Edinburgh Fringe Comedy
Reviews
We only publish reviews of shows that we rate ★★★ or above. Below is just the good stuff.
Alphabetical list of 2026 reviews HERE
Sarah Roberts: Scary Movie 7 ★★★
Monkey Barrel 2 at Monkey Barrel Comedy Wednesday, August 26th, 2026Sarah Roberts delivers a stand-up set, Scary Movie 7, blending horror, absurdism and observational story telling. While still in the womb, Sarah ate her twin sister. The performer can not be blamed or held accountable for events that took place before she was born, but she is entitled to mine the incident for dark comedy. […]
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Edith Alibec: The Void ★★★★★
Cinema Room at PBH's Free Fringe @ Banshee Labyrinth Wednesday, August 26th, 2026Romanian clown, Edith Alibec has a void within her. Dressed top to toe in purple fabric, with arms like tentacles, she asks us, the audience, how they find fulfilment. Can our answers help her fill the void? To hand so much power to the audience is a brave thing to do. Individuals can say anything. […]
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New York City Dreams ★★★
Just The Tonic at the Caves (Just Out of the Box) Wednesday, August 26th, 2026This is a show about a native New Yorker, Meka Mo, travelling the globe, “… because our country is a little fucked up.” We embark on a world tour of international dating etiquette and wider cultural differences. Meka is a great storyteller, I learned a lot about the people India and Japan, but she describes […]
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Grace and Gracey ★★★★
Friesian at Underbelly, Bristo Square Tuesday, August 25th, 2026I’ve had a great Fringe 2026. Apart from the usual grievances from comedians about their star ratings, I’ve only received two genuine complaints. The first is that I haven’t reviewed enough shows featuring straight white men. This wasn’t a conscious decision; it has just worked out that way. The second is that I haven’t covered […]
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Davina Bentley: Dancing While Old ★★★
Pleasance Courtyard, Cellar Tuesday, August 25th, 2026Davina Bentley describes how life changes once you reach your late 30s and beyond. People respond differently to you. Bar staff don’t see you. Strangers don’t talk to you at parties, and so on. Everyone has a face card that will be more frequently declined the older we get. There is a lot of age […]
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Dee Allum: Raumdeuter ★★★★
Pleasance Courtyard, Upstairs Tuesday, August 25th, 2026This Fringe, I first saw Dee Allum perform at Reuben Kaye’s brilliant late night queer show, The Kaye Hole. She killed it, in a set that included the best JK Rowling joke I’ve ever heard. Reuben was falling about in hysterical laugher as the thousand-seater capacity audience broke out into a sustained round of applause. […]
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Megasquirt: Fully Loaded ★★★
Jelly Belly at Underbelly, Cowgate Tuesday, August 25th, 2026The talented comic duo of Ashley Blair and Drew Reilly present a series of queer themed original songs and sketches that this young capacity crowd just adore. Noisy, energetic, dirty and beautiful, the American pair only rest up when dragging an audience member on stage to eat bread. So, yes, that happened. Part protest and […]
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CVNT ★★★★★
The Box at Assembly George Square Tuesday, August 25th, 2026Rarely have I felt more out of my depth going into show and rarely have I learned so much during a performance. Character comedian and clown, Sophie Power appears on stage as a human sized vulva and invites the audience to play with her. “Don’t you want me baby?” sings the vulva as audience members […]
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Jody Kamali: This is My Dad ★★★★
The Crate at Assembly George Square Tuesday, August 25th, 2026This is a deeply personal show for writer/performer Jody Kamali. Best known in Edinburgh as the superior clown, Ironing Board Man, This is My Dad is routed very much in reality. Playing both his Iranian late father and himself, Jody presents a tender, very funny tale of uncovering the recently deceased man’s extraordinary hidden life. […]
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Darryl J Carrington: Tennish ★★★★
Underbelly Bristo Square Tuesday, August 25th, 2026Talking to folks in the queue, I learn that a good two thirds of tonight’s audience are locals who belong to the same tennis club. “It’s a show about tennis.” I wondered how they would take to this clowning show. Tennish is an amalgam of audience interactive games, based loosely of the theme of tennis. […]
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Olivia Xing: Baby of Colour ★★★★
Gilded Balloon Teviot Nook Monday, August 24th, 2026Olivia Xing is a Chinese comedian, living in Los Angeles. Baby of Colour is a show about contradictions, or perhaps more accurately, thinking two things at once. How does Olivia chose to define herself as a performer? Does she want to be a club comic or an advocate for change? The show is part playful […]
