Each year, our students, staff and alumni take a wide-range of shows to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and we’re delighted to be able to celebrate and promote these across our networks.
Check out our Central at the Edinburgh Fringe 2022 Brochure to see a selection of the shows that will be there for you to enjoy this year, and you can find the full list below. If your show is not listed, please contact the Alumni Office with the details.
Students and alumni roles at The Fringe
Our students and graduates undertake a variety of different roles in Edinburgh to support the efficient and smooth running of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with many working with one, or more, of the hundred venues across the city, as well as affiliated organisations and partners that are working on a range of activities during the festival. Among them are:
- Beth Folan, working with Pleasance Theatre Trust
- Nathan Friend, working as Venue Technician for the Front Room at Assembly Festival, who is looking after up to nine shows a day for the entirety of the Fringe
- Finn Ross Russell, working on The Edinburgh Fringe Radio Show and Podcast
- Gregor Weir, working as Production Assistant for Royal Lyceum
Full list of student, staff and alumni shows at The Fringe
2 MOUTHED MEN
James Hawley and Daniel Stanger-Cornwell. Produced by Sebastian Farr (MA Creative Producing 2019)
Underbelly, Bristo Square – Friesian (Venue 302)
Aug 3-11 - 5.20pm
Two men. Two mics. Too many sick beats. Imagine the best pub gig you’ve ever been to; then add a healthy amount of beatboxing, a bowlful of comedy, and a big dollop of funky beats. Whether through their beat-centric sketches or contagious cheer, these boys won’t stop until you’re moving, grooving and laughing along.
9 CIRCLES
Guy Masterson – TTI In association with Collins-Cohen Productions. Produced by, and including performance from, Samara Neely-Cohen (MFA Voice Studies: Teaching and Coaching 2021)
Assembly George Square Studios – Studio Two (Venue 17)
Aug 3-14, 16-29 - 1:30pm
Based on real events, this psychological thriller seeks justice through the eyes of an accused war criminal. “House Of Cards” writer Bill Cain. Olivier Award winning director Guy Masterson. Starring: Joshua Collins, Samara Neely-Cohen, Daniel Bowerbank, David Calvitto. ‘Timely & relevant’ (Broadway World). ‘Highly recommended’ (WOS). ‘Hard hitting drama’ (Guardian).
ABSOLUTELY PROBABLY UNLESS
TSquared Production Company. Co-Written and performed by Tess Ammerman and James Weeks (both MA Acting 2015)
Greenside @Nicholson Square – Fern Studio (Venue 209)
Aug 5-13 - 7.50pm
Absolutely Probably Unless focuses on two people at the end of a relationship, or maybe at the beginning of one. What happens when you can only love someone in a way they can’t feel? Do you find a way to hear them, or are you past the point of no return? No. It’s absolutely time to move on. Probably for the best, right? Unless…
ADA CAMPE: TOO LITTLE, TOO SOON
Written, produced, and performed by Dr Naomi Paxton (Central’s Knowledge Exchange Fellow)
The Stand’s New Town Theatre – Studio (Venue 7)
Aug 4-14, 16-28 - 2.55pm
Variety artiste Ada Campe decided to do some research into her family history during lockdown - and was delighted and intrigued by what she found! Join her for a show about wonderful women, surprising secrets, and amphibian water ballets.
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC: CABARET AFTER DARK
A Spoonful of Singing Co. With performance from current MA Applied Theatre student, Katrina Themans
C Arts | C Venues | C aquila – studio (Venue 21)
Aug 22-28 - 9.10pm
Our show will take you on an exciting journey through the world of Broadway show tunes all the way to some of your favourite pop song classics. You might even get a taste of jazz! The evening will be punctuated by jokes and laughter and is bound to leave you feeling better than you did when you came in! Grab a drink and come and join us! If you don’t like fun, don’t come…
AMY GLEDHILL: THE GIRL BEFORE THE GIRL YOU MARRY
Plosive Live, with involvement from Alice Eve (MA Creative Producing 2021)
Monkey Barrel Comedy (Carnivore) - Carnivore 2 (Venue 180)
Aug 4-16, 18-28 - 3.30pm
Intranet sensation Amy Gledhill (1/3 of cult double act The Delightful Sausage) makes her Fringe debut with a show about resilience and dancing. Two of the best things. As seen on: Hypothetical (Dave), The Stand Up Sketch Show (ITV2), Alma’s Not Normal (BBC Two), Late Night Mash (Dave), The Emily Atack Show (ITV2), Richard Ayoade’s Question Team (Dave) and Harry Hill’s Clubnite (Channel 4). **** (Guardian). **** (Times). **** (Scotsman). **** (Chortle.co.uk). ‘Gledhill is a name to watch’ (Evening Standard).
AUSTENTATIOUS
Austentatious and Underbelly. With performance from Rachel Parris (MA Acting for Screen 2007)
Underbelly, Bristo Square - McEwan Hall (Venue 302)
Aug 9-13 - 1:30pm
After sell-out national tours, a West End run and Radio 4 special, Austentatious returns to the Fringe for its ninth glorious year! Every single day, an all-star cast improvise a brand new Jane Austen novel based entirely on a single suggestion from the audience. Performed in period costume with live musical accompaniment, this is Austen as you’ve never seen her before: award-winning, riotous and unmissable.
BADGERS CAN’T BE FRIENDS
Raving Mask Theatre. With Mischa Alexander (MA Creative Producing 2022) as Assistant Producer, and including performance from current MA Actor Training and Coaching student Ed Firth
Greenside @Nicholson Square – Fern Studio (Venue 209)
Aug 5-13, 15-20 - 4.15pm
‘Mrs Kirkham comes up to my classroom at lunch and sees… And sees us… Having a ninja battle’. When Mr. Dennis, a super-teacher, hits back at the education system, he finds himself becoming a not-so-super hero. Who is he fighting for? Will he triumph? And can he find that weird smell in his kitchen?
