Unleash your imagination at our unique Victoria Terrace venue. Captivating children’s shows. Spellbinding storytelling. Powerful physical performance. Dazzling dance. Masterful music. Energetic ensemble theatre. Part of the vibrant vivacious variety of C ARTS: a curated programme of international independent work taking place at multiple city-centre locations, and online, in our 34th year at the Fringe. It’s a festival all of its own. Make sure you see it all.

A mysterious message from the “future self” invites participants into an immersive space where AI unveils their projected histories. In The Waiting Room, choices shape a unique, evolving audio narrative, guiding participants through moments of dreams realised and challenges faced. As their future unfolds, from the fulfilment of deepest aspirations to a global crisis that transforms the world, participants explore a bizarre, unpredictable world where technology and humanity collide, prompting reflection on how our choices shape the future.

AI: The Waiting Room – An Audiovisual Journey

This captivating one-person show dives deep into the life of mysterious aviator, Amelia Earhart, known for her daring ambition. People fell in love with her as a romantic icon, but beyond the public persona, we see the woman behind the headlines, confronting her vulnerabilities, sexuality, insecurities and the cost of chasing the unknown. Through raw, intimate performance, this play explores her darker side – uncovering the personal fears and struggles that shaped her pursuit of greatness. A powerful reflection on what any ambitious woman might need to do and the price of a life lived on the edge.

Air Heart

Hand-picked shows from our digital performance programme and highlights from our critically acclaimed short film programme. Pop in for quirky shorts; linger longer for a moving moment. Features curated work from UK, Europe, Americas, Asia, worldwide. The destination for discerning digital and film audiences. Winner, LiveWire Innovation and Excellence Award for Digital Arts Programme of the Year. ‘Both weird and wondrous’ (ThreeWeeks). ‘Exceptional films’ (BroadwayBaby.com). ‘Delightful… perfect’ (TheWeeReview.com). A much-needed pocket of escapism’ (ThreeWeeks). ‘Spectacular’ (Scotsman). Programme runs continuously. Screenings can be any length (typically 30min-1hr). Some screenings at other times. See website for listings.

C digital performance and film

In its 75th anniversary year, we have forgotten why we have the ECHR. A living commemoration of a living law, this beautiful song cycle offers a new way to view the Convention, telling its story through the words of its British artisan, Edinburgh-born David Maxwell Fyfe. It shows how the seeds of ECHR grew in the wasteland of the evidence of the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials. Firmly rooted in humanity, David's personal papers, Sue Casson’s music and archive film blend in this powerful celebration of the Convention's protections. ‘Magnificent work about freedom, democracy, liberty’ (MusicalTalk.co.uk).

Dreams of Peace and Freedom

A joyous dance, irreverent and innocent at the loss of memories. Featuring internationally renowned Cirque du Soleil clown conceptor Daniel Passer and co-created and directed by award-winning director Beth F Milles, this immersive solo performance of spontaneity investigates losing track of one’s past while discovering and cherishing one’s present. The audience embarks on a surreal journey, finding hilarity, joy and unexpected revelations in the ironies of fading memory. Passer’s beautiful, whimsical performance breathes life into moments that challenge the mind, an unforgettable experience where humour transcends the challenge of forgetting.

Heading Into Night: A clown ode on… (forgetting)

Lily Casson invites you to join her in a world of songs and stories from a century of musical theatre. Sharing her favourites – some familiar, some exciting new discoveries – she takes you on a journey of how they came to be and why she hearts them. Lily has always loved musicals. Growing up in a theatrical family, she has experienced musical magic from both sides of the velvet curtain. As she shines a spotlight on the wonder of escapism, Lily makes musicals the star of the show. ‘Delightful, and beautifully sung cabaret’ (BroadwayBaby.com).

I Heart Musicals

After eating from the tree of the Fruit of Knowledge and leaving Paradise, Adam dreams that Lucifer shows him the entire history of humanity and its unavoidable failure. As Adam travels through time, and tries to find ways to prevent this, the values that dominated society at different times in history are brought to life with everyday objects. Hungary’s classic philosophical play Az Ember Tragédiája (The Tragedy of Man) by Imre Madách is given a new treatment in this original non-verbal object theatre re-telling with original music, written, directed and performed by actress Flora Novak with music and masks.

Providence

What would’ve happened if Romeo and Juliet didn’t die? If Romeo went off and found himself? This upbeat modern coda to the tragic events of Shakespeare's famous play follows what happens when Juliet stumbles across a new-styled Romeo. Romiet follows the star-crossed lovers as they meet again and this time, Romeo is doing a very different job. Will they get back together now that Romeo is a drag queen? Can Juliet put her beliefs aside for the love of her life? Join us as we discover if Romeo and Juliet can rekindle their love in a modern age!

