EdFringe 2024: Grassroots theatre
Edinburgh-made theatre by grassroots companies at #EdFringe 2024
Grassroots companies of one kind or another make up the majority of theatre made in Edinburgh, with an amazing, although quite frankly unwieldy (in listings terms), 68 different productions.
This is a hugely diverse group of creatives and reflect the diverse nature of the theatre community in Edinburgh. The line between a grassroots and professional company is hard to gauge from afar, so if you are listed below and think you should be in a different section, do let us know via the contacts page.
A scene from Sycamore Grove, which is returning after a run at the 2023 Edinburgh Horror Festival. Pic: Marshall Stay
One thing which is very heartening is to see the number of shows which have had tryouts in Edinburgh over the year and are now staking their claim to a full Fringe run. We have already reviewed several of these shows – but hope, where ever possible, to go back and see them again.
There are 184 shows Made in Edinburgh at #EdFringe this year. In order to make things clearer, we have divided the listing up into seven parts. On this page you can find an alphabetical listing of all the theatre by Edinburgh’s grassroots companies.
Here are the links to the other six listings pages:
Theatre by Edinburgh’s Amateur companies.
Theatre by Edinburgh’s Youth and Student companies.
Theatre by Edinburgh’s Professional & Funded companies.
Theatre for children and young people.
Edinburgh-made Musical Theatre & Opera.
Edinburgh-made Music, Cabaret & Dance.
We are also proud to work with EPAD to produce and publish their annual listing of shows “created, performed or produced by Edinburgh’s theatre professionals” which is here.
This page has been updated to include links to reviews. Click on the star rating to go to a show’s reviews.
Grassroots theatre listings
An American Love Letter to Edinburgh
Rick Conte
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
1 – 25 Aug (odd dates only): 13:15 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Enchantingly Earnest
Benjamin Franklin loved Edinburgh. He visited in 1759 and 1771, making pals with all the luminaries including David Hume, Adam Smith and James Hutton. In this funny and informative show directed by Andy Cannon, Rick Conte (The Man Who Planted Trees) tells how his countryman’s Scottish enlightenment echoes his own experiences of the city that took him in 35 years ago. Further details.
Animate Lands: A Celtic Myth Cycle
Dougie Mackay and Freya Rae
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
12 – 26 Aug (even dates only): 13:15 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Traditional
A journey through the storied soul of Scotland. Tales of ancient bards, wily druids, shapeshifters, wildlings and warrior poets are brought to life in a contemporary storytelling style by Dougie Mackay, with musical accompaniment by Freya Rae. Further details.
Antigone
Underground Productions
Paradise in The Vault (Venue 29)
12 – 17 Aug: 21:20 (1 hr 25 mins)
Irreverent and full of rage, this rewriting of an eternal myth unfolds with haunting clarity. This modern, unflinching tragedy reveals in the glare of death a muted and luminous kind of poetry. Antigone is that meagre little thing over there, who sits and says nothing. In a moment, she will rise from the dusky little girl no-one took seriously at all to face the world, and her uncle Creon, who is the king. She will become Antigone. She knows that she will die – that she is young – and that she too, might have preferred to live. Further details.
Antonio’s Revenge
Half Trick Theatre
C ARTS | C venues | C alto (Venue 40)
31 July – 24 Aug (even dates): 22:30 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★☆☆☆ Unfathomable
Dad’s dead. Mum’s shagging his killer. Girlfriend’s crazy. Then Dad’s ghost appears, crying revenge. What else does one do but start killing? Antonio makes Hamlet look like a little bitch. Further details.
Athens of The North
Mark Hannah
The Hibernian Supporters Club (Venue 499)
5 – 12 Aug: 19:30 (55 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Tales of the City
Aan interwoven, episodic monologue and love letter to Edinburgh and her people, performed in the iconic Edinburgh Hibernian Supporters Club. In a city being commodified and gentrified so rapidly, three Edinburgh characters weave in and out of each other’s lives; a stream of consciousness set in the capital city over the course of a single day. They subsequently reconnect with what their home truly means to them, in their respective pasts, presents as well as their futures. Further details.
Babe Alien
Mon Espoir
theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Venue 53)
19 – 24 Aug: 17:20 (50 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★☆☆ Weirdly fascinating
Whales sometimes make hit songs that get repeated through the ocean. Anyway, how do you deal with being alive? Babe Alien wants a revolution after seeing a blue whale trapped in their local Las Vegas casino. Their crusade for liberation is treated like a whale-sized waste of time by their flatmates, who are finding that surviving today is difficult enough. Fighting against the power brings them to a desert commune and up close with David Attenborough (not the real one, he’s busy). Apathy and activism in our times. And Babe didn’t become an alien to be apathetic… Further details.
