MagicFest set to start – with top performers including Kevin Quantum
Future Magicians introduces tomorrow’s stars of stage magic today
A multitude of magicians are putting the final touches to a vast array of mind-boggling tricks and illusions as they prepare to gather in Edinburgh for MagicFest.
They range from established stars like the city’s own Kevin Quantum to new generation of teenage performers ready to baffle and delight audiences in the Future Magicians show.
Back following a successful 2023 debut, the show is a great addition to the annual Edinburgh International Magic Festival, which runs from 20-31 December and is now in its 14th year.
This time around there will be four young performers (three of them from Edinburgh) taking to the stage.
Each has been working with a leading magician to perfect a 10-minute act to display their skills and help them on the road to becoming a professional performer. They are:
Brooklyn-Ellis Carr from Newcastle, who at 16, has already attracted more than two million social media views for his magic videos, and who has been mentored by Edinburgh’s Elliot Bibby.
Brooklyn-Ellis said: “I’ve always wanted more opportunities to perform on stage and Future Magicians offers exactly that. With Elliot’s help I’ve managed to create a mind-blowing act that I absolutely cannot wait to share. I’m so excited to get out on that stage and give it my all.”
Jack Moodie (stage name Magic Jack) is 17 and already a veteran street magician having gone down a storm while busking during the Edinburgh Fringe.
Jack said: “I did some Fringe street performing for the last two years, which was great. But Future Magicians gives you the chance to be on stage. It’s such great opportunity for young magicians. I took part last year and it’s great to be back again.”
At 15 Jamie Leonard, is the youngest of the group, but performing tricks is nothing new as he fell in love with the art when he was given a magic set aged seven.
He says: “I want to develop my skills and to really make people believe what they are seeing is magic. And I love just getting out on stage and performing for all you people. That’s the best bit.”
They will be joined by Oscar Urwin, who had an even younger start when he was given a magic set by his aunt and uncle aged three.
Describing his love of the art he said: “For me card magic is the most skilful. No relying on props, it’s all on the magician in the moment. I love it.”
Festival organiser, co-founder and performer Kevin Quantum, says the festival offers great entertainment for the festive period. He said: “MagicFest has everything from small-scale children’s shows to big shows for all the family and even something for the over 18s only.
“It’s a brilliant way to get away from everything have a load of fun.
“The range of magicians is superb and includes some of the best in the business. But I’d also really urge people to come along to see Future Magicians.
“These guys may be young but they’re oozing with talent and I’m looking forward to the day when I can sit there and watch their TV specials.”
Kevin himself has a Christmas Special, at Church Hill Theatre, which is full of magic, variety and heaps of audience participation featuring special guests – international illusionist Oliver Tabor and local award-winning magician Fraser Stokes.
There are also new collaborations with Edinburgh Castle’s The Castle of Light, Wonder and Co (the capital’s new magic shop) and The Joker and the Thief pub.
The only event of its kind in the UK, MagicFest offers:
Kevin Quantum’s Christmas Special: Straight from sell-out shows in Edinburgh and Australia, Kevin returns with a high-energy, wonder-packed family show at the Church Hill Theatre.
Future Magicians: A welcome return for this very special MagicFest initiative where you get to see tomorrow’s magicians today. We take a group of would-be young magicians and pair them with professional tutors to prepare a special 15-minute magic act – which they then present on stage for you.
Vincent Gambini: This is not a magic show: What makes magic magic? Is there really a Magic Circle Emergency Hotline for magicians in distress? A critically acclaimed performance of and about sleight-of-hand magic, its invisible mechanics, clichés, and what it tells us about live theatre and make-believe. Vincent Gambini presents astonishing close-up magic that invites us to question how enchantment and wonder are made within a theatrical situation.
Cameron Gibson and Friends: Edinburgh magician Cameron Gibson presents a fast-paced magic and variety show that will knock your proverbial socks off. From classic sleight of hand to mind-reading and comedy, it has something for everyone. Every show features special guests from the world of magic and variety – so you never quite know what wonders await…
Richard Wiseman: Mind Magic: Enter the strange world of illusion, magic, and mystery. How do magicians produce objects from thin air and defy gravity? Does the paranormal exist? Join psychologist, best-selling author, and member of the Inner Magic Circle Professor Richard Wiseman as he explores the limits of the human mind. A fun hour for all the family.
Elliot Bibby: The Best of Bibby: After a complete sell out at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival with the Insane Magic boys, Elliot is back with a solo hour of magic. Bringing the best he has to offer from 10 years of professional shows in this comedy magic extravaganza.
Tricky Ricky: Festive Funtime: After sell-out performances last year, the Trickster returns with more festive fun and lots of his puns in a show starring Jingles the Reindeer and his mischievous rabbit Sonny the Bunny. It’s cabaret for kids and grown-ups.
Gary James: Wonderland: A fast-paced family-friendly show with jaw-dropping magic inspired by wide-eyed childhood memories and a career in entertainment. Gary captures the excitement and mystery from his childhood visits to the legendary Lothian Road store called Wonderland.
Gary Dunn: Jokes & Tricks: One of Scotland’s favourite family entertainers returns to MagicFest for another show filled with mad magic and silly jokes.
Kevin Quantum: Edinburgh Magic: Unlock hidden Edinburgh and enjoy magic that’s fooled the greatest minds associated with the city, from Harry Houdini to King Charles. Amazing moments tied to the secret stories hidden in the cobbles and closes of the capital.Objects float before your eyes, money multiplies, time stands still…
Vincent Gambini: Out of Thin Air: Stories about magicians at magic conventions, an attempt at presenting a show in which nothing happens, and magic poems about you, the spectator. Deft sleight of hand, strange poetry, and low-key spectacle.
Richard Wiseman: The World’s Greatest Card Trick and Other Mysteries: The world’s greatest card trick was invented in 1942. It has been performed by many famous magicians, amazed and astounded millions of people, and made Winston Churchill late for Parliament. In this intimate show, a small group of people join magician Professor Richard Wiseman as he reveals the unknown genius behind the trick and demonstrates other jaw dropping mysteries from the mind of this master magician.
Cameron Gibson: Street Magic Masterclass: Spend a morning with professional magician Cameron Gibson to gain hands-on experience in simple yet mind-blowing magic that you can do. You will master tricks with everyday objects that you can use to entertain and amaze your friends and family.
Close-Up Magic at The Joker & The Thief: Astonishing close-up magic at The Joker & The Thief pub with resident magician Tim Licata, one of Scotland’s most entertaining sleight-of-hand artists.
Tickets now on sale – full line up and times www.magicfest.co.uk.
Get ready for an exhilarating ride as theSpaceUK welcomes Fringe Week Two!
With over 50 BRAND NEW exciting shows, there’s no shortage of new experiences to indulge in. The stage is set for an incredible lineup, and this is your chance to catch some truly remarkable performances.
As Week 2 unfolds at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, an array of talented artists at theSpaceUK are just embarking on their Fringe journey.
From pop-rock musicals to queer cabaret icons, cult classics to murder mysteries, and even Ghanian acrobatics alongside a cappella anthems. With over 50 new shows gracing the stages this week, seize the opportunity to take a chance and discover something that will entice, excite, and thoroughly entertain you at theSpaceUK.
Here’s a small taste of the new shows that you can catch in Week 2 at theSpaceUK:
Fringe First Winners Return What If They Ate The Baby? (theSpace @ Niddry St, 14-26) From Fringe First 2022 winners Chloe Rice and Natasha Roland. There are three rules every housewife knows: never return a dish empty, always have dinner ready by the time he gets home, and some things are best kept under the table.
