We Couldn’t Find Any More Cow Puns To Milk… So Just Prepare For An Udderly Entertaining August at the Edinburgh Fringe! Oops!
BBC Radio 4’s Fags, Mags and Bags written by and starring Sanjeev Kohli makes its Festival Fringe debut with live radio play.
BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz brings an entertaining enlightening lesson through Double Art History
Circus bursts out of the Circus Hub and into McEwan Hall with one of the most technically ambitious circus shows to come to Underbelly yet -Backbone.
Symphonic Ibiza and Junior Jungle Rave at Underbelly Central Hall head up a music strand which also stars Micky P Kerr and Tom GK.
Robots, climate change, health, social media and conspiracy theories just some of the topics explored through theatre.
Dance sensation the BalletBoyz makes its Edinburgh Fringe debut.
A fantastic line-up of established and new female comedians take Daisy by storm.
Will Adamsdale returns, Tim Vine makes a one-off appearance, Langston Kerman makes his debut and Fringe favourite Abandoman takes us on the Road to Coachella.
Today Underbelly announces the final 91 shows joining its Fringe programme this August. With a huge range of star names, challenging and intriguing topics and a host of great music this is set to be one of the most entertaining year’s yet beneath George Square’s udders and across Bristo Square, the Cowgate, Circus Hub and Central Hall.
Theatre Highlights
Award-winning Radio 4 comedy Fags, Mags and Bags is finally going live! Experience NEAR YOUR ACTUAL FACE Ramesh’s shop logic, Dave’s Vera Drake fleece, Alok’s pointy shoes and Sanjay’s weaponised sarcasm (#weaponisedsarcasm) in live performances of this radio drama. The BBC link continues with its arts editor Will Gompertz returning to Fringe after 10 years to prove that not all contemporary art is bollocks in Double Art History.
Award-winning theatre company SharkLegs uncovers the price people really pay for next-day delivery in Fulfilment. Join us and let Robox discover what you need, what you want and what you dream of. Then let Robox provide a solution.
Do Our Best is a devastating comedy about how to harness your grief, find your pack and never giving up as Sephie attempts her Entertainers badge at Guides for the fourth time. From 2018's double Fringe-First winning Francesca Moody Productions (Angry Alan, Square Go, Fleabag), written and performed by fast rising Remy Beasley (Stella, Sky), directed by Fringe First Award Winner Hannah Banister.
Multi award-winning US playwright Jonathan Caren's razor-sharp dark comedy Four Woke Baes starring Scotland’s Gayle Rankin, star of Netflix hit Glow, follows four friends on a river-rafting stag party that's turned upside down when a mysterious woman kayaks ashore and groom-to-be, Dez, comes to question the very nature of love and monogamy. Part stand-up-set, part-kitchen-sink-drama, Pits will take you on a massive Geordie bender of a night out on the Toon. Outrageous, urgent, and disgracefully funny, Pits is an unflinching look at the ties that bind our communities together and the divides tearing our society apart.
Don’t Bother is a stand-up poetry show about dead dogs, chocolate and nostalgia from multi-award winning performance poet and alumnus of the Durham Revue, Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin. Solo gig-theatre HATCH digs under the skin of anti-heroine Jess, imprisoned for selling drugs on her lover’s behalf in explosive spoken word poetry, sensual moments of magical realism, a collection of original songs and fierce live electronic music. Winner of the Camden People’s Theatre Award and Oberon Books Best New Play Award (NSDF 2018).
As the extremes of social media kick up an unsettling and unsavoury stink, Evening Standard one-to-watch writer Tatty Hennessy, National Youth Theatre Artistic Director Paul Roseby and Britain’s best young talent are kicking off in response in true interrogatory style to put Mark Zuckerberg and his social network colleagues ‘on trial’ in F. OFF.
96% of all male rape cases go unreported. Ripped is Jack’s explosive story as he steps into the absurd world of modern masculinity, masks his trauma and reinvents himself as a 'real man'. Written by and starring Alex Gwyther (Most Promising New Playwright shortlist - Off West End Awards).
A strip club’s flashing neon sign is keeping Danny awake at night, and Julia’s Adderall addiction has only gotten worse since her dealer moved in, in Monsoon Season, a brutally demented romantic comedy starring Broadway’s Richard Thieriot (Clybourne Park) and Therese Plaehn (The Humans). Walrus in association with Theatre Royal Plymouth presents a new play by Sam Steiner, A Table Tennis Play. A long summer weekend, two strangers, and a full-size table tennis table. A new play about how everything and nothing changes as people bat a ball from the makers of Fringe hit debut show, Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons.
Following The Bearpit, Kopfkino return to Edinburgh with The Grand Scheme Of Things, a deeply personal show about scapegoating and living through revolutionary times in which two friends rip their relationship apart in the name of self-protection.
Climate change is a hot topic this summer. In When the Birds Come hit writer Tallulah Brown returns to the Fringe following the blazing success of Songlines in 2018, with a story of sibling meltdown and climate change.
