image: Circus Zambia Wake the Beast
Every summer, for around three weeks in August, Scotland’s capital city becomes the host to a fountain of life. Edinburgh becomes packed with an overwhelming variety of people, culture, art, food, and drink, all of which blend together to form the bubbly cocktail of vibrant atmosphere, which most people call the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This time of year, you’ll meet many folks from all walks of life; from performing to attending, everyone has something different to offer. Just one example of something different to see at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe is the high-energy, educational, and engaging play: Afronauts.
Afronauts is an acrobatic play brought to Edinburgh by Circus Zambia and Wake the Beast. The story itself follows the true story of Zambia’s entry into the Space Race with the USA and USSR in 1964, when Edward Makuka Nkoloso began training teenagers to become astronauts, planning to send 17-year-old Matha Mwamba (and two cats) to the moon, and maybe even Mars, on October 24th, Zambia’s Independence Day.
Going into the show, I knew there was going to be acrobatic performances, alongside some storytelling, but I truly didn’t expect to be left so awestruck from the second it started to the second it ended. I’ve always hated when people say something has the “wow factor” but wow…I definitely understand the phrase more after seeing that production.
Firstly, I can’t express enough how talented the performers of Circus Zambia and Wake the Beast are. Every single person in the cast didn’t break a sweat once, despite doing the most thrilling, impressive, and daring stunts I’ve ever seen. Human pyramids several times, climbing up ropes to do tricks and slide back down headfirst, twisting and turning and flipping and just doing crazy feats I didn’t know the human body could achieve. My human body certainly can’t, and I’m sure I’d break my spine or fracture my skull trying.
The performance from everyone involved was stellar; as I said, just one backflip would render me bedbound for a week. But not this team; their acting and storytelling remained vigorous and engaging for the full hour. The stunts slot in perfectly with the narrative, sprinkled throughout the performance frequently, but not too often, or too little, just the perfect amount to keep you hooked. Which leads me to my next point.
Secondly, not only was the show visually captivating, but the plot was equally as enthralling. As someone who wanted to be an astronaut and was enamoured with space at a young age, I was completely unaware of this piece of Zambian space history. Most people are likely familiar with the space race of the 60s, but it seems this sliver of history has slipped under the radar. Seeing this overlooked occurrence being told to and educating a rather large audience was empowering. The acting and real footage from the time being projected made the narrative easy to follow, with the humour dusted throughout keeping the show uplifting. It seems a perfect show for children; visually appealing, educational, and only an hour long. It’s a great way to teach kids about the struggles of smaller nations, but how these countries can still persevere and prove a few bumps in the road won’t stop them from proving they’re just as worthy as those bigger than them.
If you’re looking to explore a bit of different culture, humour, and history at this year’s fringe, whether you’re with kids or as grown as I am, Afronauts could be the show for you. I’d recommend nabbing some tickets now, as the middle section of seating helps keep in with the show’s illusions, rather than the seats to the left and right. Who isn’t impressed by a space story and little acrobatics? Afronauts is being shown at the Udderbelly this year from now until the end of the month, and it’ll easily be the most gravity-defying show you’ll see this year.
Culture Editor for the Strathclyde Telegraph 2026/7
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