Penelope continues at Belly Button at Underbelly, Cowgate until 30 August 2026. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Words do not do justice to how it feels to be in the room with this beautiful new work.
Tag Archives | Edinburgh Fringe
Ludwig: Unfinished Business – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Ludwig: Unfinished Business continues at the Front Room at Assembly @ St Andrew Square until 30 August 2026. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ You have to be there to witness the virtuosity of this intriguing homage.
Codetta – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Codetta continues at Jade Studio at Greenside @ George Street until 29 August 2026. Star rating: thr.ee stars ★ ★ ★ It is an enjoyable, slickly performed, innocent yet knowing piece of entertainment
Megasquirt: Fully Loaded – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Megasquirt: Fully Loaded continues at Jelly Belly at Underbelly, Cowgate until 30 August 2026. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ A little weird and a lot of fun for night owls looking for a romp, Megasquirt: Fully Loaded is a show not to be missed.
Camelton – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Camelton continues at Wine Bar at Gilded Balloon Teviot until 31 August 2026. Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ If you enjoy listening to catchy new musical songs from a brilliant singer this may be a show for you.
The Meeples: XXX – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Meeples: XXX continues at Lime Studio at Greenside @ George Street until 29 August (except 23, 24). Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ It’s a great nightcap for the hedonistic festival-goer.
Game Theory – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Game Theory continues at Forest Theatre at Greenside @ George Street until 22 August 2026. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ I’ve decided that this is a super new musical and the spirited cast will do very well when they graduate.
MUSE: The Shakespeare Mayhem Musical – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
MUSE: The Shakespeare Mayhem Musical continues at the Cowbarn at Underbelly, Bristo Square until 30 August 2026. Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ Good fun and a chorus line!
Goodbye Dandelion – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Goodbye Dandelion continues at Belly Dancer at Underbelly, Cowgate until 30 August 2026. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Forego the clamour and chaos of Edinburgh in August and spend a splendid hour with these sagacious siblings.
Footloose: Youth Edition – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Footloose: Youth Edition was reviewed at Grand Theatre at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall. Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ The rough edges make the virtues of the material more visible.
Bliss – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Bliss continues at Grand at Pleasance Courtyard until 31 August 2026 (except 25). Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ It should feel liberating, but instead, it feels strangely inert.
Sinatra: One Last Shot – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Sinatra: One Last Shot continues at Dirty Martini at Le Monde until 30 August 2026 (except 24). Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A remarkably convincing portrait of Sinatra.
Liberace and Liza – A Tribute – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Liberace and Liza – A Tribute continues at Ermintrude at Underbelly, Bristo Square until 30 August 2026. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Serves as a reminder that the Fringe at its best can make an apparently absurd idea feel like something that absolutely had to exist.
Heracles: Of Men and Beasts – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Heracles: Of Men and Beasts continues at Upper Theatre at theSpace @ Niddry St until 29 August (except 25). Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This is a show with great heart. See it.
Mary Mac – Hail Mary: The Tartan Songstress – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Mary Mac – Hail Mary: The Tartan Songstress continues at Studio Two at Assembly George Square Studios until 30 August 2026. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ Unapologetically Scottish, unapologetically drag, and unapologetically entertaining.
FLOP! The Best Songs From The Worst Musicals – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
FLOP! The Best Songs From The Worst Musicals continues at Wine Bar at Gilded Balloon Teviot until 30 August 2026 (except 26). Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ Arthur Hull is the reason the production works so well.
Doing Time with Lavinia – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Doing Time with Lavinia was reviewed at C ARTS, C venues, C aquila. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ What’s going on is an hour with a master storyteller.
Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorised Musical Parody — Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorised Musical Parody continues at Udderbelly at Underbelly, George Square until 30 August 2026. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ It’s a broad, knowingly silly hour sung well enough that the silliness earns its keep.
The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth continues at Queen Dome at Pleasance Dome until 30 August (except 18). Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ With a tweak here and there, this production surely has a life beyond the Fringe.
Remember, Remember! – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Remember, Remember! continues at Queen Dome at Pleasance Dome until 30 August (except 17, 24). Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This ridiculously talented company is one to watch out for.
Delphi: The Musical – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Delphi: The Musical continues at the Auditorium at Bedlam Theatre until 30 August (except 17, 24). Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ The singing is excellent, the music and songs (by Wes Myers) sing-alongable.
Parking Spot: The Musical! – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Parking Spot: The Musical! continues at Lime Studio at Greenside @ George Street until 22 August (except 16). Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ A jolly, fun show, beautifully sung.
Unheard Voices, Unbroken Spirits – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Unheard Voices, Unbroken Spirits continues at Big Yin at Gilded Balloon Patter House until 31 August 2026 (except 17, 18). Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ These are voices that absolutely must be heard, and I for one, am glad I heard them.
Crocodile Rock – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Crocodile Rock continues at the Dining Room at Gilded Balloon Teviot until 31 August (not 18, 25). Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ I’d be very surprised if you’ll find a better performance on this year’s Fringe.
Elba – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Elba continues at Just The Sub-Atomic Room at Just The Tonic Nucleus until 30 August (except 18). Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ The performances are excellent. It’s fun. Its apparent simplicity cloaks a great depth.