BEG FOR ME
Rosa Maria Alexander. With performance from Nicholas Alban (BA (Hons) Acting 2016) and Rhys Anderson (BA (Hons) Acting CDT 2018)
Underbelly, Bristo Square – Jersey (Venue 302)
Aug 3-14, 16-29 - 1.00pm
6/1/2021: One day replayed on repeat in @R3alAm3rican99’s head. In this riveting new play by Rosa Maria Alexander, follow how one young man’s radicalisation leads him to the steps of the US Capitol. Beg For Me explores the implosive intersection of violent misogyny, the alt-right and digital extremism. One year on from the storming of the Capitol, the US has experienced a “peaceful” transfer of power – but have the forces that brought thousands to protest the results of the election changed? Beg For Me delves into the mindset of toxic male behaviour – with dark consequences.
BLOOD AND GOLD
Royal Lyceum Edinburgh Production, with production assistance from Gregor Weir (MA Creative Producing 2021), written and performed by Mara Menzies
Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh - The Lyceum Studio (Venue 593)
Aug 11-14, 17-21, 24-28 - 6.00pm
Ancient mythology and modern storytelling collide in a contemporary exploration of the legacy of colonialism and slavery by award-winning Scottish/Kenyan storyteller Mara Menzies. A dying mother gives her daughter a box containing three clues to a priceless treasure. This sets in motion a journey filled with humour and tragedy that considers the importance of ritual, identity and belonging. ‘An exquisite piece of storytelling performed with choreographic grace and a mesmerising delivery’ **** (Guardian).
BLOODY DIFFICULT WOMEN
Wind of Change in association with Cahoots Theatre Company. With involvement from George Jones (BA (Hons) Acting 2019)
Assembly Rooms – Ballroom (Venue 20)
Aug 3-10, 12-21, 23-28 -2.30pm
Theresa May wants to trigger article 50 without parliamentary approval. Gina Miller takes the government to court over it’s authority to do so.
BROWN BOYS SWIMMING
The North Wall. With movement direction from Sita Thomas (MA Movement Studies 2012)
Pleasance Dome - JackDome (Venue 23)
Aug 3-14, 16-28 - 2.30pm
Best friends Mohsen and Kash are gearing up for the biggest night of their lives – Jess Denver’s pool party. There’s just one problem… they can’t swim. Fuelled by halal Haribo and chicken wings, the pair throw themselves in at the deep end, tackling cramped cubicles and cold showers as they learn how to be at one with the water. Fierce, funny, and brimming with heart, Karim Khan examines the pressures faced by young Muslim men in this exhilarating new play about fitting in and striking out. Presented by Fringe First Award-winning The North Wall.
BUNKER
Harpy Productions in Association with Stepping Out Theatre. Written by Noga Flaishon (BA (Hons) Acting Musical Theatre 2017)
theSpace on the Mile - Space 1 (Venue 39)
Aug 5-6, 8-13 - 10.05pm
Deep underground, a claustrophobic and mysterious encounter… Two women in a bunker; one with no recollection of how she got there. Outside might be an apocalyptic wasteland, but is the bigger danger inside? This haunting, atmospheric and taut psychological thriller from Harpy Productions and Stepping Out Theatre will have you on the edge of your seat.
CANDIDE
Babolin Theatre. Directed and designed by current student, Phyllida Hickish
Paradise in Augustines – The Sanctuary (Venue 152)
Aug 6, 8-13 - 12:35pm
Bursting forward from the mind of Voltaire, optimistic Candide steps into the modern world where not everything is as school set him up to believe. Voyage with him as he chases after his lost love, rages wars, discovers lost lands, narrowly escapes death one or two times, and all with a grin on his face and a song in his heart.
CHAOS BY LAURA LOMAS
Quirky Bird Theatre, led by Artistic Director, Anna Friend (PGCE Drama 2004)
Greenside @Infirmary Street - Mint Studio (Venue 236)
Aug 22-27 - 5.20pm
A girl is locked in a room. A boy brings another boy flowers. A girl has tied herself to a railing. A boy doesn’t know who he is. Is there too much to think about, too much to fix? Is there too much Chaos? A series of characters search for meaning in a complicated and unstable world. Bouncing through physics, the cosmos, love and violence, they find order in the disorder of each other. Contains strong language and themes of mental health.
COLOSSAL
Indigo Productions. Directed by Susie MacDonald (BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre and Education 2020)
Underbelly, Cowgate – Belly Button (Venue 61)
Aug 4-14, 16-28 - 12:45pm
Colossal is a one-man play about love stories, masculinity and morality. Through monologue and spoken word, protagonist Dan tells a comedic but slippery account of a relationship, from first date to last text. Proudly queer writing which explores learned behaviour within relationships and interrogates how we talk about love.
CONCHA
City Lighthouse Theatre Company. Produced by Olivia Crawford (MA Creative Producing 2022)
theSpace @Symposium Hall (Venue 43)
Aug 5-13, 15-20 - 11.15pm
Concha is a one-person semi-autobiographical play exploring the intersectionality within the queer experience. Concha contracts chlamydia and doesn’t know who gave it to them! Follow Concha on their series of misadventures that take them through past and current relationships, queer sex, race, self-love and the importance of using condoms.
DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC FRIENDS?
Robot Roommate Company. Written by, and including performance from, current MFA Advanced Theatre Practice student Claire Eyestone
Greenside @Nicholson Square – Emerald Theatre (Venue 209)
Aug 22-27 - 6.40pm
When two roommates can’t pay rent, they enlist in a paid trial to teach an AI emotions. In this innovative multi-media experience, the audience plays the role of the AI as they interact and try to answer what it means to be human: the good, the bad, and the electric.
