Edinburgh Festival

Debut hour from Geordie rising star with a show all about class, chaos and coming out. She did ask her friends if her life had been feral enough to warrant this title; they laughed and assured her it still is.

​​​​​​​Don't go into A Gay Dad with any expectations. Honestly. Don't. I had the feeling it was a stand-up show about being, well, a gay dad. And it was funny. But it was also a heck of a lot more, in many surprising ways.

There is something surreal about watching a play banned for blasphemous biblical portrayal in an old Church. Embedded with symbolic poetry, repetitive references to the moon and the desire to kiss a severed head, Philomene Cheynet's interpretation of Oscar Wilde’s Salomé presents an unusual twist on the classic biblical tale.

​​​​​​​Going in, I wasn't sure what to expect from this show. And as it turns out, neither do the performers. With no script, no plot and no directions, the lovely group from ShakeItUp Theatre create a modern Shakespeare play in front of your very eyes. 

Have you ever watched a Netflix documentary about a cult, listened to the stories of how this group fell apart, and wondered what it was like to be in one of those cults? Well, wonder no more. Moses Storm: Perfect Cult presents a unique opportunity to audience members - For one night only, you and everyone else in the room will create a cult.

Mental health features a fair bit in this lovely show, a hot topic with a number of comedians these days. And I'm all here for it. Especially Alison's understated, open and refreshing look at her own 'Menty B'. 

A one-woman show about growing up with a trans female parent, written and performed by Maria Telnikoff. Filled with hilarious tales from her school days, it shows the difficulties of fitting in as a young person and the fears we feel about being labelled as 'outside the box'. Brimming with life and sincerity, the play challenges a world of heteronormative values.

Award-winning comedian Stephen Buchanan (BBC New Comedy Award and Scottish Comedian of the Year) returns to the Fringe with his unique blend of stand-up, sketch and character comedy, in this hour of daft laughs

A new gig-theatre show featuring songs by Kyle Falconer of The View. Inspired by real-life experiences of Kyle and Laura, the story follows two new parents grappling with the challenges of parenthood and weight of postnatal depression. Through a powerful blend of music, tears, and laughter, the audience is taken on a heartfelt journey as they navigate the ups and downs of their new life.

Scotland has the highest rate of drug-related deaths in Europe. In communities across the country, families, loved ones, and clinicians support people suffering with substance addiction. Multi-award winners Tortoise in a Nutshell present Concerned Others, an intimate tabletop performance that shares the stories of critically underheard voices. Accounts that paint us as a nation struggling to recognise a deadly culture of shame, ignorance and misunderstanding surrounding addiction and drug-related death. Immersive soundscapes, shoebox installations, turntables, micro-projection and 32mm figures combine to create a multi-textured piece exploring a defining crisis.

Have you ever been through a breakup? Did that breakup happen while you were trying to give each other some “space” through long distance? Are you currently living in the house next to your ex’s parents, who are trying to be nice but want you to leave? Sophie Santos is ready to tell us all about it in Sophie Santos . . . is Codependent. 

A girl with sunflowers in her eyes. A cabin with a view of your mother’s grave. The disorder known as optimism. Not subjects you would expect from your average comedian. But Lucas O’Neil is no average comedian, as proven in his brilliant new show, Lucas O’Neil: Emotional Man.

What do you look for in a potential partner? Someone who loves to relax at home? Someone who knows what they’re doing in life? Someone with a happy family? If so, you and Philipp Kostelecky don’t have much in common.

Funny and distinctively Beckettian, Deuteronomy is about everything and nothing. The two men tackle the meaning of life, eternal damnation, and heavenly salvation the same way they discuss the differences between apples and peaches.

Ambling between cheaply crafted stock characters and expanding only the lesser interesting ones, the project needs work desperately. The topic has the potential to make for a provocative and arresting comic drama about the fallout of the system, but, so far, it doesn’t show it.

At this stage, it might be a bit wobbly, but promises great potential. It’s a portrait of toxic masculinity and female empowerment, a personal reflection of the horrors experienced during the regime. Mostly, it’s genuinely amusing. Alminas spins a yarn full of peculiar characters and relentless social commentary. She just needs to tinker it appropriately.

Written and directed by Luke Thornborough, this production hails from New Zealand with wit and charm, offering a bleak look into survival. After empty chit-chat about embarrassing music and food, the two characters dig into spirituality and science. Kat Glass and Courtney Bassett give stellar performances in a production that could be trimmed slightly for the benefit of its pace. It’s a contemporary space Odyssey.

It’s so rare to be surrounded by the complete absence of light, that part alone is a treat in itself. Truthfully, it’s slightly alarming at the start, but once you relax into it, you’ll come to appreciate all the different elements that make the production and the absolute brilliance of the company. To be able to tug at a person’s deepest instincts is an astounding success.

A collection of funny characters accompanies Sophie as she discovers her where she comes from. Directed by Rob van Vuuren and boasting a number of awards in their native country, Île is a good-hearted look at what makes us, us.

17 Minutes is a well-crafted and emotional piece, elevated by its attention to detail in both stage design and in the cast’s performance as they bring a devastated community and fraught relationships to life. Rubens’ slow spiral as he copes with the consequences of his choices is paced to perfection, with exceptional performances by the cast as a whole. A standout in a sea of comedic pieces, 17 Minutes is an excellent and moving addition to The Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

A minimalist set and tiny venue require extraordinary actors, and Michael Matthews’ Blue absolutely delivers.

Hailing from Australia, Elisa Riddington brings her solo show, Child of Sunday, to the Edinburgh Fringe as part of the Free Fringe programme. The backdrop of the show on entry is a cross-shaped stained glass window with light pouring through. 

Everyone has a part to play in the fight against the climate crisis, even comedians, Stuart Goldsmith argues. His lighthearted hour at the Monkey Barrel gently encourages the audience to consider the climate and their everyday actions.

It’s hard to believe there are any origin stories that haven’t been explored yet at this stage given the success of previous shows such as Unfortunate at multiple Fringe venues, but there is still one, tiny tale to be told: that of a certain fairy from JM Barrie’s Peter Pan and how she ended up so small. 

Big Fish is one of two shows presented by students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The musical is an adaptation of the 1998 Daniel Wallace novel and 2003 Tim Burton film of the same name. The screenwriter John August then worked with composer-lyricist Andrew Lippa to adapt the piece for the stage in 2012, with this version directed by Tom Cooper.