Edinburgh Festival

Many have said to a loved one: 'If you need anything, give me a call, any time of day.'. But what happens when a friend actually takes you up on that offer in the middle of the night? MESS is a new musical that follows two best friends over the course of an evening as they counsel and confess to one another.

Armour: A Herstory of the Scottish Bard is a new musical written by Shonagh Murray and directed by Melanie Bell that addresses who Nancy and the other women featured in his poetry were and what might have happened if they had met after his death.

Can you run through plasterboard? How does an electric fence work? How good is your hearing? What is the best way to spin an office chair? All questions that may or may not have crossed your mind but are answered by the Brainiac team live on stage.

Multi award-winning Grid Iron, in association with Platform, bring you a hilarious road movie for the stage. In 2006 Martin McCormick flies across the Atlantic to be reunited with a woman he has fallen passionately in love with, a Californian girl. But she's changed. Completely. Almost as soon as he's arrived, he's on the road again, penniless and desperate to get home to Scotland in one piece. A tale of hope, of love, of a small country and a vast one, of a good samaritan and a relationship gone bad. With live foley and a brilliant soundtrack.

In 1662 Morayshire, Isobel Gowdie works for zealous and ruthless witch-pricker John Dixon, torturing suspected witches into confessing their crimes.  When a ragged man appears, claiming to be the real John Dixon, and that the witch-pricker is a disguised woman named Christian Caddell, Isobel must reconsider the figure in whom she has placed her trust and affection. A dark and unsettling piece based on a true story, Heaven Burns is the 2018 winner of the Assembly Roxy Theatre Award.

Sheer anarchy is about the only way to describe John Robertson's latest stand up effort. Sweaty, Sexy Party Party is a difficult show to summarise, as if there was a theme or set to it, it was quickly discarded in favour of riffing off of audience members to hilarious ends. Luckily, the Australian comedian best known at the Fringe for the perennial cult hit The Dark Room proves just as effective a showman with the lights on.

A teenager on the road to ruin and his little brother are about to be taken into care by the authorities. This tense, fast-paced one-man show, written in verse, tells the story of two brothers who flee their council estate flat in a bid for a better life.

A triple threat of heavenly vocals, theatrical swagger and razor-sharp wit. Direct from sell-out performances, Velma Celli celebrates the iconic drag moments of film, stage and popular culture. Join Velma, her voluptuous backing singers and band for an electrifying cabaret featuring the music of Queen, Bowie, Lady Gaga, Tina Turner and more. Forget lip-synching for your life, this is singing for your soul - from one of the West End's top performers.

The multi award-winning Gingzilla is on a mission to conquer the world! Gingzilla: Glamonster vs the World presents gender equality and femininity from the 1950s to now. ***** (GlamAdelaide.com.au). Smashing together 1950s films like Godzilla, Swamp Monster and King Kong, Glamonster subverts the idea that Gingzilla can only be either glamorous or monstrous. Witness this iconic 7ft ginger-bearded drag queen tear up the stage, question your orientation and leave you gagging for more!!

Stripped is a new beginning. A reintroduction of myself. Life has a way of hardening you, at least mine has. This is my attempt at shedding those skins, saying goodbye to part of myself and embracing someone I knew a long time ago. Through film, music, poetry, song and dance, I share my story and in turn ask the audience to consider theirs. From boy to man, sexuality, sobriety, success, love and loss. My pictures, memories, moments. Featuring original music and choreography alongside the soundtrack of my life. Bowie, Bush, Buckley and more..

A new Tory PM must unite his party's warring factions with his masterful plan for a final Brexit deal. Just... what was it again? Starring Timothy Bentinck (The Archers), Jo Caulfield, Hal Cruttenden, Pippa Evans and Mike McShane.

Join Paddington Bear on his adventures as he leaves home, meets his new family and enjoys his first concert - not without causing his fair share of mayhem, of course! The charming tales of everyone's favourite bear come to life with storytelling, narration and a live orchestra. An enchanting children's concert that appeals to all who love this curious and cheeky bear - from the same team that brought you Peter Rabbit in 2017

ocal am-dram society is under pressure to comply with the equalities agenda. They come up with a cunning plan; create a gripping show starring 'the disabled'. What could be better than the Oscar-winning My Left Foot? The only snag is they can't find any disabled actors - but that never stopped Daniel Day-Lewis! Original music by award-winning partnership Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie with additional songs by Richard Thomas ('Jerry Springer - The Opera'). Birds of Paradise and National Theatre of Scotland present this hilarious new musical, celebrating BOP's 25th anniversary. www.madeinscotlandshowcase.com

Rosie Jones is a comedian with a penchant for being mischievous. Her cerebral palsy doesn't slow her down in the slightest. Catch her before she wobbles her way to stardom! As seen on 8 Out of 10 Cats and Silent Witness. Finalist: Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year 2018, Amused Moose Comedy's National New Comic Award 2017. 'It's rare to see a comedian who exudes such joy' (Steve Bennett, Chortle.co.uk).

A love story, set on Preston Road, and also in space and in time. A man wakes in the middle of the night to discover that the world has stopped. Through the crack in his bedroom curtains, he can see no signs of life at all... other than a light in the house opposite where a woman in an over-sized Bowie t-shirt stands, looking back at him. Starring Julie Hesmondhalgh (Coronation Street, Broadchurch), The Greatest Play... is squashed full of exquisite observation and heartbreaking beauty.

After jukebox musicals became the latest trend in theatre, it was nearly impossible to listen to any greatest hits compilation without dreaming up how it could be adapted into a West End smash hit. We've Got Each Other takes its cue from these often formulaic musicals, but with its own spin.  It's billed as an "almost entirely imagined Bon Jovi musical" with no band, no costumes, no set or sparkling costumes; simply one man describing the show to you.

Katie & Pip celebrates the relationship between Katie, a 15-year-old Type 1 Diabetic girl and Pip, her five-year-old border collie, trained by Katie to save her life on a daily basis. Led by performance-making duo Charlotte and Rob alongside Katie (Rob's little sister) and Pip, the performance explores compassion and companionship between humans and dogs. On a journey of extreme highs and extreme lows, the cast celebrate freedom and living life to the full despite life's significant obstacles. Watch dogs be humans and humans be dogs as this chaotic and unpredictable collision of youth unfolds.

It's the future; just like now, but a bit more… well, shitey. Jim and Agnes have worked hard their whole lives and now Agnes needs a life-saving operation. With the NHS as we know it a thing of the past, they must take matters into their own hands in this darkly comic tale showing the lengths people go to for life and love.

BWW catches up with Graham Dickson to chat about bringing Timber to the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The lovely people at Oberon books have kindly given us a stack of playtexts for shows at this years Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

BWW catches up with Miguel H Torres Umba to chat about bringing Stardust to the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The Secret Policeman's Podcast Announced For The 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe

George John guest blogs for BroadwayWorld about bringing Tobacco Road to the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

BWW catches up with Ryan Napier and Courtney Oliphant to chat about bringing The Antiscians to the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

BWW catches up with Roman Fraden to chat about bringing Back In The Closet to the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.