DREAMLINER
The Situationalists. Directed by, and including performance from, current BA (Hons) Acting student, Adwitha Arumugam. Also including performance from Sam Law (BA (Hons) Acting - Musical Theatre 2021) and current MA Acting student, Aadar Malik
C ARTS I C Venues I Cplace – studio (Venue 19)
Aug 4-14, 16-21 - 6.20pm
How do individuals react to the same event? To what extent does life affect perceptions of reality? Do you need a bath to publish a report? A surreal exploration of individual experience and British crisis management. Funny, mind-bending, completely unbelievable.
EULOGY
Produced by alumni theatre company DARKFIELD
Summerhall – The Terrace (Venue 26)
Aug 3-28 - Times vary
Eulogy is a surreal journey through a dreamlike, labyrinthine hotel that exists entirely in your mind. How you arrived is a mystery and why you are there remains unclear. Performed over 30 minutes in complete darkness, this intense and exhilarating ride uses 360 degree binaural sound and speech recognition technology to transport audience members through rooms, down corridors and into the bowels of this strange and not altogether comfortable hotel.
ESTHER MANITO: #NOT ALL MEN
Plosive Live, with involvement from Alice Eve (MA Creative Producing 2021)
Gilded Balloon Teviot - Wee Room (Venue 14)
Aug 5-15, 18-29 - 7.20pm
In her award-winning stand-up show, Esther Manito (Live at the Apollo, The Stand Up Sketch Show) looks back at the era of lad mags, landlines and cock-n-ball graffiti. A time where the media said her Middle Eastern heritage was filled with misogynistic men, whereas the West absolutely had (and still has) sexism sorted. Has lad culture really improved? Does 90s Essex have the answers? Best Show winner, Leicester Comedy Festival 2021. ‘Manito skilfully weaves her own personal story with a wider look at gender issues in society’ **** (Evening Standard). ‘Incredible comedian’ **** (EdFestMag.com).
FANBOY
Worklight Theatre. Written by, and including video and sound design from, Yaz Al-Shaater (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2008)
Pleasance Dome - 10Dome (Venue 23)
Aug 3-7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-29 - 12:15pm
Joe has always been a nerd. In his teens, he hid it. In his 20s, he owned it. Now, in his 30s, he’s started to sense something: a great disturbance in the fandom… And when Joe finds himself alone, sorting through his old things, he finds an old video tape… and something incredible starts to happen! Fringe First winner Joe Sellman-Leava explores our relationship with our past and future selves, in this love-hate letter to pop culture and nostalgia. Expect epic storytelling, razor-sharp impressions and a dose of theatrical magic! **** (Scotsman, on Labels).
FAT CHANCE
Written and performed by Rachel Stockdale, with involvement from Anna Robinson (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2018)
Pleasance Dome - JackDome (Venue 23)
Aug 5-7, 10-15, 18-21, 24-28 - 10.30am
Meet Rachel – a Northern, 20-something actress whose funny, celebratory and politically powerful one-woman play explores her true-life experience of weight gain from size 8 to 18. From audition nerves and throwaway comments to literally breaking a leg, this unconventional play is for: Anyone who’s put on or lost weight; Anyone who had free school meals; Anyone who’s tried to have it all.
FINAL BABY GIRL!
Baby Lame and Francesca Clark Productions. Including sound design from Lex Kodanke (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2014) and lighting design from Lars Davidson (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2017)
Assembly George Square Studios - The Flick at Underground (Venue 17)
Aug 9-14, 16-21, 23-28 - 7.00pm
Get ready for an evening of bombastic bad taste in the killer new show from cult drag superstar Baby Lame. Wannabe scream queen Baby has always dreamt of playing a kick-ass final girl in her own slasher movie… and tonight she’s finally going to make it happen. Directed by Deanna Fleysher (Butt Kapinski, Red Bastard) and featuring kinky role plays, trash-tastic songs and balls-out performance, buckle up as Baby slices and dices her way to horror notoriety. Or dies trying! ‘Hairy, scary and guaranteed to keep you awake at night!’ (Attitude).
FLIGHT
Produced by alumni theatre company DARKFIELD
Pleasance Dome – Potterrow Plaza – Flight (Venue 23)
Aug 3-29 - Times vary
Flight takes place in absolute darkness inside a 40ft shipping container. It’s interior exactly resembles an Airbus 320 cabin and over 30 minutes, Flight explores the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, taking audience members through two worlds, two realities and two possible outcomes to their journey. There are many worlds in which this plane lands safely.
FREDDIE HAYES: POTATOHEAD
Written, produced and performed by Freddie Hayes (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2018), in association with Pleasance and York Theatre Royal
Pleasance Courtyard – Pleasance Below (Venue 33)
Aug 3-14, 16-29 - 2.00pm
This is the story of a humble spud Charlotte, who dreams of becoming a stand-up comedian. But how does a couch potato grow to become a golden wonder? With elements of kitsch cabaret and old-school entertainment. This original new writing blends surrealist comedy and traditional theatre for a highly entertaining and joyful performance
GASH THEATRE NEEDS SOME SPACE
Gash Theatre, co-founded by Madeleine Flint and Nathalie Elis-Einhorn (both MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2020)
Assembly Rooms – Front Room (Venue 20)
Aug 4-9, 11-16, 18-23, 25-27 - 10.25pm
Boy, you’re an alien. Your touch, so foreign. Wanna be your victim. Ready for abduction’ (K Perry, 2011). Board Starship Gash for a voyage of interstellar sex-ploits! Do aliens have body image issues too? Is there a galaxy far-far-away enough from your ex? What’s really at the centre of a blackhole? (Spoiler alert: It’s Demi Lovato).
GENERAL SECRETARY
Thick ‘n’ Fast. Written, produced and performed by Cassie Thomas and Georgina Thomas (both MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2016)
Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Nip (Venue 24)
Aug 3-15, 17-28 - 3.00pm
Cassie and Georgie are just two insignificant individuals until, out of the blue, they are landed with a minor responsibility: taking over the world. From taking selfies to taking charge, they must find creative solutions for the biggest global issues. But do they have what it takes to handle this almighty responsibility?