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Jonathan Rudge: Stay at Home Son ★★★
Just the Tonic at the Mash House Monday, August 24th, 2026According to the grumpy guy behind the bar, who clearly never went to PR school, Jonathan Rudge is performing to half empty rooms. Not sure what the comedian had done to piss the barman off, but I’m judging the art, not the artist, so I entered Stay at Home Son with an open mind. The […]
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Gearóid Farrelly: No Pressure ★★★★
Assembly George Square Studios (Studio Five) Sunday, August 23rd, 2026One of the real joys of being a long-time visitor to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is that you can watch comedians learn their craft in real time. I recall watching Gearóid in a small free venue over ten years ago and seeing potential. Happily, that potential is now being realised – and then some. Indeed, […]
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Hannah Byczkowski: Killer ★★★★
Gilded Balloon Teviot (Turret) Sunday, August 23rd, 2026Hannah Byczkowski delivers a straight stand-up set that has her entire capacity audience rolling around in laughter for fifty-five minutes. Most comedians need some sort of hook or storyline to keep a crowd onboard for an entire show. Hannah does it with jokes. There are some beautify well drawn recurring characters that pop up every […]
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Best Dad NEVER ★★★
Just the Tonic at the Mash House Sunday, August 23rd, 2026There is a lot to like about Haig (pronounced Hike) Chahinian’s life affirming true story of parenthood and family dynamics. Haig is the white son of Armenian parents but is living in the United States with his husband and daughter. We delve into Armenian history, and the effects of the 1915 Armenian Genocide during World […]
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100 Million Fish in the Aquarium ★★★★
The Wee Tap at Laughing Horse @ The Hanover Tap Saturday, August 22nd, 2026Shannon Brooke should really put her name in the title. It deserves to be there. She’s an accomplished comedian. This crowd knows it, the popular Hanover Tap’s back room is brimming past capacity. The performer kicks of the show by answering some frequently asked questions. She explains, among other things, that she’s an Edinburgh based […]
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Stamptown ★★★
Assembly George Square Gardens (Palais du Variété) Thursday, August 20th, 2026Stamptown is an adult variety show that borrows from alternative comedy, cabaret, circus and burlesque. Zach Zucker is our host. The comedian, actor, dancer and Philippe Gaulier trained clown rarely leaves the stage for this 80 minute mashup. I imagine that we are meant to think that the other acts are ganging up on him, […]
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Adele Cliff’s Topical Early Late Show with Adele Cliff ★★★
Hoots @ Potterow (Big Yurt) Thursday, August 20th, 2026Adele Cliff, Will Davies, Katie Pritchard and a special guest deliver topical jokes, based on toady’s headlines. Writing a new show everyday does bring some nervous energy to the performances. The jokes are good. The targets may be low hanging fruit, Farage and Trump feature heavily, but who cares, they deserve it right? Given that […]
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Reuben Kaye: Hard to Swallow ★★★★★
Palais du Variété at Assembly George Square Gardens Sunday, August 16th, 2026Reuben Kaye is a big personality with a bigger show, supported by a brilliant three-piece live band. The larger-than-life Australian legend’s capacity audience in the Palais du Variété were out for a good time. And they got one. It’s easy to imagine Reuben Kaye becoming a global household name. He has the talent and charisma […]
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Lady Bolognese: Class War ★★★★★
Bunker Three at Pleasance Courtyard Sunday, August 16th, 2026Lady Bolognese are Bouffon/Clown performers Tanika Lay-Meachen and Matt Straker. In Class War they play dinnerladies, Barbara and Veronica, who have been brought into the classroom to replace a missing teacher. The audience play the children. Though there is a compelling show long narrative, Class War is fuelled on audience interaction. The performers are grotesque […]
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Kate Butch: A Kate in the Hand is Worth Two in the Butch ★★★★★
King Dome at Pleasance Dome Sunday, August 16th, 2026This is a tremendous stand-up show. A well-constructed, intelligent and very funny set. The star of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK discusses coming out and being non-binary. Kate was bullied at school for being different. The revenge story on the school bully was hilarious. The crowd work is great too. There are short stories, one-liners, some […]
