EDINBURGH 2023: Pick of the Programme - Debuts

While there is an abundance of big name established comedians to see at the festival, part of the fun of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is checking out new acts. Here's a small selection of some of our most anticipated debut comedy shows of 2023.

Gail Porter: Hung, Drawn and Portered 

Gail can laugh at her life now she's won a BAFTA for "being mental" (Being Gail Porter, 2020). She's been famous, homeless and sectioned with two guys both claiming to be Jesus. She's even lost her hair, but no need for sympathy, she gets so many travel upgrades as people assume she's dying. By sharing the stories of her mental life and mental mind she hopes to show how, with love and kindness, we can all thrive. She's a wee Scottish ninja back in her home town – it's time to go Gail force.

Louise Young: Feral

Debut hour from Geordie rising star with a show all about class, chaos and coming out. She did ask her friends if her life had been feral enough to warrant this title; they laughed and assured her it still is. Tour support for Alan Carr and Tom Allen. As seen on Comedy Central Live and Channel 4's Original Comedy shorts.

Lachlan Werner: Voices of Evil

The horrifying debut from the award-winning poof prince of puppets. Lachy is a poof, and apparently a virgin. Brew is a small, squishy witch, and she has decided to sacrifice him. To help with his self-esteem. In this 'must-see' (TheReviewsHub.com) sell-out hit, ventriloquist/clown, Lachlan Werner, presents 'the definitive queer puppet show' (LostInTheatreland.co.uk). An occult ritual, where demonic voices come from every corner and anyone could get puppeteered by evil.

Priya Hall: Grandmother's Daughter

Priya Hall is obsessed with her nan to an unhealthy degree. Her debut show Grandmother’s Daughter is a joyful tribute to one old Welsh lady and the impossible standards Priya has to live up to as she prepares to become a matriarch of her own family. Packed with a level of oversharing that borders on the unhinged, this show promises a healthy dose of queer joy, storytelling and more jokes about sperm than Priya intended.

Nabil Abdulrashid: The Purple Pill

A show about trying to be a good person while staying a badman. Join the star of Live at the Apollo for this 'unapologetically funny' (Telegraph) exploration of empathy, morality and political contradiction. **** (Evening Standard). As seen on Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News for You, The Big Narstie Show, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Unapologetic.

Darran Griffiths: Inconceivable

Having supported some of the biggest comedy names across the country (Russell Howard, Iain Stirling), Darran brings his debut hour, Inconceivable, to the Fringe. This very personal show, comically and candidly, details the journey of tackling infertility and IVF. In the pursuit of becoming a dad, a better husband and (maybe) a better person, he faces battles with social norms, stereotypes, health, and masculinity. BBC New Comedy semi-finalist 2022. Two-time British Comedian of the Year semi-finalist.

Leila Navabi: Composition

The Welsh, brown, gay, Gen-Z comedian presents her debut hour: an audacious punk musical-comedy show about the dubious ethics of artistically exploiting marginalised identities for social gain. Leila grew up learning to utilise and monopolise her 'minority identity' for evil and mischief. Her show doesn’t rely on these identities, but her overwhelming prodigious talent, actually. 

Annabel Marlow: ...is this okay??

From SIX (Edinburgh Fringe original cast), Public (Vaults) and several perfect pictures (Instagram) Annabel Marlow makes her solo debut. Enjoy a comedy gig (we’re making it a thing!) of original music, perfect singing (not even kidding), and absolute vibes. This show explores love (whatever that is!), contraception (modern!), graphic designers (nooo!), having opinions (or not!), overthinking (she sounds cute!) and just how much attention one girl apparently needs. So put down the knitting, and bring a hot single friend to watch Annabel perform all these songs and jokes about literally herself and maybe three others.

Kuan-Wen Huang: Ilha Formosa

In his debut hour Leicester Comedy Festival best show nominee and 'Taiwanese force of nature' (Chortle.co.uk) Kuan-wen tells how he traded his beloved island for the rainy British isles, what it means to be Taiwanese and what it symbolises through generations of migration and shifting identities. As heard/seen on BBC Three, BBC Radio 4 and Comedy Central.

Jodie Mitchell: Becoming John Travulva

Award-winning 'brilliant... natural comic' (Guardian) John Travulva teams up with his tick-box protégé: queer, non-binary class-straddler Jodie Mitchell (Comedy Central Live). But does he need to? He's not sure, he gets plenty of praise as himself: 'John Travulva’s set is so funny it makes all the comedy in my life up to this point redundant' (TheatreBubble.com). 'The comedy turn by John Travulva... left me with actual tears of laughter' (DIVA Magazine). 'Travulva... has the audience in the palm of their hand, with excellent comic timing and real warmth' (Upper-Circle.com). ‘Standout talent’ (Stage).

The full programme is available at www.edfringe.com 

Photo credit: iProductions

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