Hole! – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Hole! continues at Cowbarn at Underbelly, Bristo Square until 30 August 2026 (except 17). Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ I have faith in Hole! as a brilliantly entertaining piece of theatre, but my faith is not blind. Their brilliance can be proved.
MAN!FEST: The Drag Boyband Musical – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
MAN!FEST continues at The Green at Pleasance Courtyard until 31 August 2026 (except 17, 26). Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ This show will attract a great audience, particularly those who loved a boyband in their younger days.
Charming! The Musical – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Charming! The Musical continues at Just The Fancy Room at Just The Tonic at The Caves until 30 August 2026 (except 18). Star Rating. two stars ★ ★ It still has a wee way to go before I’d give it three stars, for the songs are good and he’s a good singer.
Legendary – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Legendary continues at Friesian at Underbelly, Bristo Square until 31 August 2026 (except 17). Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Cheeyang Ng, sharing their life story with wit and grace and truth and heart, most certainly is… legendary.
Miscast Sondheim – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Miscast Sondheim continues at the Forest Theatre at Greenside @ George Street until 22 August 2026 (except 15, 16). Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ A tuneful and entertaining programme of 14 Stephen Sondheim songs from London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
Endometriosis: The Musical – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Endometriosis: The Musical continues at Doonstairs at Gilded Balloon Patter House until 31 August 2026 (except 17, 24). Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ It is so good to see a production of this calibre at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Katie Pritchard is Sir Elton Scone – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Katie Pritchard is Sir Elton Scone continues at Nic 5 (Nicolson Square Venues Courtyard) at Hoots @ Nicolson Square until 30 August 2026 (except 18). Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ You may leave ready to pass out from laughing.
GIRLZ – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
GIRLZ continues at Doonstairs at Gilded Balloon Patter House until 30 August 2026. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ It’s a welcome back to the GIRLZ in this new treatment of their highly-rated show from last year – more polished, more songs and killer choreography.
Otto & Astrid: The Stages Tour – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Otto & Astrid: The Stages Tour continues at Upstairs at Assembly Roxy until 30 August 2026 (not 12, 19, 26). Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ A crazy jukebox musical comedy experience that will enliven your Edinburgh evening.
HR The Musical – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
HR The Musical continues at Big Yin at Gilded Balloon Patter House until 31 August 2026 (except 17). Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Roaring in the aisles proves that the time really is ripe for this ‘performance revue’.
Disenchanted! The Hit Musical – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Disenchanted! The Hit Musical continues at Pentland Theatre at Pleasance at EICC until 30 August 2026 (except 19, 24). Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ Joyous fun from start to finish.
The Real Kyle McCarren – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Real Kyle McCarren continues at Forth at Pleasance Courtyard until 30 August 2026. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This is a must-see, must-hear, must-feel show. One of the best original scores this year, if not all time.
The Singer – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Singer continues at Traverse 1 at Traverse Theatre until 30 August 2026 (except 17, 24). Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Great story, wonderful music, top rate performances.
The King of All Birds – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The King of All Birds continues at the Former Gents Locker Room at Summerhall until 31 August 2026 (except 17, 24). Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ Martha Knight’s quirky storytelling practice creates new musical theatre.
Badgers – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Badgers continues at Traverse Two at Traverse Theatre until 30 August 2026 (except 10, 17, 24). Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ Moving, profound and haunting.
Rounding off Edinburgh Fringe 2014 plus MTN Awards
Fiona Orr rounds off Edinburgh Fringe 2014… This year has seen a general increase in the quality of musical theatre on offer and an international sample of the genre as well. Certain shows stand out in the memory for this reviewer: Land of Smiles from the USA via Thailand in a clear explanation of the tyranny of human […]
The Next Big Thing – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Next Big Thing continues at theSpace on North Bridge until 23 August. The show opens with an aspiring writer, Helena (Rebecca Ridout) who is hoping to find The Next Big Thing to bring her fame and wealth enough to give up her day job in an office. We hear about her reading countless ‘how to’ […]
Mildred and the Midnight City – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Mildred and the Midnight City continues at the Pleasance Courtyard until 25 August. Making a welcome return to Edinburgh, HookHitch brings this utterly enchanting original story to life through live action, puppetry and shadow puppetry in a parable for our times. Set in a freezing cold future, Mildred is one of many people busily scraping […]
Alba – A New Scottish Musical – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Alba – A New Scottish Musical continues at theSpace @ Surgeons Hall until 23 August. This new piece, delivered by an ensemble of four performers, confirms a new style of theatre in Scotland. The techniques in Finn Anderson’s production bear many hallmarks seen in National Theatre of Scotland stagings including Black Watch and The Strange […]
The Factory – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Factory continues at the Assembly Hall on the Mound until 25 August. What a treat and a thrill this piece is: to hear genuine Polynesian harmonies sung with such precision and resonance is a rare thing in the Northern hemisphere. The setting of the Assembly Hall on the Mound is a perfect match as the wood […]
The Happy Prince – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Happy Prince continues at C south until 25 August. This is a new venue in the now sprawling ‘C Empire’, sitting in the south of the city, handy for the Queen’s and King’s Halls audiences. It can only be hoped that some find their way to this gentle, delightful show. Founded as part of […]