Do You Hear the People Sing? Les Millénniables (theSpace @ Niddry St, 14-26) Very loosely based on Les Misérables, Les Millénniables is a pop parody about the plight of the generation deemed “millennials”. Written by two established (but sad) Hollywood female comedy writers of colour and featuring hit songs from our yesteryears,
Pop-Rock Brand New Musical Palindrome: The Musical(theSpace @ Niddry St, 14-26) Heartfelt, funny and set to an original pop-rock score, ‘Palindrome’ is a story of connection, communication, opening up and writing things down. From the company that brought you SiX, the Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society.
Grief, Love and Hope Pieces of Us (theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 14-26) Life in the 21st century: isolated, polarised. The divide between us sometimes impassable. But how different are we, really? Explore the grief, love and hope of different American characters to appreciate what makes us all the same.
Ahoy There Mateys! Pirates: You Wouldn’t Steal a Boat (theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 14-26) After being betrayed by his captain, Sharkbait Mulligan finds himself with just the clothes on his chest and the rum on his chest. Spruce Moose Comedy – a group of ex-Cambridge Footlights regulars with a high-energy, low-brow style – bring you their brand-new pirate voyage.
Cannibalistic Comedy All is Pink in West Berkshire County (theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 14-26) ‘What would it take for you to eat a real-life human being?’ It’s dinner time in the Abbey stately home. From award-winning playwright, Harry Daisley, comes a new, deliciously twisted comedy showcasing Berkshire’s finest family.
Queer Cabaret Icon Aidan Sadler: Melody (theSpace on the Mile, 14-26) Join award-winning queer cabaret icon Aidan Sadler as they take you on a journey to the end of the world! Here you’ll experience belting original synth-pop tunes punctuated by world-class stand-up comedy.
Gossip is rife in 18th-century London’s fashionable society. Two brothers are tested by their uncle to prove who is most virtuous, whilst battling vicious rumours and salacious scandal. Who’ll be rewarded with happiness and love?
Alan Bennett meets Fleabg Violets and Vinegar (theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall St., 14-19) A neglected housewife, a determined party girl and a clueless teacher shamelessly expose their sexual exploits. This character comedy is sure to make you laugh out loud. Think Alan Bennett meets Fleabag.
Last Night a DJ Saved my Life Cola Boy (theSpace @ Syymposium, 14-19) The 1990s, when house music exploded! Drama, suspense, comedy and music as a young Scottish journalist and DJ gets sucked into Dubai’s criminal underworld. A gripping and immersive stage adaptation of excerpts from cult book Cola Boy.
Just One More Thing! It’s a Mystery! (theSpace @ Symposium, 14-19) Tim Benzie, the acclaimed creator/host of Solve Along A Murder She Wrote presents a new one-man show: a hilarious and moving exploration of the compelling and enduring appeal of murder mysteries, from Poirot to Fletcher and beyond.
Powerful New Play 97+ (theSpace on the Mile, 14-19)
97+ is based on the Hillsborough Disaster which resulted in 97 people losing their lives. Set in 2012, survivors John and Steve, now middle-aged men, deal differently with the trauma they suffered from the tragedy in 1989.
Multi-layered Choreography and Ecstatic Rhythms Tandava (theSpace @ Niddry St, 18-26) Primal rhythmic energy and the impossible union of opposites: Tandava sees the coalescence of Scottish guitarist Simon Thacker’s startlingly passionate sound-worlds with the infinitely expressive physicality of three gifted dancers from India’s Piah Dance Company. MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Contortion,Jjuggling Limbo and More Fanti Acrobats International (theSpaceTriplex, 16-26) Come and watch the hottest and most unique African traditional acrobatics and cultural show from Ghana, west Africa. An award-winning acrobatics and cultural group in Africa. Great tradition! Great show!
Fringe-Goers Rrefer Blondes Norma (theSpace on the Mile, 15-19) Norma Jeane Mortenson (Marilyn Monroe) once said, ‘it takes a smart brunette to play a dumb blonde’. This one-woman show aims to challenge the way Monroe has been portrayed by the media and celebrate her strength.
A cappella Anthems Aca-ting Out (theSpace @ Niddry St., 14-19) Oxford’s leading all-female and non-binary a cappella group return to Fringe with a riotous hour of feminist anthems. Using their voices to rebel against sexist stereotypes, the Belles are aca-ting out and you don’t want to miss it.
THE ICONIC PURPLE COW AND ITS MOO-VELLOUS PROGRAMME RETURN FOR THE 23rd YEAR
Underbelly has officially opened the doors to its incredible venues and line-up at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023, set to entertain locals and visiting crowds alike.
Last night, Underbelly’s iconic McEwan Hall got the party started with the official programme launch. Lucky guests sampled a flavour of what’s on offer this year with a spectacular mix of comedy, dance and circus.
The event was hosted by comedian Sooz Kempner and comedy crime podcasters Kathy and Stella opened the show with a number from their hit musical Kathy and Stella Solve A Murder.
Also performing were stand-up comic Emmanuel Sonubi, Untapped Theatre Award winners Dugsi Dayz, family entertainer Mario The Maker Magician, comedy dance act TUTU, circus troupe Sophie’s Surprise 29th, visionary acrobatics from Circa’s Peepshow, US Drag Race winner Monét X Change and world-class circus performers The 7 Fingers.
An eclectic programme of over 150 shows across the four venues offers everything from dazzling circus performers, awe-inspiring cabaret, captivating theatre, vibrant dance, fun-filled family entertainment, and side-splitting comedy – there’s truly something for everyone at Underbelly.
Underbelly’s Co-Directors Charlie Wood and Ed Bartlam said: “What a wonderful night for our opening event! It’s brilliant to be back in Edinburgh for 2023 and we’re so excited to open the doors to another incredible Underbelly programme.”
For those looking for a good deal, 2-for-1 tickets are available now for a range of shows on the 7th and 8th of August. Families can also make the most of a Book 2 Tickets get 1 Free deal on weekday viewings of the family programme (Aug 16 -28th).
Highlights include:
For one night only in McEwan Hall Underbelly’s fifth Big Brain Tumour Benefit will host a massive line-up of Fringe stars in a raucous evening of comedy to help the fight against brain cancer. This year’s performers include Frank Skinner, Ivo Graham, Chloe Petts, Adam Kay, Hal Cruttenden, Lara Ricote and Emmanuel Sonubi, with more acts still to be announced! All box office income goes directly to The Brain Tumour Charity.
At McEwan Hall, join TUTU on a “hugely entertaining and hilarious” (BroadwayBaby) tribute to dance, where comedy and incredible dance skills intertwine seamlessly to delight crowds of all ages. Featuring an all-male cast of six dancers decked out in flamboyant costumes, this show is a humorous celebration of dance in all its glory… Yes, a bare-chested tutu-clad man can perform a stunningly graceful pointe solo!
Taking over McEwan Hall, Havana Street Party is an exhilarating explosion of urban movement direct from Cuba; Sara Pascoe’s Success Story flies in for one night only; Foil Arms and Hog: Hogwash, the Fringe favourites returns with a five-star comedy for an exclusive limited run; Drag Race double crown winner Monét X Change shares anecdotes and opinions on life in the tireless comedy Life Be Lifein’; and You Can’t Stop the Beat the Fringe’s ultimate musical theatre party night out.