GERIATRIC MILLENNIAL (WORK IN PROGRESS)
Solo show, written and performed by Liz Guterbock (MA Acting for Screen 2011)
PBH’s Free Fringe @Legends – Downstairs (Venue 96)
Aug 6-14, 16-22, 24-28 - 2.50pm
California native Liz Guterbock (2022 Union Jack Radio One To Watch, 2021 Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year Nominee) explores aging (dis)gracefully and whether it’s possible to stay in love with life as we age.
GHOSTS OF THE NEAR FUTURE
emma + pj. Produced and performed by Emma Clark and PJ Stanley (both MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2017), with tech from Virginie Taylor (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2015)
Summerhall – Demonstration Room (Venue 26)
Aug 3-14, 16-21, 23-28 - 12:00pm
Ghosts of the Near Future is a cowboy-noir fever dream about extinction. Colliding music, storytelling, and live micro-cinema, it is a hallucinatory road-trip through a vanishing landscape, a haunting collage of miracles and misdirection. It takes us to the brink of disaster and asks whether we’re ready for what comes next.
THE GREAT ALMIGHTY GILL
New Perspectives. Written and performed by Daniel Hoffmann-Gill (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2005)
Assembly George Square – The Blue Room (Venue 8)
Aug 3-14, 16-21, 23-29 - 1:15pm
My Dad, Dave, died on 5 November 2015 of complications related to dementia. It was f*cking awful. But the eulogy I gave was brilliant. It deserves a bigger crowd. My way to see if from the molten wreckage of dementia some humanity, art and wonder can be salvaged. I f*cking hope so.
GULLIVER
Box Tale Soup, led by Co-Artistic Director and Co-Founder Antonia Christophers (MA Acting 2008)
Underbelly, Cowgate - Big Belly (Venue 61)
Aug 4-28 - 10:50am
Gulliver, a traveller and pioneer, shipwrecked and lost at sea for nine years, has returned. He tells tales of lands undiscovered and creatures unheard of, but is he really the same man who disappeared so long ago? They say travel broadens the mind… but how far before it breaks? Following sell-out Fringe runs in 2018 and 2019, Box Tale Soup return with a new version of Swift’s incredible adventure.
HAL CRUTTENDEN: IT’S BEST YOU HEAR IT FROM ME
Impatient Productions / Blue Book Artist Management. Solo show by Hal Cruttenden (Stage 1994)
Pleasance Courtyard - Pleasance Two (Venue 33)
Aug 3-15, 17-28 - 8.10pm
After 21 years and 224 days Hal’s back being single. But it’s all going to be fine. Instead of getting the therapy he clearly needs, he’s made a cracking show about it. He’s lost enough weight to almost get his wedding ring off and, while he may be flying solo, he’s far from alone; he’s got his grown-up daughters, his dogs and his divorce lawyer. The fickle finger of fate has turned Hal’s life upside down but he’s sticking a finger right back at it. ‘Funniest he’s ever been’ ***** (Times).
I AM GAVRILO PRINCIP
Written and performed by Oliver Yellop (MA Acting 2012), and produced by Further Theatre
Army @The Fringe (Venue 358)
Aug 23-28 - 4.30pm
His name is Gavrilo Princip. He is the young assassin that shot the Archduke Franz Ferdinand. He fired the shot that changed the world. But was it worth it? This one-hour play with live music explores his life, his legacy and the world he left behind forever changed. This is not a story about the terrible majesty of war, but about having the best intentions and getting the worst possible results. ‘Captivating, movingly written and performed with charm’ **** (BroadwayBaby.com). ‘A highlight of the Fringe’ **** (Stage).
I JUST LIKE YOU | A GAY MYTH
Who What Where Theatre Collective. Written, produced and directed by Zachary Wilcox (MFA Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media 2021)
Greenside @Riddles Court – Clover Studio (Venue 16)
Aug 5-13, 15-20, 22-27 - 12.30pm
I just like you | a gay myth is an intimate two-hander about the messy complexities of the contemporary gay dating scene: Grindr hook-ups, STIs, accidentally catching feelings… oh my.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
Malvern Theatres Young Company. With performance from current BA (Hons) Acting Musical Theatre students Ellie Ricci and Elizabeth Jones
theSpace @Niddry St – Upper Theatre (Round) (Venue 9)
Aug 15-20 - 4.55pm
Subtitled ‘a trivial comedy for serious people’ Wilde’s play is a biting satire on manners, matrimony and misbehaviour in late-Victorian high society. None of the author’s trademark wit and sarcasm is lost in director Nic Lloyd’s streamlined adaptation, which leaves us in no doubt why The Importance of Being Earnest remains amongst our most popular and enduring comedies.
IMPROMPTU SHAKESPEARE
Impromptu Shakespeare. With performance from Charlie Sturgeon (MA Acting 2018) and James Whittaker (MA Music Theatre 2011)
Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Big Yin
Aug 14-28 @20:00 and Aug 14-17, 27-28 - 12.30pm
An entirely improvised Shakespeare play based on audience suggestions, to delight Shakespeare nerds and newbies alike. ‘Side-splittingly hilarious’ ★★★★★ (BroadwayBaby.com). ‘It’s intelligent, it’s funny, it’s all of the adjectives for brilliant.’ ★★★★★ (PockeSizeTheatre.com). ‘Ingenious and very funny’ (Will Gompertz, BBC Arts Editor).
I SHALL NOT BE MOVED
Samantha Russell and ISNBM partners. Produced by Pereko Makgothi (MA Acting for Screen 2019)
Greenside @Riddles Court – Thistle Theatre
Aug 22-26 - 1.45pm
The riveting play I Shall Not Be Moved is by emerging young playwright Isaiah Reaves. This one-woman show thrillingly recounts the story of Reaves’ grandmother, recognised Civil Rights pioneer Betty Daniels Rosemond and her beautiful, horrifying, and trailblazing journey through the American South as one of the first Freedom Riders during the 1960s. Audiences far and wide will experience the internal conflicts and joys of a dark-skinned Black woman’s fearless battle for equity and equality.