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Steffan Alun: Windows ★★★★
Hoots @ The Apex Sunday, August 16th, 2026Standup comedian, Steffan Alun, delivers a warm, friendly, very funny set. The comedian discusses identity. Steffan is Welsh and bisexual and feels a responsibility to others who share these identities. Last year an audience member approached Steffan after a gig. “After watching your show, I realised I’m not bisexual… I remembered how I much I […]
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Grubby Little Mitts: Late Night 70s Game Show (WIP) ★★★★
Monkey Barrel Comedy - Monkey Barrel 2 Sunday, August 16th, 2026Grubby Little Mitts have long been one of my favourite sketch duos, and this show is a brilliant example of why. Intensely funny, weird, clever and just a little bit unhinged, they throw themselves into a completely bonkers 70s game show with so much commitment that you can’t help but get invested. The premise is […]
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Katie Pritchard is Sir Elton Scone ★★★★
Hoots @ Nicholson Sqaure Saturday, August 15th, 2026This is what the Fringe is all about. I spent the first five minutes of the show staring stoney faced at the stage wondering what earth I’d chosen to come and see. Then Katie Pritchard is Sir Elton Scone won me over. Right now, the temptation is for me to write, ‘I’m not even going […]
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Jake Baker: The Gentle Men’s Club ★★★
Hoots @ The Apex Saturday, August 15th, 2026“Have you heard the news?” asks the softly spoken Jake Baker, “masculinity is in crisis!” Jake admits that he has all the authority of a substitute teacher who has been asked to cover a PE lesson, but he’s going to have a go at tackling the subject anyway. This is a warm, even cosy hour […]
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Bryn Woz: SMUT ★★★★
Assembly Roxy The Snug Saturday, August 15th, 2026US performer and writer Bryn Woz stars as alter ego Entendre Entendre, in SMUT – a musical stand-up comedy, burlesque, clown show. SMUT is also the name of Entendre Entendre’s new memoir, in which she recounts her many lovers. Is there audience interaction? Yes, there is. Whatever you are imagining this show is right now […]
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Josh Pickar: Getting Off ★★★
Assembly Roxy Snug Saturday, August 15th, 2026US performer, Josh Pickar, is a former human rights lawyer turned stand up comedian. Half of this show is a fascinating insight into the life of a capital defence attorney, desperately trying to get people off death row. Pickar was involved in several high-profile cases, like that of the Charleston Church shooter, Dylann Roof. The […]
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Mark Thomas: 40 in Stand-Up Years ★★★★★
The Stand 1 Saturday, August 15th, 2026If I can be superficial for a moment, Mark Thomas does not look anywhere close to sixty-three years old. He’s a very handsome man, and as he performs 40 in Stand-Up Years, he’s as relentlessly energetic on stage as ever. Long time fans will not be disappointed by this set. He skewers all those in […]
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Gareth Mutch Means Well ★★★
The Stand 1 Saturday, August 15th, 2026The experienced Scottish stand up presents his new show, Gareth Mutch Means Well. There is so much to enjoy here, with some great ‘fish out of water’ set pieces. The comedian frequently talks about his Welsh father during shows. Tonight, his dads obsession with Money Savings Expert, Martin Lewis, is well mined. There’s lots of […]
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Ele McKenzie: Bringing It All Back Home ★★★
Bunker Two at Pleasance Courtyard Saturday, August 15th, 2026“What a magical evening,” intones the deadpan comedian like Jack Dee, “utterly remarkable. I’m so excited to be here.” Bringing It All Back Home is a reference to the Bob Dylan album of the same name and refers to the fact that at the age of thirty, Ele has split with her boyfriend and moved […]
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Spraywatch: A Beautiful Rescue ★★★★
Lower Theatre at theSpace @ Niddry St Saturday, August 15th, 2026If you’re looking for something silly, camp and very funny at the Fringe, Spraywatch: A Beautiful Rescue is a pretty safe bet. The plot is exactly as stupid as you’d want it to be. A hot lifeguard gets fired for having some cellulite and decides to turn around a struggling beach in Scotland. It’s completely […]
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Silky in ‘No, YOU’RE Poster Syndrome’ ★★★★
The Stand 2 Friday, August 14th, 2026Comedians have their own favourite comedians. Step forward, Paul ‘Silky’ White. Nobody can work out why he’s not more famous. This his tenth Fringe spanning over thirty-one years. The show is about impostor syndrome, thus the pun in the title. Though apparently, it’s not a syndrome at all. This is a very well written joke […]
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Simon Munnery ★★★★★
