Fringe 2023

Some of the best storytellers and performers will be part of the Fringe show at the Storytelling Centre this August talking about climate, queerness, friendship and nature.There will also be two productions from the Made in Scotland showcase.I Hope Your Flowers Bloom written and...

From King Charles to Keir Starmer, Prince Harry to Putin, Sunak to Strikes and Sleaze, no stone will be left unturned.Expect 100% brand-new material from this multi award-winning institution where much of the content is written by the preposterously talented cast and creative...

The word legend might be overused in football but in the case of Steve Archibald, it’s entirely appropriate.His story is one of the most unique in world football and the former Scotland, Hibs, Barcelona, Spurs and Aberdeen player will arrive in the capital...

Rupert Bevan delivers a powerhouse performance in Darling Boy, a one-man show exploring longing, love and loneliness in a queer coming of age story that is both poignant and mesmerising.It charts a young man’s journey through the dizzying highs and crushing lows of...

Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy of Soundhouse took on Rose Theatre as a Fringe venue at the very last minute possible this year - but what a line-up they have on offer until 28 August.With a choice of two spaces big and small...

The former First Minister Alex Salmond is back on the Fringe in a new show called The Ayes Have It! The Ayes Have It!Appearing at the Palais de Varieté Salmond will spar with David Davis MP, former Brexit minister on important matters such as...

Colour. It plays a big part in our lives. But what if your skin colour means you don’t seem to fit in anywhere at all?In Tones, Gerel Falconer’s fast-paced Hip-Hop opera, Jerome (also played by Falconer) grows up in a happy Jamaican family in...

Arriving 15 minutes early, I was faced with a slightly concerning prospect that I might be the only person turning up for this show. I still have vivid memories of reviewing a show in 2019 when I was the only audience member. The performer...

Director of Pleasance venues, Anthony Alderson, wants Edinburgh to do more to welcome the Fringe.He feels the city is not doing enough to offer a collective welcome to reflect the money it makes from all the Fringe events which Pleasance of course is...

Paul Beeson takes on the role of Hearts player and local hero Bobby Walker, a player who had a style of football named after him known as Walkerism.It’s hard not to see something of George Best in his story, a sublime talent undone...

In Modern Witches, a woman in the midst of a sapphic relationship crisis finds her ground thanks to the spirits and witches in her life, resulting in a surprise visit from Virginia Woolf’s ghost.Lesbian actor Kate struggles to create a self-tape audition as Virginia...

A young Scottish actor has landed the starring role in a new play to be presented at te Edinburgh Festival Fringe.Abby McCann will star in Looking for Giants, a funny, perplexing and seductive one-woman show that follows one girl's quest for self-discovery.Following two sold...

Gyles Brandreth is that annoying geezer on in the background of my mother’s telly when I go visit her.And queuing for his Gyles Brandreth Can’t Stop Talking! show (he really can’t) at Assembly George Square it was ladies of a certain age, and a...

Vanya is Alive:Five StarsA POWERFUL new play from today’s Russia brought to the Fringe by artists in exile due to their anti-war position. A mother of a mobilised Russian soldier plunges into the abyss as she struggles to comb through state propaganda and lies. What...

Two clown friends plan to put on a show but Dede goes off the idea – can Tibeh get him to change his mind? Canadian “masters of slapstick” (The Scotsman) and multiple international award-winners Les Foutoukours make a welcome return to the Edinburgh Fringe with Brotipo.  It’s a hit show...

Singers and shower-warblers, listen up!If you're looking for an unforgettable musical experience, look no further than Choir! Choir! Choir! at Violet Underbelly (Underbelly at Bristo Square).🎤 This show is an absolute blast, and here's why:🎵 It's all about the crowd. You become the...

A charming, funny and moving multimedia story of intergenerational shame, family secrets and history is set for a full run at Summerhall on this year's Edinburgh Fringe.At 19, whilst studying film, Victor found his long-lost great aunt Marcelle in Rome. She had moved from...

This engaging show manifested many aspects of the PBH Free Fringe.Taking place every morning (at 9.30am), this show features a panel of Fringe performers discussing politics and is chaired by either Harun Musho'd or Chris O'Neill - two prominent figures in the PBH Free...

Three women on a stage covered in foliage, one dressed in green, one in blue, one in brown. This is the story of Sleeping Beauty, right? So one of them must be the princess who was woken with a kiss and lived happily ever...

Last Stand at Honey HillFour StarsLIZ Cotton’s Last Stand on Honey Hill really grew on us. When she started, we thought this was going to be an hour of songs in the style of Pam Ayres meets Jake Thackery.But as it progressed, her style,...

This was a story written before the pandemic, and performed on the Fringe last year, but the importance of the story remains sadly topical.The performers (and there are only two) are formerly members of much lauded circus troupes such as Circa and Cirque...

Steve Richard's Rock and Roll PoliticsFive StarsSTEVE Richard’s podcast “Rock and Roll Politics” has become very popular but it is clear that the veteran journalist also really enjoys the live shows.It allows plenty of time for Steve to express his views on a number...

There's little doubt which side of the political spectrum Itai Erdal is on and the strength of his bleak, anti-war play about the Arab-Israeli conflict lies in his straight-from-the-shoulder approach.A former Israeli soldier, the Jerusalem-born actor-playwright Erdal, 49, is the artistic director of the Elbow...

RuPaul stars Baga Chipz and Anita Wigl'it pose at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh as they begin their Fringe shows at Gilded Balloon. Baga Chipz and Anita Wigl'it performed at a one-off Drag Brunch at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh, in the midst of their run at Gilded Balloon...

Breaking Open at theSpace @ Surgeons Hall is a powerful one-woman play that delves into the life of Oskar Saville, once the lead singer of the multi-platinum band, 10,000 Maniacs.Despite the modest audience turnout, including her supportive teenage kids who are wearing T-shirts...

Women have always faced exploitation in the workplace – back in the 1920s Sara Wesker was a trade unionist, activist and radical who battled for change. Largely forgotten today, her name and story deserve to be remembered, not least because the struggle is far from...

An award-winning comedian has had her Edinburgh Fringe opening night thrown into chaos after thousands of pounds worth of musical instruments were lost by an airline.Australian TV star and musician Michelle Brasier has been left scrambling to find instruments to perform hit show Reform,...

‘Liberate yourself from the gender binary and celebrate queer joy!’ screams the flyer. And a celebration is exactly what Antonio! provides.This show is such a joy; it’s hilarious, it’s camp, it’s well acted, the script is clever, the music is great, the costumes...

Honest, funny and very naughty – US comedian Maggie Widdoes will take Fringe audiences on a rollercoaster ride through all her life’s ups and downs. The international premiere of Stay Big & Go Get 'Em marks the Edinburgh Fringe debut of a comedian and actor direct from the...

Originally conceived working with climate themes in collaboration with the Scottish community of climate experts at The Barn, Aberdeenshire and scientists at University of East Anglia’s Tyndall Centre, KlangHaus: Darkroom was originally presented at COP26 in Glasgow.The 20-minute show for just one audience...