Edinburgh Festival

As someone who has seen versions of Stamptown in both Edinburgh and London, I was very much looking forward to seeing the show at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the Pleasance Courtyard - Grand, a 750-seat venue.

Catherine Cohen: Come For Me is self-described as a “openly glamorous, decidedly horny comedy cabaret,” and that is certainly accurate! Cohen also compares her show to Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More, an immersive theatrical experience, and she’s not wrong.

Sheeps: The Giggle Bunch (That's Our Name For You) has been performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for over a decade, and now they’re bringing what may be their final show to the Pleasance.

Alexander Bennett: Emotional Daredevil is certainly a show that presents reviewers with a challenge - how do you discuss a show that the performer asks you to not spoil in any way? This request is not unreasonable for this particular show, as it does heavily depend on audience members coming in with no idea of what to expect.

Character Flaw, written and performed by Philippa Dawson, takes audience members into the mind of Dawson, particularly looking at her experiences with ADHD and queer identity. We begin with Dawson telling us about some of her experiences with embarrassing moments, which then leads into one of the main themes of ADHD.

The Greatest Magic Show begins with a bang as the incredibly energetic ringmaster, Magnus, bursts on stage, singing a parody of Aladdin’s “Arabian Nights” with lyrics about him travelling the world to find what he considers to be the “greatest show.” Now, he’s here to present all of the great things he has seen, with help from Sam and Justin.

Alex Kitson: Must I Paint You A Picture? is a show with a strong hook - Kitson, who has been told to be more personal in his comedy, has a big secret, and he is going to reveal it by the end of the show. But, before that secret is revealed, we’re going to be treated to some fun standup comedy.

Ivo Graham: Grand Designs is a show, according to Graham, made up of lists to deal with the chaos that the comedian has been facing. Throughout the hour we have with him, Graham discusses his love for football, his family and friends and how music has made an impact on his life.

‘It was great to entertain families while teaching them a lot about culture, from dance moves to cocoa' Her Royal Majesty Queen Angelique-Monet on bringing Ventriloquist Queen: A True African Queen to the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe

From the beginning of Reuben Kaye: Live and Intimidating, you know you are in for something different than your usual Fringe show. This is something that Kaye acknowledges himself as he wanders through the crowd, declaring that he will be starting with the dark stuff, saying that his attitude is like “they recast Jaws with Camila Parker-Bowles'

Come Dine With Me: The Musical. is an adaptation of the hit television series that has four strangers cook meals for one another, ranking them in order to win the grand prize by the end. The show follows not only the contestants on the show but also those filming it, particularly the producer, Mary, camera operator, Roy, and sound man, Teddy.

Alex Prescot: I’ve Got A Song About That has quite the explanatory title - Prescot, a musical comedian, claims to have a song for every situation, and he is here to prove it through a show. We begin with crowd work, with Prescot asking audience members a range of questions.

With a book by Laura Kleinbaum, music by Jeff Daye and lyrics by both Kleinbaum and Daye, House of Cleopatra brings audiences into the world of the iconic queen through pop music in a club-like atmosphere. Audience members stand and watch as most of the action takes place on stage, though it does sometimes spill out into the crowd.

Cook is passionate about bathroom graffiti, and she’s not afraid to tell the world about it. Her thesis for her Master’s degree at Oxford was over 300 pages on bathroom stall graffiti, defining it as the oldest form of art and proving it through cave paintings and other examples.

Larry Dean: Dodger begins with Dean joking about what he thinks will be the first thing that people notice about him - his appearance. The audience is introduced to one of the central characters in his story, his nan, with her description of Dean, saying that he looks “left-handed.”

As soon as you enter the venue for Michelle Brasier: Legacy, you are greeted by Brasier herself, who welcomes you with a smile and asks for your name. She then asks others entering if they have the same name and, if so, what their last name is, hoping to find two that match.

Erin Farrington-Think Better: Manifesting Money, Real Estate and Hot People is a seminar in which audience members will “learn how to manifest a better life by simply just thinking hard and good.” Led by Farrington, we are going to learn how to properly manifest and become one with the universe, able to achieve whatever we want with thought alone.

As you are taking your seats for Eleanor Morton: Haunted House, you are greeted by a spooky voice, reminiscent of Disney’s Haunted Mansion attraction. Some of the disembodied voice’s comments include “There’s something watching you from the darkness . . .” and “Many a tech has gone mad down here,” setting the mood for the rest of the hour.

BWW caught up with Catinca Maria Nistor about bringing The Second Coming of Joan of Arc to the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Six Chick Flicks, less commonly known by its full name, Six Chick Flicks . . . or a Legally Blonde Pretty Woman Dirty Danced on the Beaches while writing a Notebook on the Titanic, written and performed by Kerry Ipema and KK Apple, takes audiences through the world of some of their favourite chick flicks, lovingly parodied by two fans.

Plastic Jeezus: Leave Them Wanting Less, a musical comedy by Simon and Aaron, is an hour of the duo playing ukuleles and singing, all while keeping a deadpan expression on their face.

Walking into Bishops: Farewell Bruce Porcelain, you are greeted by the titular bishops, Chris Curran and Noah Matthews, welcoming you to the funeral of Bruce Porcelain and handing out booklets with the order of service as an organ version of Toto’s “Africa” plays. However, this might not be the kind of funeral we are expecting!

The Conductor is a piece of physical comedy by Amadeo Fusca that tells the story of Salvatore Giovanni, a famous conductor known for his over-the-top performances. Amadeo Fusca has taken the character and fleshed it out into an hour-long show, giving audiences insights into the world of the “world-renowned conductor.”

Ellie MacPherson: Babe Lincoln begins with MacPherson, dressed as Abraham Lincoln, walking into the room on a pair of stilts, attempting to replicate the height of the iconic historic figure. We then receive a rendition of Smash Mouth’s “All Star,” which is quite the surprise for a cabaret from a historical figure!

A Jaffa Cake Musical, written by Sam Cochrane, is a new musical inspired by a tribunal in 1991 that focused on the titular snack, asking a question that would change history - “Is it a cake or is it a biscuit?”