The Stand 1 Friday, August 14th, 2026This is the funniest live comedy show I have seen in years. With the beautiful sound of steam trains in the background, as if at a railway station, we are treated to some preshow joke announcements. By the end of the first, the room is won over. And we are underway. Featuring Mick Moriarty providing […]
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Phil Nichol: The Naked Racist ★★★
Gilded Balloon Teviot - Wine Bar Friday, August 14th, 2026I’ve been a fan of Phil Nichol’s for ages. This is the twentieth anniversary of a show that I recall really enjoying back in 2006. I wasn’t the only one who loved it. It went on to win that year’s Edinburgh Comedy award. It’s the story of a trip to Amsterdam that goes badly wrong. […]
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Sammy J: Hero Complex ★★★★
Cowbarn at Underbelly, Bristo Square Friday, August 14th, 2026This is the return of the hit show, Hero Complex, originally performed ten years ago. It’s the story of Australian Sammy J’s lifelong obsession with the US superhero comic, The Phantom. The comedian tells us that unlike most superheroes, The Phantom doesn’t have any superpowers, he simply beats people up and shoots them. Musical comedian, […]
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Andrew Doherty: Reviewers Welcome… TO DIE! ★★★★
Pleasance Courtyard Upstairs Friday, August 14th, 2026Andrew Doherty’s 2024 solo Fringe debut, the Wicker Man inspired, Gay Witch Sex Cult, was a huge hit, and practically invented a new genre of dark horror comedy. The 2025 follow up, Sad Gay AIDS Play, more than matched the success of the first. Except that one critic only granted it three stars. “One of […]
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Katie Norris: Mother Succubus ★★★★
Above at Pleasance Courtyard Friday, August 14th, 2026Musical stand up comedian Katie Norris returns to Edinburgh with another great show. She kicks off by sharing some of the funny, derogatory and just downright misogynist names she’s been called in her life. Her ‘favourite’ was when a reviewer called her a ‘succubus’ – five times in the same review. “Well, I suppose I […]
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Aarian Mehrabani: How’s Your Head? ★★★★
Bluebell at Underbelly, George Square Friday, August 14th, 2026Aarian Mehrabani is clearly a writer. Not just because he’s written a show, but because there’s a real care in the way How’s Your Head? has been put together. There are lots of little threads running throughout, and when they all start to come together for the final reveal, it’s genuinely very satisfying. You realise […]
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Hole! ★★★★★
Cowbarn at Underbelly Bristo Square Friday, August 14th, 2026You 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 […]
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One Man Musical ★★★★
Pleasance Courtyard Beyond Thursday, August 13th, 2026Sisters Nicola and Rosie Dempsey are Flo and Joan, a genuinely world class musical comedy double act. One Man Musical is a revival of their popular 2024 Edinburgh Fringe show that spoofs the life of musical theatre icon, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber. It’s a playful and very funny musical comedy. “It’s time to bring conservatism […]
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Afronauts ★★★★★
Underbelly George Square Thursday, August 13th, 2026This is a theatrical, comedic, circus show based on a true story. It is 1964 and Zambia is gaining its independence from the British, meanwhile the USSR and USA are locked in a space race. Much to the embarrassment of his fellow countrymen, Zambian Edward Mukuka Nkoloso, declares that his new country should mark its […]
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Harvey Cobb: Pink Boots and an Alcoholic Sock Puppet ★★★
Big Belly at Underbelly Cowgate Thursday, August 13th, 2026Harvey Cobb’s Pink Boots and an Alcoholic Sock Puppet gets off to a decidedly rocky start, with technical issues meaning the show goes up around 20 minutes late. It’s a tough way to begin, particularly if you then address that the tech might not work at all. It doesn’t exactly instil confidence in the audience, […]
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Finlay Christie: Champagne Casanova ★★★★
Monkey Barrel – 4 Wednesday, August 12th, 2026“I’m Finlay, I have rich parents” An unusual opening line. Finlay says that he has no money worries so, even if he turns out to be a rubbish comedian, “I can just keep doing it anyway.” He says that he doesn’t hold any trauma, no baggage. Just jokes. Finlay’s privileged position relative to his comedy […]
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Sex! with Becky Fury ★★★★
The Three Sisters – The Wee Room Wednesday, August 12th, 2026This free show is performed at half past midnight in one of the smallest rooms at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Tonight/this morning, it is packed full of open minded mostly young people who have come to hear jokes about sex in all its varieties. The opening line about fisting an Antipodean rugby player sets the […]