JUST THESE PLEASE: HONESTLY NO PRESSURE EITHER WAY
Just These Please, including company members Will Sebag-Montefiore (MA Acting 2014) and Philippa Carson (MA Acting for Screen 2014)
Gilded Balloon Teviot – Dining Room (Venue 14)
Aug 3-14, 16-29 - 7.00pm
With three five star sell-out Edinburgh Fringe runs, over 60 million views online and a tendency to list things in threes, Just These Please are back with 25 brand new sketches and songs where ‘the gags are packed tight and as always the performance is faultless’ (Chortle.co.uk).
A LADY DOES NOT SCRATCH HER CROTCH
By current student, Celeste Cahn / PBH’s Free Fringe
PBH’s Free Fringe @Burrito ‘n’ Shake - Downstairs Room (Venue 605)
Aug 6-22 - 3.45pm
Once upon a time, there was a young girl – not a princess or a pretty girl waiting to be one. No dress fanned out as she sat. She could barely sit in a dress. She saw no happily ever after on the horizon. Fresh from New York, ‘Cahn’s sincerity and sharp humor are truly winning – I couldn’t stop laughing through the entire show’ (TheEasy.com). From princesses to periods, a look at gender, sexuality, and the near impossibility of growing up.
LIVING WITH SIN
Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society. With composition from Joshua Newman (MA Music Theatre 2017)
theSpace @Niddry St (Venue 9 / @theSpace @Surgeon’s Hall (Venue 53)
Aug 5-13, 15-20, 22-27 - Times/Venues vary
Facing a quarter-life crisis, Cece finds unexpected support from the Seven ‘Deadly’ Sins. What follows is ‘a Faustian Queer Eye’. From the company that brought you SIX, a musical seducing us all to try a little sin.
LIZARD BOY
Creative Endeavor Office and Blair Russell Productions. With lighting design from Ryan Day (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2020)
Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose - Big Yin (Venue 24)
Aug 3-14, 16-28 - 6.30pm
During a bizarre childhood accident, Trevor was drenched head to toe in dragon’s blood. Growing green and scaly skin, he withdrew from the world. Tonight – 20 years later – Trevor meets a cute guy on a first date and ends up on an adventure of mythic proportions. Equal parts comic book lore and coming-of-age love story, Lizard Boy is the thrilling original rock musical that’s been called ‘ingenious’ (San Francisco Chronicle), ‘phenomenal’ (MercuryNews.com) and ‘ferocious and funny’ (Seattle Times). Featuring the award-winning, original American cast and starring author/actor Justin Huertas.
LOOK NO HANDS
Lila Clements, Tiny Giant Productions, Pitlochry Festival, and Bell Rock, which includes Associate Artist, Mercy Ojelade (MA Actor Training and Coaching 2008)
Summerhall - Red Lecture Theatre (Venue 26)
Aug 5-14, 16-21, 23-28 - 4.30pm
Cyclist Vee has no idea why she’s woken up in hospital. Armed with only her medical notes and a surprise appearance on 24 Hours in A&E, she tries to piece together exactly what has happened to her. But the mystery she can’t solve is why something so awful… has made her feel so fantastic! Inspired by a real-life cycling collision, this award-winning solo show by Scottish artist Lila Clements, is an uplifting story of hope and survival, made in partnership with female cycling club Velociposse. ‘A genuinely exciting piece of theatre’ **** (AYoungerTheatre.com).
MASTERCLASS
Brokentalkers and Adrienne Truscott present. Co written and Directed by graduate Gary Keegan.
Pleasance Dome - JackDome (Venue 23)
Aug 3-9, 11-14, 16-21, 23-28 - 5.40pm
Featuring the savagely comedic feminist discourse of Adrienne Truscott with the slippery dramaturgy of Brokentalkers, Masterclass parodies the “great male artist” to within an inch of his life to uncover some difficult truths about privilege and power. The show begins in the form of a cockamamie masterclass performed by fed-up feminist Adrienne Truscott and all-around good guy Feidlim Cannon. It’s fun. It’s familiar. But there is something more at play. Using the arts world as a metaphor, Masterclass is a literate and hilarious examination of gender and power. Supported by Culture Ireland.
MOTHER: COLLEAGUES
Mother Comedy. Written and performed by Jack Mosedale (MA Acting 2017)
Underbelly, Cowgate – Big Belly (Venue 61)
Aug 4-15, 17-28 - 8.00pm
Mother are back with an unapologetic hour - sorry, closer to 55 minutes really - of deranged characters and unhinged sketches in a live mockumentary so close to the bone you’ll be like …get that bone away from me.
MOVE FAST AND BREAK THINGS
Freight Theatre. Devised by, and including performance from, Julia Pilkington (MA Acting 2020) with assistant production from Adam Goodbody (MA Acting 2019)
Summerhall – Tech Cube 0 (Venue 26)
Aug 3-14 - 8.55pm
Amit Patel discovered a secret hidden in our data that made Google $1.7 trillion. Then, he disappeared off the face of the internet. Move Fast and Break Things is a theatrical deep-dive into the data-sphere, using movement, live video and puppetry to tell the story of searching for the man who invented Search.
MUDFISH: MIGHT AS WELL
Mudfish, with current student Dan Bishop.
Underbelly, Cowgate - Belly Laugh (Venue 61)
Aug 8-14, 16-28 - 2.35pm
Have you ever thought you were making a genuine difference in a broken world, when really you were just stuck down a well in an unspecified location with your bothersome twin? Us neither. But Molly and Dan know all about it! Join these ex-Cambridge Footlights for some muck and madness in this illegally witty hour of sketches, characters and – if you’re lucky – a new iPod. Will these squirming siblings finally learn how to work together or will they be stuck down this stupid-idiot well for the rest of time?! **** (Varsity). **** (TCS.cam.ac.uk).