Bits ‘N’ Pieces
Saltire Sky Theatre
Wee Red Bar (Venue 506)
2 – 25 Aug (not 7, 14, 21): 19:30 (1 hr 20 mins)
Æ Review of previous production: ★★★★☆ Timely
Tommy, Matty and Dougie look to ditch the day job for the disco. But with the disco comes drugs. Does that matter? Everybody takes drugs. But Matty didn’t take them seriously. Tackling attitudes towards recreational drugs and the culture surrounding them, this dark comedy explores the dangers of drug stigma, media misinformation and perils they hold for mental health. Further details.
Brothers
Raised Voices
theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Venue 53)
12 – 22 Aug (not 18): 11:55 (50 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Heartfelt
Heart-rending tale of the bond between two brothers overcoming mental health struggles and addiction… resolution follows… then despair and tragedy, ultimately peace. Raised Voices is an award-winning charity for those who have or are experiencing homelessness and mental health issues. Further details.
The C word
Lubna Kerr
Scottish Poetry Library (Venue #)
7, 15, 21 Aug: 13:30 (1 hr)
Work in Progress with Q&A: A storytelling scenario where the words all begin with a C. “Chocolate, children and colonisation, some are my favourite and some not. Can you guess which ones are which?” Further details.
Chatterbox
Lubna Kerr
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33)
31 July – 25 Aug (not 13, 20): 16:55 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Gentle humour
A play about a Pakistani girl at primary school in 1970s Glasgow who was labelled “stupid” because she couldn’t speak English – by people who couldn’t speak Urdu. This humorous and touching semi-autobiographical one-woman show looks at the impact of the labels we are given as children and how they persist into adulthood. Further details.
Checking In
Simply Surreal
Greenside @ George Street (Venue 236)
02 – 10 Aug: 18:35 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Captivating
George Mitchell is at crisis point. The second album is due and they have nothing. Lacking inspiration and drive, George is struggling… until an unlikely fan drops by, Death themself. But what happens to us when Death pops by for a chat? Will this prove to be an unlikely source of inspiration? Only time will tell. Featuring live music throughout, Checking In looks at our mortality and the pressures we put on ourselves in a quest for perfection. Further details.
Club Life
Fred Deakin
theSpaceTriplex (Venue 38)
02 – 10 Aug (not 6): 21:00 (2 hrs 30 mins)
The 2023 Fringe First-winning club/theatre immersive experience returns for eight performances only. Lemon Jelly’s Fred Deakin hosts an interactive joy-ride through his 80s/90s clubland adventures. Travel back in time to help Fred and his cast recreate classic club nights and bring the fashion tribes of the late 20th century back to life. Or just watch. Further details.
Conspiracy
RFT / Strawmoddie
Hill Street Theatre (Venue 41)
16 – 25 Aug: 20:15 (1 hr 30 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★★★ Bureaucratic nightmare
Berlin, January 1942. Fifteen senior officials are summoned to a conference at a sumptuous villa in leafy, lakeside Wannsee. In 90 minutes the obscene horror of the Holocaust will be unleashed and the fate of over six million human souls will be decided. Strawmoddie and RFT return to the Fringe with a remount of their 2018 sell-out production of Mandel’s theatrical adaptation of his Emmy-winning HBO script. Based on surviving minutes of the conference, Conspiracy is a work whose relevance remains unquestioned. A unique portrait of mankind’s darkest hour made all the more hideous for its breathtaking banality. Further details.
The Court
Edinburgh Little Theatre
Hill Street Theatre (Venue 41)
2 – 25 Aug: 11:45 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★☆☆ Maybe murder
This courtroom drama centres around the question of assisted dying. Did Cathy murder her mother, or help end her suffering? Join the jury and question your thinking. A free drink and pie included in your ticket, as you ponder over the witness statements and the jury’s cross examination, and decide the outcome of this case. You can watch this case, or be part of the interactive jury – the choice is up to you, as this talented cast bring this court case to life. You’ll be discussing this show well after the final curtain! Further details.
David William Bryan: Fragility of Man
David William Bryan
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33)
1 – 25 Aug (odd dates only): 15:00 (1 hr 10 mins)
Returning after a total sell-out run in 2019, Fragility of Man follows one man’s epic, lifelong battle with the justice system. Written and performed by multi-year Edinburgh Fringe sell-out David William Bryan. Further details.
David William Bryan: In Loyal Company
David William Bryan
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33)
31 July – 24 Aug (31, even dates in Aug): 15:00 (1 hr 10 mins)
The incredible true story of missing WWII soldier Arthur Robinson, written and performed by his great-nephew David William Bryan. After joining up in 1941, Arthur was deployed to Singapore where his ship was destroyed by Japanese dive bombers on arrival and he declared missing. This one-man tour-de-force war epic tells his extraordinary story. Further details.
