The original Fringe venue. Since 1948 offering a quite fabulous and unique atmosphere buried in Fringe folklore. It's worth a visit just for that! Seconds from the Royal Mile, here we present new and established work from across the globe. Mid to large-scale theatre, dance, musicals, opera and music make a daily programme of quality to enjoy. Sell out shows a regular event at this very special venue.

Maggie is lost at sea after the Margarita Boat Tour Incident. Who even knew Edinburgh had one of those? As a storm closes in, her mother Judy and her fiancée Claire find themselves locked inside a lighthouse with only each other's opposing ideologies. Forced into an uneasy alliance, the pair desperately search for the person who ties it all together. It couldn’t get worse. Probably.

It Couldn't Get Worse; or, The Margarita Boat Tour Incident

A bold, fresh take on Macbeth as a pagan ritual, in which three immortal witches enchant an unsuspecting man to become the bloody Thane. This innovative production mashes the glorious text of the Shakespeare classic with a 4000-year-old Sumerian epic poem, recasting Macbeth as a sacrificial king. You'll be on the edge of your seat as the immortals lead Macbeth to the heights of power, then use his own dark impulses to destroy him. The ensemble of four actors brings all the roles to life in this fast-paced, spellbinding show. An age-old drama made startlingly new.

The Witches of Macbeth

Invasion, a bold multimedia spectacle from Philippine Theatre UK’s 23rd anniversary season, leaps across time – from the tense streets of 1940s Manila to the quiet corners of modern-day Oxford. Three mischievous spirits, a teacher, a lawyer and a nun crash into the present, pulling audiences into a haunting yet humorous journey blending horror, drama, comedy, music, film and history. At its heart is a stark look at Imperial Japan’s wartime atrocities, including the silenced suffering of Comfort Women. Guided by award-winning writer-director Ramon C. Teñoso, JoMarZeb explores memory, faith, loyalty and the lingering shadows of colonial trauma.

Invasion (JoMarZeb)

Nearlyweds is a brand-new musical comedy that will have you laughing, crying and singing along! We follow Lily, a people-pleasing Scottish bride as she runs away from her wedding, and Jake, a confused fiancé-to-be whose life isn’t as glamorous as he thinks. Along the way they meet an array of relatably quirky and vibrant characters, who have hilarious scenarios to overcome. Will Lily learn to stand up for herself and will Jake finally stop spouting awful puns? This relatable musical comedy by Jasmine Alice has extremely lovable characters and way too many dad jokes!

Nearlyweds – The Musical

Star Power Performing Arts bringing songs from musicals set in New York to life on stage. From classic Broadway favourites to high-energy showstoppers, this performance is all about big voices and bold moves. The cast brings confidence, passion and personality to every number, celebrating the hustle, dreams and magic of the city that never sleeps. With fun choreography and powerful vocals, Star Power Performing Arts captures the excitement of musical theatre and brings Broadway vibes to Edinburgh. 

A Star Power State of Mind

Frankie Coglione comes from a long line of mafiosos, all with the worst luck imaginable. But Frankie is different. He’s determined not to just make his fortune, but to change it. Backed by his iron-willed Nonna, he seems destined for the top spot. When an untimely retirement creates a power vacuum, Frankie must face his greatest rival: Tony, a silk-suited street boss with killer instincts and a surprisingly strong falsetto. Because in this family, you don’t just whack someone, you give them a closing number. Welcome to the family business! An original Mafia musical comedy.

This Little Thing of Ours

‘Beth is Shakespeare like you’ve never heard him before. Broadcast entirely through state-of-the-art headsets, this fierce, gender-swapped, rock-musical reimagining of Macbeth unleashes 'Beth, Thane of Glamis – ambitious, ruthless, and brutally self-motivated – on a world of prophecy, power and betrayal. Fuelled by a thunderous original rock score, ‘Beth transforms the Bard’s darkest tragedy into a searing, modern musical spectacle; this is Shakespeare’s tale of guilt and gory glory reawakened. Prepare for 70 minutes of epic riffs, raw emotion, and an anti-heroine who refuses to fade quietly into the dark. This is ambition amplified.

'Beth

Alex, a young man navigates first love, friendships and the quiet pressure of growing up. At school, between lessons and late-night messages, he tries to balance who he is with who he feels he should be. As relationships shift, the audience is drawn inside his private world, where every word is rehearsed, every silence is loud and what he thinks rarely matches what he says. While classmates see an ordinary student stumbling through young love, we witness his doubts, his hopes and the quiet struggle to understand himself.