NIKKI HARTUNG: LOVE, PIERRE
Written, produced, and performed by Nikki Hartung (MA Acting 2015)
Just the Tonic at the Caves – Just up the Stairs (Venue 88)
Aug 16-28 - 11.45pm
Parisian love guru, Pierre, swam from Paris to Edinburgh in the hopes of finally finding… love? Will you go on a date with him? Probably! Crack the code of love? Maybe! Fall in love with him? Je ne sais pas! A clown character show exploring dating, ghosting and true love.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Alex Roberts & Co. Written, co-produced and performed by Alex Roberts (BA (Hons) Acting 2018), with Virginie Taylor (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2015)
Pleasance Dome – 10Dome (Venue 23)
Aug 3-16, 18-29 - 2.55pm
On a night out in a gay bar, Connor meets Rob. One’s a newcomer, the other has been on the scene far too long. But when a kiss leads to a brutal attack - who’s the victim and who’s the perpetrator? Fusing spoken word, music, dance and video art, No Place Like Home is a tragic odyssey into gay club culture and the places we can call home.
POLES: THE SCIENCE OF MAGNETIC ATTRACTION
Tart Theatre Collective. Written and performed by Amelia Pitcher (BA (Hons) Acting 2020)
Pleasance Courtyard - The Cellar (Venue 33)
Aug 23-29 - 2.10pm
Cora’s a mess. She’s also a stripper. From unfulfilling hook-ups, to adopting the ugliest cat she can find, POLES is a new Aussie dark comedy and fiercely relatable story of young adult-hood, loneliness, the stigma of monetising your body, and the quest for something more.
PROJECT DICTATOR
Rhum + Clay. With sound design from Ben Grant (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2018)
Pleasance Courtyard - Pleasance Two (Venue 33)
Aug 3-14, 16-21, 23-27 - 6.10pm
Their choice? To die on stage – or off it. Beautiful and bonkers – it’s the clown show about totalitarianism you never knew you needed. Informed and inspired by conversations with international artists living under authoritarian regimes. Rhum + Clay return to the Edinburgh Fringe after 2019’s sell-out smash hit The War of the Worlds **** (Guardian) and 2018’s total sell-out and The Stage Award-winning Mistero Buffo. ***** (WhatsOnStage.com). ‘Vivid… athletic and sensational. Essential’ **** (Stage). ‘Powerfully resonant… deceptively playful’ ***** (Indiependent.co.uk).
ROUGE: CIRCUS FOR GROWN UPS
Highwire Events & Entertainment. With performance from Paul Westbrook (MA Acting 2012)
Assembly Hall – Main Hall (Venue 35)
Aug 4-9, 11-16, 18-21- 10.20pm
Rouge: a decadent blend of sensational acrobatics, operatic cabaret & twisted burlesque. A non-stop celebration of the astonishing, surprising, subversive & supremely sexy. Winner of Best Circus 2020 Adelaide Fringe, Rouge is back with acts you’ve loved plus brand-new offerings to shock, delight & tease. Australian circus cabaret at it’s finest.
RUNNING WITH GHOSTS
Mulberry Theatre Company. With production management from Chris Stone (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2011)
theSpaceTriplex – Studio (Venue 38)
Aug 5-6, 8-13 - 6.20pm
During lockdown, an all-female running group from East London get more than they bargained for when strange figures from London’s past run alongside them. Fringe First winners return, with a new play about friendship and feminist phantoms. Written by Afsana Begum and Fin Kennedy.
SAP
Atticist, Ellie Keel Productions, MAST Mayflower Studios and 45North. With involvement from Jordan Littlewood and Lucy Mewis-McKerrow
ROUNDABOUT @Summerhall - ROUNDABOUT (Venue 26)
Aug 3-8, 10-15, 17-22, 24-28 - 12.50pm
A contemporary thriller with ancient roots. When a woman tells a lie to her girlfriend, a seed is planted that starts to grow in the darkness. Now roots are cracking up through the pavement and branches are coming in at the windows, and – as she starts to see things that no one else can – she becomes the focus of some seriously unwanted attention. The award-winning Atticist and Ellie Keel Productions return with a new play based on an old myth, about passion, power, and photosynthesis. ‘A show to savour’ ***** (BritishTheatreGuide.info on Life According to Saki).
SÉANCE
Produced by alumni theatre company DARKFIELD
Pleasance Dome – Potterrow Plaza – Séance (Venue 23)
Aug 3-29 - Times vary
We ask you proceed with an open-mind. Séance is an entertainment only and we cannot hold the medium responsible for the outcome. Séance, the first DARKFIELD shipping container experience, transforms the interior of a 24ft container into a Victorian séance room.
SHEWOLVES
SHEWOLVES in association with Pleasance and Leicester Curve. Written and co-directed by current MA Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media student, Sarah Middleton with performance from Gurjot Dhaliwal (BA (Hons) Acting 2021)
Pleasance Courtyard – Baby Grand (Venue 33)
Aug 3-7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-29 - 12.45pm
Armed with a backpack full of Pop-tarts and a hunger to tackle climate change, the SHEWOLVES embark on a covert expedition into the wild.
SHOWSTOPPER! THE IMPROVISED MUSICAL
The Showstoppers / Something for the Weekend. With performance from Justin Brett (Stage 1995)
Pleasance Courtyard – The Grand (Venue 33)
Aug 3-15, 17-28 - 9.30pm
The must-see, Olivier Award-winning West End hit returns for its 13th year! Watch the masters of musical improv create a brand-new musical comedy from scratch at every performance of this multi award-winning show. Audience suggestions are transformed into an all-singing, all-dancing show with hilarious results.
