Top Picks: Edinburgh International Festival

Counting and Cracking
The Lyceum, 8-14 Aug, times vary

This profound play tells the tale of love and political strife through one Sri Lankan-Australian family over four generations, from 1956 to 2004. Performed in English, Tamil and Sinhalese, with live translation into English.

Samsara
The Lyceum, 18-20 Aug, times vary

UK/Indian dancer Aakash Odedra and Chinese dancer Hu Shenyuan take on this piece inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, exploring the Buddhist philosophy of the cycles of birth, misery, and death.

An Untitled Love
King's Theatre, 20-21 Aug, times vary

Choreographer Kyle Abraham draws from D’Angelo’s rich catalogue of R&B and soul music for his newest full-length work, which pays homage to self-love and Black love.

A Little Life
Festival Theatre, 20-22 Aug, times vary

Acclaimed director Ivo van Hove adapts Hanya Yanagihara’s novel, which follows four men, bound tightly together by friendship, over a period of more than thirty years.

as british as a watermelon
The Studio, 23-26 Aug, 8pm

Zimbabwean performer mandla rae presents a personal exploration of childhood migration memories, using unflinching narrative, poetry and storytelling together with colourful chaos.