5–31 August 2026 by Graeme Strachan
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A man dressed in black sits at a table surrounded by a cascade of envelopes from which he draws, sorts and scatters back into the pile. At one side of his table hangs a white rose, on the other, a red apple. This work by Ivo Müller has been evolving for 15 years, based on the writings of poet Rainer Maria Rilke, much drawn from the book of his correspondence, Letters to a Young Poet, written during a long period of writer’s block.

It’s an endearingly strange and occasionally obtuse hour of Fringe theatre. Müller’s performance is both deliberate and abstract. He begins in the meta, directly breaking the fourth wall to explain the point of the performance and relating his feelings and connection with Rilke. Then it’s into the mix, his words washing over the audience like water, feeling like a mix of artistic philosophising and heartfelt advice, regaling with fragments of story about Rilke’s relationship with Rodin and his feelings surrounding the existence of God and religion.

It’s both beautiful and occasionally difficult to follow, partly because of the gentle and soporific nature of Müller’s voice, but also because some of the letters are without much context, and there is only so long that you can follow the chain before the mind drifts. But just as you do, something definitive will occur, pulling you back in, as Müller snatches up a strange envelope, or takes a bite from the apple after declaring he will write no more, then sits chewing, staring at the crowd intently.

It’s certainly not for everyone, but for those who love poetry or have an interest in Rilke, this will be undoubtedly captivating. Everyone else may well find it a pleasant enough place to rest between more conventional Fringe fare.

Ivo Muller
Credit: Andrew Morris

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