includes 4 public performances in the Fringe, and 2 industry performances, with each artist bringing together and sharing backgrounds, lived experiences and expertise to explore themes of tradition and heritage, revolution and collective deliberation, community building and self discovery.

Funded by Arts Council England, the showcase is presented by partner organisations Battersea Arts Centre, FABRIC and GIFT. The public performances in the Fringe include:

Here & Now

Nowhere by Khalid Abdalla, with Fuel

Dates: 12-24 August, Times Vary

Venue: Traverse Theatre

In this intricate solo show inspired by his involvement in the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 and the counter-revolution that followed, actor and activist Khalid Abdalla (The Day of the Jackal,The Kite Runner, The Crown) takes audiences on a surprising journey into his own history, set against a cartography of seismic world events. From the histories of colonialism and decolonisation; friendship and loss; protests and uprising against regimes across the world; to the violence in Gaza following the events of 7th October 2023, Khalid brings together the personal and the political in an act of anti-biography that asks how we got here and how we find agency amidst the mazes of history.

Here & Now

Last Rites by Ad Infinitum

Dates: 18-24 August at 3.50pm

Venue: Pleasance One at Pleasance Courtyard

Travel from the UK to India in Last Rites; a stunning fusion of visual storytelling, electrifying movement, and an immersive soundscape, created by George Mann and Glasgow-based Ramesh Meyyappan. How do you say goodbye when words were never there? Arjun’s father never learnt sign languageand now that he’s gone, Arjun must find his own way to honour him.With no spoken words, Last Rites features creative captions, Sign Language, and a deep, resonant soundtrack that can be felt and heard. Last Rites is accessible to deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing audiences alike.

George Mann describes Last Rites as a powerful, funny, moving, captivating show.He comments:“It’s complex, but it’s not dark - there are some beautiful, light moments of love and humour and it’s ultimately uplifting. It’s also visually spectacular - it’s a physical and visual feast for the senses. Ramesh Meyyappan added: “Everyone will relate to this show! It’s a show for anyone - the story is so universal, so human.”

Here & Now

IV by SERAFINE1369

Dates: 19 -24 August at 3.50pm

Venue: Assembly@Dance Base

IV (4) considers cycles, time, divination and decomposition. A series of tableaux, a speaking clock and the sounds of a breaking storm set the scene, creating a stage for the fleeting meaning that emerges through shifting proximity and changing constellations. The four dancers engage in a detailed, meditative and expansive practice of constant movement, energetic tuning and impossible stillness.

Talking about IV, SERAFINE1369 said: “It will appeal to anyone who enjoys dancing or watching dance, and is intended to be an accessible piece for anyone – the dancing, the spontaneity and the unexpected happenings make for a compelling work, enhanced by the tense rhythm of the clock and the layered soundscore.”

Here & Now

The Legends of Them by Sutara Gayle AKA Lorna Gee/Hackney Showroom

Dates: 19 – 24 August at 5.25pm

Venue: Zoo Southside

A memory: South London reggae pioneer Sutara Gayle AKA Lorna Gee hears her radio debut from Holloway Prison. Another: She’s engulfed in the Brixton uprising sparked by the police shooting of her sister. And now she is here, a silent retreat, seeking spiritual guidance from her brother Mooji and ancestor Nanny of the Maroons, and a moment of transcendence. Powered by high-octane musical numbers and a virtuoso performance, the critically acclaimed, award-winning The Legends of Them is a breathtaking, roof-raising chronicle of Sutara’s singular, extraordinary life – and of the legends that have guided her.

Industry performances include:

Here & Now

A CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY by Andy Smith and Lynsey O’Sullivan

What more should we be doing about the climate emergency? Be part of the story and join the debate with A CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY, a new work by acclaimed theatre maker Andy Smith, created in collaboration with Lynsey O’Sullivan. Talking about the work, Andy Smith said: “It tells the story of some people meeting to discuss the climate emergency. The play is written to be performed by the audience and it’s an attempt to address a big theme through a collective act of play which has been performed in a variety of venues from schools to city halls, empty shops to studio theatres.

As a work, it wants to think about acting in both a theatrical and political sense. If I wanted the audience to take anything away it would be that there are multiple and different perspectives, that there isn’t a singular answer, and that there is more chance of things changing if we work together.”

Here & Now

Sleight of Hand by Jo Bannon

Sleight of Hand is a tactile installation for curious fingers and unbelieving eyes. Subverting the format of a touch tour, this sumptuous work invites participants to engage in a series of touch encounters with unknown objects, materials and matter. Integrating audio description, tactile design, choreography and an immersive ASMR soundscape, Sleight of Hand explores what we can discover if people loosen their grip on the known visual world and let senses wander.

Additionally, Here & Now will host an industry event platforming previously showcased dance artists from England - Dan Daw Creative Projects, Bullyache and Sung Im Her - who will each pitch new, ambitious, large scale works, while two of last year’s award winning Fringe artists, Josie Dale-Jones and Louise Orwin will also join the Here & Now artist cohort to build new international networks for their 2024 hit Fringe shows.

Tickets and details

Here & Now runs from Monday 18th August - Sunday 24th August 2025 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. For tickets and details, visit the website