It’s August, are you ready to immerse yourself in theatre, comedy and a plethora of other entertainments. The Fringe seems to come around faster and faster every year and once again, here we are, spoilt for choice. It can be overwhelming sifting through the thousands of shows on offer, so to help you decide here my annual must see hit list of recommendations.
There are some sure fire hits and a few to take a punt on in these Top 5 ‘Must See’ show lists, but then, what is a Fringe without taking the odd risk in order to discover a hidden gem.
5 MUST SEE THEATRE HIGHLIGHTS
CHEMO SAVVY | GILDED BALLOON AT THE MUSEUM 15-24 AUGUST
It’s going to be emotional. Inspired by the experiences of late great Scottish comedy legend, Andy Gray, as he battled leukaemia. With the gallows humour permitted by those who have been on that journey, Chemo Savvy stars River City’s Grant Stott, Jordan Young and Gail Watson
TO WATCH A MAN EAT | GREENSIDE GEORGE STREET 2-10 AUGUST
If you like your theatre challenging, thought provoking and darkly funny, don’t miss this five-star piece by award-winning playwright Sadie Pearson. Join firefighter Micky, investment banker Andrew and Melissa as their contrasting desires fuel conflict in a tale of sex, power and… trifle.
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE MAN WHO BELIEVED IN FAIRIES | C ARTS AQUILA 31 JULY-25 AUGUST (Not 13)
Sherlock Holmes confronts his deadliest enemy yet, his creator Arthur Conan Doyle. When two girls claim to have photographed (what became known as) The Cottingley Fairies, Doyle believes them, but a disgusted Holmes sets out to refute the pictures, inadvertently unlocking a much deeper mystery.
TRAINSPOTTING LIVE | PLEASANCE @ EICC 1-25 AUGUST (Not 7,14,19)
If you have never seen this ‘in your face’ Fringe favourite, make sure this is the year that you do. This immersive adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s classic novel is uncompromising and controversial theatre at its best.
I’M ALMOST THERE | SUMMERHALL 1-26 AUGUST
Todd Almond, best known as Gossip Girl’s flamboyant theatre critic Gideon Wolfe, brings his ‘homage to storytellers who have passed down the epic story of The Odyssey’ to Edinburgh, it’s a tale of an unhinged neighbour, a seductive cult, a self-obsessed vampire, and a cat intent on dragging his owner to hell?’
5 MUST SEE STAND UP COMEDIANS
NINA GILLIGAN – GOLDFISH | JUST THE TONIC NUCLEUS 2-25 AUGUST (5-12 AUGUST)
Memory loss, health anxiety, goldfish-related trauma. Things you need to remember and the things you can’t forget. Catch the funny woman described as ‘a bolshier Mrs Merton’ due to her cheeky, ready wit.
JASPER CARROTT & ALASTAIR MCGOWAN | THE FRINGE AT PRESTONFIELD 20 AUGUST
Two comedy legends split the bill, and hopefully your sides, with a night of comedy stand up and impressions. Drawing on their wealth of experience, Carrott and McGowan present a show of pure laughter and entertainment. A one night only experience, not to be missed.
RALPH BROWN – MY FIRST HOSTAGE SITUATION | THE STAND COMEDY CLUB 3 1-25 AUGUST (NOT 12,19)
Last year, during his Fringe show, Ralph and one of his audience were taken hostage by a gunpoint half way through his show. Discover the full, funny and dramatic story of what happened that eventful night from the man himself.
FERN BRADY – I GAVE YOU MILK TO DRINK | EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE 20 & 22 AUGUST
Bathgate and now Scotland’s queen of comedy, Fern Brady is back with a brand-new show for two nights only as she asks, what happens when you get everything you want and it’s still not enough?
CRAIG HILL – I’VE BEEN SITTING ON THIS FOR A WHILE | JUST THE TONIC NUCLEUS 1-25 AUGUST (Not 12,19)
Everyone’s favourite Fringe ‘kilty pleasure’ returns. Celebrating Hill’s 25th consecutive show at the Fringe, the camp comic is back brimming with double entendres, dance routines and songs to make you wish you’d taken out shares in Tena Lady.
5 MUSICAL THEATRE MUST SEES
SOLVE IT SQUAD | ASSEMBLY GEORGE SQUARE 1-26 AUGUST (Not 7-19)
Jinkles! A group of former kid detectives return to the scene of their greatest unsolved case: the gruesome murder of their talking dog, Cluebert. Can an ambitious narcissist, a lovable doofus, a skittish sad-sap and a scheming brainiac save the day one last time? Scooby Doo was never like this… or was it?
