Erin Roche

Deiseil in older Gaelic means “sunwise” or “clockwise”. Traditionally, moving in a deiseil motion was an act of good fortune, invoking protection; to move in widdershins (counter-clockwise) was considered unlucky. Contemporary Gaelic meaning of the word refers t being ready, prepared.  “Tha mi deiseil… I am ready”.

Full of juxtapositions and fizzing comedy, Aussie-but-Edinburgh-resident Laura Davis has opened up their heart with witty hour Despair Is Beneath Us. Recounting the toughest year of their life thus far, Davis presents a funny and vulnerably fragile tonic for anyone also going through some sh*t (isn’t everyone?).

Prohibition is in full swing but you're invited to flout the rules at The Snapper…if you have the password, that is. A wholly immersive murder mystery from interactive theatre company Not Cricket Productions, Murder at The Speakeasy II, is a fun and family-friendly adventure.

Irene tumbles through the wintry dark, braving the cold, the night and the wind. She is determined to deliver the gown her mother painstakingly crafted to the waiting duchess (London McKenzie) in time for the grand ball. Her mother, Mrs Bobbin (Kendall Buckley), has fallen ill and brave Irene will save the day with courage and gumption.

Family-friendly clowning is packed with silly audience interaction and goofy gags in this cheerful morning show. Commonplace objects like toothbrushes or teacups become moments of whimsical fun for little ones and adults alike. 

In a brand new hour for Edinburgh 2025, the erudite and endlessly affable comic Alice Fraser has brought A Passion for Passion to Underbelly Bristo Square this year -  a comedy show about writing a book about romance. (As an audience member it does not feel as niche as that sounds!)

In a charming tale for the stage, everyone’s favourite characters from the beloved A. A. Milne stories delight young ones and adults alike. The Wonderful World of Winnie-the-Pooh invites the audience to journey through the Hundred Acre Wood in a play with music full of the rag tag bunch as they wander through the forest trying to remember the aim of their search!

A restful and contemplative multimedia play for one audience member at a time, The Fahrenheit Alliance V is a unique immersive performance, originally from Japan. Concocted during lockdown times, it began as a way to stay connected when the world was in solitude. Now Hirai-Kikaku has adapted the piece to travel around the world, from city to city and from country to country, passing on messages in relay from one audience member to another.

Described by its creator as “50 minutes of vegetable insanity”, this surrealist and entirely enjoyable hour of physical theatre, tragicomedy and puppetry has a certain ‘je nais sais quoi’... or is it giardiniera? Ruxy Cantir brings this zany, piccalilli performance to Summerhall as part of the Made in Scotland showcase. 

Dystopian, semi-autobiographical solo show Is There Work On Mars? returns to the Edinburgh Fringe following a successful 2024 run. Multi-disciplinary artist Faye Yan opens the show in a testing lab where she undergoes a series of bleep tests, personality assessments and interview questions in her endeavour to gain employment in the legal team for Nylon Tusk’s SpaceY programme. 

You may have caught him as a previous Fringe favourite or perhaps on his TikTok channel or perhaps you’ve just discovered him during this festival. You better get used to seeing Jazz Emu because he’s an absolute legend of character comedy, here at Edinburgh Fringe 2025 with new show: The Pleasure Is All Yours. 

Unusual comedian Johnny White Really Really is back at the Edinburgh Fringe with new show am/pm. Those who enjoyed his last Fringe hour Catland (2023) will be happy to know that this is another pensive, curiously clever set of offbeat comedy from the entirely original and multi-faceted writer, composer and performer. 

In Year 6 Michelle Brasier’s mate uttered nine words that, at 30, still ring in her ears. They’ve sparked a Fringe show, and it’s a stunner. 

Alternative, kooky character comedy great Lucy Pearman (BBC Three’s Please Help, BBC’s The Mind of Herbert Clunkerdunk, BBC2’s Mister Winner) is back with her first Edinburgh Fringe hour since 2019’s Baggage. 

The King of Whimsy is back at the Edinburgh Fringe…it’s Alasdair Beckett-King with his hour of the silly and the fantastical with King of Crumbs. 

Puppets and sparkles, sing-a-longs and a wee dance, Monski Mouse Baby Cabaret is fun for the whole family - the ultimate baby friendly event at the Edinburgh Fringe. In the gorgeous Palais du Variété at Assembly George Square Gardens both you and your little one will be dazzled by the Spiegeltent and the wide open space inside to sit and cuddle or dance and sing with glee. 

This debut hour from Bebe Cave has enough energy to power Murrayfield and enough whimsy to dazzle even the staunchest of stoics. Fearless and paired with the whipsmart antics of a seasoned comic, baptism by spitfire CHRISTBRIDE is simply, pardon the pun, a religious experience. 

One hour of pure mayhem, Comedians on Stage Auditioning for Musicals is the perfect junction between laugh out loud comedy and genuinely stellar musical theatre performance with a dash of good old-fashioned humiliation and gossip thrown in for good measure. What more could you want?

An all-true, two-hander beauty of gig theatre Forget-Me-Not celebrates the multitudes of womanhood, the beauty in reclaiming your voice and the lifeline that is the power of female friendship.