#EatDrinkDesire part 2: In which we bring non-erotic softcore porn to The Edinburgh Fringe Festival

We already filled you in on part one of our trip: My birthday experience in London. Now it’s time to tell you about Edinburgh — the trip you helped make possible. Here’s the Mike and Megan oral history of bring their softcore porn play to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival!

Us in the middle of the Royal Mile during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Mike: We arrived in the center of Edinburgh and walked to the Carnal Desire Team’s Scotland Street flat. One of two that we rented for our actors. It was a fairly nice place: big rooms, high ceilings, great location, and huge windows with views of gorgeous church steeples and green trees.

our-street-in-scotland

Only problem: there was a single bathroom for six people. And… ONE towel.

Megan: Here’s Mike: “I think we’re just going to nap and take showers.” Here’s Kinkaid (one of our actors): “I’ll see if the towel is dry.” THE TOWEL.

Mike: When Megan and I heard that, our eyes went wide. We decided to head out towel-shopping immediately. Which gave us an excuse to explore the neighborhood. The scavenger hunt ended at Primark (basically: Target), and we headed back to nap and shower.

After catching up on the various trials and tribulations of the show, we headed for dinner at the Printing Press Bar and Grill, where we enjoyed some gastropub fare that pleased Megan to no end. She may love all things UK, but she definitely prefers (quality) pub grub to the local gourmet fare.

Megan: I wouldn’t even say it has to be quality. Is it well-done meat in some kind of Guinness-related stew? Are there “chips” involved? I’m a happy girl.

Mike: Does the waiter have a British accent? Megan will not notice the fact that she’s been shivering for the last two hours, the trash outside, or the fact that we’ve been eating the same meal again and again.

Megan: Our daily routines were pretty much determined by rain. Summer weather in Scotland means that it was generally miserable out — raining off and on for the whole trip. So during the day, Mike and I would try to walk as much as possible — grabbing food, and finding cafes to grab wifi. But mostly we’d work inside the awesome flat we rented.

The cast practicing at the flat.

Mike: Average number of miles we walk a day: 11. Average number of floors: 95. Which slightly mitigates the unhealthy Scottish meals and endless pints of beer. We explored all corners of the city, from the chaos of the Royal Mile to quiet Stockbridge.

Arthur’s Seat

Megan: My favorite of which was hiking up Arthur’s Seat, but I also enjoyed touring Edinburgh Castle, and buying my very first proper rain jacket. (There’s not much need for them in LA.)

Me rocking my brand new rain coat in front of The Elephant Room, where JK Rowling wrote a lot of Harry Potter.

And then, perfectly timed with my new rain jacket, we had an awesome experience of getting caught in a very heavy rainstorm and running into a bar where we had “no choice” but to sip yummy Old Fashioneds, as we watch the rain ABSOLUTELY POUR outside.

drinks-in-a-storm

Mike: Our nightly routine was grabbing dinner at some fun restaurant. Then grabbing drinks while the cast went flyering in courtyard. Which may or may not have helped attendance.

Us in the Pleasance Courtyard
Us in the Pleasance Courtyard

Megan: Then we’d head into The Pleasance, to our theater space (The Pleasance Above), which was WAY too big for the most common nightly attendance of our show. (It seated 100+ and we would generally pull in 30 or so on a good night.)

Which bring us too… Continue reading “#EatDrinkDesire part 2: In which we bring non-erotic softcore porn to The Edinburgh Fringe Festival”

The not-to-miss, best restaurants in Edinburgh

After our quick trip to London for my birthday, we headed off to Edinburgh to produce our show for the Fringe Festival. Recently, I was asked for not-to-miss things to do in Edinburgh. Since we were only there for the Fringe Festival, we didn’t have much time to explore… except for restaurants. So if we can give anyone travel tips, it’s on the best restaurants in Edinburgh!

Here were our favorite places to eat…

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#EatDrinkDesire: My birthday trip to London

This is our oral history of my 35th birthday trip to London!

trip-to-london

Megan: Somewhere between LA and London, hovering between 34 and 35-years-old, as most of the plane slept, a flight attendant noticed that I was awake and excited told me to run up past first class (“tell ’em Selina sent you”) and look out the window to see the Northern Lights.

With my heart pounding, I raced past the un-aware passengers, blew through curtains, avoided the feet of the lay-flat first class, and pressed my face up against the tiny window in an emergency exit door. Sure enough, there they were: Pale and bright green lights, shimmering in the sky.

Continue reading “#EatDrinkDesire: My birthday trip to London”