It’s a conspiracy! Amelia Earhart has been missing for 82 years. Emmy thinks this is a cover-up and wants the truth. Caught between her humdrum life and her need for adventure, she intends to build, sail and fight her way to her hero in Woman! Pilot! Pirate? While one of the most famous conspiracies of the internet era is explored in Cicada 3301. When Cicada 3301 first appeared in January 2012, with a picture posted on reddit, it caught the eye of many and started what was to become one of the internet’s most enduring puzzles. This is a play about human desire for purpose, community and the search for order in chaos. In a new show from The Outbound Project, mass epidemic hysteria is charted from Ancient Egypt to its current theatre audience in M.E.H.
Comedy Highlights What do you call a cow with no legs…..? Ground Beef! What do you call a cow on crystal meth….? Beef jerky! Ahemmm, here’s a look at the newly announced comedy appearing at Underbelly this August.
Tim Vine Presents: Plastic Elvis Live In Concert! In this special one-off event Plastic Elvis will thrill you with an evening of full throttle charisma, unstoppable rock'n'roll and jaw dropping excitement. With backing by the brilliant High Noon Band and a rare appearance from special guest Big Buddy Holly. Get your tickets for 7th August, an unforgettable night.
He won the 2004 Perrier award but, let’s face it, he’s hardly kicked on has he? Will Adamsdale returns with Facetime, a show about failures, really (his, generally). Expect stories of staggering technical incompetence! And poor attempts to pass off his flaws as his generation’s fault!
Looking for a full music festival in 60 minutes? Abandoman's got your back! In Road to Coachella Rob Broderick brings his innate ability to craft songs on the spot to the world of Coachella. Combining hip hop, pop, EDM and more, Rob will transport you to the world's greatest music festival – with some innovative, fresh video DJ action and without leaving George Square!
You never know what’ll change your life. The message in the bottle that bobbed up before you at the beach. That's what brought you here. Sold out four-years running, master storyteller and cult classic of the Fringe, Wil Greenway returns with a brand new show to whisk you away to some other place in The Ocean After All.
Discover your next favourite female comedian in Daisy! We’re proud to present a line-up of ladies that will have you in stitches! Names already announced include Flora Anderson, Robyn Perkins, Sasha Ellen and Saskia Preston. Joining them are Connie Wookey in Denied - a true story. 'In February my cousin died in a plane crash. I flew to the funeral. My plane stopped working mid-flight. Good...' Award-winning music-comedy covering US visa immigration issues, men who wink at waitresses, and malfunctioning planes. And Rachel Creeger’s Hinayni! A new show from the award-winning comedian behind ‘It’s No Job For A Nice Jewish Girl’ and Winner of Best Comedy at the Greater Manchester Fringe 2017.
American comedian Courtney Pauroso makes her Edinburgh Fringe debut this summer with Gutterplam - a character clown show (definitely), burlesque show (eventually), and feminist allegory (sure, probably) all rolled into one surreal and stupid, blindingly beautiful yet deceptively dark hour of ground-breaking comedy. And Julia Rorke’s Jeneane Morris is here to tell u some shit about lyf: buckle up. Strap in. Get over it. Bring the exact hour you were born. Prepare to be throttled. But also cuddled.
Langston Kerman: The Loose Canon – known to many as Jared from HBO’s Insecure, talks through the unexpected revelations from living with a convicted sex offender, questioning how these discoveries might prepare him to be a better man in the world, a better lover and a better husband in his pending marriage.
"Hello sweetie!" get ready for a new sense of comedy and performance, which together produce a raw and physically engaging show. Totally Plucked is where twisted circus tricks meet the absurd heart of the Fringe. Semi nudity and feathers combined with high energy circus makes Totally Plucked a fun, impressive show for adults only!
Found Footage Festival’s Joe Pickett (The Onion) and Nick Prueher (Colbert Report) are back in Edinburgh for 10 nights only with an all-new guided tour through their latest VHS finds, including the 1987 Miss Junior America Wisconsin pageant, a mysterious tape labelled "bonion sergery," and a fitness video called Jugglercise. Don’t miss this cult Fringe hit!
Life is a cream puff of a Cabaret this Fringe! From the maker of the award-winning Comfort Food Cabaret, Australia's singing cook turns up the heat in her award-winning musical food cabaret, Just Desserts. Featuring a live rock-pop powered soundtrack, this sensual chanteuse explores empowerment, social pressure, our obsession with perfection and desire through song, sex and sugar. Includes Dessert! A delicious UK Debut.
Music highlights
At Underbelly Central Hall top quality tunes are the order of the day. Symphonic Ibiza returns after a storming Edinburgh’s Hogmanay appearance. Fusing a thrilling live 20-piece orchestra with high tempo beats from renowned club DJ Andy Joyce and musical genius Steve Etherington, whose credentials include residencies at Ibiza super-clubs Pacha, Amnesia, Eden and Café Mambo, this party is like no other, creating an entirely new club experience.