In the iconic upside-down purple cow, the Udderbelly, Mario The Maker Magician brings robot magic direct from New York, with a wild and original family show; Choir! Choir! Choir! is a show where the crowd is the star and you’ll be harmonising to well-known classics in no time and a home-grown Drag Race winner joins the line-up in their debut solo tourDanny Beard & Their Band.
At Cowgate, Underbelly’s new, late night comedy experience is BATSU!Currently a hot ticket in New York and Chicago, audiences join comedy warriors testing their wits to avoid electric shocks, paintballs, giant chickens and other jaw-dropping punishments. Bill’s 44th – a poignant puppet tragicomedy for adults, called “Buoyant, mesmerizing, joy-inducing” as the New York Times Critics Pick; and identical twins Patrick and Hugo McPherson return with Pear: But Braver, after the smash-hit success of Pear in 2022.
The winners of the Untapped award, in partnership with New Diorama Theatre, Concord Theatricals and Nouveau Riche; It’s A Motherf**king Pleasure at Bristo Square, a witty satirical delight straight off the back of a smash-hit London run; Dugsi Dayz is a heart-warming tribute to The Breakfast Club, subverting Somali folktales and exploring friendships; and One Way Out, a powerful drama about four friends on the cusp of adulthood, exploring young British Caribbeans’ experiences of the Windrush crisis.
Over in Circus Hub, East London’s The Revel Puck Circus make their Fringe debut with an exhilarating new show The Wing Scuffle Spectacular; Aloft returns with Brave Space after selling out their innovative 2022 season and also presents Sanctuary, a punk-rock cabaret with a revolving line-up of internationally renowned circus artists backed by a live band.
For six dates only, McEwan Hall hosts An Afternoon with Anton Du Beke and Friends. The Strictly Come Dancing legendary judge takes to the stage with a live band, a guest singer and his dancers. Performing some of his favourite songs and dances that have inspired his career, expect behind the scenes stories from Anton’s time on Strictly.
Matt Forde will bring his hugely successful podcast The Political Party to McEwan Hall for one show only on Friday 18th August. Matt will be joined by one of the most charismatic, compelling, and outrageous politicians in Britain – Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner as she delves into her political career during this special live podcast.
CIRCUS, CABARET + VARIETY
Underbelly’s Circus Hub celebrates the daring and the different. The 7 Fingers present their world premiere of Duel Reality – circus on a whole new theatrical level – a must for fans of Romeo and Juliet and wondrous acrobatics.
Alongside Sanctuary and The Wing Scuffle Spectacular is Brave Space, a stunning, all-female piece of physical theatre that paints a picture of the world we want to live in and Reclaim which draws the audience close to examine life and imagine a sustainable future. Set in Circus Hub’s Spiegeltent, The Beauty, it features circus and acrobatics interwoven with two cellists and a live opera singer.
In addition to their debut solo tour showDanny Beard & Their Band, join RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner Danny Beard and their best friend, DJ Billy Andrew for a very special live recording of their hilariously camp podcast Gossip Gays for one night only in Bristo Square. And, for four dates only (4th – 8th Aug), get involved with Drag & Draw, the art class with a difference, featuring lip syncs, audience interaction and drag queens.
Experience the extraordinary as Suhani Shah, the world’s highest-subscribed mentalist, brings her Edinburgh debut Spellbound to Bristo Square. India’s most famous mind reader has captivated global audiences with her charismatic persona, linguistic deception and comedic charm – an unforgettable evening is guaranteed!
MUSIC & MUSICALS
There is exciting music and musical programming, across all four venue hubs. You Can’t Stop The Beat is a party for musical theatre fans, turning McEwan Hall into a sing-along celebration of all your favourite shows; The Magnets, famously the UK’s number one acapella group; catch the sensational five-voice sound machine to relive the magic of the greatest musicians of all time; and one part sermon, one part purge and three parts house party, House Of Life is a travelling musical cult collective with one mission; to get you happy, at any cost.
With a host of 5-star reviews in their wake, the acclaimed Sheep Soup company promise to achieve their goal.
Debut show 2020 The Musical is a joyful new musical, celebrating human resilience in every form, depicting the true, uplifting stories of everyday heroes and turning the events of 2020 into a heart-warming party (and unlike Downing Street, everyone’s invited); God Catcher reimagines the story of a woman turned to a spider as punishment from the Ancient Greek Gods, exploring the legacies of truth and bravery through catchy tunes and heartfelt lyrics; tender musical Fabulett 1933, sees a liberal queer society in Berlin protest as the authorities close off every opportunity for freedom and expressionism; We’ll Have Nun Of It is a masterpiece, blending contemporary pop, soul and funk music into a unique new musical that navigates the angst and joy of Ireland in the sixties; and Tinkisa nostalgic love-letter to our past selves through the eyes of a very familiar fairy.
THEATRE
Joining Bill’s 44th and the Untapped award winners; The Way Way Deep, blends bold storytelling, spoken word and original music, by sell-out playwright Patrick McPherson, previous writing includes The Man and Colossal; in his Fringe debut, star of stage and screen Declan Bennett brings Boy Out The City, telling a raw survival story of a man in his search for identity, throwing us into a turbulent world of toxic masculinity, homophobia and men’s mental health.
The programme also pioneers wonderfully current topics with shows such as; PLEASE LEAVE (A Message), a devised piece set in a karaoke bar on Yucca Mountain, where a group of scientists are experimenting with time travel, in which ClusterFlux can give a fearful yet joyous address of the impending climate crisis; Temporarily Yours, a journey into sexuality and prostitution, a show made from true stories and earnest questions, pondering our body, soul and relationships; and The Brilliance of Broken Glass, a true story about rising from rock bottom, exploring the aftershock of a medical crisis and championing laughter as the ultimate medicine.
Solo show, Pleasure Little Treasure, takes us back to the downfall of the Soviet Union; a story about growing up in the first strip club in Estonia during the tumultuous 1990; My Dad Wears A Dress is a hilarious yet sincere one-woman show about growing up with a trans female parent; Life With Oscar is a tragicomic satire set in the underbelly of Hollywood (no pun intended); and Looking For Giants is a perplexing and seductive tale about self-discovery, from emerging theatre company That What’s Wild.
In Bristo Square, The Gaffer explores how the beautiful game can turn ugly quickly. Football manager Shaun Woods discovers his private life is set to make the back and front pages. For Shaun, the game doesn’t last 90 minutes, it’s a battle with no full-time whistle. Performed by Fringe First Award winner Chris Larner, this new short play written by acclaimed journalist Rob Crossan is not to be missed.
Ringer is Hughie Shepherd-Cross’s fifth Fringe production, a comedy that sees a heartthrob actor’s reputation left in the hands of his feckless double; winner of Dublin Fringe’s Bewley’s Little Gem award, Frigid is a tender coming-of-age comedy about sexuality in early 2000s Dublin, performed alongside a live DJ; extremely silly, and extremely ruthless The Death of Molly Miller is a pitch-black satire on our world of influencers, inequality and addiction; with performers from The Wardrobe Ensemble, International House of Vape:Redefining Theatre Experience goes where no brand has gone before in a new corporate venture; The Four Worst Things I’ve Ever Done is a wild ride of confessions and consequences; and pitch-black comedy BUTCHERED is a dynamic physical theatre piece with a killer soundtrack, this absurd thriller is set in the kitchen where dreams come to die.
