Welcome to the first in a series of blogs from Joe Accaria, drummer with the Smoke & Mirrors band, direct from the Edinburgh Fringe…

After 30hrs of travel, initiating 2 new members of the cast, 7 days of rehearsal not withstanding delays in tent construction, tech runs, dress rehearsals, the odd pint and opening night parties, Smoke & Mirrors is set to debut @ The Famous Spiegeltent in George Square Gardens for the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival tomorrow night.

The wonderful cast is assembling nervously but without trepidation for its opening night in The Famous Spiegeltent here in Edinburgh. After miraculously erecting the tent in a northern hemisphere day, David Bates and his extraordinary crew have transformed George Square Gardens into a bright green fantasy land which is beaconed by the main tent and anchored by the Deluxe Lounge Supper Club and Speakeasy.

The George Square is located to the west of Buccleuch Place in Edinburgh, running south towards the Meadows and University grounds. It features countless unique and versatile venues including the giant upside-down cow aptly titled Udderbelly! Our daily walks to the Spiegel site can take us through the expansive and lush Meadows or through the heart of Edinburgh as it approaches the famous Edinburgh Castle currently housing performances of the Military Tattoo.

Above all we have witnessed a more than friendly welcome in a fervent and pulsating city with an amalgamation of performance options ranging from Operatic, Dance, Theatrical, Musical, Comedic and Literary. Now firmly entrenched in this seamlessly coherent mass of endless possibilities, the cast of Smoke & Mirrors prepares for its debut performance on one of the largest stages in the world.

The 64th annual Fringe, which continues until 30 August, involves an estimated 21,148 performers from around the world presenting 40,254 performances of a record-breaking 2,453 shows in 259 venues.

I am thrilled to be performing with this amazing cast directed by Craig Illot which includes: iOTA, Queenie Van De Zandt, Wayne Scott Kermond, Timothy Woon, James Brown, Casey Douglas, Christian Reid, Kali Rettallack and the band led by Tina Harris with Marty Hailey, Chris Ball and myself, Joe Accaria.