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Sid Singh: Love Bombing ★★★★
The Counting House Lounge Wednesday, August 12th, 2026I am a long-time fan of Sid Singh, the American human rights lawyer, activist and stand up comedian. Between telling jokes, he is there in the weeds, trying to effect change to American asylum seeker legislation and save lives. He’s always been an optimist. He’s had his fair share of success in terms of legal […]
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Margaret Thatcher Queen of Hollywood ★★★
Piccolo Tent at Assembly George Square Gardens Tuesday, August 11th, 2026Jon Brittain and Matt Tedford’s Margaret Thatcher Queen of Hollywood is the sequel to the brilliant, long running, Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho – first performed over ten years ago. Both are original comedy musicals featuring Tedford’s seminal depiction of the Iron Lady. Queen of Soho was set in the age of Thatcher’s homophobic Clause […]
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Remember Remember ★★★★★
Queen Dome at Pleasance Dome Tuesday, August 11th, 2026Some shows are a bit of a gamble at the Fringe. Remember, Remember is absolutely not one of them. This was one of those shows where I spent most of the hour laughing and left thinking, ‘I’d quite happily watch that again right now’ . With catchy songs, impressive lyricism and genuinely clever storytelling, this […]
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Endometriosis: The Musical ★★★★
Doonstairs at Gilded Balloon Patter House Monday, August 10th, 2026Okay, so Endometriosis: The Musical is exactly what it says on the tin. And somehow, it really works. It’s creative, funny and surprisingly touching, with an insanely talented cast throwing themselves into every ridiculous moment. There are definitely times when it feels a little too on the nose, but honestly, they know it. Rather than […]
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Sapphire McIntosh – Squeaky Bum Time ★★★
Daisy at Underbelly, Bristo Square Sunday, August 9th, 2026Accomplished actor, filmmaker and footballer, Sapphire McIntosh, shares her life story. Rescued from homelessness by a state that seemed, at the time, to care, and by her ability to play football, she has since accomplished a great deal. Squeaky Bum Time is a breezy ride through the performer’s life as she tackles her obstacles and […]
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Jess Carrivick: For Your Consideration ★★★★
Gilded Balloon Teviot Nook Sunday, August 9th, 2026Between 1995-2001, a very young Jessica Carrivick and her siblings Jack and Holly used their dad’s borrowed BBC camera to make home movies. Today, Jess is The Academy, and the old VHS movies are presented, For Your Consideration. These genuine home movie clips are knit together with the present day, live and in person Jess, […]
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Georgina Thomas: Hysterical Soprano ★★★★
Underbelly Bristo Square Dexter Sunday, August 9th, 2026There’s something wonderfully ridiculous about a soprano who knows she’s a soprano. Georgina Thomas’ Hysterical Soprano embraces that wholeheartedly, delivering a gloriously camp, funny and occasionally very weird hour of comedy, vocals and a healthy dose of ego. And it’s weird in the best possible way. Just when you think you’ve worked out where Thomas […]
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Leo Hincks: Emotional Cowboy ★★★
Gilded Balloon Teviot: Turret Saturday, August 8th, 2026Transactional Analysis seeks to explain human behaviour and communication through three ego states, Parent, Adult and Child. I have no idea if the actor/comedian is aware of it, but he appears to have brought the theory to life on stage. Leo Hincks has faced all kinds of challenges, professional and personal, but concludes that his […]
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Chris Grace: 88% ★★★★
Assembly Gardens Studio 5 Saturday, August 8th, 2026Actor, writer, improviser and comedian, Chris Grace returns to the fringe with his fourth solo hour. Known to many as long time cast member of Baby Wants Candy and Shamilton! and to others as a small screen actor on several American TV shows. To us nerds, he’s a superior player of the social deduction game, […]
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Baby Lame: Hit Me Baby One More Lame! ★★★★
Pleasance Courtyard Above Friday, August 7th, 2026Stage drag dates way back to at least the 16th century. Women were banned by the church from acting on stage, so female roles were performed by men. Legend has it that England’s first real drag queen was Princess Seraphine, who performed in molly houses, (the equivalent of gay bars) in the 1720s and 30s. […]
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Lil Wenker: Boyking ★★★★