For the mini, daytime clubbers, at Junior Jungle Rave you can expect only the finest cuts of Jungle and Drum & Bass, classics, remixes and banging' new drops, and all expertly mixed live by Nick Terrific. MC Rocky Patch will lead the charge making sure all partygoers are jumpin' and skankin'.
Elsewhere music finds its way into shows across comedy and theatre as well as some terrific musicals. Last year the Leeds funny man, Micky P Kerr, made the finals of Britain’s Got Talent, wowing the judges with his down to earth style and hysterical songs. This year he tackles the age-old problem of ageism, in this hilarious rags to more rags tale of becoming a ‘proper’ musician, Kerr in the Community. Meanwhile Diego (Duane Forrest) traces the ups and downs of a relationship as he journeys from a devastating breakup to meeting the captivating Mariela (Sandra Aguilar) in Climb, a live album brought to life with original music blending bossa nova, jazz, reggae, and soul.
Disney villain. Octo-woman. Plus size icon. But who is the woman behind the tentacles? From the multi-awardwinning Fat Rascal Theatre, creators of sell-out hit musicals Buzz and Vulvarine, comes The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch - a musical parody.
“There’s no humour in having so many tumours”... Tom GK’s hearing is going out with a bang! In Tom GK’s Hearing Loss: The Musical former Daily Telegraph music critic and critically-acclaimed storyteller combines laughter, song and genetic disease in this vaudevillian biography.
Ahoy! Join John Silverman and the crew of The Maiden’s Ruin on their quest for pirate booty in a bawdy tale of love, betrayal, murder, and incest in Piramania! The Swashbuckling Pirate Musical! This 5-star adult musical-comedy returns to Edinburgh after it's 2010 maiden voyage, bawdier, funnier, boozier, and pirate..ier than ever before.
And from the gang behind SIX and Hot Gay Time Machine, Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society bring a new musical Unexpected Item in the Bagging Area. In this fresh comedy-musical grab your bag-for-life, stick your pound-shaped keyrings into the trolley, and step inside The Supermarket™© for a freshly-baked musical treat.
Circus Highlights
There’s more Circus than ever at Underbelly this summer. At McEwan Hall a high-octane spree of physical virtuosity tests the limits of strength: physical, emotional, individual and collective in Backbone by international masters of contemporary circus, Gravity & Other Myths. Staged with a deceptively DIY aesthetic and dispensing of trickery and distraction, this is circus that goes straight for the jugular and leaves no viewer unmoved. Sexy, sincere, raw yet disciplined.
In Heroes Edinburgh’s Hogmanay favourite, Scotland’s aerial dance company All or Nothing brings its playful new aerial show and Room 2 Manoeuvre delves into the world of super heroes and beyond! In their quirky circus universe, two performers (and their miniature sidekicks) explore what it means to be a hero.
Dance highlights
The award-winning all-male company BalletBoyz makes an explosive Edinburgh Fringe debut with Them/Us. Created collaboratively by the company dancers, Them explores the individuality that resides within each dancer and the versatility of movement which BalletBoyz are renowned for. In Us, Tony and Olivier Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon examines human connections, culminating in the tender duet which premiered in 2017 to public acclaim.
Before you tell them it’s ‘pasture bedtime’ here are some highlights for the calves this August.
For almost 50 years, Mr. Men and Little Miss have brought joy to millions of children all over the world through self-expression, colour, simplicity and humour. Join the favourite Mr. Men and Little Miss characters as they leap off the page and onto the stage in the world premiere of this beautifully crafted and hilarious live stage show featuring Mr. Bump, Little Miss Splendid, Mr. Tickle, Little Miss Inventor and many more.
Hop aboard and let the Intrepid Fools take you on an irreverently epic adventure far across the fjords with music, mayhem and monsters galore in Viking! Ragnarr Ragnarson is a Skald – a teller of stories, keeper of history and composer of poems. Or rather, he will be. Now he’s just a scrawny little limpet on the edge of greatness.
And…
Tortoise ThinkIns believes the world deserves a slower, wiser news. Join them for a live news conference. Take your seat at the table alongside the editors. Become a member of the newsroom. It’s a forum for civilised disagreement and they want to hear what you think.
Gay and straight worlds collide, as unlikely friends James Barr (Gay) and Dan Hudson (NonGay) plus special guests bring their award winning comedy podcast to Edinburgh! Expect audience interaction, a hilarious parody of ‘QueerEye’ as Dan lends his hetero gaze to the Gay community in ‘NonGay-Eye’ and a laugh out loud look at issues affecting Gay and NonGay people in an absurdly simple but hilarious premise; what divides us makes us laugh harder.