Deeptime Atomic Waste Pleasure Party
Elastic Fantastic
theSpaceTriplex (Venue 38)
02 – 10 Aug: 20:35 (50 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Mesmerising
Hedonistic queer party-goer Rey is sent on a mission to bury nuclear waste in an underground nightclub. Thumping bass, sweaty armpits, acid techno, thigh-highs, vinyl scratches… a sea of toxic waste. We’ve buried our atomic past under tainted soil – what do we tell future generations when our secrets are unearthed? Through neon-lit hallways and graffiti-scrawled backrooms, Rey stumbles over intoxicated encounters and down psychedelic rabbit-holes to send a message deep through time. Is it worth it? Or should they just dance the night away? Further details.
The Devil Went Down To Gorgie
Pasuz Productions / Free Festival
Laughing Horse @ West Port Oracle (Venue 75)
18 – 25 Aug: 19:30 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★☆☆ Nae fearties
Do you want to hear a scary story? Mac and Beth will try anything to speed up their work team bonding session. Join us to hear what possesses Beth to tell her tale of Rosie, a single mother with an age-old problem. Something is off with her six-year-old son. Is it chicken pox, the flu or something more sinister? With the help of a tarot-wielding primary school teacher and a retired exorcist, she might find the cure in The Devil Went Down To Gorgie. Further details.
Divided
Kate Macsween Theatre Group
The Royal Scots Club (Venue 241)
13 – 17 Aug: 14.30 or 12.30 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Delicate
When their daughter announces that she wants to transition, a couple find themselves divided in their attitudes and judgements. The mother – who has always seen herself as inclusive – struggles with losing a daughter and gaining a son. The father is horrified by her rejection of their child’s wishes and identity. Can this tight-knit family find a way to unite and heal the divide or has too much damage been done already? Can they celebrate their child’s new identity and move forward together as a family? Further details.
Don Quixote Rides Again
Inés Álvarez Villa
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
31 July – 16 Aug (even dates): 17:00 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Entertaining classic
Prepare yourself for a spellbinding experience as Spanish storyteller Inés Álvarez Villa and flamenco musician Danielo Olivera bring the iconic adventures of Don Quixote to life, transporting you to the heart of Spanish culture. Further details.
The Faustus Project
Half Trick Theatre
C ARTS | C venues | C alto (Venue 40)
1 – 25 Aug (odd dates only): 22:30 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★★★ Fiendish
An actor makes a deal with the devil for the role of a lifetime. But the rest of the cast won’t play nice. Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, with a different lead every night. Further details.
Get Thee to a Nursery
Exi Attica
theSpace on the Mile (Venue 39)
2 – 05 Aug: 11:10 (50 mins)
In this absurdist comedy, a band of four-year-old rascals are cursed by the spirit of Shakespeare for shredding his beloved folio. Formerly inarticulate and screen addicted, the feral children awaken to find themselves fluent in the Bard’s language and conceiving character thoughts not their own. Further details.
The Ghost of Alexander Blackwood
Deaf Action
Deaf Action (Venue 498)
10 – 11, 16 – 18 Aug: 15:30, 16:30, 17:00, 19:00 (50 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Thought-provoking
Step into the haunting presence of Alexander Blackwood on this intimate and insightful journey as he shares his life story, from childhood to becoming a pastor at the world’s first deaf church, here in Edinburgh. Produced by and starring a deaf cast, witness Blackwood’s profound impact on the deaf community and meet other famous deaf figures from Edinburgh’s history, discovering how these interactions shaped deaf society and language. Further details.
Gie’s Peace
Morna Burdon
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
4, 7, 11, 14, 18 Aug: 15:45, 17:30 (1 hr)
Æ Review of previous production: ★★★☆☆ Peaceful zeal
Combining inspirational storytelling with evocative songs of protest, Morna Burden presents stories of courage and daring alongside the tragic realities of war. From Nobel Peace Prize winners to the Ukrainian theatre company rehearsing in an air raid shelter to a child raised in a Scottish peace camp, it is in the shared humanity – the tears and the laughter – that hope is found. Further details.
A History of Fortune Cookies
Sean Wai Keung
Summerhall (Venue 26)
1 – 26 Aug (not 12, 19): 12:15, 12:50 (30 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Sweet treat
Join performance-maker and foodie Sean Wai Keung as he explores fortune cookies as well as his own mixed-race identity. Write your own fortunes as he bakes cookies live while exploring the history of this most enigmatic of after-meal snacks. An intimate performance for ten people maximum, you will have the opportunity to write fortunes for yourself or for someone else. Suitable for vegans. Further details.
