Running truly is an art - Endure: A Run Woman Show!

If you’re wondering what to see at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe (the world’s largest arts festival which runs from 3 August until 27 August), why not try Endure: A Run Woman Show, which is performed across 5km of public park?

Writer and performer Melanie Jones presents “an immersive dance theatre performance” along the route while audience members move with her, wearing loaned MP3 players to listen to a narrative and musical soundtrack.

The audience meet in George Square and put on their headphones to listen to a warm-up audio track as they walk to Arthur’s Seat, where the main action takes place.

The performance takes place at speeds varying from stillness to “race pace” but the audience doesn’t have to run, it's up to individuals at what speed they choose to move. Most of them go at walking pace, and there's a supporting team to make sure nobody is left behind.

The promo material says: “Using the marathon as a metaphor, the nameless central character uses running to pick up the pieces of her broken life, capturing the peaceful and obsessive-compulsive nature of sport. The soundtrack, a dreamlike and cinematic collection of songs written and performed by Scandinavian singer-songwriter Christine Owman underscores the play’s script: a runner’s inner monologue set to motion, exploring the thousands of thoughts that rush through a runner’s head as she trains for and runs 26.2 miles.”

The show is on from August 9-12 and 15-19. To find out more, follow the link to the event website.