Romiet

Discussion, conversation and debate about the arts, society and life. In the digital world there's no greater joy than talking face to face. 300 years ago, a club was set up in Edinburgh to support artists and poets. A centre of curiosity and debate, where horizons were broadened, it heralded the Scottish Enlightenment. It was called the Easy Club, and it lives again in this series of discussions inspired by C’s festival programme. Topics, speakers and artists will differ daily but always provoke thought and further chat. Free afternoon tea (and coffee) provided. See website for listings.

The Eazy Club

An intimate, one-on-one multimedia piece inspired by the novel Fahrenheit 451. Based on Kyle Yamada’s play, this new immersive experience leads you into a world where words survive through spoken transmission. As you lie on a bed, distant landscapes and voices surround you. Wrapped in a quilt, you discover another’s memories through a multimedia montage of whispers, warmth and deep personal connection. More than a performance: you are invited to join the Alliance. When you leave, the cycle continues: you record your own voice and images, to send back to be shared with someone, somewhere.

The Fahrenheit Alliance V

Özen Yula's highly acclaimed play takes the audience on a journey to the Ottoman Empire in 1558. It tells the unofficial story of Roxelana, who rose from being part of the Sultan's harem to become an influential figure within the state, mastering the subtleties of state governance with her ambition for power, even to the extent of sacrificing her children. The storytelling is enhanced with shadow play and masks showcasing the unique style of Turkish theatre, as Selçuk Yilmaz's music takes the audience on a journey back in time with Ottoman melodies. English surtitles.

Unofficial Roxelana (Gayri Resmi Hürrem)

The Fringe is an Odyssey – where will your journey take you? Artist is a card-based workshop created for Fringe artists. It's a space to pause and recalibrate amidst the festival chaos. With a custom deck of conversation cards, each session sparks open dialogue on themes like community, expectations and strategy, both at and beyond the Fringe. This is not a lecture: it’s an immersive experience designed to spark reflection, connect with community and explore new perspectives. You're even invited to take the cards with you and continue the conversation into your next journey!

Artist

‘Many times I wanted to step off the train of life, but faith and hard work kept me tethered to my seat.’ Cambridge-educated eye-surgeon Sola Amure returns to the fringe with an interactive presentation of his inspirational memoir Beyond the Horizon Might Be Better. The book tells the story of his life, from an abusive childhood divided between Nigeria and England to confronting prejudice from both NHS staff and patients as a medical professional. His presentation is followed by a Q&A.

Beyond the Horizon Might Be Better: Memoirs of a Black Doctor

‘Christmas Morning 2018, and I’m hiding in a graveyard from my family…’ Part disability history lecture, part autobiography, part agility course, part rant, part quiz and a whole lot of laughter. A Brief History of Neurodivergence will bust the current misunderstandings around neurodivergence – all whilst bouncing on a trampoline, skipping the alphabet, smashing the star jump challenge and occasionally pausing for breath. Join theatre-maker Fiona Moon in an embodied exploration of neurodivergence, and glimpse the chaos of a hundred-mile-an-hour mind. ‘A bold, striking voice reminiscent of an early Polly Stenham’ (The Bush Theatre).

A Brief History of Neurodivergence

The Scotsman’s top highlighted Fringe 2025 show. Caspar returns to showcase his renowned sleight of hand with an all-new show. Stunning magic. Unbelievable skill. Elegant performance. Pure close-up magic and sleight of hand: no stooges, no electronics, no camera tricks! Presented in style by an understated showman. ‘You won't see this level of skill anywhere else in the world. He should be charging £100 per ticket’ (Jerry Sadowitz). ‘Jaw-dropping sleight of hand in an intimate show that puts the audience inches away from magic’ (Scotsman). ‘Master of sleight of hand’ (FringeReview.co.uk).

Caspar Thomas: The Art of Close-Up Magic (Volume 2)

Jaja has done everything right. First class degree, ICAN certified, determined. Yet all he has earned is seven years of waiting and unanswered CVs. From exploitative interviews to absurd job offers, his journey exposes the broken and corrupt system facing many young people. One company wants him as a bouncer, another wants free labour. Through sharp humour and raw honesty, Dear Applicant explores the frustration, desperation and quiet resilience of a generation promised everything but handed nothing. Still, Jaja keeps pushing. Because if no one sees you, are you even there?

Dear Applicant CANCELLED

They’re sisters! They’re lovers! They’re cross-dressing murders! Two maids play out a sadomasochistic wet dream of killing their boss… until the line between their fantasies and reality blurs. Two actors swap parts each performance, role-playing servant and master, indulging their fantasies of control and wealth while on the clock as housemaids. Inspired by anti-capitalist metatheatrical play The Maids, Jean Genet’s response to the Papin murders in 1930s France which he saw as an act of political and social rebellion. Drag performance, audience interaction and gender-f*ckery are utilized to explore rituals of repression and revolt.