Kill Tony - The #1 Live Weekly Podcast in the World – comes to Edinburgh! Tony Hinchcliffe hosts his wildly popular podcast with his co-host Brian Redban and the Kill Tony Band. Rising young up and coming comics or failing older comics get their name pulled out of a bucket, do one minute of material each, and then Tony and his weekly friends/guests give feedback, extra material, and ask questions to the young performers always leading to a hilarious debacle. Past guests include Joe Rogan, Sarah Silverman, Doug Benson, Jeff Ross, and Russell Peters.
Marina Dixon, Head of Programming for Underbelly said “Across comedy and theatre we are excited to be presenting big names like Sanjeev Kohli, Gayle Rankin and Langston Kerman alongside those getting their foot on the ladder to a big career. There’s a strong array of female comedians and voices in the programme some of them already award winning and others sharing their first hour of material with us.
The premiere of Mr Men and Little Miss joins Basil Brush in a cracking children’s programme and Junior Jungle Rave at our new venue Central Hall is sure to be a hit alongside its big sibling Symphonic Ibiza.
“Something for everyone in a programme which will have Underbelly packed with laughter, fun, breath-taking stunts, thought provoking theatre and inspiring personal stories.”
Keep up to speed with Underbelly at the Edinburgh Fringe on Facebook: @underbellyedinburgh, Twitter: @followthecow and Instagram: @underbellyedinburgh
LISTINGS
A Beautiful Way to Be Crazy
Underbelly Bristo Square, Jersey, 19th – 26th Aug, (11.45am), runtime 60 mins
Weekend: 23rd – 25th, £11.00 (£10.00)
Weekday: 19th – 22nd, 26th, £10.00 (£9.00)
Innovative gig theatre based on interviews with women in the music industry, fusing poetry, live music and audio. A tale of growing up, finding a voice and listening to Joni Mitchell records from award-winning poet Genevieve Carver and her multi-instrumental live band. Includes themes of confidence, female working relationships, toxic masculinity and mental health, and genres from soul to electronica, classical and pop. For The Unsung: 'verging on genius' ***** (TheWeeReview.com). 'Carver and her wonderfully talented band weave together poetry and music with deft and engaging ease' ***** (WriteOutLoud.net).
A Gay and a Non-Gay
Underbelly Bristo Square, Jersey, 17th – 25th Aug, (10.25pm), runtime 60 mins
Weekend: 17th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £11.00 (£10.00)
Weekday: 19th – 22nd, £10.00 (£9.00)
Gay and straight worlds collide, as unlikely friends James Barr (Gay) and Dan Hudson (NonGay) plus special guests bring their award-winning comedy podcast to Edinburgh! Expect audience interaction, a hilarious parody of Queer Eye as Dan lends his hetero gaze to the Gay community in NonGay-Eye and a laugh-out-loud look at issues affecting Gay and NonGay people in an absurdly simple but hilarious premise; what divides us makes us laugh harder. 'The most fundamentally kind and funny podcast in Britain' (Radio Times).
A Table Tennis Play
Underbelly Cowgate, Big Belly, 1st – 25th Aug, (12.30pm), (no show Monday 12th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 1st - 2nd, £7.00
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £12.00 (£11.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 13th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, £11.00 (£10.00)
Walrus in association with Theatre Royal Plymouth present a new play by Sam Steiner. 'When does it happen?' A long summer weekend, two strangers, and a full-size table tennis table. A new play about how everything and nothing changes as people bat a ball. Praise for Walrus' hit debut show, Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons: 'A beautiful play... About as promising as debuts get' (Time Out); 'Triumphant… One of last year’s smartest, coolest shows.' (Stage)
Abandoman AKA Rob Broderick - Road to Coachella
Underbelly George Square, Udderbelly, 31st July – 25th Aug, (9.30pm), (no show Monday 12th, Monday 19th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 31st - 2nd, £10.00
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £15.50 (£14.50)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 13th – 15th, 20th – 22nd, £14.50 (£13.50)
Fancy a full music festival in 60 minutes? Abandoman's got your back! Rob Broderick brings his innate ability to craft songs on the spot to the world of Coachella. Combining hip hop, pop, EDM and more, Rob will transport you to the world's greatest music festival and leave you high on life – without leaving George Square. 'Raucous, expansive and relentlessly hilarious' **** (Times). 'A totally unique and mind-blowing musical comedy experience' ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). 'An unstoppable force of nature… improv skills bordering on the magical' **** (List).
AJ Holmes: Yeah, But Not Right Now
Underbelly Cowgate, Belly Dancer, 1st – 25th Aug, (4.30pm), (no show Monday 12th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 1st - 2nd, £6.50
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £10.00 (£9.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 13th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, £9.00 (£8.00)
Award-winning actor, writer and composer AJ Holmes makes his Edinburgh debut with an hour of stand-up, storytelling, and songs! Known from The Book of Mormon on Broadway, London's West End, San Francisco and Sydney, AJ was also a staff writer on South Park and a collaborator on A Very Potter Musical. 'Out-and-out sensational' ***** (Daily Telegraph). 'A puerile clown with impeccably bad timing' ***** (Sydney Morning Herald). 'Absolutely hysterical and entirely endearing' ****½ (DailyReview.com.au).
