Mitch Benn – Asking Elvis 4.5 ****

I have seen many guises Mitch Benn has presented over the 30 years or so he has been in and around the Fringe in August, yet year by year this very gifted funny man manages to present a different … Read More

Aidan Greene – Stuttermilk Pancakes – 4****

Using any kind of disability to make people laugh can sometimes be a bit of a difficult watch, however, Aidan Greene’s show, Stuttermilk Pancakes, embraces his stammering with hilarious results. Don’t get me wrong, there are times where I wanted … Read More

Ben Goldsmith: CrimeLandTown – 4****

In this energetic one-man show Ben Goldsmith takes on the roles of criminals great and small all trying to make their way in the sleazy (and decidedly silly) city of CrimeLandTown.

In the mafia mould of crime classics such as … Read More

The Ugly Duckling – 4****

Revel Puck Circus and Underbelly reimagine the classic tale of the Ugly Duckling, a children’s story we all know well, and put a self-aware and high circus spin on it. What’s great here is that before the show has … Read More

Treeeeee – 3***

Treeeeee compresses a tree’s 500-year life into a brisk 50 minutes, performed solo (sort of) by Christiaan Hendriksen in the small Daisy room at Underbelly, Bristo Square. Framed by the folkloric Green Man, the piece plants a pine cone, … Read More

Angelica Mode 4****

Angelica Mode are an Edinburgh-based three-piece built around identical Dublin-born twins — singer-songwriter/guitarist Brian Hughes and bassist-synth wielder Martin Hughes — plus Stevie Sticks on drums. Formed in 2020, they’ve clearly spent the last few years chiselling their sound into … Read More

The Mequetrefo – 3***

We entered not really knowing what to expect but hopeful; however, The Mequetrefo landed as a mixed bag. Parlapatões offer this fast-paced, minimal spoken-word show in the day-to-day life of four compadres. They start in a makeshift bed, and … Read More

Out of the Box – 5*****

What’s great about this show is how it’s a great cycle of mini-acts: trick shots, expert circus skills, and playful set pieces that bring utter joy. All of this is driven, somehow, by a brilliantly unassuming and sweet non-verbal … Read More

Lulu Popplewell : Love Love 4****

Lulu enters the stage clutching a very cute little dog which she places in the care of a front row audience member. We are told that this is a therapy dog that has helped her cope with some recent struggles … Read More

Nina Conti: Who’s Face Is It Anyway? – 5*****

I had the pleasure of experiencing an hour-long masterclass in comedy from Nina Conti. It was, without a doubt, the best show I’ve seen at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Conti opened the show with warm, engaging interaction, highlighting that … Read More