There are over 3000 shows playing at the Edinburgh Fringe over the month of August, lots and lots to discover and whilst you may wish to fill your schedule with new things that you have never seen before, sometimes it can feel nice to return to a favourite and make a repeat visit, and that is what I did here.   As an avid fan of those cosy murder mysteries, where you always know that the baddie will be caught and some of the clues stand out like sore thumbs, I couldn’t resist

Henry Cyril Paget, the long forgotten fifth Marquess of Anglesey, written out of history after he died aged just 29 in the 1850s having spent all of his estate’s money staging extravagant plays. His family destroyed any evidence of him, pretended he didn’t exist to bring back their good name, but this production ‘How To Win Against History’ brings Paget’s story back to life with oodles of glitz, glamour and sparkle.   Returning to the fringe after premiering back in 2016, we

Apple versus Microsoft. Jobs versus Gates. A battle for the ages. A musical crammed full of comedy, rivalry and a number of great songs.   The creation of ‘Nerds’ has been a lengthy process, but now running at the Edinburgh Fringe, I can state that the work has been worth it as this new musical shines, boasting a cast featuring west end names, a quirky and comical tale of truth mixed with a fair dose of imagination, and songs that will have you beaming from ear to ear.   Stev

With an introduction along the lines of ‘I’m known for having a big smile’, Alex Prescot instantly creates a warm and welcoming environment in his new one-man show ‘Cosy’, playing at Dexter Underbelly Bristo Square.   In a combination of storytelling and brilliantly improvised songs, Prescot showcases not only his musical skills and improv talents but also his natural friendly flair and style as he effortlessly talks to audience members and rewards good and funny responses wi

Drama, Comedy, Music, Dance, you can find it all at the Edinburgh Fringe, and if you are looking for something that will thrill a family of varying ages, then you can’t really go wrong with magic.   And if you want to see the best of the best when it comes to magic, a performer more magical than you could ever imagine, then this is ‘The Remarkable Ben Hart’.   A firm fringe favourite, Ben Hart has been bringing his effortlessly stylish, full of flair, and simply mind-blowingl

Gwen and Charlie are getting married. Great. But they can’t afford their dream holiday in the Maldives. Not so great. But it’s okay, because they have a plan. Gwen’s aunt Robyn is wealthy, she has a safe in her kitchen, and she’s on holiday in Corfu. Problem solved. All Gwen and Charlie have to do to break in, open the safe, and secure the goods to fund the holiday. Simple right?   ‘How Not To Fund A Honeymoon’ is a three-person short play by Very Rascals Theatrical Productio

What happens when you combine the artistic rivalry between Michelangelo and da Vinci with strong pop anthems, fabulous costumes and an incredible amount of queer joy and celebration? Well, you get ‘Pop Off Michelangelo’, a new musical that over the last year or so has taken both Edinburgh and London by storm.   Staring Max Eade as Michelangelo and Aiden MacColl as Leonardo da Vinci, ‘Pop Off Michelangelo’ follows the two young artists as they come to the realisation that they

A painting goes missing during an auction at a grand manor house. The Lord and Lady of the house are desperate for the piece to be returned, the guests are intervening, the maid is the font of all knowledge when it comes to household gossip, and the gardeners, well they just live in their own little world. It is up to Detective Stuart Pidcock and his sidekick Dusty Wills, who used to be a criminal himself, to solve the puzzle of the missing painting.   ‘A Shoddy Detective and

Friends, Seinfeld, Frasier, some of the most popular 90’s sitcoms that are still known and loved today, and for Mates Improv, the perfect inspiration for an incredibly funny hour of silliness back at the Edinburgh fringe after previous successful seasons. There are a lot of choice at the fringe if you want to see something improvised, and these groups of talented performers have to do something to make themselves stand out from the crowd, and a small team of three performers

There is a grand and ancient history to ghost stories; tales of creepy goings on passed down from generation to generation, the spookiness of old creaking buildings and the electric spark of excitement that comes from being just that little bit scared of what might lurk in the darkest of corners shrouded in shadow.   But the ability to tell a good ghost story is a true skill, the ability to capture an audience’s attention and keep them gripped on the edge of their seats, that