Anxiety Club
Underbelly Cowgate, Delhi Belly, 16th – 20th Aug, (11.10pm), runtime 60 mins
Weekend: 16th – 18th, £10.00 (£9.00)
Weekday: 19th – 20th, £9.00 (£8.00)
Hilarious. Mind-blowing. Sassy AF. Welcome to Anxiety Club. Majestic gazelles of improvised comedy – Briony Redman (The Free Association), Charlotte Gittins (Austentatious) and Lauren Shearing (Showstopper) – smash the one thing that gives them stage fright: real life. Join three self-proclaimed national treasures as they slowly unravel for your wild entertainment, weaving together batshit stories, comic genius and shimmering hysteria, all inspired by the audience. Caution: any one of the actors may lose it at any time. Chances are, they’ll be really funny about it. Book now – five nights only!
Austentatious presents... Crosstentatious! In Aid of Waverley Care
Underbelly George Square, Udderbelly, 19th Aug, (9.30pm), runtime 60 mins
Weekday: 19th, £12.50 (£11.50)
For one night only, the Chortle Award-winning ladies and gentlemen of Austentatious swap their bonnets and breeches to raise money for Waverley Care! Join them as they improvise a riotously funny new Jane Austen work, based on nothing more than a title suggested by the audience. Performed in full Regency costume with live musical accompaniment, Crosstentatious features an all-star cast of dashing women and hommes fatals. Book now for a glorious evening of cross-dressed comedy, all for charity!
Backbone
Underbelly Bristo Square, McEwan Hall, 31st July – 26th Aug, (5pm), (no show Wednesday 7th, Monday 12th, Monday 19th), runtime 70 mins
Preview: 31st - 2nd, £13.00
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £18.50 (£17.50)
Weekday: 8th, 13th – 15th, 20th – 22nd, £17.50 (£16.50)
A high-octane spree of physical virtuosity, Backbone tests the limits of strength: physical, emotional, individual and collective. Staged with a deceptively DIY aesthetic and dispensing of trickery and distraction, this is circus that goes straight for the jugular and leaves no viewer unmoved. Backbone is the culmination of all that's gone before: a celebration of human connectedness and the meaning of strength, its athletic appeal is run through with a conceptual brilliance that elevates it to a new level. Sexy, sincere, raw yet disciplined, Backbone is proof you can't do the impossible without spending a little sweat.
BalletBoyz: Them/Us
Underbelly Bristo Square, McEwan Hall, 31st July – 15th Aug, (1pm), (no show Wednesday 7th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 31st – 1st, £12.50
Weekend: 3rd – 4th, 9th – 11th, 15th, £18.50 (£17.50)
Weekday: 2nd, 5th – 6th, 8th, 12th – 14th, £16.50 (£15.50)
Award-winning all-male company makes an explosive Edinburgh debut. Created collaboratively by the BalletBoyz company dancers, Them explores the individuality that resides within each dancer and the versatility of movement which BalletBoyz are renowned for. In Us, Tony and Olivier Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon examines human connections, culminating in the tender duet which premiered in 2017 to public acclaim. With contrasting scores by artist Keaton Henson and composer Charlotte Harding, this double-bill asks where we see ourselves in relation to the 'other'. ‘It doesn’t seem to matter what they dance. The result is always the same – fantastic’ (Times).
Beauty and the Beast
Underbelly Cowgate, Belly Dancer, 1st – 11th Aug, (11.10am), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 1st - 2nd, £6.50
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, £11.00 (£10.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, £10.00 (£9.00)
On his way home through the forest, Beauty's father picks her a rose from the enchanted palace gardens. That turns out to be a very big mistake... A heartwarming, high-energy retelling of Jeanne Marie de Beaumont's classic tale about loyalty, bravery and finding friends in surprising places.
Best of Musical Comedy Awards
Underbelly Cowgate, Belly Dancer, 24th – 25th Aug, (10.10pm), runtime 60 mins
Weekend: 24th – 25th, £11.00 (£10.00)
Join us for a riotous celebration of the Fringe's best musical comedians! Since 2009, the MCAs have helped to launch the likes of Abandoman, Rachel Parris, Mae Martin, Jay Foreman and Frisky & Mannish. If you enjoy acts that combine comedy with music such as Bill Bailey, Tim Minchin and Flight of the Conchords, you will love this show. 'As the Musical Comedy Awards demonstrate, the genre is currently bursting with talent' (Time Out). Sell-out shows from 2009-19.
Cicada 3301
Underbelly Bristo Square, Friesian, 31st July – 26th Aug, (12.40pm), (no show Monday 12th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 31st - 2nd, £6.50
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £11.00 (£10.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 13th – 15th, 20th – 22nd, 26th, £10.00 (£9.00)
Cicada 3301 is a play devised around one of the most mysterious, still unsolved Internet puzzles. When Cicada 3301 first appeared in January 2012 with a picture posted on Reddit, it immediately caught the fancy of many. This image started what was to become one of the Internet's most enduring puzzles; a scavenger hunt that has led competitors across the web, down old manuscripts to several physical locations around the globe and into uncharted areas of the darknet. Cicada 3301 is a play about the human desire for purpose, community and the search for order in chaos.
