Drama, music and laughter galore at Buxton festival fringe

Rotunda Theatre is hosting two one-man plays written and performed by British Nigerian actor and singer Tayo Aluko.

Call Mr Robeson, on tonight and July 18, is a roller-coaster journey through African-American actor and singer Paul Robeson’s remarkable life, highlighting his pioneering and heroic political activism. It features Ol’ Man River and other famous songs, much fiery oratory, and a defiant testimony to the House Un-American Activities Committee.

In Just An Ordinary Lawyer (July 12 and 19) he is Britain’s first black judge, a fine singer and keen cricket lover. Nigerian Tunji Sowande muses on Black liberation struggles worldwide. He insists he is no political aficionado but is content to contribute through his music and songs.

Two young teachers, Dean Osgood and Molly Atkinson, take a look at why more teachers are leaving the profession than ever before just as the Minister for Education denies any responsibility in their show, Special Measures.

It’s on at the United Reform Church on Saturday (July 13).

Gillian English presents She Wolf in an underground promenade performance at Poole's Cavern (July 19-24).

The show looks at Shakespeare's propaganda concerning Queen Margaret of Anjou from 500 years ago to shine a light on where we are in the 21st century.

She Wolf is a comedic exploration of the infamous queen as presented by Shakespeare in four monologues that laid the foundation for a mythical monster.

Based on interviews conducted with female and non-binary practitioners across the music industry, A Beautiful Way to be Crazy is a tale of growing up and finding a voice.

Weaving together spoken word poetry, storytelling, live music, audio clips from the interviews and some genuine teenage diary entries, award-winning Sheffield-based poet Genevieve Carver and her band Tim Knowles, Brian Bestall and Ruth Nicholson explore what it means to be a girl in the business of music – with a little help from Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone and Delia Derbyshire.

The show is at Rotunda Theatre, Pavilion Gardens on July 16-19.

Budding new theatre group Foolish Bandits are bringing their brand-new show Cast Vs Crew for its festival debut at the Buxton Fringe Festival 2019. The show sees the Cast attempt to perform an audience-chosen fairy tale while the Crew of techies throw everything they’ve got at the Cast to try and stop them. The show sees many unexpected twists and turns as both teams attempt to outdo the other using a mixture of improv skills, theatre know-how and (most importantly) sheer determination.

Join in with the chaos at Underground at the Arts Centre on July 20 and 21.

Comedy duo Nathan Peter Grassi and Ida Berglöw Kenneway star in Tropez!.

In chic St Tropez, a cat burglar and a gigolo take aim at the jet set and glitterati by pulling off the biggest jewel heist in history.

The show is at Arts Centre Studio, Underground on July 12, 14 and 19.