Pleasance Courtyard Bunker One Friday, August 7th, 2026Internationally renowned, Gaulier trained clown, actor and writer, Lil Wenker, is known for her debut one person Fringe show, Bangtail. The show sold out in five countries and won a stack of awards. This is the follow up. We are presented with a genre bending contemporary fast paced buffoon, theatre, tragedy, comedy show. The performer […]
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Susie McCabe: Best Behaviour ★★★★★
Gordon Aikman Theatre at Assembly George Square Tuesday, August 19th, 2025The 2024 Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow award winner Susie McCabe is back at the Edinburgh Fringe following a sell-out run at this year’s Glasgow International Comedy Festival. The past year has been a life-changing one for the comedian. We hear what lead up to a heart attack last Summer, about the lesbian ambulance drivers […]
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Gianmarco Soresi: The Drama King Tour ★★★
Monkey Barrel 3 Tuesday, August 19th, 2025US comedian Gianmarco Soresi has over one million subscribers on YouTube, nearly one million followers on TikTok and over half a million on Instagram. He’s huge in America, but can he cut it live in front of an international audience? Mostly, yes. Gianmarco talks at length about his Jewish girlfriend, dating disasters, the usual fare. […]
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2025 Last Chance Saloon with Vladimir McTavish ★★★★
Stand 4 Sunday, August 17th, 2025Popular Scottish comedian, Vladimir McTavish is an Edinburgh Fringe veteran. He’s been performing as himself and as Scotland’s favourite legendary ex-footballer cum pundit cum non-recovering alcoholic, Bob Doolally for decades. In 1994, the comedian won the Strathmore Water Comedy Award on his first appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe. The longevity comes of talent and hard […]
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Thor Stenhaug: One Night Stand Baby ★★★★
Pleasance Courtyard Sunday, August 17th, 2025Thor Stenhaug was conceived on a one-night stand, thus the title of the show, One Night Stand Baby. The comedian recounts his experiences as a Swedish comedian living in the UK. Cultural differences, British vagueness and Norwegian directness. There’s a very funny bit about moving into a cramped London flat share, shopping for bedding and […]
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Sharon Wanjohi: In the House ★★★★
Pleasance Courtyard Sunday, August 17th, 2025Sharon Wanjohi opens her show, In the House, by hawking her self-help book. Apparently, there’s not fixed cost to buying the tome, “It’s dynamic pricing. For you Gareth, £5.99. For your lovely wife, a lap dance.” The charismatic comedian reflects on personal growth, loss, and the impact of grief, drawing inspiration from her late friend […]
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Robin Grainger: People Pleaser ★★★
Stand 4 Sunday, August 17th, 2025Robin Grainger explores his chronic people-pleasing tendencies. He recounts a recent breakup, homelessness, and legal battles over his dog. There’s some life affirming stuff about going to the gym. Robin Grainger has a very bright future as a stand up. He’s doing almost everything right. It’s a baking hot evening and we’re in a small, […]
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Miss Brexit ★★★
Ermintrude at Underbelly, Bristo Square Sunday, August 17th, 2025Miss Brexit is a musical, genderqueer, satirical take on the Brexit referendum and the integration of immigrants into British society. It features a mock reality show where European contestants compete to stay in the UK. Immigrants from Switzerland (Maxence Marmy), Portugal (Ricardo Ferreira), Catalonia (Alba Villaitodo), and Spain (Shivone Dominguez Blascikova) each present their reasons […]
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Josie Long: Now Is the Time of Monsters ★★★★
Pleasance Dome Sunday, August 17th, 2025Josie Long: Now Is the Time of Monsters is a stand-up comedy show that explores matters of extinction, evolution, and politics. She discusses getting a concussion, parenting challenges, and, not to put too fine a point of it, giving a fuck about what’s happening to the planet. She’s on the left and is trying, really […]
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Jamie MacDonald: Toxic Bastard ★★★
Dram at Gilded Balloon Patter House Sunday, August 17th, 2025Jamie MacDonald discusses societal perceptions of men and disability. Men, he claims, were once perceived as powerful figures. Now they are “toxic bastards.” He reflects on his own experience of going blind, noting that he is now called, probably erroneously, a role model. MacDonald critiques the progress in accessibility, citing examples from air travel to […]
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Ivo Graham: Orange Crush ★★★★