Deemed a ‘staple of the fringe’, having been back every season since 1992, ‘Shakespeare for Breakfast’ gets fringe goers up and about early with the promise of some Shakespearean fun along with a free croissant.   This fun and family friendly take on ‘Macbeth’, minus all the gory stuff, is a marvellously silly way to start your day as we see a the talented cast play a gang of enthusiastic amateur performers, more used to pantomime then the bard, stage their unique interpretat

It’s one drunken request, two best friends and three’s a crowd in Maria Teinikoff and Big Sofa Theatre’s new LGBTQ+ Rom Com ‘Eggs aren’t that easy to make’, playing in Jersey, Underbelly Bristo Square, which explores the difficulties of a lesbian couple trying to start a family.   At a University party, two newly single best friends Claire and Daniel come to a decision when Claire says If I am in a lesbian relationship when I’m thirty, I want you to be the sperm doner. Flash

If there is anywhere that performers can explore the bold and the brave, then it is the safe and open oasis of the Edinburgh Fringe. Have a tough story to tell, come here, want to explore sexuality, Edinburgh greets you with open arms, want to take a risk, then there will be a room for you at the Fringe. And if you want to see a show where two performers have a tough at times story to tell, explore sexuality and take risks, then look no further than JEEZUS! At the Belly Butto

‘Should I still be doing this?’ That’s a pretty big question to try to answer during an hour long Fringe show in a small and warm room in Appleton Tower, but here is Susan Harrison doing exactly that as she takes audience members on a whirlwind adventure through many of her comedy characters, complete with sketches, songs and a great deal of audience interaction.   Very familiar with the fringe, often performing with Showstopper, the improvised musical, Mischief Movie Night a

With a title such as ‘How to Win Five Grand on the Internet’, you could be forgiven for thinking that Laurence Baker’s debut fringe show was, in fact, some sort of ‘how to’ guide teaching audience members how to make money without leaving the comfort of their chairs, but this production is actually an in-depth exploration of grief and control.   When his father died, Baker managed to make enough money to cover his rent by playing poker on the internet. He learned how to play

Brothers, best mates and a boat load of pop hits transformed into sea shanties, a recipe for Fringe success and the premise of hit new musical ‘Shantify’, running daily at the Palais Du Variete in Assembly George Square Gardens.   It would be easy to suspect that this show may simply be a concert of song after song, but rest assured that this is a full production with a heartfelt and heartwarming story complete with wonderful songs and performances that will leave you grinnin

‘Vincent You’re my brother, You’ll never need To doubt me. Since our childhood promise, You are in my soul’   Did you know that Vincent van Gogh had a younger brother? And that they were extremely close, corresponding in letters with Theo, a successful art dealer, proving determined to both publicise Vincent’s artwork and support his brother through his mental health struggles?   Vagabond Skies, the van Gogh Musical, makes its Edinburgh Fringe debut this summer, condensed dow

Originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869, Louisa May Alcott’s ‘Little Women’ has been enchanting and captivating readers and audiences of both stage and screen for many years (the first film adaptation came in silent form in 1917, five short years after it first came to the stage on Broadway). It is a story of four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March, and their journey from childhood to adulthood, balancing poverty, love, loss and personal growth as they each try

It’s all just a matter of time, it’s all just a, it’s all just a matter of…’   Meet Benjamin Button, the extraordinary case of a gentleman born as an old man. He lives like no other, against the ebb and flow of the tide, in a world where tide and time wait for no man, and all he wants to do is life a little life.   Based on a short story by F Scott Fitzgerald, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button the musical is taking London by storm. Having premiered back in 2019 at the South

Since premiering at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017, The Choir of Man has gone from strength to strength, gaining success and accolades across the globe. With an all-male cast of vocalists and musicians, and a roughly 90 minute no interval running time, The Choir of Man opens its arms and brings the audience into The Jungle, their local pub where they are each a member of the pub choir.   In this ensemble piece that balances, music, song, comedy and poetry, we are guided through