Adam Smith joins stand-ups and stars at Edinburgh Fringe

Adam Smith, Kirkcaldy's most famous son, is joining the mass ranks of stand-up comedians, actors and street performers at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this weekend.
Adam Smith
bustAdam Smith
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Adam Smith bust

A statue of the world famous economist and philosopher looks down on the daily merriment and mayhem of the Royal Mile, one of the busiest focal points of the Fringe, but now he is the subject of The Invisible Hand which opens, appropriately at Panmure House, his Edinburgh home, on Saturday.

The show, backed by Kirkcaldy4All, was first written and performed in Kirkcaldy, where it was well received.

It was penned by, and stars, Kirkcaldy actor John Yule.

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It tells the story of how Smith reached this pinnacle of success, the famous people he met along the way and their influence on him.

It also tells how his mother, a strong, resourceful, Kirkcaldy woman, tried to influence him away from what she perceived as being the destructive forces of opinion at home and abroad.

He came to the attention of ‘the authorities’ due to his involvement in the French Revolution, and the story of that involvement is told in the play.

John said: “There is little doubt that Adam Smith was not only a famous and influential thinker but a good man, whose concerns were for the ordinary people of Scotland and their welfare in an ever-changing society.

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“He’s a fascinating subject, and still relevant to our times.”

Bill Harvey, manager of BID company, Kirkcaldy4All said: “We saw the potential for this play from the start. It was written in Kirkcaldy, by local playwright and actor John Yule, and we backed a reading of it a few years ago.

“Last year we helped bring it to the stage in Kirkcaldy where it was very well received, so we are delighted that it has made the journey across the Forth to the biggest arts festival in the world. The play gives people the chance to discover more about this enigmatic man – a life all of us in Kirkcaldy are proud to remember.”

Adam Smith – The Invisible Hand is at Panmure House, 4 Lochend Close from August 11-26 at 4pm