WILLY’S CANDY SPECTACULAR – A MUSICAL PARODY | PLEASANCE DOME 9-26 AUGUST
Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt in Gene Wilder’s 1971 blockbuster) narrates the first half this run of shows, with Paris Themmen, who played Mike Teevee in the movie, stepping in for the second half. Inspired by the Glasgow Chocolate Experience disaster that went viral.
THE SCOT AND THE SHOWGIRL | PLEASANCE DOME 31 JULY-26 AUGUST (Not 6,13,20)
Broadway icon Frances Ruffelle and partner, West End leading man Norman Bowman, star in The Scot and The Showgirl, a true(ish) retelling of how they first met 28 years ago on a platform at Edinburgh’s Waverley train station.
POP OFF, MICHELANGELO | GILDED BALLOON PATTER HOOSE 31 JULY-26 AUGUST (Not 12)
Imagine Da Vinci and Michelangelo as best friends who decide to become the greatest artists of all time so God forgives them for being gay… expect high camp, historically inaccuracies and much laughter and music.
TRIAL BY JURY | PARADISE IN AUGUSTINES 19-25 AUGUST
Chaos reigns in the courtroom when a jilted bride and her bridal party arrive to sue her husband to be for abandoning her at the altar as the Cat-Like Tread Company return to the Fringe to romp through Gilbert and Sullivan’s popular light opera.
5 MUST SEE MAGIC SHOWS
ADULTS ONLY MAGIC SHOW @ ASSEMBLY, GEORGE SQUARE 31 JULY-25 AUGUST (Not 19)
Comedy magicians Justin Williams and Sam Hume head back to Edinburgh with their hilarious 18+ magic show, replacing the bunnies and top hats with raw comedy and sex appeal… and free drinks for their volunteers?
ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE: MARTIN BROCK | 31 JULY-25 August (Not 19)
An immersive experience for all ages, Brock delivers visually stunning stage magic and world-class sleight of hand, woven together with integrated video and witty comedy.
COLIN CLOUD – CONSEQUENCES | UNDERBELLY BRISTO SQUARE 31 JULY-26 AUGUST (Not 13)
The man described as ‘the closest thing to a real life Sherlock Holmes’ is back to solve the biggest mystery on the planet – You. Secrets will be unravelled, impossible outcomes predicted, and reality itself will be manipulated. Can Cloud really read your mind?
THE MAGIC SHOW – THE RETURN OF THE GLITTERING PRINCE OF MAGIC | LIQUID ROOM ANNEXE 3-25 AUGUST (Not 5,12,19)
Dysfunctional comedy magic direct from Las Vegas, starring Fife’s Liam A Black as The Glittering Prince of Magic for a tongue-in-cheek evening of cunning stunts and stunning conjuring.
BEN HART – HeX | ASSEMBLY GEORGE SQUARE GARDENS 1-25 AUGUST (Not 12)
The Fringe’s real-life witch is back for his 10th spellbinding year with his unique alchemy. Funny, dark and baffling, HeX is a curated collection of his most exciting material from the last decade alongside fresh new ideas fresh from his laboratory.
5 FAMOUS FACES TO SEE ON THE FRINGE
BOBBY DAVRO – EVERYTHING IS FUNNY IF YOU CAN LAUGH AT IT | FRANKENSTEIN PUB 2-25 AUGUST (Not 12,19)
One of the UK’s best-known celebrity entertainers and a master of his craft over the last four decades returns to Edinburgh for his first full Fringe run, with guaranteed belly laughs.
MIRIAM MARGOYLES – DICKENS THE BEST BITS | PLEASANCE AT EICC 7-15 AUGUST
An irascible 82-year-old, Margolyes returns to the Fringe to combine her infectious passion for Dickens with her phenomenal versatility, bringing to life the most colourful and iconic characters from his timeless novels. Guaranteed to offend and delight.
MEGAN PRESCOTT – REALLY GOOD EXPOSURE | UNDERBELLY COWGATE 1-25 AUGUST (Not 7,13,20)
Skins’ actress Megan Prescott, aka Katie F*cking Fitch in the TV series, writes and stars in her debut solo show about a former child star giving mainstream success one last shot by becoming an adult entertainer.
WAYNE SLEEP – AWAKE IN THE AFTERNOON | PLEASANCE COURTYARD CABARET BAR 19-25 AUGUST
Prepare for an hour filled with laughter, song and dance, as the irrepressible 75-year-old takes centre stage. With his boundless energy and infectious spirit, Wayne promises to captivate and entertain like never before.
SARA CROWE & THE VOICE OF PRUNELLA SCALES – QUEEN | ASSEMBLY ROOMS 1-25 AUGUST (Not 12)
The fabulous Sara Crowe, with the assistance of the voice of Prunella Scales, stars in a revival of Katrina Hendrey’s acclaimed one-woman show An Evening With Queen Victoria, which the Fawlty Towers legend originally performed for 28 years.