COMEDY
Joining Sara Pascoe in the comedy programme; Pear: But Braver sees identical twins Patrick and Hugo McPherson return after the 2022 hit show Pear, a riotous hour of sketch comedy by two brothers heralded as “like Reeves and Mortimer” (The Recs). Joining them in Cowgate is Adam Riches as hereturns to the Cow Café with a site-specific show; Adam Riches is The Guys Who, a fresh take on the guys who you meet everywhere.
Sounds Like… is a unique improvisational panel show, from Doc Brown and quick-witted wordsmith hosts, based around rhyme and rap with special guests from the world of music and comedy. It’s seriously funny, stupidly clever and addictive.
The Retreat is a camp variety number that mimics a corporate event, questioning our toxic workplace methods, brought to you by stars of Parks and Recreation and Glow including UK songstress Kate Nash and featuring a rotation of incredible and iconic comedy names.
The programme features some special limited-run shows throughout August. Mr Thing, favourites at the Fringe, returning for two nights only to celebrate all the best bits from the past five years; Drag Queens vs Zombies, as Haus of Dench’s monstrous hit returns from the dead for two nights only, as drag superstars Kate Butch and Crudi Dench try to save the audience of their cabaret show from a gruesome death in a camp comedy horror; and Werewolf: Live appears for one night only in a charity spectacular.
An all-star line-up of comedians backstab, manipulate and fight for survival in this cult gameshow; with previous guests including Rose Matafeo, Nish Kumar, Ed Gamble, and plenty more, you know it’s going to be a wonderful kind of chaos.
Meanwhile in Bristo Square, Perrier Award winning Will Adamsdale:Show of Just Songswill regale audiences with the ballad(s) of a man adrift in the modern age (though enjoying heated car seats), for tales of CD hoarding, failed citizen’s arrests and a film career playing murdered schoolteachers, medieval lookouts, and Nigel Havers’ son.
For six nights only at McEwan Hall “Broadway’s greatest comic storyteller” (Deadline) Mike Birbiglia brings his show The Old Man & The Pool to the Edinburgh Fringe. Chronicling his coming-of-middle-age story Mike presents his tale of life, death, and a highly chlorinated YMCA pool that will resonates with audiences ages 12 to 112.
Kelly McCaughan’s show exposes the impossible standards of the confines of religion in Catholic Guilt; performed by US comedian Lane Kewderis and directed by Matt Gehrin; Sex Job is an empowering show about the good, bad and often hilarious ups and downs of being a sex worker, following the inside life of a financial dominatrix; Holly Spillar’sHole is a muff-busting comedy about sex, pain and the brain, showcasing one woman’s determination in the face of a tough diagnosis.
For one night only on 24th August, Bristo Square welcomes the Straight Comedian of the Year ‘Grand Final’ where crowds will bear witness to the epic conclusion of ex-gay comedian Simon David‘s search to find the UK’s funniest heterosexual.
The biggest breeders of the Fringe will battle it out for the title and a Fiat 500. Following a sell-out run in 2022, 4 x Fringe Awards winning clown comic Garry Starr returns for five dates only (23rd-27th) with Greece Lightning. Starr will perform all of Greek Mythology – never before has Medusa been looser, Achilles more sillies, or Uranus so heinous – an anarchic masterclass not to be mythed!
Healing King Herod is a wild, interactive, drag-clown therapy session featuring improvised songs, political parody and cult-like rituals where Herod, famed for massacring innocents, now leads a self-development pyramid scheme, and; Jeromaia Detto: MUSH, nominated for Best Comedy at Sydney Fringe, is a whimsical and absurd clown show, with five stars all round; Max Norman invites you to cross the seven seas with him on a night of nautical nonsense, with piratical puns, 90’s nostalgia and the ultimate audience prize in A Pirate’s Life For Me; and award-winning MANBO is a dead-sexy action-hero mission filled with chaos.
For the theatrical comedy fans out there, Rosalie Minnitt presents Clementine, a debut character comedy-drama involving a hilariously unhinged quest to find love set roughly ‘in the past’; in Dead Dad Show Simon David tackles the ‘dead dad’ cliché, in a show, directed by Fringe First winner Chris Larner, with dangerously high levels of heart; struggling to make sense of a breakup, Sophie hires a life coachin Sophie Santos… Is Codependant and 2022 Best Comedy winner from Hollywood Fringe, A Terrible Show For Terrible People is a raunchy, absurdist physical comedy with 2 spoken words “for perverts, feminists and your mom (not mutually exclusive).”
AAA Stand up and AAA Stand Up Late, return with brand-new line-ups of comedians, including Ross McGrane, Ridwan Hussain, Josh Elton and Sachin Kumarendran, having sold out Edinburgh from 2005-2022, it’s filled with clever wordplay, whimsical observations, and mischievous twists.
For those who are intrigued by games of social deduction, Blood on the Clocktower: Liveis a night of gothic chaos and carnage, featuring a revolving cast of comedians.
More stand-up includes Charlotte Fox encountering a series of crooked and macabre characters in her dark and manic comedy; Ouroboros The Return. Robo Bingo by Foxdog Studios, an interactive show for people who don’t want to talk to anyone; Alice Cockayne is unhinged and outrageously funny in the clowning drama I Showered Before I Came; Chris Turner shares stories of touring with Cirque Du Soleil and his newborn child in Vegas, Baby!; Sara Schaefer teaches how to unlock potential in this perfect mockery of a seminar, Going Up; Maggie Crane’s darkly funny Side by Side, an autobiographical story about family and disability. Internet sensation Josh Baulf with new show Bulldog; Paddy McDonnell in Paddy McDonnell Live, a show full of tales of everyday life; Dan Rath, discussing the ups and downs of neurodivergence in All Quiet Carriage Along The Inner Western Line;Ed Gaughan brings his first solo show in 18 years,Words and Music, with stories, clowning around and plenty of surprises; and award-winning comedian Leif Oleson-Cormack, who pushes confessional stand-up to its limits in The Disney Delusion.
Today, Thursday 30 March, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is delighted to announce that more shows for the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe will be available to book at edfringe.com.
This year’s Fringe takes place from 04 – 28 August 2023 and will feature an exciting range of shows, with theatre, comedy, music, dance, circus, musicals, variety, cabaret, children’s shows, events and more all represented in the programme.
Tickets for more than a thousand shows will be released at 12:00 BST today, with more shows set to be announced on Thursday 11 May.
The official launch of the festival, including the reveal of the iconic printed programme, will take place on Thursday 08 June.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said:”We’re now well on our way to Fringe 2023, and having so many more shows go live this week is yet another reason to get excited. It feels like August is just around the corner, and once again Edinburgh will be filled with artists, creatives, and people with amazing stories to tell.
“Artists are the beating heart of this festival and central to everything we do at the Fringe Society. Our team are here to support artists at every step of their Fringe journey, including our participants hub, Fringe Central; full details of which will be announced in the coming weeks.
“From theatre to comedy, cabaret to music, children’s shows to circus; the shows going on sale today represent the breadth and depth of creativity that will be bursting from every seam of Edinburgh this August. The Fringe and all its moving parts are still in recovery, I encourage you to support the artists and their work this summer, get browsing, get booking and come and see their shows.”
Below is a small representative sample of shows available to book from today. The full list of shows released today can be found at edfringe.com.