THE SMEDS AND THE SMOOS
Tall Stories, led by Artistic Director Toby Mitchell (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2001), and including performance from graduate Felicia Akin-Adaramola
Pleasance Courtyard – The Grand (Venue 33)
Aug 3-5, 7-16, 18-21 - 11.00am
Soar into space with this exciting adaptation of the award-winning book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. On a far-off planet, Smeds and Smoos can’t be friends. So when a young Smed and Smoo fall in love and zoom off into space together, how will their families get them back? A joyful tale of star-crossed aliens for everyone aged three and up, with music, laughs and interplanetary adventures – from Tall Stories, the company that brought you The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom live on stage.
THE STONES
The Signal House, co-founded by Melissa Chambers (MA Performance Practice and Research 2015)
Assembly Roxy – Downstairs (Venue 139)
Aug 5, 8-15, 17-22, 24-29 - 12.30pm
In the aftermath of a terrible break-up, Nick takes a job out of town as a private tutor to two young children. The job seems perfect, the family too good to be true. But then the stones begin to arrive. The Stones is a darkly comic gothic mystery about guilt, delusion and the responsibility we share for the next generation of people who have to live on this planet.
THE STRANGE UNDOING OF PRUDENCIA HART
Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, with production assistance from Gregor Weir (MA Creative Producing 2021), and Double M Arts and Events
University of Edinburgh Playfair Library - Playfair Library (Venue 311)
Aug 5-7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-28 - Times vary
A wild session of anarchic theatre, haunting, authentic folk music and strange goings-on, created by David Greig and Wils Wilson who are revisiting their award-winning legendary original production in the extraordinary surroundings of the Playfair Library. ‘You shouldn’t miss this for the world’ ***** (Herald). Inspired by the original National Theatre of Scotland commissioned production. Presented with support from The University of Edinburgh.
SUGAR?
Suspension Theatre, with Director and current MA Applied Theatre student, Anne Mowbray
Greenside @Nicholson Square - Fern Studio (Venue 209)
Aug 8-13, 15-20 - 6.40pm
Sugar? is a brand new show exploring utterly hilarious, painfully relatable and beautifully told real life stories of homelessness through a blend of verbatim theatre, physical storytelling and live and recorded sound. Put yourself in someone else’s steel, toe-capped boots and follow two journeys in parallel: one, a discovery of the people that live around us and the stories they have to tell, the other, the recognition that the world is bigger than ourselves. Through silent discos at sponsored sleep-outs, panic buttons in interview rooms and spontaneous rap battles, Sugar? was born.
THIS IS NOT A SHOW ABOUT HONG KONG
Max Percy + Friends. With current MA Advanced Theatre Practice student, Assistant Producer Amy Tong, as Assistant Producer.
Underbelly, Cowgate - Big Belly (Venue 61)
Aug 4-14, 16-28 - 2.00pm
Winner of Underbelly, New Diorama and Methuen Drama’s hit-making Untapped Award 2022. This is not a virtuosic, visually stunning dance-theatre show about Hong Kong or its people. It’s not about the effects of censorship brought by the National Security Bill, nor is it about the loss of freedom in the Special Administrative Region. This is not a show about that deep, sinking, helpless feeling that we can’t quite put into words. Everything is fine. Max Percy + Friends are not here.
THIS IS MEMORIAL DEVICE
Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, with production assistance from Gregor Weir (MA Creative Producing 2021), and Edinburgh International Book Festival
Wee Red Bar - Wee Red Bar Main Space (Venue 506)
Aug 13-16, 18-23, 25-29 - Times vary
On festival nights, we present a new play, starring Paul Higgins, based on David Keenan’s novel, This Is Memorial Device. The fictional history of 1980s Airdrie’s mysterious, post-punk legends, Memorial Device, Keenan’s novel has developed a huge cult following. This stage adaptation is a glorious, hallucinatory journey back into the hopes and dreams of early adulthood. Adapted and directed by Graham Eatough and co-produced by the Royal Lyceum Theatre and Edinburgh International Book Festival, This is Memorial Device features original music by Stephen McRobbie from the hugely influential Glasgow band, The Pastels, contemporaries of Memorial Device…
TIM CROUCH: TRUTH’S A DOG MUST TO KENNEL
Solo show by Tim Crouch (Adv Dip Creative Theatre 1994). Produced by Theatre Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, with production assistance from Gregor Weir (MA Creative Producing 2021), and Edinburgh International Book Festival
Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh - The Lyceum Studio (Venue 593)
Aug 6-7, 9-14, 17-21, 24-28 - Times Vary
World premiere of a solo work by ‘the country’s pre-eminent experimental playwright’ (Stage). Not here, but in another place. In another place a country is at war; an old man is blinded. But not in this theatre. Here, everyone’s safe. Everything’s hilarious. The Fool leaves King Lear before the killing starts. In Truth’s a Dog Must to Kennel he enters a virtual reality and returns to the wreckage of the world he left both onstage and off. In this extraordinary new play by Tim Crouch, King Lear meets stand-up meets the metaverse.
TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW
Mulberry Theatre Company. With production management from Chris Stone (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2011)
theSpace @Surgeons Hall – Grand Theatre (Venue 53)
Aug 5-6, 8-13 - 2.10pm
After an encounter with mysterious strangers, three good friends must question whether they really are in charge of their own destiny. Fringe First winners Mulberry Theatre Company return to the Fringe with a new play about ambition, betrayal, and friendship.
THE TRIAL
Young Pleasance. With performance from current student Lottie Saul-Paterson, and lighting design and technical management from BA (Hons) Theatre Practice student, Joseph Bryant
Pleasance Courtyard – Pleasance Beyond (Venue 33)
Aug 5-14 - 3.00pm
You’re suddenly under arrest; no warning; no explanation. Welcome to Josef K’s 21st birthday party.