Civilisation
Underbelly Cowgate, Big Belly, 16th – 25th Aug, (6.25pm), runtime 60 mins
Weekend: 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £11.00 (£10.00)
Weekday: 19th – 22nd, £10.00 (£9.00)
A day in the life of a woman following a tragic event. A dance theatre experiment from the makers behind Lands. 'Mightily moving' **** (Time Out, on Lands).
Climb
Underbelly Bristo Square, Cowbarn, 31st July – 26th Aug, (2.40pm), (no show Tuesday 13th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 31st - 2nd, £6.50
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £13.00 (£12.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 12th, 14th – 15th, 20th – 22nd, 26th, £12.00 (£11.00)
Climb is a live album brought to life through compelling characters, storytelling, and original music blending bossa nova, jazz, reggae, and soul, written and performed by Duane Forrest. Climb traces the ups and downs of a relationship as Diego (Duane Forrest) journeys from a devastating breakup to meeting the captivating Mariela (Sandra Aguilar), who is grappling with her own difficult past. Forrest weaves live guitar and vocals together with Diego's story, creating an immersive, narrative musical experience. Proceeds support Forrest's charity Genesis Community of the Arts. Creator: Duane Forrest. Dramaturg: Ins Choi. Starring: Duane Forrest, Sandra Aguilar, Mariela Josid.
Connie Wookey: Denied
Underbelly Bristo Square, Daisy, 31st July – 26th Aug, (8.30pm), (no show Monday 12th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 31st - 2nd, £6.50
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £11.00 (£10.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 13th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, 26th, £10.00 (£9.00)
In February my cousin died in a plane crash. I flew to the funeral. My plane stopped working mid-flight. Good... This is a true story. Not sponsored by Air Canada. Award-winning music-comedy. Part stand-up, part musical parody, part storytelling, Wookey covers US visa immigration issues, men who wink at waitresses, and malfunctioning planes. ***** (StagedoorApp.com). **** (LondonTheatre1.com). **** (TheatreBox.blog). **** (WithinHerWords.co.uk). This five-star, fresh and inventive music-comedy is 'superbly performed' (AYoungerTheatre.com) and promises to make you laugh, cry and build your own miniature plane.
Courtney Pauroso: Gutterplum
Underbelly Cowgate, Iron Belly, 1st – 25th Aug, (2.40pm), (no show Tuesday 13th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 1st - 2nd, £6.50
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £12.00 (£11.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 12th, 14th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, £11.00 (£10.00)
Developed with Dr Brown and from the producers of the smash-hit award-winning shows Nate and Laid. American comedian Courtney Pauroso makes her Edinburgh Fringe debut with a character clown show (definitely), burlesque show (eventually) and feminist allegory (sure, probably) all rolled into one surreal and stupid and heart-warming and thought-provoking and blindingly beautiful yet deceptively dark – and honestly, 100% perfect – hour of ground-breaking comedy. A female. A journey. Twists and turns. Time and space. Laughter, tears, blood, bullshit. Etc. You get it. Any questions?
Criminal
Underbelly Bristo Square, Jersey, 2nd – 10th Aug, (10.25pm), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 2nd, £6.50
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 10th, £11.00 (£10.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, £10.00 (£9.00)
Criminal is an anarchic improv night in which four comedians (one detective and three suspects) have to investigate a grisly murder. A regular fixture in London, where it has featured performers like Josie Lawrence, Miles Jupp, Deborah Frances-White and Marcus Brigstocke, it returns to the Fringe after rave reviews in 2018. Come and watch an all-star cast (confirmed performers already include Deborah Frances-White, Mike McShane and Suki Webster) solve a murder in front of your very eyes. 'Improv doesn't get better than this' ***** (TheWeeReview.com). 'I was frequently in hysterics' **** (The730Review.co.uk).
Detour: A Show About Changing Your Mind
Underbelly Bristo Square, Buttercup, 31st July – 26th Aug, (2.35pm), (no show Tuesday 13th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 31st - 2nd, £7.00
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £11.00 (£10.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 12th, 14th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, 26th, £10.00 (£9.00)
A show about getting lost and getting found. Diana Dinerman was a history professor on a PhD track, specialising in a niche area of Modern Dance history… then she became a stand-up comedian. Then life fell apart! She took a leap, fell on her face, and found her way to her feet. Detour is an inspiring comedic play about finding your path in unexpected ways. Both witty and insightful, Detour mixes exposition with editorial, humour with heartbreak, feminism with femininity – Diana Dinerman has her finger on the pulse of women rising.