5 LOCAL EDINBURGH COMPANIES AT THE FRINGE
EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE (TEEN EDITION) | BROUGHTON HIGH SCHOOL 3-10 AUGUST (Not 5)
Award-winning Forth Children’s Theatre return to the Fringe with their production of the smash hit musical telling the story of 16-year-old Jamie New, a boy with a dream.
NE’ER THE TWAIN | MAYFIELD SALISBURY CHURCH HALL 2-17 AUGUST (Not 4,11)
77 years after they debuted at the Fringe, Edinburgh People’s Theatre tell a tale of the McIvor family, living in a tenement on Leith Walk at the exact spot of the boundary between Edinburgh and Leith… most of the flat is in Leith, but the toilet is in Edinburgh.
AN AMERICAN LOVE LETTER TO EDINBURGH | SCOTTISH STORYTELLING CENTRE 1-25 AUGUST (ALTERNATIVE DAYS)
Benjamin Franklin loved Edinburgh. He visited in 1759 and 1771, making pals with all the luminaries including David Hume and Adam Smith and enjoying lively debates in the Old Town’s famous Oyster Club late into the night. In this funny and informative show, Rick Conte tells the tale of his countryman’s Scottish enlightenment.
LES MISERABLES SCHOOLS EDITION | EDINBURGH ACADEMY 8-17 AUGUST
Performed by local students, Captivate’s production of Les Miserables has already been seen by an estimated 22,000 people. A tale of love, compassion, and redemption, featuring hit songs I Dreamed A Dream, Bring Him Home and many more. Go see it.
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS | THE ROYAL SCOTS CLUB 12-17 AUGUST
Ankle Theatre Company presents this classic Victorian adventure for all the family, which finds the fabulously wealthy Phileas Fogg encounter a cascade of eccentric characters as he visits the world’s most exotic places, all because of a wager. Can he make it, or will he lose everything?
5 LIVE MUSIC MUST SEES
CAMILLE O’SULLIVAN – LOVELETTER | ASSEMBLY ROXY 31 JULY-17 AUGUST (Not 7,12)
For her 20th Edinburgh, Queen of the Fringe Camille O’Sullivan sings personal love letters to those gone but still loved and missed. Celebrating friends such as Shane McGowan and Sinead O’Connor and legends such as Leonard Cohen and David Bowie as well as a bit of Radiohead, O’Sullivan gives their works her own mesmeric treatment.
007 VOICES OF BOND | THE SPACE SYMPOSIUM HALL 2-25 AUGUST
Immerse yourself in the world of 007 and the legendary voices that have accompanied Bond as Goldfinger, Skyfall, Diamonds Are Forever and more, brought to life by Ella McCready, Alex Beharrell and the Night Owl band.
LINDISFARNE | THE QUEEN’S HALL 10 AUGUST
For one night only, legendary 70’s Tyneside folk-rock pioneers Lindisfarne present a classic five-piece line-up of long-time members fronted by founder-member Rod Clements. Expect unforgettable songs like Meet Me On The Corner, Fog On The Tyne, Lady Eleanor and Run For Home.
ONE NIGHT, TWO VOICES – KERRY ELLIS & JOHN OWEN-JONES | THE FRINGE @ PRESTONFIELD 16 AUGUST
Musical theatre legends Kerry Ellis and John Owen-Jones perform a much-loved selection of classic songs from Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, We Will Rock You and more with a few surprises along the way.
ABBA GOLD THE CONCERT | LIQUID ROOM 16-18 AUGUST
No explanation required really, just dust down your platforms, put on your flares and sing along with all of your favourite ABBA hits including Waterloo, Mamma Mia, Thank You For The Music, Take A Chance On Me, Dancing Queen, Winner Takes It All, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme… and more.
Tickets for all show are available from www.edfringe.com
Finally, and with full disclosure, my own production I Ran With The Gang: A Tribute To Original Bay City Roller Alan Longmuir returns to the Fringe after five sell out seasons on 23 and 24 August at The Fringe at Prestonfield House, it would be great to see you there. Tickets from fringeatprestonfield.co.uk.
Also, Second Splinter Theatre Company, another local Edinburgh theatre company, invited me to direct their production of Repression, a dark, physiological thriller, at the Liquid Room Annexe as part of the Free Fringe, on 13 and 25 August. It features two fantastic local actors, Ben Igoe and James Cumming… just turn up and watch.
Until next time, when normal service will be resumed,
Have a great Fringe?
Liam
Leither. Writer | Broadcaster | Actor | Award-winning playwright/director| Content Creator. Entertainment commentator. Theatre consultant. Former Edinburgh Evening News Arts and Entertainment Editor. 40 years in media.
