From reimagined classics to the very latest new creative work, discover the undiscovered at our original, unfettered Royal Mile festival venue. Nightly live music and cabaret. 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.

Eight teenagers take you back in time to an analogue age when telephones had wires and television was not so demanding. Square Pegs return with a brand-new, life-imitating-art play about growing up, which asks lots of questions about what it means to be human, but offers absolutely no answers whatsoever. Join Macready Theatre’s Offie-nominated Young Actors for 45 minutes of absurdist, fast-paced, fun-filled storytelling, to share time-travelling tales of nostalgia and a yearning for meaning when all seems fake. ‘A short spectacular showcase’ ***** (TheMumble.uk). ‘Another joyous bag of wild imagination, comedy and physicality’ **** (BroadwayBaby.com).

8-bit Dream

The Emmy-nominated screenwriter of King of the Hill, Beavis and Butt-Head, Just Shoot Me, Wilfred and Rules of Engagement is coming to Edinburgh! In his critically acclaimed one-man show, writer/performer Michael Jamin asks: What if the smallest, almost forgotten moments were the ones that shaped us most? Audaciously funny yet achingly poignant, A Paper Orchestra will change the way you think about life. Perfect for fans of David Sedaris and Mike Birbiglia. Based on the best-seller, which Vulture.com named Best Comedy Books of 2024.

A Paper Orchestra

Murder, arson and traumatic tragedy abound in this groundbreaking new drama by soon to be award-winning playwright Sebastian Maroun. A middle class family is pushed to the brink when their patriarch discovers he is going blind. As his vision fades, details of torrid affairs come to light which threaten to tear the family apart. The only thing that can save them is the journalistic instinct of their young daughter and a helpful stray dog who may not be what he seems. This is a normal staged reading. Everything is fine. Why wouldn't it be?

A Thousand Rainy Mornings

Rewrite her stories. Write her. A one-of-a-kind multidisciplinary performance rooted in Nüshu, the secret script of Chinese women. In this ritualistic solo work, writer and performer Jiayi Chen uses her body as a living scroll, inscribing ancient characters onto her skin with traditional ink. Through live body calligraphy, inspiring contemporary dance and an original soundscape, the piece becomes a haunting altar of memory, grief and feminine resistance. The piece is a tribute to the missing women in Jiayi’s life and a bold act of rewriting silenced histories through the body and voice.

Nüshu: Written for Her, on Her, by Her

Uma Gahd from Canada’s Drag Race Season 5, everybody’s favourite unofficial auntie, brings you her one-woman drag comedy exploring small talk and big issues: fame, family, feminism and failed marriages! Stuffed with stand-up, lip-sync and plenty of hysterical pathos, Uma tells the story of her life – from sneaking into bars with her childhood best friend, Margaret, to breaking into showbusiness with her growing family. Part environmental theatre, part cabaret and part drag show. Come hear the word of Gahd! ‘She is warm, slightly daft and thoroughly loveable’ ****½ (List). 'Wildly entertaining’ (MontrealTheatreHub.com).

Are You There Margaret? It’s Me, Gahd

Jive along to jazz, party to punk rock, cavort to classics and experience electropop with our cherry-picked musical assortment. A powerhouse of bands and soloists from across the globe. Enjoy the warmth of the world through a hand-picked selection of of bands, singers and instrumentalists, and soak up their sound! Discover new artists from five continents! We’ve got bangers, beats, bass and Brahms! Come enjoy jazz, blues, world music, electronica, pop, classical music and more. See website for listings.

Festival Music Nights

Are you angry? This punk clown musical comedy show is very, very angry, and if you’re not, then you’re not paying attention. And Loose T doesn’t want to be alone. So with improvised interactions with the audience, short clown skits and punkish songs she will make you angry too – with men in suits, fossil fuels, fascists, plastic, Brexit, labels... until you scream, dance and sing along with her. And hopefully laugh too. ‘She surprises once again, making the listener have fun, reflect and sing along’ (RoadieMusic.com). ‘A highly intelligent and politically-charged performer’ (YorkCalling.co.uk).