Do Our Best
Underbelly Cowgate, Iron Belly, 1st – 25th Aug, (2.50pm), (no show Monday 12th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 1st - 2nd, £6.50
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £11.00 (£10.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 13th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, £10.00 (£9.00)
Self-obsessed Sephie finds herself back in the sanctuary of the Girl Guides following the death of her Mother. In a last ditch effort to fend off eternal unhappiness she attempts achieving her Entertainers badge for the fourth time. A devastating comedy about how to harness your grief, find your pack and never giving up. From 2018's double Fringe-First winning Francesca Moody Productions (Angry Alan, Square Go), written and performed by fast-rising Remy Beasley (Stella, Sky) and directed by Fringe First Award winner, Hannah Banister. 'An incredible comedy acting and writing talent' (Ruth Jones, on Remy Beasley).
Dolly Di*mond's Bl*nkety Bl*nks
Underbelly Bristo Square, Ermintrude, 5th, 12th, 19th Aug, (8.35pm), runtime 60 mins
Weekday: 5th, 12th, 19th, £12.00 (£11.00)
Reigning queen of Australian cabaret, Dolly Diamond, returns with a live version of this top-rated TV classic. Including a line-up of celebrity guests, its a bit naughty, a little bit risqué and definitely filled with innuendo. Dolly Diamond is totally in her element with this naughty game show! It's variety, comedy and live entertainment at its best – or definitely its funniest! You won't see this on your TV screens.
Don't Bother
Underbelly Bristo Square, Dexter, 31st July – 26th Aug, (12.10pm), (no show Monday 12th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 31st - 2nd, £6.50
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £10.00 (£9.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 13th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, 26th, £9.00 (£8.00)
A stand-up poetry show about dead dogs, chocolate and nostalgia. Multi award-winning performance poet and alumnus of the Durham Revue, Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin presents a semi-coherent exploration of nothing in particular, using some words that rhyme and some more that don't. Blending surreal humour with storytelling and spoken word, Don't Bother is a unique hour of comedy. 'An hour of pure joy' (Dominic Berry). 'May be at the start of his career, but is at the top of his game' ***** (Issuu.com/BunburyMagazine).
Dream Machine
Underbelly Cowgate, Belly Dancer, 12th – 18th Aug, (11.10am), runtime 60 mins
Weekend: 16th – 18th, £11.00 (£10.00)
Weekday: 12th – 15th, £10.00 (£9.00)
This year's hottest product has just hit the city. Slap this little device on your forehead and the Dream Machine dreams for you. While you head to bed, it makes up a dream so you don't have to. The Dream Machine may be convenient, but it's dangerous too. If you stop dreaming at night, what happens to your dreams during the day? Returning to the Fringe, MCS Drama explore the power of imagination on an adventure full of fortune-telling dinosaurs, sandwich puppets and dreams of biscuits in a fantastic show for families.
Electric
Underbelly Cowgate, Delhi Belly, 1st – 25th Aug, (5.40pm), (no show Monday 12th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 1st - 2nd, £6.50
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £10.00 (£9.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 13th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, £9.00 (£8.00)
Baby wipes, glitter and cans at the ready, Joni and Scarlett head off on their respective weekends. From two sides of Dublin City, the pair unexpectedly meet in the neon fields of Irish music festival Electric Picnic. Hysterically riotous and soul-stirring, Electric probes our innate prejudices and preconceived notions of who we are while taking you on the session of a lifetime! 'Heaven' ***** (TheArtsReview.com). 'Not to be missed' **** (TheReviewsHub.com). 'Two gifted performers' **** (Irish Mail on Sunday). 'A touching script, tremendous performances, great music...' **** (TN2 Magazine).
F. Off
Underbelly Cowgate, Belly Button, 2nd – 25th Aug, (12.50pm), (no show Monday 12th), runtime 75 mins
Preview: 2nd, £7.00
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £12.00 (£11.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 13th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, £11.00 (£10.00)
F. Off. As the extremes of social media kick up an unsettling and unsavoury stink, Evening Standard 'One to Watch' writer Tatty Hennessy, National Youth Theatre Artistic Director Paul Roseby and Britain's best young talent are kicking off in response in true interrogatory style to put Mark Zuckerberg and his social network colleagues on trial. The question is who really is to blame, and who is following who? So we ask you, the audience, to be the jury and the NYT company will be the disrupters. Served with a heavy helping of humour, some knitting and hardcore experts.
Fags, Mags and Bags
Underbelly George Square, Udderbelly, 1st July – 26th Aug, (4.40pm), (no show Monday 12th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 1st - 2nd, £10.00
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £15.50 (£14.50)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 13th – 15th, 20th – 22nd, 26th, £13.50 (£12.50)
'All human life is in shop… there's not a single aspect of it that's not covered by at least one partwork magazine (free binder with part one)'. Dave! Please be a trumpet! Multiple award-winning Radio 4 comedy Fags, Mags and Bags is finally going live! Experience near your actual face Ramesh's shop logic, Dave's Vera Drake fleece, Alok's pointy shoes and Sanjay's weaponised sarcasm (#weaponisedsarcasm). And that's merely scratching the shoe of the iceberg! Yes! This is your chance to become a customer and part of the shop community. And it is a community!
