Edinburgh Festival

Edinburgh International Festival has unveiled the first details of the 2024 Festival, and the second from Festival Director Nicola Benedetti, taking place 2-25 August 2024.

BroadwayWorld are delighted to publish the final reviews of their coverage from the 2023 Edinburgh Festivals. Covering 292 shows with thirteen local reviewers, this was our busiest and best year yet.

As someone who is a scaredy cat but loves morbid humour and wanted to test my boundaries during the Fringe, I decided to give Dr. Bonk’s Macarbaret a try. The show, hosted by Edinburgh’s only living plague doctor, Dr. Bonk (played by Eliott Simpson), is a cabaret that promises “laughs, scares, and gore galore in this madcap hour of madness.”

Chris Thorburn shows off his terrific charisma and charming personality through the scope of one of his greatest loves - the movies.

After seeing Police Cops: Badass Be Thy Name and loving the group’s sense of humour and fantastic dynamic, I knew that I wanted to see their 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festival show, Police Cops: The Musical. Somehow, this show managed to exceed my already high expectations, making for a perfect last show at the Fringe. 

In this new interpretation of the Greek myth, created by Cassie Muise and Tyler Mckinnon, Arachne uses her weaving to follow in her mother’s footsteps and tell the stories of forgotten women, going against the “truths” told by the elders.

In nearly every comedy show I have seen at the Fringe, there have been sexual jokes, with some going as far as having vibrators and dildos on stage. To be honest, as an asexual, I needed a break from all of that, and I knew Eliott Simpson: (A)Sexy and I Know It would be the perfect place to laugh without the fear of another graphic sex story.

Dark Noon’s description states “They say history is told by the victors; this story is told by the vanquished.” The show is a “brutal recreation of the Wild West” of the United States of America. As someone who grew up in the States, I am quite familiar with the glorified tales of the settling of the West.

The concept of CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation is quite simple. A murder has taken place, and it is up to the audience to not only catch the killer but also to create the crime scene themselves, setting the scene for the actors. 

As a child, all she wanted was to be an adult. Now she's at the table, she wants out. Following her acclaimed, sell-out debut hour, Celya returns: expect tales of romance, a hologram, and a near-death experience in Thorpe Park.

Strictly Come Dancing legend and judge, Anton Du Beke, takes to the stage with his live band, a guest singer and his dancers; expect a fab-u-lous afternoon of song, dance and laughter.

Maggie Crane's older brother had it all: a purple sparkly wheelchair and everyone's attention. This darkly funny stand-up show is an autobiographical coming-of-age story about disability, death, and Dunkin' Donuts. Aiden was Maggie's best friend and biggest rival. In their family, hospital visits felt like Disneyland and drug smuggling trips were international vacations. Maggie's first crush was a doctor and her first love was... the lead singer of Panic at the Disco? Side by Side will break your heart, make you laugh, and get you to call your brother.

Meet Him. He's gay, twenty-something, and aspiring to be Billie Piper circa 1999. For now though, he's still single, still horny, and still perfecting the bum-hole selfie in the work toilets. Rock bottom's never been so fabulous. Blowhole is a screengrab of the pitfalls of swipe-right culture.

A new screwball comedy about how Gwyneth Paltrow, guru culture, green juice and your best downward-facing dog can save us all!

Recently, I had the chance to talk with Moses Storm about what it’s been like bringing Perfect Cult to the Fringe Festival. We discussed the development of the show, some of his favourite moments, and even a sweater made of ropes attached to audience members!

Recently, I had the chance to sit down with Archie Henderson, the creator of Jazz Emu, to talk about his two shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, You Shouldn’t Have and Jazz Emu’s Pleasure Garden. We talked about what it was like to create Jazz Emu, how the Fringe has influenced his work, and how Jazz plays a role in his life outside of shows!

Recently, BroadwayWorld had the chance to sit down and chat with Horatio Gould about his show, Sweet Prince. We discussed how he got into the world of comedy, what it has been like developing the show over the past few years, and advice he has for anyone looking to bring their show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Scaredy's working the late shift at the cinema. Tonight's schedule? The horror-movie sexual awakenings of yesteryear. Stuffed with steamy recollections of Carrie and Candyman, Scaredy should be in ecstasy but evil horror host Count Calories keeps cutting in on the fun. It's time for Scaredy to face their fears and stop being such a big Scaredy Fat. Come to the movies with Scaredy as they poke fun at fat and queer representation in the horror genre, asking what it means to love a genre that doesn't love you back. We're gonna need a bigger shirt...

 The set is scarce, but that doesn't matter. From birds to cars to bartender counters and water coolers, every set piece, animal and prop are created solely through this talented 4-person ensemble, accompanied by sound designer and musician Frederick Waxman. 

A goofy fantastical mermaid tale told through cardboard signs with descriptive labels accompanied by a spoken language that sounds like a fusion between Icelandic and Simlish? It sounds ludicrous, but strangely.... it works.

The concept of Jazz Emu’s Pleasure Garden is quite simple. You are invited by Jazz Emu (played by Archie Henderson) and the band The Cosmique Perfectión to their Pleasure Garden, quoted to be “a luscious, verdant Arcadia that veritably throbs with life” (it’s actually in a car park but hey, you take what you can get at the Fringe!).

Villain is a brilliantly creative and fun mix of musical theatre and comedy that puts a fresh spin on the villains of our favourite works of fiction. If being the baddie of the story is a sense of style and self-assurance, a refusal to conform to society’s expectations, and a sometimes outright aggressive approach to self-care, then let us usher in the villain era.

According to Google, Eva's boobs weigh the same as: two and a half bottles of tequila; two bricks; or the average newborn baby. Quite a weight on your back and finding bras off the rack for a rack that size is near impossible. Despite being an ideal candidate, misogynistic medical standards leave Eva feeling like a tit for asking for a boob reduction - will the whole thing be a bust?

A kids party... but for adults. Soho Theatre's smash-hit musical comedy about two rival children's entertainers, starring Kiell Smith-Bynoe (Ghosts, Taskmaster, Stath Lets Flats) and Ed MacArthur (Bad Education, Dreamland, The Now Show).

'Who are you Jamie!?' 'I'm that bitch!' Jamie is not in fact, that bitch. Jamie has just been dumped for a man who goes to the gym. Jamie is a hot mess. Jamie needs to reinvent himself. Celebrating the dizzying romance and heart-breaking tragedy of friendship, Jamie Finn blends storytelling, comedy and original music as he explores the chaotic wilderness of platonic love and searches for someone who will finally talk about Jamie!