Hysterical
koi collective
Greenside @ George Street (Venue 236)
20 – 24 Aug: 11:25 (50 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Timely
Five “mad” women perform for a seemingly “sane” audience. They’re here to entertain – but as their lives and deaths play out it becomes unclear what’s real, pretend, and what’s a warning. Songs are sung and jokes are made, but beneath the merriment there’s something else – something hidden. Further details.
It’s a Sheet Show
Fools and Thieves Theatre Company
Greenside @ Riddles Court (Venue 16)
2 – 17 Aug (not 11): 20:55 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Strong debut
Two people, one bed and no connection. He’s lost. She’s pretending. Old enough to make the right decisions. Young enough to make the wrong ones. Yet they both keep ending up back in the same place. A story of boredom, crumbs, missed opportunities, box sets, pyjama sets, bad sex, concepts and crushing. Love? Through the lens of a bed it explores two people coming together only to fall apart. Being in your twenties is fun, but most of the time it’s just a bit of a sh**t show. Further details.
Joyfully Grimm: Reimagining a Queer Adolescence
James Stedman
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
31 July – 24 Aug (even dates Aug, not 14): 15:15 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Hopeful
1988. One boy is growing up in myth and magic unaware that Section 28, prohibiting the ‘promotion of homosexuality’, is moving to silence his tale and those of anyone like him. Combining traditional fairy tales and original poetry, storyteller James Stedman (helped by a grumpy frog) guides you through a heartfelt, slightly irreverent look at our history. Further details.
Keep Watching It
Kestrel Eye Productions
theSpace on the Mile (Venue 39)
2 – 17 Aug (not 11): 22:45 (55 mins)
Æ Review: ★★☆☆☆ Repetitive
The audience is seated. The lighting is a gloomy, vacant grey. Two shadows loom around the space, making sure no one asks any questions. With an ambition pumped full of chemicals, a scientist unable to connect with humanity subjects her newest creation to grisly experiments that unfold in real time, leaving us no choice but to Keep Watching It. Further details.
Kev Campbell Was He
Alexander Tait
theSpace @ Symposium Hall (Venue 43)
2 – 10 Aug: 19:15 (50 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Young talent
After a failed graffiti attempt in a nightclub toilet, Kev Campbell meets a stranger who completely changes the course of his life. A comedic one-man show tackling themes of toxic masculinity and homophobia in modern day Scotland, telling the story of the friendship that forces a man to reckon with heteronormativity in society and himselft. Further details.
Land Under Wave
Young Edinburgh Storytellers
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
20 – 25 Aug (not 22): 20:45 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Enchanting
Three storytellers, trapped in the Otherworld, must perform their music and stories to earn their freedom. Which deserves to return to the human realm? The fair folk in the audience must decide! Further details.
Leith Customs
Citadel Arts Group
Leith Custom House, 65-67 Commercial Street Edinburgh EH6 6JE
8 – 10 Aug: 15:30 & 14:00 (1hr)
A promenade play based on true stories of life and work in Leith’s former Custom House in the 1970s when the port was still a vibrant, dangerous place. Free tickets can be booked from lizhare@blueyonder.co.uk / 07770 623 924. Numbers limited.
LIFE
Maria MacDonell
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
31 July – 26 Aug (even dates 2 – 10; 18-26): 13:15, 17:00 (1 hr 5 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★☆☆ Drawn out
Estelle models for the Artist. Despite decades of experience, she has never sat for a session like this. What happens when she can’t stand sitting any longer? How does this class change her life forever? Further details.
Maestro, This is Your Life!
Candle Concerts
St Vincent’s (Venue 197)
14, 17, 22, 24 Aug: 19:00 (1 hr)
Tune-in for a mockumentary edition of This Is Your Life as our imposter Michael Aspel interviews Ludwig van Beethoven. Features live performances from the maestro including Moonlight Sonata. A fascinating mix of acting, biographical documentary and live music-making brings the maestro’s life – to life. Further details.
Mairi Campbell: Living Stone
Mairi Campbell
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
1 – 25 Aug (odd dates only): 17:00 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★☆☆ Gentle
Mairi Campbell encounters a 400 million-year-old stone, fashioned into a family millstone found on the island of Lismore. The stone has become her talisman, revealing layers of mystery and resonance. Song, sound and word combine in an odyssey that unifies lineage, land and pulse. Further details.
MANikin
Saltire Sky Theatre
Wee Red Bar (Venue 506)
2 – 25 Aug (not 7, 14, 21): 17:00 (1 hr)
Æ Review of previous production: ★★★★☆ Breathtaking performance
It’s lonely at the top, especially at the top of Scotland. Set in the small town of Ellon, Aberdeenshire, join Fraser Patterson as he wrestles with his mind and body in his struggle with playing the bit-part role of The Big Guy. Brutal playground initiation evolves into real-world tribulation in a society riddled with stigma and prejudice. Further details.
