This Review is from August 2026

You may have heard whispers across the Fringe about the butt-plug musical. For many at Fringe, that’s an instant yes. For those who aren’t immediately sold by that description, it’s definitely an oversimplification.

Because HOLE! is so much more than that.

Funny, poignant, weird, smutty and completely bonkers, Hole! somehow manages to have a surprisingly touching core of friendship running through all the chaos. And it never misses a beat.

After last year’s successful Fringe run, I was slightly worried that moving into a bigger room might take away some of that wonderfully intimate, properly Fringe-y feeling. Thankfully, it hasn’t. If anything, the scale-up has worked brilliantly. It still feels like you’ve stumbled into something slightly unhinged that you probably shouldn’t be watching, just with a few more people now lucky enough to experience it.

And the skill involved is honestly ridiculous.

Jake Brasch and Nadja Leonhard-Hooper create the characters, the music and the sound effects entirely themselves, and it’s an absolute feat. There’s something incredibly satisfying about watching two performers completely build this world in front of you. Every little noise, musical cue and character choice feels deliberate, and the commitment is unreal. Brasch and Leonhard-Hooper are both astounding. They throw themselves into every weird, wonderful and occasionally VERY smutty moment with such confidence that you can’t help but go along for the ride.

And somehow, underneath all the chaos, there’s this really lovely story about friendship. It’s what makes Hole! more than just a collection of outrageous jokes. There’s genuine heart here, and it sneaks up on you when you’re least expecting it.

It’s one of those shows where you leave knowing you’ve just seen something very special. I genuinely cannot wait to see what comes next.

Five stars. Obviously.

Natalie Goring