You read it here first. The hottest reviews from Edinburgh's 2019 festivals are in ...

Not from the broadsheet critics of course (they were too busy last time we checked); but from the trusty (or perhaps dusty) culture vultures who perch in our Auld Reekie office.

So with no further ado, here are our colleagues' recommendations and views on the shows they've loved so far.

And there's a whole three weeks of festival fun still to go! Be still, my beating heart.

  1. Bryony Kimmings: I'm a Phoenix, Bitch, Pleasance "**** raw, uplifting, brilliant; from hilarious to harrowing"
  2. And the Birds Did Sing, Dancebase
  3. Islander: A New Musical, Summerhall "beautiful storytelling and music"
  4. Bobby and Amy, Pleasance "fast-paced and funny as well as sad"
  5. The Secret River, Kings Theatre "Very powerful imagining of Kate Grenville's novel - colonial v indigenous cultures"
  6. What Girls Are Made Of, Assembly Mound "Part gig, part theatre - great music + storytelling"
  7. Green and Blue, Summerhall "2-hander about the UK-Irish border - brilliant + relevant"
  8. Spliced, Traverse (Beflore Road) "sport, masculinity + mental health"
  9. Enough, Traverse "interesting take on female friendships"
  10. Forest, Assembly Checkpoint "great physical theatre from Moscow legends
  11. Who Cares, Summerhall "powerful piece about young carers"

We also recommend checking out You Are Here at the Edinburgh International Festival, which we are supporting. Enjoy!