How to make...

Islander - A Scottish island which its people are being pressured to abandon, a beached whale, a strange girl washed up on the shore... Bethany Tennick, Kirsty Findlay and a looper create an extraordinary haunting: the village meeting to discuss their future, a whale song, a growing friendship. This is contemporary myth, exquisitely performed, way, way beyond the 'musical' it is billed as. Very highly recommended.

On the other hand we're happy - performed by the trio I saw in Daughterhood three days ago. About the complexities of adoption from the perspectives of the adopting parent(s), the birth mother and a social worker. From time to time the play breaks the fourth wall and challenges the audience. Would we adopt, consider or refuse a child who was, for example, HIV+? Well?

Ahir Shah - a highly-rated comedian, so my failure to laugh very much (this is becoming a pattern) must be my failure. I suppose.

Frankenstein: How to Make a Monster - When I went to buy my ticket for this I could see the person at the box office biting their tongue - does this old woman know what beatbox is and what she's letting herself in for? Well yes, actually. Six very skilled young people from the Beatbox Academy at the Battersea Arts Centre (where, incidentally, I joined my very first ever photography group about 40 years ago) beatbox, sing and dance. Superb. 

Very refreshingly, this group welcomes photos, unlike every other performer/venue I've been to at the Fringe. I simply don't understand the frantic handing out of flyers all along every street while banning the free publicity that allowing photography would give them. Anyway, their loss. Here is one of the young beatboxing talents from South West London and all power to them. 

Kevin Quantum - a magician/scientist hybrid who claims to be able to predict the future, and appears to do so. Entertaining for an hour.

My Land - I was hoping to end my run of shows in a blaze of circus/dance but was left slightly flat. Six astonishingly athletic men and a token pretty woman who is much less skilled invite us to read more into their performance than it can hold. The athleticism and contortions are hugely impressive and slightly repellent and I sat wondering how many of those over-used muscles will still work a decade hence, even for a walk to the shops.

Whisky Foxtrot and I went on for an amble in the new town then a drink.