Theatre
At theSpaceUK, The Quality of Mercy: Concerning the Life and Crimes of Dr Harold Frederick Shipman is a “drama examining the legacy of Britain’s most prolific serial killer, written and performed by the grandson of one of Shipman’s victims”. New Slang Productions is the company behind Tomorrow Is Not Promised at Underbelly, in which “a Black British woman finds herself homeless and alone after an earthquake”. Gilded Balloon hosts the latest world premiere from Henry Naylor, Let the Bodies Pile, displaying the playwright’s “characteristic blend of comedy and tragedy, and tackling the care homes crisis”. At Assembly, Blue by CCEGHM explores the fallout from “the death of a Black motorist during a traffic stop at the hands of a white officer”. The Edinburgh Little Theatre company presents The Court at Hill Street Theatre, a “courtroom drama [that] centres around the question of euthanasia”. And at The Royal Scots Club, crackers is “a darkly funny reflection on dealing with broken heads”.
In Modern Witches at Greenside, “lesbian actor Kate tries witchcraft to cure her relationship anxiety, but the real help comes when she accidentally summons the ghost of Virginia Woolf during a self-tape audition as the famous Modernist.” Meanwhile, Brandon Urrutia brings Lo Siento Mi Espanol Es Tremendo Mal to St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St, exploring Hispanic culture and identity.
Soundplay Theatre Productions presents Sound Clash: Death in the Arena at Pleasance Courtyard, “a contemporary Romeo and Juliet, set in a dystopian world of reggae and dancehall music”. At Inverleith St Serf’s Church Centre, Leitheatre company presents A Midsummer Dream in Auld Reekie, moving Shakespeare’s original setting “from Greece to Edinburgh – the Athens of the North”.
The Counterminers are presenting two shows at Just the Tonic. In Hersterectomy, Carmel “plots to curate the perfect nuclear household” to qualify for an operation, while “fast-paced comedy” Lost and Found “follows three best friends from London, Leeds and Glasgow as they fight to find themselves, without losing each other”.
David Thill’s Exit 20:20 is at Paradise in Augustines; it follows 16-year-old Moses, whose high school board bans the graphic novel Maus. At PBH’s Free Fringe, Alexander Klaus, the One-Legged Shoemaker Man tells the story of a 16-year-old American Civil War veteran who “struggles to live a normal life on New York City’s Lower East Side”.
Comedy
Elf Lyons and Duffy present Heist at Monkey Barrel Comedy, “a ridiculous bank heist conducted in Visual Vernacular, British Sign Language with very silly and violent live sound foley”. At Laughing Horse, Raul Kohli presents his new show Kohl and The Gang, selecting “five of the best upcoming acts on the circuit right now for a late-night comedy extravaganza”. Emmanuel Sonubi is back at the Fringe with Curriculum Vitae at Underbelly, “taking us through the life he led that brought him to the stage, via his work history”. And at PBH’s Free Fringe, Harun Musho’d is explaining Why I Don’t Talk To People About Terrorism.
Fresh from Vietnam, expat Parisian Francis Renaud hosts French Bashing by a Frenchman at Paradise in Augustines, “using comedic anecdotes, cultural comparisons and a wry sense of humour”. Panamanian-born, Florida-raised and Germany-residing Abigail Paul commits Involuntary Momslaughter at Greenside, serving “a biting dark comedy show about narcissistic personality disorder”. At The Voodoo Rooms, Joe Jacobs presents TurboFleshSuck5000, “a sex-positive, carbon-neutral, HIV-negative comedy hour”. And at Just the Tonic, Ali Al Sayed and Mina Liccione – “the UAE’s King and Queen of comedy” – have a Dubai Fling.
At Assembly, Anuvab Pal works for The Department of Britishness, selling “the idea of Britishness to India… there’s trouble ahead,” while Kuan-Wen Haung comes to Gilded Balloon with Ilha Formosa, telling how he traded his beloved Taiwan for the British Isles.
“Queer feminist and bloody lefty” Kathleen Hughes brings her work-in-progress show, One of the Girls, to the Scottish Comedy Festival @ Waverley Bar, asking what it means to be an independent woman. Frankenstein Pub hosts The Impro All Stars aka Stephen Frost, Ian Coppinger, Andy Smart and very special guests.
At theSpaceUK, Beehavioural Problems: Something Something Autism is a “new surrealist escapade” from Stephen Catling. In The Weegies Have Stolen the One O’Clock Gun! at St Columba’s by the Castle, “only Morningside Malcolm, quiet resident of the douce suburbs, can prevent aggro” between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Online, Clare McCartney’s Luck Court is a 25-minute sitcom pilot in which “a working-class woman in her 40s” who has been recently divorced is “left with nothing and has to start again”.
Fringe 2023 is also overflowing with faces familiar from off the telly and previous festival appearances. David O’Doherty, Ed Byrne, Frankie Boyle and Reginald D Hunter are all at Assembly; Robin Ince and Patrick Monahan are at Gilded Balloon; Ahir Shah, Jamali Maddix, Catherine Bohart and Luisa Omielan are at Monkey Barrel Comedy; Mark Watson, Rachel Parris and Rosie Holt are at Pleasance; Bridget Christie, Stewart Lee and Seann Walsh are at The Stand; and Craig Hill and John Robins are at Just the Tonic (the latter with Howl and a new work-in-progress).
Music
The Jazz Bar hosts “an unmissable exclusive performance from legendary Russian-American trumpeter and Jazz Messengers alumnus, Valery Ponomarev” in 30th Anniversary! Valery Ponomarev: The Jazz Messenger. At Frankenstein Pub, Squeeze founder Chris Difford asks What Happened? 50 Lyrical Years, charting “the journey he has taken with songs from Take Me I’m Yours to Cool for Cats and Up the Junction”.
British composer Girish Paul and his virtual orchestra present The Diary of Anne Frank: Her Journey in Music at The Old Dr Bells Baths. At the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre, singer/songwriter Tim Hunter uses music to tell the story of Independent Yorkshire MP William Wilberforce, who “led the campaign to abolish the slave trade”, in The Progressive Campaign. And at Greenside, Soul Circus asks Who Walks This Path, a show that combines “interactive storytelling with original music and improvisation about loss, community, our human need for connection, and the pain and humour of the journey”.
In celebration of his 50th birthday, Scottish fiddler Alastair Savage presents “a unique series of concerts” at St Cuthbert’s Church, featuring guests Alice Allen and Laurence Wilson. Scottish Voices perform Nuadh-Òrain and Other Songs at the Scottish Arts Club – “settings of poetry in Gaelic and English by Scottish contemporary composers and poets including the premiere of a new work by poet Aonghas MacNeacail and composer Margaret McAllister”. Eilidh Steel and Mark Neal “weave together their own compositions and songwriting alongside interesting old melodies and songs from the Scottish west coast” – they’re at the Acoustic Music Centre @ UCC. And Stockbridge Church is hosting Haggis Ceilidhs, helping visitors “experience the very best Scottish ceilidh dancing with one of Scotland’s leading modern ceilidh bands”.
Fringe-goers can “experience the groovy energy, dreamy moods and relaxing sounds from South Korea’s Il Wol Dang Band” at Assembly this August, while Pharos’ Rave at Just the Tonic “is an immersive journey into the depths of electronic music, featuring hypnotic beats, intricate textures, and haunting melodies”. Arrive Alive is a collaboration between poet Blukat, music producer and DJ, Cream, along with musicians Dead Poets” – watch it online.