The Domestiques

Juul, anxious and plagued by compulsions, discovers their fetish for choking. Ashamed, but desperate for euphoric relief, Juul retreats into their hole beneath the tree. With Juul hiding away, echoing the dark path of their late father, loneliness and worry creeps up on their mum, Annette. Constricted within the bounds of their arboreal home, Annette and Juul unravel the messy and absurd lengths we go to understand ourselves – and each other. Written and performed by Ilja van Ravels, this is a dark comedy about shame, identity, desire, belonging and the ties that bind us.

Down the Hole

A multitalented, multilingual singer, actor and stand-up comedian you might recognise from the Fantastic Beasts movie franchise, brings her solo stand-up show to the Fringe! Calling herself The Foot Putter because of her graceful ability to often say things that others might find a bit unusual (at the very least!), permanent outsider Maja Bloom will delight you with her energy, her jokes, some useful tips for other 'foot-putters' and frank social observations of an immigrant Brit that is just never British enough…

Foot Putter – nothing to do with golf; everything to do with putting your foot in it!

In an era where migration, exile, and political oppression remain urgent global issues, Büke Erkoç plays a young immigrant woman caught in the currents of history, as she grapples with choices that define her existence. A shape-shifting single suitcase transforms into a high-rise building, a bed, a consulate kiosk, even a coffin, as this visually striking piece of object theatre brings to life a story of exile, memory and resistance. Devised from Turkish writer Sebnem Isigüzel’s novel Hanene Ay Dogacak. ‘A poetic physicality runs through Büke Erkoç’s veins’ (Erdem Avsar, UNESCO Resources Blog and Briefings).

The Future Looks Bright

In this fast-paced, cabaret-style solo musical comedy, one actress plays six vibrant characters to tell the story of Tomi – a luxury-obsessed teen whose world flips when she discovers she’s the heir to the Kazakh throne. Thrust into a remote village, Tomi faces intense culture shock, eccentric relatives and a journey of hilarious, chaotic self-discovery. Featuring original music blending jazzy and theatrical styles, Kazakh Princess Diaries is a bold, heartfelt exploration of identity, privilege and what it really means to belong, told through the eyes of a Kazakh performer reclaiming her narrative with humour and heart.

Kazakh Princess Diaries

In the not-too-distant future, ecological catastrophe has ripped society’s flesh clean off and civilization is nothing but a rancid husk. From the ashes, one survivor rises. An advertising copywriter. Join a stark raving adman at the end of the world as he tries to rebrand… the end of the world. What do we call this new dystopia? Who’s it for? What’s our why? As he takes the audience on a gonzo brainstorming session, our protagonist faces his own existential crisis: What’s a copywriter without a client?

The Last Mad Man

24 July 1943. Rome. The Grand Council of the fascist government convenes to discuss the removal of the Duce. Inside a small study-room of Palazzo Venezia, the authoritarian leader, tired and overwhelmed by the failures of the Italian army, reflects on how destiny drove him from poor and humble origins to be crowned Italy’s supreme leader – and how much of his sanity he lost along the way. This solo tour-de-force by Tom Corradini offers a satirical journey into the mind of the sentimental and deeply human man who became Italy's greatest modern statesman. 

Mussolini

After experiencing loss, a solo neuroscientist spirals inward, journeying through memory, mysticism, science and the mind in this poetic exploration of altered states. Blending scientific logic with surreal storytelling, this bold new work merges monologue, movement and sound to explore the liminal space between loss, healing and transformation. Visually evocative and emotionally resonant, it invites audiences into a deeply personal yet universal psychedelic experience. Created by multimedia company PolyXo, this is theatre for curious minds and open hearts – perfect for those drawn to bold new writing, experimental form, and stories that sit between reality and dreams.

Psilovybin

Celebrity designer Mat Sanders’ fabulously designed existence implodes spectacularly when sudden betrayal triggers a hysterical, one-man meltdown. Rugburn explores what happens when you’ve built a glittering life on a foundation of unresolved shame and perfectly upholstered defences begin splitting at the seams. Hollywood gossip, popper-fuelled confessions and impeccably appointed interiors collide in this fast-paced, filthy, deliciously deranged neo-vaudevillian spectacle. From the highs of styling A-listers and hosting makeover TV to the lows of underground sleaze and spectacular self-destruction, watch Sanders shape-shift through the dazzling wreckage of his life as style spirals into chaos. Brace yourself for Rugburn. 

Rugburn

Compelling interactive physical theatre installation that investigates whether it is not necessarily a kind of love that we crave, but a physiological need for human touch in order to survive.

