1926: Houdini's right-hand man deals with the death of his boss. A half century later, a Blackpool joke shop proprietor takes on a wide-eyed young protege. An affectionate look at a misspent youth and unsung heroes; a touching true story of interlocking lives.
It is the age of vaudeville. A quartet of penguins and a trio of parrots sing and dance, dazzling and delighting their audiences, night after night in this one of a kind, all avian revue. But when the show's temperamental cracker-crazed macaw star mysteriously goes missing, it threatens to close down the show for good.
2015 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the end of 1984/5 miners' strike, an event that has left a huge social legacy and provided a rich seam of material for many artistic works since, including both the film and musical versions of Billy Elliot, and Matthew Warchus' wonderful 2014 hit Pride. It's fair to say that Undermined has big boots to fill, but it certainly manages to stand tall in them.
Probably the most meta-theatrical musical ever made, Title of Show, or [title of show] as it is often represented, tells the story of its own creation. Two friends want to enter the New York Musical Theatre Festival, but the deadline is only three weeks away, so they begin to jot down whatever they say, rope in a couple of actress friends, and set out to achieve their Broadway dream. In other words, it's a musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical.
Tony's Last Tape, by Andy Barrett, takes style and situation from Krapp's Last Tape, and reinvents it by replacing its protagonist with the late great left-wing legend Tony Benn. One might be justified in imagining that the Edinburgh Fringe is the only place you could expect to see a show melding Samuel Beckett to the life of a veteran (what they call socialists when they're old and dead according to the central character) Labour MP, but the Nottingham Playhouse production has already had successful runs in both Nottingham and London before arriving in Edinburgh this August.
From Apphia Campbell, creator of 2014's one-woman Fringe hit Black Is the Color of My Voice, comes a musical journey of her idol Nina Simone. Soul Sessions will feature full-length versions of songs appearing in Black Is the Color as well as other popular favorites.
Based on Rebecca's time in the Royal Air Force serving queen and country, protecting the UK Air Defence Region, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot charts her journey from basic training to the Falkland Islands. From feeling low to flying high (literally, in a Tornado F3), join Crookshank and a host of colourful characters on this hilarious heart warming adventure.
What happens when two children's storytellers arrive at the same place at the same time to tell their stories? And what happens if both of them think they are The Storyteller? A head to head that leads to a feast of clowning, physical silliness and some magical storytelling, that's what!
From the man behind New York's burlesque revival in the mid-90s and the iconic Slipper Room, and the couple who operated the legendary illegal speakeasy The Blushing Diamond, brought cabaret to China, and performed the first burlesque shows in a Muslim country…
Off to the Fringe? Check out some of our Twitter highlights of the Fringe so far courtesy of our own @BWWEdinburgh account and our correspondents Natalie and Amy!
Steve recently went to a friend's wedding and on the way had to pick up the bride's Dad who was leaving prison for the first time in 18 years. This is the story of what happened.
Hollywood character actor Stephen Tobolowsky shares some of his hilarious, moving, and profound stories about life, love and the entertainment industry.
Laura and Jake just want sex. Late Friday night drunken sex. Nothing more. No strings attached. But getting your leg over is sometimes more difficult than you think.
Seances, spirituality, immortality and magic. The true story of the deadly feud between Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Starring Phill Jupitus as Conan Doyle and Alan Cox as Houdini.
Christopher, fifteen years old, has an extraordinary brain - exceptional at maths while ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. When he falls under suspicion of killing Mrs Shears' dog, it takes him on a journey that upturns his world…
As the festival begins to draw to a close, seasoned Fringe attendee and reviewer Natalie O'Donoghue shares her tips for surviving the world's biggest arts festival.
As stand-up comedians go, James Acaster has got to rank among the more unusual. Skulking around the stage like a demented hyena (not that I can claim to have seen one of those), he's almost as entertaining to watch as to listen to.
Urinetown is a rampant riot of a show that tells the tale of a town fit to burst. Peeing is a privilege and no relief is rent free, until hero Bobby Strong arrives to start a revolution.
After a TV appearance on Faking It where he learned the magician's craft from the likes of Penn and Teller, Kevin McMahon abandoned his career as a scientific researcher to astound and amaze the public with spellbinding illusions. Now, his former occupation is making a comeback in his Fringe show Quantum Magic, bringing together magic with maths and physics
You don't have to be enough of a Trekkie to know your Romulans from your Cardassians to enjoy it, as it's a show that will resonate with anyone who has ever had a passionate appreciation for something. However, for those of us who always wanted to go where no one has gone before, What Would Spock Do? is the only logical show to see at the Fringe this year.
'When I'm on stage - it's a party,' quipped Bette Midler. So join in the fun, and catch Sue's Kelvin's rollercoaster ride through the Divine Miss M's fabulous career.
Nobody is safe: from Farage to the royal foetus, politicians and celebrities come under fire in a turbo-charged barrage of bladder-threateningly funny songs and sketches brimming with punchlines.
Paul Merton and his highly acclaimed Impro Chums are wonders of nature. They take audience suggestions and create cascades of fantastic tumbling laughter. The Impro Chums are Paul Merton, Suki Webster, Richard Vranch, Lee Simpson and Mike McShane.
The noted Australian comic and celebrated American indie wrestler reunite for another month of snarking at the worst of sports entertainment in the show with the longest and most literal title on the Fringe: Brendon Burns and Colt Cabana Sit in a F*cking Yurt at 11pm and Provide Comedy and Commentary to Bad Wrestling Matches