Memphis-born singer/songwriter/pianist Charlie Wood takes you on a live listening tour through the Blues in Trouble In Mind: 100 Years of the Blues at the Argyle Cellar Bar, while Peaks and Valleys “combine folk, punk, gypsy, and classical elements” – catch them during The Blue Hour at The Royal Oak. Pitchblenders Swing the Blues is at Valvona & Crolla, where “Christine Adams sings her favourite songs from the era of scandalous Harlem rent parties,” accompanied by “Dick Lee on reeds, guitarist Phil Adams and bassist Jerry Forde”.
The A Club at the Merchants Hall hosts The Katuns, a West Lothian band “whose catchy riffs and high-energy choruses are influenced by indie rock bands Arctic Monkeys and Nirvana”. At The Liquid Room, The Rising: The UK’s No 1 Tribute to Springsteen and the E Street Band returns to the Fringe for their 12th year. The Allman Brothers Project by Safehouse is at Stramash, including “Allman favourites Jessica, Whipping Post, Soulshine, Ramblin’ Man and Elizabeth Reed”. Le Monde is hosting a programme of tribute artists this August, with various shows dedicated to the music of Adele, the Beach Boys and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. And Bannermans plays host to a pair of shows from rock’s experimental leftfield: Absolutely (not) Free – An Evening of Zappa by Pygmy Twylyte and Beefheart – Tropical Hot Dog Night! by Orange Claw Hammer.
The Edinburgh Renaissance Band’s New Frontiers 50th birthday is at artSpace@StMarks, exploring “medieval and renaissance Europe and Central America, accompanied by sackbuts, cornetts, serpent, viols, rebecs, harps, shawms, curtals, recorders, crumhorns and voices”. St Giles’ Cathedral hosts a series of Celebrity Recitals on its world-renowned Rieger organ, with performances from Matthew Owens, Jordan English and Michael Harris. Meanwhile, St Mary’s Cathedral hosts its own series of Cathedral Celebrity Organ Recitals, with Duncan Ferguson, David Goode and Imogen Morgan performing “popular organ music on the mighty Father Willis organ.”
At St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St, Christine Hurley and Nancy Crook present Cello and Piano Recital: Music of Love, featuring compositions by Beethoven, Cesar Franck and Amy Beach. “One of the UK’s longest-established youth orchestras, conducted by Allan Young and featuring solo performers from within its own ranks,” the Perth Youth Orchestra is performing their Autumn Concert at Greyfriars Kirk. And the Royal Scots Club have a programme of classical recitals at breakfast, lunchtime and afternoon, “performed by some of the finest young talent in comfortable surroundings”.
The Sacred Arts Festival (a programme within the wider Fringe lineup) has music events in several Edinburgh church spaces, including new sacred compositions at Canongate Kirk, Schola Cantorum at St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, a lunchtime choir recital at St Michael and All Saints and works by Bach and Handel at St Vincent’s in Stockbridge.
Guitarist and composer Daniel Martinez presents a concert of “emotive, exciting, moving and technically brilliant” Flamenco Guitar at Yotel Edinburgh and classical guitarist Jonathan Prag brings “music from Spain’s greatest composers” to St Columba’s by the Castle.
theSpaceUK is hosting Aca-Villa: The Love Island Musical, where “contestants navigate their road to true love through the medium of chart-topping songs, all performed a cappella”. Meanwhile Gilded Balloon is hosting at least two acapella shows this Fringe, with Aquapella representing Bath and The Oxford Gargoyles coming from – you guessed it – Oxford.
Cabaret and variety
Reuben Kaye returns to Assembly for his “queer, messy, and f*cking hilarious” late-night cabaret show, The Kaye Hole. “Destynee is a dramatic drag artist performing songs from some of the most fabulous divas and icons of all time” – you can catch her in An Evening With Drag Artist – Destynee at Planet Bar. Gilded Balloon hosts Divas: From Stage to Screen by BBD Productions, featuring “a live band and cast of fierce beltresses” celebrating “music, movies and musical theatre”. And at theSpaceUK, “gender euphoric cabaret” A Bit Too Much Hair is “a musical paradise for thems, mens, femmes, and everyone in between”.
Magical Bones returns to Underbelly with Soulful Magic – Volume Two, while magician and mind reader Tom Brace takes audiences on A Trick Down Memory Lane at Pleasance.
The Kaisa Ling Thing brings The Feminist’s Handbook for Eastern Europe to PBH’s Free Fringe, presenting “a vaudevillian blues portrait of modern life”. Blues and Burlesque at The Voodoo Rooms offers “original music by Pete Saunders (Dexy’s Midnight Runners)” alongside “classic striptease from Belle de Beauvoir”.
At Hill Street Theatre, the Machine Man Spectacle invites audience members to “participate in seven of the universe’s most spectacular machines, invented specifically to observe the human spiritual spectrum”. King of More is at Paradise in The Vault, using “music, interactions, quasi-workshop, laughter, tears and quantum physics” to explore “secret connection among all of us” in Veza.
Forth 1 returns to the Edinburgh Playhouse this August to host its annual Forth on the Fringe gala.
Dance, physical theatre and circus
In circus, Afrique en Cirque visit Assembly to display “gravity-defying moves and human pyramids, all to the contemporary sounds of African contemporary music”. Hong Kong physical theatre company Theatre de la Feuille present Fall and Flow at Underbelly, diving into “the depths of war, the power of love and hate as the futility and sorrow explode in front of you in six short stories”.
Katherine and Pierre at Gilded Balloon is “a gender-bent love story combining elements of drag with comedic dance choreography”, set to the music of Katy Perry. A/lone at Greenside is a “dynamic Australian work” exploring “the painful depths of loneliness and the profound joy of aloneness”.
At Just the Tonic, Fruit Salad is “a clown comedy of fruit-based stupidity by two Gaulier-trained comedians”. Klouns Theatre Company presents An Act of Seven Ages at Paradise in The Vault – a “clowning escapade of vignettes focused on a multitude of influences endured from birth until death”. And Släpstick return to the Pleasance with Schërzo, “a clown-esque concerto for the ages where a seemingly highbrow classical concert glissandos into a bacchanal of comical mishaps and absurdity”.
The Sacred Arts Festival presents drama at St Vincent’s with The Mysteries (reimagined by Peter Holloway), bringing to live “five Medieval guild plays” in a “warm, funny, yet gritty production”.
There’s a feast of flamenco at Fringe 2023, including Flamenco Fiesta at Alba Flamenca, 2Flamenco at Argyle Cellar Bar, Flamenco in Scotland at St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St and Flamenco Fringe at Lunch at Yotel Edinburgh. Meanwhile, over at theSpaceUK, Giorgia Marchiori and Marcelo Guardiola present Los Guardiola – The Comedy of Tango, using “the universal and timeless language of movement to tell stories inspired by the world’s best-loved tangos”.
EN-PERFECIÓN is available to watch online, tracing “its roots back to the Ankoku-Butoh movement active in Japan from the 1950s, mixing it with contemporary dance and experimental theatre”.
Children’s shows
Quebec circus clowns Brotipo return to Assembly with a family-friendly show “to make you laugh, dance and even sing”. At Gilded Balloon, Artiste is an “interactive exhibit of physical comedy and crafty clowning”, while “UK premier magician and kids entertainer” Leigh Milne brings The Crazy Puppet Magic Show to Frankenstein Pub.