Pleasance Grand Sunday, August 17th, 2025Ten years ago, almost to the day, I shared a drunken night with Ivo Graham and Mae Martin in a Free Fringe venue. They were both great company, two of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Moreover, they were hardworking and talented beyond their years. Fringe audiences had already discovered their abilities. It was only […]
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Cerys Bradley’s Queer Tales for Autistic Folk ★★★★★
Underbelly Bristo Square Saturday, August 16th, 2025Right off the bat I’ll just say it, I really loved this show. Cerys Bradley’s Queer Tales for Autistic Folk is a chose your own story improvised comedy show. I’ve been to see it twice now, the first was a relaxed performance, fidget spinners a plenty with a few folks choosing to sit on the […]
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Jay Lafferty: Ooft! ★★★★★
The Stand 1 Saturday, August 16th, 2025In Jay Lafferty: Ooft! the comedian recounts her many experiences on the last train home. She suggests that these late-night trips are a uniquely British phenomenon. Drunk passengers, locked toilets and the ubiquitous smell of chips. A chaotic and unpredictable experience, perhaps lacking the ardour of European train journeys. Jay’s sharp observations deliver near constant […]
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Simon Munnery ★★★
The Stand Comedy Club Wednesday, August 13th, 2025Simon Munnery looks unwell. “Two weeks ago, I was in an A&E in Bedford on a drip. They let me out, so I came here.” He’s wearing a long unkempt beard and appears tired. “So, yeah, I did myself in really, never mind your weight loss drugs. Try ten cans of cider a day. I […]
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Ria Lina: Riabellion ★★★★
Cabaret Voltaire Wednesday, August 13th, 2025I recall seeing Ria Lina perform on the Free Fringe at least fifteen years ago. Nowadays, she has achieved mainstream success, appearing on just about every major British TV and radio comedy panel show. Riabellion is an intelligent, funny set. She has some great original topical material, discussing ideas that are refreshingly more free thinking […]
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Parker Callahan: Soda Pop ★★★
Assembly George Square Studios Wednesday, August 13th, 2025Comedian and musician, Parker Callahan, makes his Edinburgh Fringe debut with the show Soda Pop at the Assembly George Square Studios. Parker is a trained musician with a background in music theory and composition, but is best known as online digital creator @parkthelark Soda Pop is a multimedia, stream of consciousness journey into the mind […]
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Margolyes and Dickens: More Best Bits ★★★★★
Edinburgh International Conference Centre Wednesday, August 13th, 2025Born in Oxford, educated at Cambridge and now a dual UK and Australian citizen, Miriam Margolyes is a veteran of stage and screen. She describes herself as a lesbian, a non-believing Jew and an Arsenal fan. She loathes Trump, Boris Johnson and Modi. She loves India, food, politics and Italy. She has some choice words […]
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Max Fulham: Full of Ham ★★★★
Pleasance Courtyard Wednesday, August 13th, 2025In a Festival Fringe full of alternative acts and boundary pushing comedy, it’s nice, occasionally, to enjoy a little piece of mainstream entertainment. Full of Ham is an original, one-person, stand-up, sketch, character comedy, ventriloquist, variety show. An hour that is fast paced, slick and TV ready. Max Fulham’s approach to ventriloquism is distinctive. On […]
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Paul Merton and Suki Webster’s Improv Show ★★★★
Pleasance Grand Tuesday, August 12th, 2025Paul Merton is one of the most famous faces in Edinburgh this year. Alongside Alan Davies, Paul Sinha and Miriam Margolyes, Paul enjoys a celebrity status, rare at the Fringe. With the talented actor and comedian (and wife) Suki Webster, American improv actor, Mike McShane and pianist and long-time collaborator Kirsty Newton, they perform an […]
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Rosco McClelland: How Could Hell Be Any Worse? ★★★★
Cabaret Voltaire Tuesday, August 12th, 2025Glaswegian comedian, Rosco McClelland, won the Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award this year. Rosco proudly told me in a recent interview that he had made the Big Yin laugh. And if Billy thinks your funny, then you’re funny. What happens when you’ve almost reached the top of a mountain? You’ve been climbing it […]
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Jon Gracey: Big Willy Energy ★★★★
Assembly George Square Tuesday, August 12th, 2025I first saw Jon Gracey around fifteen years ago, here at the Fringe as part of sketch group, the Beta Males. Since then, he has become a successful comedian, writer, director, YouTuber and gamemaster, you’ll see him elsewhere on the Fringe hosting the hugely popular, Blood on the Clocktower Live. Big Willy Energy is an […]
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