Inside Voices

A blisteringly brilliant comedy of two oddball men playing ping-pong in a rundown upstate New York bar. Their chemistry explodes with hilarious, heart-breaking revelations. Gus, a flamboyantly stoic professor of philosophy and socially inept genius, spouts jokes and pedantry. Chip is a goofy struggling music teacher and composer, whose life hangs by a thread. A spectacular, gripping, rapid-fire human symphony. Overall Excellence for Ensemble winner (FringeNYC). ‘Bright, funny and cathartic. An emotionally resonant buddy comedy for thinking audiences’ **** (Time Out). ‘One of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen’ (BroadwayRadio.com).

Chip and Gus: A Comedy with Balls

Everyone has another face they hide behind... A radical re-imagining of Stevenson’s classic tale, where Victorian morality and modern feminist issues collide. This adaptation begins with Dr Jekyll’s wife, Harriet, continuing his work and exploring the duality of the soul – but her transformation is not all it seems. With powerful links between past and present, this gripping ensemble piece explores the timely question of how social change can be won, and at what cost. And crucially, do we all have a Hyde inside us?

Jekyll and Hyde

A newly devised piece focusing on the relationship between human beings and artificial intelligence. The performance follows a politician named Jane, whose life crumbles when she becomes the victim of deepfaked porn. This causes Jane to isolate herself from the world, taking comfort in an AI chatbot – who she affectionately names Romeo. The performance focuses on the progression of their relationship as it takes on a more romantic nature, and confronts the risk of replacing human connection with AI. Eventually Jane is forced to chose between her real life and her new, idealised virtual life.

Romeo and I

Imagine 20 years of war. A war in Ancient Greece, between Sparta and Athens. Now picture Lysistrata, an ordinary Athenian woman who says, 'Enough war! We women will end this war!' But how? 'By going on a sex strike! Are you with me?' Aristophanes' comedy Lysistrata gets an explosive, modern reimagining through protest, politics and power.

Lysistrata

Graham has been the star contestant of a popular gameshow for either 4 or 327 days. Led by a series of violently charming hosts, Graham and the audience compete in a game neither party understands. The tasks are invasive, the stakes mysteriously high and the audience increasingly implicated. Part performance art, part improv show, part ethics inquiry, How to Win a Gameshow blurs the line between performer and audience-rendering everyone subject to scrutiny under the watchful eye of an ever-present, controlling, overarching force.

exit strategy's How to Win a Gameshow

Set in 1823, an Edinburgh riddled with greed and decay, Mary McKinnon is the queen of the night. Her brothel, Bloody Mary’s, is successful, her reputation untouched... Until one night of violence changes it all. When gentlemen turn ungentlemanly and demand more than Mary is willing to give, tragedy creeps under the red curtain and blood becomes the new currency. Come join us for a night of song and dance where the women from Edinburgh's past reclaim their voices. 

Bloody Mary's

After seven years, a Melbourne share house welcomes the unexpected return of old friends, flames and foes, reuniting for one final song. As past and present collide, buried tensions resurface and the ties that once bound them begin to unravel. Featuring a live original folk score performed by actor-musicians, this new Australian musical explores memory, art and what it means to create. Paperfolk Theatre presents the UK debut of Our Seventh String, following its sold-out Melbourne run. Praise for previous work: ‘Vibrant and entertaining’ (BroadwayBaby.com), ‘Humour, heart, and unmistakable intelligence’ (CorrBlimey.uk).

Our Seventh String

Travel back to the 1958 Springfield High School prom and meet the Wonderettes – four girls with big dreams, bigger personalities and harmonies to match. As friendships shift and romances unfold, they perform beloved 50s hits like Lollipop, Dream Lover, Stupid Cupid and more. This high-energy, heartwarming musical captures the joy, heartbreak and excitement of teenage life, all wrapped in timeless songs and vintage charm. Perfect for audiences of all ages, Wonderettes '58 is a fun, fast-paced trip down memory lane you won't want to miss.

Marvelous Wonderettes '58

Anne of Green Gables follows the misadventures of a wildly independent orphan with fiery red hair and a temper to match. Cherished by generations, LM Montgomery's timeless classic comes to life in a new musical commissioned by the award-winning Theatreworks USA. Anne Shirley is mistakenly sent to live with a plainspoken farmer and his spinster sister, who thought they were adopting a boy! She wins over the Cuthberts and all of Prince Edward Island with her irrepressible spirit and imagination – and wins over audiences with this warm, poignant story about love, home and family.

Anne of Green Gables

Shakespeare's Macbeth is a violent and disturbing play. This stage adaptation contains some of the same disturbing elements. In this case, two high school seniors are plotting murder. Elizabeth, through the urging of her best friend Mackenzie and the supernatural intervention of three restaurant servers, gives into 'vaulting ambition' and surrenders to her bloodiest impulses. Like the classic play by Shakespeare that inspired this story, it includes witchcraft and 'prophesy'.

