UBU ON THE TABLE to Play Edinburgh Fringe

Québec's foremost object theatre company, Théâtre de la Pire Espèce, presents the UK premiere of their international hit Ubu on the Table at Summerhall from Wednesday 3 to Sunday 28 August for the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. After over 800 performances around the world, in more than 15 countries, this acclaimed adaptation of Alfred Jarry's Ubu Roi comes to Scotland.

All bets are off as the fate of Poland is sealed on a tabletop. Two armies of French baguettes face each other in a stand-off as tomato bombs explode, an egg beater hovers over fleeing troops and molasses-blood splatters on fork-soldiers.

"An iconoclastic version of an already irreverent and unbridled work, the performance is great fun and yet quite learned: theater specialists and connoisseurs will delight in the many subtle references, twists and delicious technical feats." - Le Quotidien

The objects' raw form and the performance's frenetic pace are perfectly suited to Alfred Jarry's cruel farce. Together with the Bottle as Père Ubu, the Mini-Mop as his wife Mère Ubu, the Big Teapot as King Wenceslas, the Hammer as Captain Bordure and many other bizarre kitchen utensils that double as gorging tools and weapons to annihilate the "sagouins", two talented actor-puppeteers hammer out a small-scale fresco of grandiose buffoonery.

Ubu On The Table was translated into English by Bobby Theodore and created by Olivier Ducas and Francis Monty. It is performed by Étienne Blanchette and Mathieu Gosselin with lighting by Jonas Bouchard.

Since its creation, the critically acclaimed and multi-award winning show Ubu on the Table has taken to the stage in cities and festivals in more than 15 countries, including France, Spain, Belgium, Finland, Romania, Bulgaria, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey and Russia.

Founded in 1999 in Montréal by Francis Monty and Olivier Ducas, La Pire Espèce is a pioneer in object theatre in Québec and one of its puppetry scene's leading figures. Impertinent, festive and witty, the company's approach to theatre combines raw materials with unbridled imagination, baroque plenitude with surgical precision. La Pire Espèce's repertoire is now made up of 19 original productions that have been performed around the world.

Get Broadway News on WhatsApp

Receive the latest updates, breaking news, and exclusive coverage from Broadway directly in WhatsApp.

2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats

Best Original Score - Top 3

1. The Rescues , The Rescues - The Lost Boys

38.3% of votes

2. Jim Barne, Kit Buchan - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

26.6% of votes

3. Cinco Paul - Schmigadoon!

24% of votes

Vote Now! View Live Stats