ALL-FEMALE Australian troupe YUCK Circus are known for throwing back pints of beer while fearlessly throwing themselves around on stage – and for this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, they’ll be drinking a special release from the local Pilot Beer brewery, and helping raise money for the charity SHE Scotland.
YUCK Circus and Pilot Beer first collaborated back in 2019 when the Leith-based brewers provided the troupe with beer to drink during their Fringe performances. This year, Pilot are brewing a special edition beer just for YUCK called Upside Down Lager.
Described as light, bright and fruity, Upside Down is a pineapple and cherry lager, loosely based on the flavours of a pineapple upside down cake. A portion of the proceeds from every sale of the beer will go to SHE Scotland through Pilot’s Drinklusion fundraising initiative.
Circus director Georgia Deguara said the Pilot Beer partnership provided an ‘incredible opportunity to not only decrease the stigma around ‘unladylike’ drinking habits, but to also encourage more female representation in the brewing industry’.
“We try to give back to the community wherever we tour, and by collaborating with a local company like Pilot Beer we are able to not only promote the fabulous beers they brew, but also raise money for SHE Scotland, an organisation that is empowering women, inspiring youth and talking periods – doing incredible work in Scotland.”
Since winning the 2019 Fringe World top-tier Martin Sims award and Adelaide Fringe Best Emerging Artist with their self-titled debut, YUCK Circus has been touring internationally, picking up dozens of awards and 5-star reviews.
The troupe uses acrobatics and aerial performance to ‘explore the grotesque nature of beauty standards, bougie art and to challenge gender misconceptions’, with the aim of making ‘gross’ topics as inclusive as they are entertaining.
Pilot Beer co-founder, Matt Johnson, said: “We’re delighted to be once again teaming up with the incredible YUCK Circus team, this time by making a bespoke beer that both celebrates the high-energy acrobatics and highlights the fruity tastes of summer. The fact that we’re also able to distribute a portion of the proceeds to a charity like SHE Scotland through our Drinklusion program makes the collaboration even more worthwhile.”
Founder of SHE Scotland, Karen Anderson, said: “The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has always been about bringing community together, and we are so grateful that YUCK Circus and Pilot Beer have decided to support our charity in their partnership this year. The funds raised will go towards our many programs and workshops, which are designed to increase self-esteem, build relationships and improve the life chances of women and girls across Scotland.”
The YUCK Circus Upside Down Lager will be available to purchase in cans from Pilot Beer and behind selected bars in Edinburgh from late July.