Opening: A Dessert Place

Honours the refined artistry of Broadway's golden age, when dance functioned as narrative architecture and movement was inseparable from dramatic intention. From sweeping waltzes and balletic dream sequences to rhythm-driven jazz ensembles, choreography illuminated character, clarified stakes and propelled story. This cabaret celebrates the seamless integration of performance that defined mid-century musical theatre, showcasing the elegance, precision and expressive depth that set the standard for generations of performers. Anchored by luminous scores and sophisticated lyricism, the evening pays tribute to an era when theatrical craft, musicality and kinetic storytelling achieved enduring brilliance.

Shall We Dance? The Golden Years

The Insanity of Mary Girard tells the haunting true story of a Philadelphia woman committed to an asylum by her husband in 1790. Inside, ghostly furies from her past accuse and torment her as memory and reality blur. The play exposes the cruelty and psychological abuse of early mental institutions, revealing how women could be silenced and labelled mad for defying societal norms. This gripping drama confronts injustice, power and the devastating cost of being unheard.

The Insanity of Mary Girard

From the creators of Hairspray comes a rockabilly-fuelled musical comedy packed with rebellious spirit and vintage Americana. In 1950s Baltimore, good girl Allison falls for Cry-Baby Walker, the irresistible bad boy leader of the Drapes. Their romance ignites a hilarious battle between the squeaky-clean Squares and the leather-clad outsiders who refuse to fit in. With a high-energy score, big laughs and plenty of rock 'n' roll attitude, this cult-favourite musical celebrates young love, rebellion and the thrill of breaking the rules. Funny and bursting with retro style, it's a wild ride you won't want to miss.

Cry-Baby the Musical

BoYz may come and Go, bUt hOrSes aRe 4ever... A dark comedy play about a group of pre-teen girls in an exclusive South Florida horse club, the Lady Jean Ladies, who navigate middle school drama, insecurities and their obsession with horses, especially when their leader Ashleigh's family stables are threatened. The play explores themes of friendship, deception and the desperate need to belong, focusing on the characters' intense world of equestrianism and social hierarchy. 'Pitch-perfect... a 50-minute pop descent into madness' (New York Times).

Horse Girls

Six actors. Dozens of characters. One dragon. Adventure awaits in this bold, imaginative adaptation of The Hobbit, authorized by Middle-earth Enterprises. With only six actors, a few props and limitless creativity, Tolkien's epic tale springs to life through inventive staging, physical storytelling and playful theatrical magic. The ensemble transforms into trolls, elves, goblins, eagles and Smaug, the dragon, as Bilbo Baggins leaves the comfort of the Shire and discovers courage he never knew he had. Fast-paced, funny, filled with surprises, the production uses movement, lights and shadows, puppetry and imagination to create a world larger than the stage.

The Hobbit

George Orwell's revolutionary masterpiece comes to life in this fast-moving, physical adaptation. After revolting against their negligent master, the downtrodden animals of Manor Farm overthrow Farmer Jones to create a self-ruled utopia. Guided by democratic ideals, they strive for a paradise of equality where every voice matters. However, their virtuous mission is soon betrayed as the temptations of power and privilege take hold. Ruthless new tyranny replaces the old, proving that power corrupts even the noblest of causes. Experience this spellbinding, high-energy production – a painfully relevant warning that while all animals are equal, some are more equal.

Animal Farm

Five people walk into a room, and only one will make it out alive. 00:45:00 is an experiment that plays out in real time through the lens of a scientist pursuing an answer to the philosophical question: is one person's life more valuable than another's and how can anyone make that decision? This story is about daring those who sit back and watch to do something and exploring what happens when they do.

00:45:00

In this heart-pulling and comedic play, two lost souls in a constant battle with their self-worth get set up on an awkward blind date. But when the date proves to actually be worth their time, the two are led into a relationship they never expected and an ending they never knew they needed. 

What Happened Here

Welcome to The Retreat, where guests can log off, detox and connect with nature (or perfectly kept astroturf). Five eccentric internet addicts search for an easy fix for their mounting problems, in the hopes that cucumber peels and trust exercises can buy back their happiness. When a violent storm threatens to uproot their plans, they are forced to question whether you can ever really go ‘off the grid’. Hope This Helps! is a satirical comedy by Shark Bait Theatre about wellness culture, connection in the digital age, and touching grass for once. 

Hope This Helps!

Teachers win wars. When a group of history students make a film about their town, they uncover a past they were never meant to know. From youth theatre company Lund, Propaganda is a new play about youth, resistance and the making of history.

Propaganda

Max is eighteen, autistic and spiralling into outbursts that his parents, Harry and Miranda, can no longer manage. When a job offer poses a new beginning in America, it feels like a fresh start – until they realise the world they’re entering views Max as an epidemic to be cured. Max's younger brother, Daniel, is caught amongst these rising concerns. As the plot unfolds, Daniel’s own sensory world begins to fracture and he must face a terrifying question: is he more like Max than he knows?

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