Mary: A Gig Theatre Show
Knot Tied Theatre
theSpace @ Symposium Hall (Venue 43)
12 – 17 Aug: 22:25 (50 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★☆☆ heartfelt
Through haunting original music and rich spoken word, an actor-musician band deliver a feminist retelling of Mary Queen of Scots’ story. The folk-rock show searingly questions the treatment and portrayal of women historically and today. Following a sold-out production in February, the Marys are back by popular demand for the Fringe. Further details.
Murder at the Fringe
Edinburgh Little Theatre
Hill Street Theatre (Venue 152)
16 – 25 Aug: 18:00 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★☆☆ Fun exercise
Mr John Winner has been found dead in his house in Morningside on the first anniversary of his huge lottery win. Was it murder? He was an extremely wealthy man. Someone bore a grudge towards him, but who had the motivation for murder? Who could have done it? The estranged wife, the lover, the eccentric sister, the dodgy financial advisor – or was it the family friend, or the butler? With your help we can solve this mystery – you become the sleuth, you solve the crime. An interactive murder/mystery show where you are the detective. Further details.
Murder! At The Cirque Du Banquet! The Terrible, Final Case of Detective Ace Dekkard
The Dead Parrot Collective
Paradise in Augustines (Venue 41)
12 – 17 Aug: 22:10 (1 hr 15 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★☆☆ Chaotic
Welcome to Yew Nork City, 3724. When famed travelling troop Cirque Du Banquet is stunned by a vicious killing, only one man can be trusted to find the guilty. The new world’s greatest detective, Ace Dekkard. He faces a circus dripping with secrets, a network of criminal clowns and enemies on all sides… will this truly be his last case? Further details.
Napoleon’s 100 Days
Andy D
Paradise in The Vault (Venue 29)
3 – 17 Aug (not 11): 19:45 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★☆☆☆ Basic
The story of Little Boney’s second coming. Not recorded by history, he’s accompanied by his Mancunian friend and a dog called Fido. Howling at the moon bored after being banished to Elba, he escapes, with a force of just over 1000 men… Further details.
Nature of the Beast
Edinburgh Little Theatre
Hill Street Theatre (Venue 41)
18 – 25 Aug: 13:00 (1 hr)
Danny has met the love of his life, Nat. Times are changing for the better. Danny is going on a stag do to Liverpool with his right-hand man Frankie… the last thing Danny needs right now. Frankie is the voice of reason that just won’t go away. How can Danny break free and evolve into something better? Anica has dreams of breaking free of Slovakia. She has dreams of being a model, raising enough money to take her to a famous acting school to become a famous actress. Meder might just be able to help. Further details.
Odin’s Eye and the Art of Seeing
Alice Fernbank
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
1 – 25 Aug (odd dates): 15:15 (1 hr)
When a proton beam of radiation fires into my eye, ultraviolet auroras appear in my vision. An unexpected moment of beauty in a cancer treatment centre in the Wirral opens the doorway to a mythical world of Norse gods and their epic quests in the pursuit of “seeing”. A solo storytelling performance created by Alice Fernbank. Further details.
PALS
Higgledy Piggledy Productions
Gilded Balloon Patter House (Venue 24)
31 July – 26 Aug (not 13, 20): 17:00 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Unstoppable
A Scottish adventure-comedy play telling the story of four crude, chaotic yet completely normal gal pals as they embark on a camping trek in the west of Scotland. In amidst the buzz of Edinburgh life, budding photographer Sadie and her three friends are suffering from the modern affliction of being in their early 20s. In a bid to escape their lives, have a riotous time and avoid several mental breakdowns, Sadie takes her friends on what should be a wholesome holiday. However, these lassies are completely out of their depths, in more ways than one. Further details.
Passing Likeness
Ash Caton and Company
Virgin Hotels Roof Terrace (Venue 252)
2 – 16 Aug (not 4, 11, 13): 19:30 (1 hr 10 mins)
Show cancelled. Further details.
Planetarium Lates: You Are Here
Dynamic Earth
Dynamic Earth (Venue 315)
6 – 8, 13 – 15, 21/22 Aug: 18:00 (45 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★☆☆ Humbling
We’ll take you on a one-of-a-kind, astronomer-led, immersive planetarium journey from our planet to the farthest reaches of the Solar System. Experience life as a lunar astronaut; a Martian rover; a Saturn sailor and the most distant human-made object in the Universe. See the most important image ever taken. Open a time capsule meant for others and wonder who, or what will get to read it. This is a wee helping of some much-needed cosmic perspective while always remembering that: You. Are. Here. Further details.