Enter into a thrilling kaleidoscope of action where nothing is quite as it seems, privacy has been abolished and Big Brother is always watching. This re-imagining of Kafka’s absurdist masterpiece explores the desire to forge your own identity, to find somewhere to belong and to make sense of a nightmare we now all share.
TROY STORY
MCS Productions. Directed by Ben Grant (MFA Advanced Theatre Practice 2018)
Underbelly, Cowgate – Belly Button (Venue 61)
Aug 23-28 - 11.05am
10 years of war have ended. The city of Troy can breathe a sigh of relief. But outside its impregnable walls, a wooden horse stands alone and unguarded. And everyone’s pretty sure it wasn’t there yesterday. As news ripples through the city of its sudden arrival, the politicians, citizens, soldiers and royals all have the same question: what in the Hades do we do about it?
UNFORTUNATE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF URSULA THE WITCH
Fat Rascal Theatre. With associate musical direction from Amelia Davies (MA Music Theatre 2019) and understudy for the role of Ariel/Sebastian from Danni Payne (MA Music Theatre 2014)
Underbelly George Square – Underbelly (Venue 300)
Aug 4-15, 17-29 - 5.55pm
Disney villain. Octo-woman. Plus-size icon. Join everyone’s favourite Disney Diva, Ursula, as she gives her take on what really happened all those years ago under the sea. With an original hot pop soundtrack and trademark filthy humour, it’s time to take the plunge and dive into this year’s hottest night out.
UPLIFT
Dave Neita. With production management from Chris Stone (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2011)
theSpace on the Mile – Space 1 (Venue 39)
Aug 5-6, 8-13 - 5.00pm
A heart-warming play illuminating the significant contributions of the Windrush Generation to Britain, the scandal around their wrongful treatment and their journey in overcoming this atrocious injustice with the support of friends and allies.
UTTER MESS!
StoneCrabs Theatre in association with Busu Theatre, and including Daniela Cristo (BA (Hons) Acting CDT 2018)
Greenside @Infirmary Street - Ivy Studio (Venue 236)
Aug 5-13, 15-20 - 12:35pm
In the attempt to create an absurd enigmatic clown performance, and in search for meaning and connection, a company of artists end up in Tokyo’s Museum of Lost Things, where nothing is remembered forever. They immerse themselves into this new reality and frankly, it’s a complete and utter mess. Embrace the chaos with StoneCrabs’ new magical, thought-provoking, funny and blissful theatrical journey. Disclaimer: this performance doesn’t provide any medical advice, nor the meaning of life. Common side effects: rise of energy, strong thoughts, bliss and laughter.
VIVA GLASVEGAS BURLESQUE SHOW
Roxy Stardust, Blond Ambition and Voodoo Rooms. With performance from Violet Duff (MA Music Theatre 2003)
The Voodoo Rooms – The Ballroom (Venue 68)
Aug 26-28 - 7.50pm
Join Glasgow’s very own GlasVegas Showgirl Roxy Stardust, fresh from her explosive tour of the Isle of Mingulay, as she presents an hour of burlesque performance featuring a host of homegrown heroes and traveling performers from far and wide. There will be dancing! There will be tassels! There might even be a haggis or two!
WE WERE PROMISED HONEY!
YESYESNONO, with Producer Rhian Davies (BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre and Education 2009)
ROUNDABOUT @Summerhall - ROUNDABOUT (Venue 26)
Aug 3-8, 10-15, 17-22, 24-28 - 10.00am
Maybe after this we’ll occupy the theatre. Maybe in one hundred years it’ll be swallowed by the sea. Maybe we’ll all meet here again. Maybe everything will go to shit. From the makers of Five Encounters on a Site Called Craigslist and The Accident Did Not Take Place comes an act of communal storytelling. A hopeful, hopeless prophecy for earth and humankind. A story of us, our future, of paradise and how we get there in the end. ‘YESYESNONO make shows that feel completely different to anybody else’ (Exeunt). Total Theatre Award Winner 2017.
WILD ONION
Orange Skies Theatre. Co-directed and performed by Daisy Minto (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2019) and Rachel Elizabeth Coleman (BA (Hons) Performance Arts 2020), with lighting design from Ryan Day (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2020)
Assembly Rooms – Bijou (Venue 20)
Aug 16-27 - 5.30pm
A narrative cabaret blending theatre, dance, and circus arts, with an eclectic playlist and approximately 100 onions, WILD ONION brings queer 3 best friends together in this riotous, compassionate hour, finding that in the support of chosen family we’re all able to grow. Shortlisted for the New Diorama and Underbelly Edinburgh Untapped Award 2022.
WITH THE DEVIL’S ASSISTANCE
Written by Shona Cowie (BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre and Education 2010)
Scottish Storytelling Centre - Netherbow Theatre at Fringe (Venue 30)
Aug 4-9, 12, 14, 18, 20, 22-24, 26, 28 - 4.45pm
Sit down, I’ll tell you a story. Maggie Osborne made a deal with the devil to bring prosperity to the high street, and built a business in just one night with Auld Horny himself. The deal was a cracker and the town boomed, so the people burnt Maggie alive. The deal broke though and whilst I’m not saying any of this is true… just look at the state of Scotland’s high streets now. Call a town meeting! A highly physical storytelling performance from Shona Cowie, with original live music from accordionist Neil Sutcliffe.
WORK.TXT
Written by Nathan Ellis (MA Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media 2017)
Summerhall - Old Lab (Venue 26)
Aug 3-14, 16-21, 23-28 - 1.15pm
Hate your job? Come work for us. This is a show about work. But the worker isn’t here, so it’s down to you. You’ll clock in at the beginning. You’ll get short breaks at regular intervals. You’ll work in a team, and under your own initiative. You will be your own boss. You will be free. Work.txt is a show performed entirely by the audience about the gig economy, financial instability and bullshit jobs. **** (Guardian). ‘Electric… I have no hesitation in recommending’ (Lyn Gardner).