Loose T: Anger is Love x

A hilarious fantasy tale where you choose the adventure! Come merry folk from yonder to craft an original tale, with aid from your Story Master and a sprinkle of imagination. Fill in a character sheet, then watch your creations spring to life as they embark on an epic quest – or go way off track. Will they fight a dragon? Save a village of pixies? Get stuck in a dungeon and eat their shoes? Anything can happen! Your characters, your locations... their fate is in your hands. Come and roll the dice. A fantasy fun-filled show for all.

Side Quest

Fast-paced, racy and full of youthful zest, this high-energy musical addresses the disillusionment of the disenfranchised Z and A Generations with comedy, dance and song. Satirically depicting how they view their over-reliance on technology, influencers, career aspirations, social media and non-traditional learning, Gen Z.A! offers a no-holds-barred take on racial and social injustice, sexuality, feeling marginalised and being unemployed in a world overshadowed by economic injustice. With humour, pathos, love and anger, it's interactive, and (like the issues) in your face! Entertainment with a capital E! Not to be missed. 

Gen Z.A! CANCELLED

The alternative late-night Fringe experience returns. A unique blend of comedy, circus, burlesque, bands, live art and speciality acts from across the Fringe. With a different line-up every night this is a chance to see some of the Festival’s most exciting new artists. ‘A smorgasbord showcase of the wonderful delicacies... wacky, weird and wonderful’ (AYoungerTheatre.com). ‘One of the most fun variety cabarets around... Explosive and adaptable’ ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). See website for listings.

The Electric Cabaret

Two-woman band Finova came together in 2024 after meeting as students in Aberdeen. When aspiring singer/songwriter Ali Kova, the stage name of Rachel Allan Molotnikov, released her first single Loved Me Too that summer, she looked to Galloway girl, Erin Findlay to accompany her with masterful piano playing. The  musical fusion of this new-found duo soon led to creative collaboration off-stage too, as time between classes was spent writing and rehearsing. Hear Kova’s lyrics and melodies made whole by Findlay’s moving, compositional genius in this original, acoustic night to remember!

Ali Kova and Erin Findlay

This surreal tale begins with the recruitment of a hapless newcomer to a rural neighbourhood volunteer association. Responding to a complaint about noisy frogs, he goes to investigate. He encounters a supernatural world populated with yokai, mysterious supernatural entities of Japanese mythology who sing, dance and struggle to coexist with contemporary human society. The result is a funny sideways look at humans from their perspective. With wild hand-made costumes, giant sculptural origami puppets and original music, this is a unique and mind-blowing Japanese experience for all ages. Performed in Japanese with English surtitles.

The Anonymous Monsters

Scarlett Smith is an electroacoustic harpist and comedian. Tired of the harp's demure, classical reputation, Scarlett’s debut solo show Any Objections? defies traditional stereotyping. Instead, audiences are taken on a surreal quest to prove this unwieldy, celestial instrument has a place far beyond the orchestra pit. Blending live looping covers of popular songs, self-produced indie-pop jingles and fast-paced punchlines, the show is a playful celebration of creativity and harp innovation. Expect wedding industry musings, a fateful boat trip and an interactive gameshow in this whimsical world where chaos meets creativity.

Any Objections?

 A wild, hilarious solo show about grief, love and mommy issues. Candice Fox dives into the chaos of loss and a complex mother-daughter saga, blending raw storytelling with striking visuals. She explores grief in its messy glory, awkward moments and accidental wisdom, navigating the strange ways we stumble forward. This show isn’t just about death, it’s about mourning someone still alive, dealing with estrangement and how addiction distorts family history. Deeply intimate, darkly funny, it's cathartic, relatable and unexpected. You’ll laugh, cry and probably text your mom something unhinged afterward!

Cheers, Mom! Eulogy for a Living Parent

When the ghost of her father returns seeking revenge, Hamlet has to choose: play along, or break the cycle? When she makes her choice, the ghost makes his and haunts her coat. Crownless fuses Shakespeare’s text with contemporary female poetry in a bold exploration of grief and power. It's a ghost story, a coming-of-age tale and a stylish love letter to saying 'no’. With sharp dialogue, unexpected laughs and a coat full of unresolved trauma, this show walks the line between comedy and heartbreak. If you’ve ever argued with a parent’s voice in your head, this one’s for you.