Rat Tails (WIP)
Jeremy McClain
Fruitmarket (Venue 359)
1 – 18 Aug (not 5, 12): 17:00 (1 hr)
Jeremy McClain (Pose on BBC) stars in Rat Tails, a new one-man show directed by Matt McBrier. Set in an NHS maternity ward waiting room, Jasper – a neurotic, gay, American model agent – anxiously awaits the arrival of his baby. As he muses on his childhood and everything that got him to this moment, we follow this Southern-bred, Prozac-popping, biracial millennial who’s married into a wealthy, British aristocratic family as he explores themes of intergenerational trauma, mental health, gay culture, and class in this poignant and funny exploration of impending fatherhood. Further details.
Regina Vagina
Erstwhile Media / PBH’s Free Fringe
PBH’s Free Fringe @ CC Blooms (Venue 171)
Saturday 17 – Sunday 25 August 2024
Daily: 1.45 pm (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★★★ Smash
Was Queen Elizabeth I really a virgin? Was the Spanish Armada lead by a giant inflatable penis? How good was Mary Queen of Scots’ head game? Find out in this surprisingly accurate (horrible histories inspired) musical comedy. Join us on an in depth exploration of the folds of a woman who’s been documented as much for her body and sexuality as her actual achievements and success. Through scandal, conspiracy and raunchy musical comedy, let us delve into the life of Queen Elizabeth I. After all, there’s nothing weird about discussing a 491-year-old’s wobbly bits, is there? Further details.
Repression
Second Splinter Theatre Company
Liquid Rooms, (Venue 276)
13 Aug, 17:30; 25 Aug: 16:15 (35 mins)
Confused and trapped in a loveless marriage Alex visits Danny, an escort. Soon it is not just Alex’s repressions that come to a toxic surface. Writer Ben Igoe and James Cumming star in a gripping new psychological thriller directed by Liam Rudden. Further details.
Ring That Bell!
Not So Nice! Theatre Company
theSpace on the Mile (Venue 39)
19 – 24 Aug: 18:05 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Eternal
Ding! Welcome to Hell! An immersive dark comedy in which two fallen angels are tasked with guarding the gates to hell and directing newcomers to their assigned circles: the ring of fire; the billionaire ball pit; the circle jerk and the cone of shame. Lucy, with her cheery customer service attitude, and Bubs with her… attitude, provide you with important guidance. Further details.
River Time!
Laura Thurlow
Greenside @ Riddles Court (Venue 16)
2 – 24 Aug (not 11, 18): 13:45 (50 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★☆☆ Brave
Virginia Woolf, Ophelia and ADHD. Rejection sensitivity and the siren call of the sea. When times get tough, sometimes a gal just needs to take some River Time. Fascinated by her own water-based risk-taking urges, Laura brings a zany, comic heartfelt show about choosing not to drown yourself. Neurodiverse Review Emerging Artist nominee 2023. Further details.
Rogues So Banished
Paul Case
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
1 – 11 Aug: 20:00 (55 mins)
New South Wales, 1790. The penal colony is on the brink of starvation. Three convicts escape with murderous intentions in hope of a reward. But as they become lost and dragged deeper into the forest, it’s clear they are trapped in a nightmare of their own making… Visceral new solo show told in the demotic slang of the era. Further details.
Shadow Walking
Peter Chand, Ruth Kirkpatrick and Tom Lyne
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
10 – 14 Aug: 18:45, 20:45 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Dark tales
Are you sitting comfortably? Well you may not be for long… Drawing from their own heritages of Scotland, India and beyond, acclaimed storytellers Peter Chand and Ruth Kirkpatrick seek to excavate tales not often told, bringing them out of the shadows and onto centre stage. Explore uncomfortable, dark themes of jealousy, destruction and vanity, where happy-ever-after is definitely not guaranteed! Accompanied by a unique jazz score from musician Tom Lyne on double bass, this walk in the shadows is one you won’t want to miss. Further details.
Shakespeare for Breakfast
C theatre
C ARTS | C venues | C aurora (Venue 6)
31 July – 25 Aug (not 12): 10:00 (50 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Feelgood start
The Bardic Breakfasters are back for our 33rd Fringe, with a brand-new show, breakfast included! The Tempest meets 10 Things I Hate About You and High School Musical in a teen rom-com-romp. A pleasing plethora of pentameter, puns and pastry. Sensational Shakespearience, perfect for hardened fans and blank verse virgins alike. Further details.