The Blue Badge Bunch are back at Pleasance with ReRamped, “a hilarious, interactive game show where each game represents a disability and comedians battle it out”. One Step Ahead presents The European Extravaganza! at Greenside, “an interactive musical journey to some major European cities”. Inside The Robot: Kids vs Chaos! is “the world’s only theatrical escape room”, an “immersive, educational and hilarious spectacular suitable for ages 5+” – it’s at Just the Tonic. And Professors Lexi Con and Noel Edge present The Alphabet of Awesome Science at Underbelly, taking a “tongue-twisting race from A to Z that’s equal parts explosive, messy, hilarious, fascinating and gross”.
The Ancient Ballad of Thomas the Rhymer (Into the Woods) at artSpace@StMarks features “specially composed music performed by John Sampson, performed by Sampson, Julia Munrow and Pete Baynes”. Dragon Tales at LifeCare Centre is “an interactive storytelling show for 4–6-year-olds” using “felt puppets, percussion and harp”. And theSpaceUK features two adaptations as part of their children’s programme: Peter Pan and The Twits.
At St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St, FlamenKids is an “original, well-made, fun, passionate and highly entertaining show where you’ll experience a breathtaking professional flamenco performance of eight artists interacting with the wee ones”. Recitals for Wrigglers presents two “fun, interactive and educational shows for babies and toddlers” at Stockbridge Church: Kings and Queens and Wriggle Around the World.
Amazing Prize Family Bingo at 9 Queen Street is exactly what it sounds like: “bingo with loads and loads of prizes”. Hill Street Theatre hosts Reach for the Stars, “a fun show showcasing Edinburgh’s young talent”.
Musicals and opera
OSCAR at The Crown (Assembly) takes place “in a secret bunker far in the fascist future”, and focuses on “one of history’s most flamboyant figures” – Oscar Wilde. Greenside hosts Fierce, in which “seven famous women tell their stories” to “a soundtrack of empowering music that’s sure to smash the patriarchy”. Two separate musicals explore the life of Alan Turing at this year’s Fringe. Alan Turing – Guilty of Love is at Hill Street Theatre, while Alan Turing – A Musical Biography is at Paradise in Augustines. And theSpaceUK welcomes Les Millénniables, “a pop parody about the plight of the generation deemed ‘millennials’”.
“Oliver Harris sings the great songs from Les Misérables, Chess, Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, We Will Rock You and many more” in The Greatest Show Songs at Le Monde. Forth Children’s Theatre return “for their 42nd year at the Fringe with their spooky, kooky production of The Addams Family – A New Musical” at Broughton High School. And Captivate Theatre presents a programme of musical adaptations at the Edinburgh Academy: Les Misérables School Edition, Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical Jr, School of Rock and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Without is “an intimate and authentic new musical” at Underbelly, in which “a busker and a runaway find unexpected camaraderie and challenge together, discovering the importance of acceptance through conversation, confrontation and the power of music”. In On Your Bike at Gilded Balloon, “Gemma and Aidan deliver food they can’t afford for mega-corporation Eatsaroo, but things get messy when it cuts their pay and derails their budding romance”. “A Christmas Carol meets It’s a Wonderful Life meets… *NSYNC!” in Chriskirkpatrickmas: A Boy Band Christmas Musical at Pleasance. And at Stockbridge Church, Acceptance Pending tells the story of high-school senior Angela, who “fights through the daunting US college application process” and is “met with the harsh reality of the student mental-health crisis”.
Scotland’s professional touring company, Opera Bohemia, returns with John Leo Wilkie’s highly acclaimed production of Madama Butterfly at St Cuthbert’s Church.
Spoken word
LBC presenter Iain Dale hosts a series of talks at Pleasance this Fringe, meeting with Ian Blackford MP, Penny Mordaunt MP, Wes Streeting MP, Sir John Curtice and Brian Taylor. Over at The Stand’s New Town Theatre, Fair Pley’s conversation series features Scottish Labour Party leader Anas Sarwar, “guitarist, songwriter and DJ” Bobby Bluebell and BBC 6 Music presenter Tom Robinson.
Rob Redenbach shares his Conversations with Mandela at the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre, “recounting his journey from casino bouncer in outback Australia to working with Nelson Mandela’s bodyguard team in South Africa”. A “lifelong friend” of David Bowie shares stories at Blackwell’s Bookshop in Bowie, Cambo & All the Hype – An Evening with John Cambridge. Confessions of a Teletubby is at theSpaceUK, with “the original LaaLaa” Nikky Smedley sharing her experiences on the children’s TV show. And “ex-Hibs, Aberdeen, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona and Scotland striker Steve Archibald discusses his extraordinary football career” in Steve Archibald – An Evening With at Le Monde.
From Marlon Solomon, “the maker of Conspiracy Theory: A Lizard’s Tale,” comes How to Be an Antisemite, “a dark comedy about rising antisemitism, where it comes from and what we do about it”. It’s at Gilded Balloon, while at Hill Street Theatre, Good Grief: Five Deserts in Search of My Father is a one-man show by writer Jon Lawrence, recounting how he “walked 500km over five deserts on five continents to come to terms with the death of his father”.
Sacred Arts Festival hosts Spirituality, Faith and Belief: Voyages of Discovery, “an exploration of literary works as vehicles of spiritual discovery”, at Greyfriars Kirk, and Strafed by Splendour: Under Paolozzi’s Window at St Mary’s Cathedral, “a magnificent setting for poetry, music and an explanatory talk”.
Dean Tsang explores Our Anxious Measurements at PBH’s Free Fringe, probing “research and understanding” and questioning the “expectations placed on us and the ways apprehension can enter our lives”.
Caledonia – Words and Music for Sir Walter is a series of “short readings from Scott’s works on the themes of resilience and recovery, with contemporary choral settings of Scott’s poetry by Edinburgh composer Nigel Don”. It’s at St Vincent’s.
Underbelly at the Edinburgh Fringe reveals a further 47 shows joining it’s 2022 line-up
The additional shows go on sale today – Tuesday 05 April
Joining the 2022 Fringe herd are Fringe festival royalty, the original, trailblazing, genre-defining cabaret show, La Clique, hip-hop musical comedy sensation Abandoman and celebrated stand-up star, Rhys Nicholson
Circus Abyssinia and the Olivier Award-winning The Tiger Lillies are both set to return following world tours
A number of family friendly shows are joining the mix including The Gruffalo, the Giant and the Mermaid with Julia Donaldson and The Wonder Games with Maddie and Greg
Underbelly’s Big Brain Tumour Benefit is also set to return with a massive line-up of the biggest names at this year’s Fringe supporting The Brain Tumour Charity
Underbelly has unveiled a further 47 shows joining this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe line-up. The 2022 list includes a range of performance royalty alongside up and coming talent set to take Edinburgh by storm.
Underbelly at the Edinburgh Fringe runs from the 3 – 29 August 2022 across four sites: George Square, Circus Hub on the Meadows, Cowgate and Bristo Square. The line-up includes:
Cabaret and Variety highlights
Born at the Edinburgh Festival in 2004 and subsequently travelling the world to international acclaim, La Clique is widely regarded as the original Spiegeltent cabaret show that created a genre of its own. A decade on from winning the Best Entertainment Olivier Award and fresh from performances in London and Singapore, La Clique promises to be a night of laughs, gasps, naughtiness and the best in international cabaret.
The Tiger Lillies are back. After years away, touring the world, the Olivier Award-winning godfathers of alternative cabaret celebrate their 30th anniversary with a triumphant return to the Fringe. Based on the seminal 18th century ‘Beggar’s Opera’, the band presents a new song cycle One Penny Opera, a world of greed, crime, poverty, and inequality. Expect immense beauty and outrageous comedy from the Grammy-nominated, street opera trio.
