*4All Back to Bowie's

*4All Back to Bowie's

*1Scotland speaks to the World

Following the Commonwealth Games, the Edinburgh Festivals hold the international spotlight on Scotland, with companies recognising it as a showcase to the world. David Greig, one of Scotland's most influential playwrights, developed an intriguing fusion of spoken word and cabaret formats for *3All Back To Bowie's *2- a cheeky nod to David Bowie's infamous pro-Union speech - that, in part, explores Scotland's relationship to the wider artistic community.

'The festival is always a time to gather, and I think that the referendum debate has galvanised energy, particularly in a section of people excited by the possibilities of independence,' he says. 'So when I said, would you like to do something, but not a play, a mixture of talking and writing about politics in different forms – there will poetry and polemic, and music – people were really keen to take part!'

With a stellar line-up of Scottish talent - from AJ Taudevin to Elaine C. Smith, *3All Back ... *2places the referendum debate at centre-stage, reflecting public engagement, but does not ignore other places. 'Every show will have a letter from somewhere: from Australia, East Timor, America and Croatia and so on. And a lot of the discussion is getting away from a 'hustings'. We wanted it to be about ideas and thoughts. And that brings in other ideas and perspectives.'

Greig does not identify any particular artistic approach as being distinctly Scottish – although he does note that many of the participants have an interest in social justice and change – and the constantly rotating line-up means that, over the Fringe, the show's identity will shift. Each day has a different theme and Greig concludes: 'we want lots of international artists involved: we want to hear from all around the world and we would love people from all around the world to hear us. That is it at the soul of it!'

*10 Stand in the Square, 558 7272, 1 – 24 Aug, 12.40pm, £8 (£6)