Sherlock Holmes: The Last Act
Fringe Management
Assembly Rooms (Venue 20)
1 – 25 Aug: 14:25 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★☆☆ An Epilogue
Revealing the man behind the myth… exposing the great detective’s fears and weaknesses, the devastating consequences of the dramas of his formative years, and unexpectedly, his cutting sense of humour. It is 1916. Drawn from two years of Sussex retirement for the funeral of his friend, Dr Watson, Holmes returns to Baker Street to resolve The Last Act. A theatrical evening then unfolds, with 14 characters, all played by Nigel Miles-Thomas. Features cross-examinations and heated arguments between Holmes and Watson. Written by Conan Doyle expert David Stuart Davies and directed by award-winning Gareth Armstrong. Further details.
The Sisters Fig
Porridge After Meat
Assembly Roxy (Snug Bar), 2 Roxburgh Place, EH8 9SU (Venue 139)
Thursday 1 – Sunday 25 August 2024
Daily (not 14, 19) at 7.45 pm
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Ludicrous
A dark and twisted comedy about the cloistered lives of two co-dependent sisters and their cow. Living on their alcoholic father’s farm in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere, join these potty-mouthed, greasy little misfits in hope, rivalry and a weird kinda love on their absurd and (sometimes) tender journey to true sisterhood. Gaulier grads and absurdist character-comedy duo Blaise Wopperer and Lara Ciulli bring you their Edinburgh Fringe debut in an obscene, whimsical and deeply stupid exploration of love, loss and loyalty. Further details.
The Spilling Cup
Dracume Theatre
theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Venue 53)
19 – 24 Aug: 15:05 (50 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Bloody lovely
Sasha is slowly realising that her period symptoms may not be normal. But what is normal when it comes to periods? We follow her as she navigates living with endometriosis, friendships, sexuality, useless doctors, her self-worth and so many bad rom-coms. The Spilling Cup critiques a culture in which women’s health is downplayed, periods are seen as shameful and education is lacking. After a successful run at Assembly Roxy in December, The Spilling Cup returns to find the funny, the human and the bizarre side to the ups and downs of this often stigmatised condition. Further details.
The Steamie
Stage Door Entertainment LTD
Gilded Balloon Patter House (Venue 24)
31 July – 25 Aug (not 12, 19): 12:00 (1 hr 30 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★★★ Hilarious & heartfelt
Through everyday conversation, hilarious comedy, and music-hall style songs, we learn from four working-class women about their lives; husbands, technology and the approaching New Year in this time capsule of Glasgow in the 1950s. The show pays tribute to the unsung domestic labour of women, and the importance of female friendships – both of which keep it relevant today – along with the iconic comedy lines recited throughout Scotland. Laugh and cry along with Tony Roper’s loveable characters in this nostalgic show, steeped in Scottish culture and social history, which continues to entertain local audiences and tourists alike. Further details.
Sycamore Grove
Slainte! Theatre
Bedlam Theatre (Venue 49)
31 July – 11 Aug: 12:30 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Sinister and captivating
At the world’s weirdest dinner party, Ben and Hannah discover magic rituals to manifest the life they always wanted. But what will it cost to maintain perfection? A taut suburban horror about addiction, manipulation, and what goes on behind closed doors… Further details.
Táin
Young Edinburgh Storytellers
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
11 – 25 Aug (not 19): 15:45 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Otherworldly
A cursed army, two twisted lovers, a mighty hero, and a magnificent bull set in motion a terrible war which shapes the landscape and defines the heroic age of Ireland… In this modern retelling of Ireland’s most ancient and beloved myth, Young Edinburgh Storytellers Mark Borthwick and David Hughes weave together music and myth, blood and laughter, gender and magic, to explore the dark delights of the Táin Bó Cúailnge. Further details.
Tales from the Towpath
Citadel Arts Group
The Lochrin Belle, the purple barge moored at the Fountainbridge Union Canal basin
13, 15/16 Aug: 11:00 & 13:30 (1 hr 15 mins)
Æ Review of previous production: ★★★★☆ Water-born histories
Explore the colourful heritage of the Union Canal as you travel from Fountainbridge to Harrison Park and back on the moving barge, the Lochrin Belle. Tickets £10 from jamesellison@blueyonder.co.uk. Numbers limited.
Tartan Tat
Shark Bait Theatre
theSpace @ Niddry St (Venue 9)
2 – 20 Aug (not 11): 14:10 (50 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Authentic comedy
Meet the staff of Tartan Treasures, a tourist-trap gift shop on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile selling Jimmy Hats, Highland cows and knock-off wands. They’re all just trying to get by while waiting for life to truly begin. But when the staff find themselves at the centre of online controversy their problems become bigger than their little store can handle. Further details.
