Donna Oblongata's The Van Gogh Shogh to appear at Edinburgh Fringe
- Immersive Rumours
- 12 hours ago
- 2 min read
Donna Oblongata's interactive solo show heads to Edinburgh this August following recent performances in London and Amsterdam.
Photo: Daniel Callaghan
What would Vincent van Gogh make of today’s 360-degree spectacles devoted to his work? In The Van Gogh Shogh, Donna Oblongata invites audiences to step into a frame of barely controlled chaos alongside the maestro himself, now recast as a bewildered food courier who has stumbled into his own immersive afterlife.
One part sip ‘n’ paint, one part karaoke and one part Sotheby’s, The Van Gogh Shogh is a deranged solo trip through the great painter’s legacy with four proteges plucked from the audience to reproduce one of his most famous works under his tutelage, live on stage.
Exploring the value of art and the meaning of success, accompanied by a 1980s power ballad, the Van Gogh Shogh is a wildly original theatrical experience that combines comedy, audience participation, and some smart commentary amplified by a subversively inventive twist at the end.
Oblongata, a Philadelphia-based writer, performer, producer and ‘top-notch clown’, brings her high-energy, quirky exploration of art and the value of creativity to Edinburgh, fresh from hit previews in London and Amsterdam.
The show is directed by Francesca Montanile-Lyons, and audiences can expect a funny, fast-moving and unpredictable night of performance where they get the real Van Gogh experience — bloodied ear and all. She says, ‘Anyone trying to make a living as an artist, especially if they are paying to bring work to the Fringe, will be familiar with struggles of poverty, acceptance and recognition and maybe agree that it’s time to rethink our relationship with art and how much we’re willing to pay for what we say we value.’
The Van Gogh Shogh runs at Front Room at Assembly Rooms (Venue 20) from 6th to 30th August 2026 at 18:25. For more information and to book tickets, visit edfringe.com