Crownless

A mysterious new musical in which three strangers are summoned to a secluded seaside manor on New Year’s Eve by the enigmatic Mr Dellamort, who leads them through an evening of revelations and eerie delights. Exploring themes of unrequited love, mortality and deception, this theatrical gem features an original pop score, live theremin and vintage Foley sound effects. Gothic, quirky, and delightfully unpredictable, it’s a uniquely immersive experience that balances heart, humour, and haunting surprises. 'Will keep you guessing right up to the dramatic conclusion!' **** (NorthWestEnd.com).

Falling in Love with Mr Dellamort

An autobiographical one-woman drama-comedy show blending comedy characterisation and football performance to tell the unique journey of Lucia Mallardi, a Berlin-based Italian former semi-professional footballer and artist. Travelling the world as a street artist with her football and her hat, she has created poetic dialogue between two seemingly distant worlds: football as an art and art as a discipline of sacrifice and passion. Inspiring audiences across Europe and beyond from the football field to the stage, Lucia's story is empowering – challenging boundaries, merging sports and theatre in a way that only she can.

The FootballActress

A gripping solo performance that plunders the murky depths of human psychology, exploring themes of rebellion, power and moral ambiguity. Hitchens, forged from the crucible of a controlled upbringing and law-enforcement training, must now confront the ghosts of his past and the dangerous allure of radical ideologies. As the lines between hero and villain blur, the audience becomes the jury that must decide Hitchens’ fate. How will he be judged? Where does righteousness end and extremism begin? A thought-provoking exploration of guilt, reckoning and the quest for justice and identity prevalent in today’s socio-political climate.

The Forum

I am the voice of the dead, cast upon the dry shores by the sea. The voice of the dead is the ever-present voice that collects and remembers the stories and conditions of life of the unjustly killed and innocent victims of humanity. At a time of humanity’s greatest development, we have commited the most dire crimes of war and live in moral paradox. Ha highlights the ambivalence of attitude, the ignorance of guilt, and the pleasure of comfort. An uninterrupted performance built on the performer’s voice and depth of breath.

A tragicomic one-woman show about the absurdity of searching for a home today. Miriam, a street artist, waitress and actress, takes the audience through a series of absurd and often hilarious encounters with real estate agents and landlords, highlighting the struggles of a young person trying to navigate an overpriced and increasingly inaccessible housing market. Facing the harsh reality that without a home, there’s no mental stability, Miriam explores the difficulty of growing up and finding a sense of belonging in a seemingly hostile world.

Home Sweet Home

The island of Jeju draws everyone with its charm and beautiful Korean dialect. So why couldn’t Sodam go? This captivating play invites you to experience the soul of Korea through the beauty of its language, culture and sounds. Delving into universal themes of love, loss and human connection, it offers a rare opportunity to experience Korea's distinct theatrical style, merging tradition with modern expression. The universal themes of grief and relationships transcend cultural boundaries, making this raw and poetic performance deeply resonant. Korean and English blend seamlessly, with Jeju dialect accompanied by English surtitles.

Jeju

Leave the kids at home (if you bothered to have them) for this interactive improv, sketch and naughty game show. This production features a real-life married comedy couple (winners of the 2017 National Sketch Comedy Championship in Los Angeles) who explore relationship dynamics, emotions and sexual positions. Audience members can even compete to win a titillating title! You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. And you’ll invest in birth control. Erin has been described as ‘fiercely funny’ and Andrew as ‘utterly silly’ (ArtsTalkMagazine.nl). ‘Their chemistry is enviable’ (SketchReview.com). ‘Wonderfully twisted and absurdist’ (Chicago Tribune).

Married Without Children

Who truly holds power in the theatre? The writer, the director, the producer, the actor – or the audience? This genre-defying new work is not just a show: it's a conversation that tears apart the comfortable distance between stage and audience. Why do we come to the theatre? To escape, to feel, to be seen, or to be changed? In this bold, chaotic and thought-provoking work, audiences are invited to question the invisible forces that keep theatre in motion. As the lights fade, you might wonder: was I just watching, or was I part of something bigger all along?