This is Our Story
Two Halves Productions
Tynecastle Park
8 – 12 Aug: 19:00 (not 11), 15:00 (9 – 11); (2 hrs 15 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Glorious fun
Heart of Midlothian Football club celebrates 150 years since its foundation in 1874. This dramatic and humorous retelling, performed on a specially built stage beside the pitch at Tynecastle Park, covers the triumph and tragedy of the astonishing history of the club. Further details.
Thunderstruck
David Colvin
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
03 – 26 Aug (not 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 16, 21-25): 18:45 (1 hr 20 mins)
Æ Review of previous production: ★★★★★ Striking
The Herald Angel Award-winning smash hit of modern Scottish theatre returns to the Fringe for a fifth successive year. The tragic, comic and epic tale of the greatest bagpiper that ever lived, a Pitlochry bin man who rocked tradition, flew beyond the summit of his art and changed Scottish music forever. Further details.
Ticket to Wonderland
Erstwhile Media / PBH’s Free Fringe
PBH’s Free Fringe @ CC Blooms (Venue 171)
03 – 09 Aug: 17:30 (1 hr)
Bumping into your ex at work covered in baby vomit can be awkward. But for Alice, who has just started a graveyard shift in a station coffee shop, it could be worse. You could fall asleep right afterwards, with customers waiting. Tinder-date customers with Cheshire cat smiles, boring teachers in odd hats, and disappointed mothers wielding flamingo bats… What are they doing here? Why are they all trying to get her on a train? Should one consume the magic mushrooms from the supermarket reduced section or are they bound to disagree with you sooner or later? Further details.
Tom Greaves: FUDGEY
Tom Greaves
Assembly Roxy (Venue 139)
31 July – 26 Aug: 17:55 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Tragicomedy
A brutally funny dark comedy about boarding school. Through the character of Fudgey, award-winning, Gaulier-trained Greaves explores the complexities of his own privilege in a mind-bending, tour de force performance. Further details.
Untitled
Mon Espoir Theatre
theSpace @ Symposium Hall (Venue 43)
12 – 24 Aug (not 18): 19:20 (45 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★☆☆ Detached
Untitled: How does a life unfold through conversation and can you trust your own brain to guide you down memory lane? Untitled invites your curiosity on a journey… Follow Elena and Robin’s touching story of love amidst life’s ups and downs. From Elena’s tough past to their unexpected meeting, it’s a tale as beautiful and unpredictable as birds in flight. Untitled currently has no official name – that lies in the hands of the audience! The best suggestion over the run will win a £200 voucher for the famous Edinburgh restaurant Dishoom! Further details.
Waiting
Kate Farrell
theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Venue 53)
5 – 10 Aug: 12:50 (50 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Chilling
It is September 1997. Edna Gould, wife, mother, grandmother, widow, has angina. It must be monitored and her new doctor is attentive and thorough. Despite the occasional setback she is ready for new experiences on a scale compatible with her needs. Edna was born in simpler times, her life lacks what some might term as excitement, but then so much is in the eye of the beholder. She has such hopes. Think Alan Bennett meets Roald Dahl. Further details.
Wallace
Edinburgh Little Theatre
Hill Street Theatre (Venue 41)
2 – 17 Aug: 13:00 (1 hr)
Æ Review of previous production: ★★★☆☆ Raw
As William Wallace lies in a London dungeon awaiting trial, he knows his fate is sealed. Here we see the man behind the legend. Brought back from 2023, this is a must-see performance of power and heart. Bobby Bulloch is outstanding as he brings the life of Wallace to life, and lets the audience see the man rather than the legend. Further details.
Why Am I (Still) Like This?
Nicole Nadler / Higher Heels and Heavy Suitcases Productions
theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Venue 53)
2 – 24 Aug (not 11): 18:10 (45 mins)
Æ Review: ★★★☆☆ Thinking aloud
At 30, Nicole finally found out why she was like this (spoiler: it’s ADHD), but four years and one diagnosis later… it doesn’t feel like much has changed. Why doesn’t she have her life together already? Why can’t she stick to a planner? Why can’t she leave the house on time, pay her credit card on time or know where she put her glasses? So now, she has a new question – why am I still like this? Further details.
The Wind in the Willows
C theatre
C ARTS | C venues | C aurora (Venue 6)
31 July – 25 Aug (not 12): 12:40 (1 hr)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Charming
Embark on an adventure with Mole, Rat, Badger, and the impulsive Mr Toad. From the tranquility of the riverbank to the perilous depths of the Wild Wood, follow their escapades as they try to keep Toad out of trouble and protect his family home from the nefarious Chief Weasel and his band of miscreants. A heart-warming and humorous adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s children’s classic from Fringe regulars C theatre. Further details.
ENDS
