Harold Pinter theatre, LondonOuthwaite’s performance as Beverly, a precision-tooled showcase in hidden anger and longing, is a triumph in this eternally resonant suburban dramaAlison Stead…
Assembly George Square, EdinburghThe US comic’s troupe tell the tale of a special guest’s romantic encounter, in this case Travis’s frontman – but their incoherence makes for a scatt…
The comedian charts his life in demos from 1960s Liverpool to 2020s London in this fiery and addictive bookAt 74, the comedian Alexei Sayle is approaching a dangerous phase for veteran Briti…
Clary’s back with Fully Dilated, a burlesque star called Entendre Entendre is doing lewd singalongs and there’s an A-Z of very dirty words. Our writer investigates Edinburgh’s smut out…
Every year, hundreds of standups from across the world descend on the venerable festival. Here are some of their finest one-liners10 of the funniest jokes from the 2025 fringeOlaf Falafel: I…
There are 3,649 shows at the fringe this year, but how many embody its spirit of radical experimentation? I took a journey through foam, lube and gore to find out ...Somewhere in Edinburgh, …
Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghAn unlikely relationship blossoms in Abigail Weinstock’s compelling and touching solo dramaIt takes a brave writer/performer to make her character a sociopath…
Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghEmotionally open and a little weirder than usual, the Glaswegian comic updates us on his recent marriageWhen SNL UK hit big earlier this year, it made stars of …
Three years ago, he won the Edinburgh comedy award with a work in progress. Now he’s back with a show inspired by Gerard Manley Hopkins and Friedrich Nietzsche. Isn’t this all a bit grow…
Festival theatre, EdinburghThe choreographer combines a homophobic killing from 2012 with a remembrance for his father in an often rapturous show about healingIn 2019 at the Edinburgh intern…
A play based on the writer’s dreamlike novel Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is touring the world, riding a wave of interest in Japanese culture. Its creators talk about ho…
Cathy Scott-Willars responds to an article about the secret lives of theatre workersI enjoyed your article (The secret lives of theatre workers: ‘People were having full sex in the stalls�…
With brute strength and beauty, party tricks and personal revelations, this year’s dance and circus programme has ambition and a spirit of togethernessIf you want to be wowed by technical …
Zoo Southside, EdinburghThe acrobats in this symphony of ins and outs build and break tension as they clamber over the set togetherFour performers enter the auditorium and walk among us but …
Assembly Rooms, EdinburghEmotional group dynamics and individual skills make One Fell Swoop stand out in the crowded circus genreYou cannot move at the Edinburgh fringe for circus shows. The…
How do you keep audiences gripped while cycling 27km per show? From the Australian recreating a Tour de France win to a ‘toxically positive’ spin queen, we meet the acts bringing Olympia…
Actor with a long career in theatre and on television who was known for the subtle quality of her workAlthough she was perhaps best known as the mother of two outstanding actors, Emma and So…
Summerhall, EdinburghWith physical and vocal agility, the tricksy clown duo trigger an avalanche of misinformation in this feverish treatHere is a show every bit as breathless as its title, …
Whether Elf Lyons’ high-concept Hollywood throwback, Kate Dehnert’s disorientating rave or Ele McKenzie’s Bob Dylan fantasy, heartbreak fuels fine humour at the festivalBreakups. We’…
From wacky versions of The ABC Song to Quentin Blake’s eccentric Mrs Armitage, these five shows offer fun for young audiencesUnderbelly until 31 August Continue reading...
With abs like Olympians and skin like hide, pole dancers are besieging the Edinburgh fringe. We meet four high-flying, physics-defying acts tackling everything from New York’s underbelly t…
Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghBoth outrageous and tender, this stellar follow-up to Main Character Energy gives new meaning to body languageTemi Wilkey serenades us, asks if we fancy her and…
Summerhall, EdinburghConnor Dariol, AKA Australian clown Conk, does exactly what he claims – and with such skill and relentless pep we are helpless to resistWhen I saw the title to the Aus…
Monkey Barrel Comedy, EdinburghA show about maturing and learning to listen to life’s signals doesn’t stint on tomfoolery and has some great gagsWhat a rich and enjoyable show this is fr…
Monkey Barrel, EdinburghThere are shades of Vic and Bob as well as Frank Sidebottom when this embittered git with bloodshot eyes holds courtEvery room in Edinburgh has its ghosts, and its pa…