Two of the world’s leading alcohol experts, The Thinking Drinkers, return with a hilarious quiz show that gets the rounds in – in more ways than one. With a pen and question sheet in one hand and several world-class drinks in the other, join them on a uniquely absurd, fact-filled journey through time in Pub Quiz. Following a sell-out show in 2018, magician Tom Brace takes a trip down memory lane to Cluedo, Roald Dahl and one film in particular from 1985…with a brand-new magic show for all ages, Embrace the impossible!
Circus highlights
A dazzling showcase of superhuman strength, speed, skill and flight, Circus Abyssinia blends together an unmissable performance of breath-taking contortion, awe-inspiring acrobatics and mesmerising fire-juggling with a rocking, exuberant soundtrack. After touring internationally, including a sell-out run in New York, they return to the Scottish capital with their greatly anticipated new show, Tulu.
Comedy highlights
Ireland’s finest hip hop musical comedian, is coming back to the Udderbelly with his biggest show yet. Using his trademark blend of audience interaction and razor-sharp improvisation, Abandoman will take you on a magical journey, transforming the audience’s likes, loathes and daydreams into hit songs and captivating tales.
Celebrated stand-up star, and now RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under judge, Rhys Nicholson is set to return with his unmissable Rhys! Rhys! Rhys!.
Edinburgh Fringe Best Newcomer nominee and new act of the year (NATYS) award winner Bilal Zafar returns with a brand-new show, CARE. Also joining the comedy line-up is Deirdre O’ Kane, there’s a point beyond burnout where all you can do is laugh, and shehas well and truly reached it. Don’t miss the star of Sky’s The Deirdre O’Kane Show and Moone Boy, and the voice of Gogglebox Ireland, as she returns to Fringe with Demented.
99 problems. 50 minutes. 1 woman. 1 spider suit. 30 seconds per problem. An insufficient number of solutions. If you currently have or have ever had problems, the new show from award-winning comedian and journalist Ange Lavoipierre: I’ve Got 99 Problems and Here’s an Exhaustive List of them is absolutely for you. This frantic yet beguiling display of self-pity is the holiday from your own problems you’ve been waiting for.
Jason Byrne is set to host a second show at this year’s Fringe. The Paddy Lama-Shed Talks is a one-man play where Jason Byrne brings the full life of Paddy Byrne to the stage playing his dad, keeping him alive in stories full of laughter and tears. Totally unlike anything we’ve seen before from the comedy legend.
Another award-winning Irish comedian, Aidan Greene, has stammered since he was four years old. He’s managed to make that funny. But what if he had never stammered at all? I Know What You Did Last Stammer questions how having a disability can shape a life by looking at a life without it.
Drunk Women Solving Crime is returning to the Fringe following a sell-out debut Fringe run in 2019, this is a true crime podcast with a twist…of lime. Each episode sees the boozed-up panel of hilarious hosts Hannah George, Catie Wilkins and Taylor Glenn welcome a top guest to test out their drunk detective skills and solve true crime cases.
Acclaimed stand-up Dan Cook returns with a brand-new show of high-energy, contemplative idiocy, Loud Bit, Quiet Bit, Loud Bit, Quiet Bit. Another comedy legend set to return this year is Garry Starr withGreece Lightning, where audiences and an overzealous idiot attempt to perform all of Greek Mythology in less than 60 minutes to save his Hellenic homeland from economic ruin.
Fringe favourite Paul Foot returns withSwan Power. Following appearances on ‘8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown’ on Channel 4 and ‘Breaking The News’ on BBC Radio Scotland, Paulis set to explore topics including Nanna on the rack, murdering Santas and interfering ambulance drivers (self-appointed busybodies!).
In its 4th year, Underbelly’s Big Brain Tumour Benefit returns for another stupendous evening of comedy to help fight against brain tumours. With previous year’s line-up including including Joel Dommett, Nina Conti, Russell Howard and Iain Stirling, this is the comedy event of the festival! Line-up announcements coming soon!
Theatre Highlights
Set to take the Fringe by storm is DESTINY. Following a teenage girl growing up on a Chippenham council estate: born below the breadline, desperate to see beyond the neighbourhood and find hope in hopelessness. Following sell-out Fringe runs in 2018 & 2019, Box Tale Soup returns with a new version of Swift’s incredible adventure: Gulliver tells tales of lands undiscovered and creatures unheard of, but is he really the same man who disappeared so long ago?
After a sold-out run, The B Collective returns with their exhilarating high-octane show Murder Ballads, adapted from the album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Weaving Cave’s outrageous songs into a darkly comic narrative, the performers take you through stories of betrayals, bar brawls and blood baths. With an interactive investigation involving karaoke, lip syncing and absolute bangers, Coming Out Of My Cage (And I’ve Been Doing Just Fine)is a theatre show to add to the top of your list this year. ‘Mr Brightside’ hasn’t left the UK charts in 18 years. How did it end up like this?
Children’s Shows highlights
The Gruffalo, the Giant and the Mermaid with Julia Donaldson is set to be a firm family favourite this year. Following a sell-out show in 2018, UK’s best-selling author Julia Donaldson returns with a brand-new show based on her much-loved books. Packed full of songs, puppetry, and audience interaction and with book signings after each performance, join Harry and Betty at their scarecrows wedding and see if the grumpy Go-Away Bird would like a friend after all.
As seen on Cbeebies’ ‘Maddie’s Do You Know?’ and CBBC’s Blue Peter and following the huge success of their YouTube family science show ‘Let’s Go Live’, Maddie and Greg can’t wait to challenge each other (and the audience!) in a battle of curiosity, creativity and silliness. Join them for an interactive family show packed with fun, facts, and supersized games at The Wonder Games with Maddie and Greg!
Underbelly at the Edinburgh Fringe runs from the 3 – 29 August 2022 across 19 venues and 4 sites; George Square, Circus Hub on the Meadows, Cowgate and Bristo Square. Further exciting programme details will be revealed in the coming months.
Charlie Wood and Ed Bartlam, directors of Underbelly, said“After two scunnered years, we couldn’t be more delighted with our festival line-up which has something for everyone!
“The team have done a brilliant job in producing our most dynamic programme to date. With even more exciting acts still to come, watch this space for line-up announcements.”
You are magic! brings thrilling illusions, spooky mind reading, stunning sleight-of-hand, and death-defying escapes to North Edinburgh Arts.
In this magic production, the audience helps to create the show by using their imagination, ingenuity, and ability to saw someone in half. Gasp, laugh, and discover your secret magical talents. And who knows, you might even become the star of the show!
Jamie Wilson and Curve are delighted to announce the World Premiere of An Officer and a Gentleman – The Musical which will open at Curve, Leicester on 6th April 2018 before playing at theatres across the UK and in Ireland until 15th September 2018. An Officer and a Gentleman – The Musical will be playing at the UK’s largest theatre, the Edinburgh Playhouse, in a six night run from 2 – 7 July 2018.Continue reading World premiere announced for An Officer and a Gentleman – The Musical
Fireworks concert brings record-breaking Festival to a close
After 50,266 performances of 3,269 shows in 294 venues across Edinburgh, the final curtain has fallen on the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe – and it’s been yet another record-breaking year for the luvvies … Continue reading Edinburgh folk get their city back!