Meaning

‘Once upon a time, a milkmaid wished upon a star…’ Join trans artist Hunter King on his journey of gender self-discovery. This brand new uplifting queer parody musical, Maid in the Wild, Wild, North West is based on a true story. It explores themes of belonging, self-discovery and joy through storytelling and music. Expect Disney songs as you’ve never heard them before, bad puns, terrible tropes, a damsel in distress, an animal sidekick, villains galore and a hero! Feel the Pride, live the magic, and cheer as the story unfolds... ‘Pure camp, country, comedy’ (Audience review).

A Northern Tr*nny Hootenanny

A bold, witty and moving autobiographical solo performance exploring queer identity, diaspora, racial injustice and the search for belonging. Krishna, a queer Indian-Malaysian man, attends a gay speed-dating event in Berlin. Through five-minute conversations, his regret and grief at never coming out to his late mother emerge. With raw storytelling, multimedia projection and poetic honesty, the piece weaves together personal memories, political insight and humour to challenge dominant narratives and celebrate the voices of the marginalised. It speaks to anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, because of their skin, sexuality, culture or class.

Second Class Queer

From Wimbledon Music Hub comes this youthful double-focus show: a cappella and strings. You’ll hear pop, gospel-ballad, alternative rock songs from the 60s (California Dreamin’), the 80s (Hallelujah), through to the 00s (Scientist), 10s (Budapest) and 2020 World Soundtrack Award song, Stand Up. And from our string group: folk, classical, film music, jazz and popular music too, from Ashoken Farewell and Shostakovich Jazz Waltz to Pirates of the Caribbean, the theme from Up and of course Sing, Sing, Sing! All songs have been specially arranged for the group.

Sing, Sing, String!

Manhattan buskers, cockney con-men, Broadway dreams. Nina and Robert have high hopes for the big stage. But when they get mixed-up in a scam that promises them everything, they discover that money is the loudest mouth, even in art. This Side of Life is a feel-good Golden Age throwback musical from The Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society that explores the struggle for artistic recognition, the lengths people will go to “make it” and the importance of staying in love with the art you create.

This Side of Life

If you suddenly found yourself in an unfamiliar room with no memory of how you got there, what would your response be? If the only thing in that very room was a strange woman, how would you react? The UnderNeath is filled with mystery, humour and self-realisation. It makes you question everything you thought you already knew and poses the most challenging question we may one day ask ourselves: What is your biggest regret?

The UnderNeath

Arthur James 'AJ Freaks' Federico is a veteran of the New York City music scene. A performer par excellence, edgy and eclectic, his signature style blazes with electric intensity. Armed with an Ibanez 770 guitar and GR-30 synthesizer, BR-8 drum machine and killer vocals, he has crafted an unforgettable style with over a million fans of his online videos worldwide. His influences include Miles Davis, Steve Vai, Michael Jackson, and even Broadway musicals, though through all his crossing of genre boundaries, he has always remained true to a single, identifiable style with a unique sound. 


AJ on Fire

From Broadway to West End Concert brings together five exceptional vocalists to perform the greatest hits of musical theatre in one spectacular evening. Featuring songs from beloved shows including Aladdin, Moulin Rouge, Les Misérables, Cabaret, Rent, Hamilton and many more – this is a celebration of the music that made the stage legendary. With stunning live vocals and iconic numbers performed back-to-back, it’s a pure concert experience for theatre lovers.

From Broadway to West End Concert

Space access information: Stair-lift with folding seat to 1st floor from foyer (requires transfer from wheelchair to stair-lift chair at ground level and transfer back to wheelchair at first floor). Staff can carry an unoccupied manual wheelchair up the stairs while the wheelchair user uses the seated stair lift. Electric wheelchairs and heavy wheelchairs cannot be carried upstairs. If not taking the stair lift the space is accessed by one flight of stairs. Unadapted toilets at rear of ground floor foyer.

studio

Space access information: Stair-lift with folding seat to 1st floor from foyer (requires transfer from wheelchair to stair-lift chair at ground level, transfer from one stair-lift chair to another at first floor level, and transfer back to wheelchair at second floor). Staff can carry an unoccupied manual wheelchair up the stairs while the wheelchair user uses the seated stair lift. Electric wheelchairs and heavy wheelchairs cannot be carried upstairs. If not taking the stair lift the space is accessed by one flight of stairs. Unadapted toilets at rear of ground floor foyer.

temple

Space access information: Level access from street to ground floor foyer, box office and bar. Unadapted toilets at rear of ground floor foyer.

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