Six Women Standing in Front of a White Wall

A contemporary Kunqu opera adaptation of the Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber. Jia Baoyu, once a sentient stone, is reborn and guided by Buddhist and Daoist forces to realise the world is empty of permanent identity and intrinsic independence. Wang Pushi, a fourth-generation actor of the Northern Kunqu Opera Theatre, mirrors this awakening through his performance, discovering a generative and empowering transcendence of emptiness. A dynamic fusion of classic Kunqu with modern experimental theatre, immersive media and slow rock music. Performed in Mandarin and English, with English surtitles.

The Story of the Stone

A laugh-out-loud stand-up comedy show that dives into the messy, magical madness of motherhood. From giving birth to surviving sleepless nights, toddler tantrums and the "romance" of marriage after kids, this high-energy special blends sharp storytelling, brutally honest truths and original ukulele songs. Whether you’re a parent, thinking about becoming one or just enjoy watching others struggle with tiny humans, this show is for you. Hilarious, heartfelt and totally relatable, Super Mama proves that not all heroes wear capes… some just carry 17 bags and never drink hot coffee.

Super Mama

What stories must we tell to offer ourselves and our children the best possible future? This prequel to the Icarus myth takes us on a journey in, through and to the centre of a labyrinth. As we journey, we hear the mythical story of Icarus told through the eyes of a woman enslaved in her youth. She explores what happens when an unfathered father has a son and invites us to interrogate the stories we are told, offering an opportunity to look at how they shape our future and give weight to the past.

The Apologia

A fully improvised narrative play in the style of William Shakespeare from Thorn and Petal Stick, alias veteran improvisers Hal Munger, John Mistele and Nick Zimmerman, founders of the first UnScripted Shakespeare Festival in New York. Nothing is pre-planned! At the beginning of each show the audience is asked to provide a title that inspires a delightful comedy in Elizabethan language, unlike any Shakespearian play you've ever seen. Love, marriage, scheming and mistaken identities abound in an entertaining improvised romp... all in the poetic language of the bard. Accompanied by Sebastian Hochman on piano.

Thorn and Petal Stick: UnScripted Shakespeare

1561. Scotland. Returning from France to rule her country, Queen Mary is faced with hostility from the Protestant lords. Seen as more French than Scottish, she has much to overcome as Queen, especially as a Catholic woman. The lords choose Henry Darnley for her husband, but as the marriage frays both Mary and Darnley find respite in Italian secretary David Rizzio. Flitting between comedy and tragedy, Into Thy Hands explores the bond between the Queen, her husband and lover. This tale examines homophobia and relationships, and questions: Who decides our fate?

Into Thy Hands

Award-winning flamenco dance from an international duo based in Spain. Flamenco, Brazilian music and jazz fuse in this inspirational showcase of strength, elegance and beauty embodied in Aylin Bayaz’s dance and Raul Mannola's guitar music. The shared passion and synergy of this five-year collaboration produces a unique experience of beauty and inspiration. ‘Flamencodanza is more than just a show – it’s a breathtaking journey, with its fusion of tradition and contemporary flair… leaving an enduring impression on every fortunate spectator’ (Dancelife.com.au). ‘Flamencodanza is hot, and you won’t see anything else like it’ (TheStageRaw.com). ‘Manola is amazing to watch’ (TheTVolution.com).

Flamencodanza

Shakespeare sits in his script, costume and prop-strewn attic amending his Will, when his muse magically materialises. ‘Why are you here?’ She points to the audience. ‘I’ve come to prove to them you wrote the plays’. ‘How?’ ‘By getting you to reveal where you “signed them”’. ‘Screw you’. What follows is a heart-warming, at times tragic, often heated debate between them – the Muse hurling Will’s own lines in his face – that ultimately reveals the truth and the urban legends that make up Will’s life and works, allowing him to adopt the motto: Not Without Right.

Not Without Right

Award-winning dance theatre exploring the invisible threads between mothers and daughters. Through movement, hand-knitted costume and visual metaphor, Weaving Me, Weaving Mum tells an intimate story of female growth, trauma and reconciliation, drawn from the director’s personal experience across generations. Created by Yuqiu, a playwright, director and textile-based artist, this compelling piece crafts a deeply emotional narrative through fabric, memory and movement. Produced by The Great Her, a female-led collective founded by Jiayi Chen. ‘It left me in tears’ (Audience Review). The 2025 edition introduces new handmade costumes and a cross-cultural female cast.

Weaving Me, Weaving Mum

Space access information: Enter building from Victoria Terrace using permanent ramp. Space is at rear of ground floor (Victoria Terrace level), accessed by one step up (assistance available). There is level access to space. Accessible toilets at rear of ground floor foyer.

Space access information: Enter building from Victoria Terrace using permanent ramp. Take stairs or lift up one level to first floor. There is level access to space. Accessible toilets at rear of ground floor foyer.

library

Space access information: Enter building from Victoria Terrace using permanent ramp. Take stairs or lift up two levels to second floor. There is level access to space. Accessible toilets at rear of ground floor foyer.

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