Final Cut
Underbelly Cowgate, Belly Dancer, 1st – 25th Aug, (12.30pm), (no show Monday 12th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 1st - 2nd, £6.50
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £10.00 (£9.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 13th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, £9.00 (£8.00)
Sir Trevor Brierly – writer, director, occasional cat-sitter – was many things to many people. To his colleagues Michaelmas Crouch and Patio Horse, he was a friend above all. Patio and Michaelmas host a memorial service in tribute to the life and works of their late companion, featuring Trevor's films and an array of guests, from family members to former lovers, each with a story to tell. James Coward and John Tothill's latest hour of improvisational character comedy combines sketch and film to weave a touching story of loneliness. 'Triumph of character comedy' (EdFringeReview.com).
Found Footage Festival: Volume 9
Underbelly Cowgate, Belly Dancer, 15th – 24th Aug, (10.40pm), runtime 60 mins
Weekend: 16th – 18th, 23rd – 24th, £11.00 (£10.00)
Weekday: 15th, 19th – 22nd, £10.00 (£9.00)
Joe Pickett (Onion) and Nick Prueher (Colbert Report) are back in Edinburgh for 10 nights only with an all-new guided tour through their latest VHS finds, including the 1987 Miss Junior America Wisconsin pageant, a mysterious tape labeled 'bonion sergery', home movies taken at a Canadian hose factory, and a fitness video called Jugglercise. Don't miss this cult Fringe hit! 'A comedy sensation' (Guardian). 'Hysterical and brilliant' (Time Out London). 'Will have you chuckling so hard you may require medical attention' (BeyondTheJoke.co.uk).
Four Woke Baes
Underbelly Cowgate, Belly Button, 1st – 25th Aug, (5.05pm), (no show Monday 12th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 1st - 2nd, £7.00
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £12.50 (£11.50)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 13th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, £11.50 (£10.50)
Multi award-winning US playwright Jonathan Caren's razor-sharp dark comedy follows four friends on a river-rafting stag party that's turned upside down when a mysterious woman kayaks ashore. Groom-to-be, Dez, comes to question the very nature of love and monogamy over the course of a long night's drinking, fire-building and s'more-making. Rifles are drawn, stripteases danced and secrets unearthed as the quartet of friends comes together and falls apart. Cynical and raw, hilarious and squirm-inducing, the play asks just how liberal "woke" boys really are when they're alone together, out in nature, beers in hand.
Frog's Legs
Underbelly Bristo Square, Dairy Room, 31st July – 26th Aug, (11.50am), (no show Monday 12th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 31st - 2nd, £6.50
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £10.00 (£9.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 13th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, 26th, £9.00 (£8.00)
A comedy play that is almost set in the world of a 'three men walk into a bar' joke. Martin and Duncan are two, bitter, middle-aged men who are outraged to discover that their local pub has been taken over by the young, fashionable Franc. He has turned it, as he tells them, into 'a pub-themed café'. They immediately assume he is French and, despite him regularly correcting them, continually hold it against him. Over three episodes separated by musical comedy performed on a keytar, Martin and Duncan devise increasingly ludicrous schemes to ruin Franc's life.
Fulfilment
Underbelly Cowgate, Belly Laugh, 1st – 25th Aug, (3.40pm), (no show Monday 12th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 1st - 2nd, £6.50
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £11.00 (£10.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 13th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, £10.00 (£9.00)
Robox is your personal fulfilment device. The one-click wonder, the ultimate convenience. You dream it, he delivers it. Instant fulfilment. But fulfilment isn't for everyone. Award-winning theatre company SharkLegs uncover the price people really pay for next-day delivery. Disarmingly funny and playful, the show is created live every night from your desires. Join us and let Robox discover what you need, what you want and what you dream of. Then let Robox provide the solution. A solution... Definitely a bit of a solution... Or a solution that other people who bought this solution also bought.
Galway Comedy Carnival Showcase
Underbelly George Square, Udderbelly, 12th Aug, (9.30pm), runtime 60 mins
Weekday: 12th, £12.00 (£11.00)
Official launch of Ireland's premier comedy festival, featuring top acts from the 2019 programme, including Andrew Maxwell, Terry Alderton and Danny O'Brien. Now in its 14th year, thousands of comedy fans are set to descend on the gorgeous medieval city of Galway, over seven days and nights this October to enjoy a stellar line-up of world-class comedians. Talent-wise, it's a selection of only the very best, ranging from local greats to international stars. Full festival line-up revealed on 13th Aug (9am). See vodafonecomedycarnival.com for information.
Gobby
Underbelly Cowgate, Big Belly, 1st – 15th Aug, (6.25pm), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 1st - 2nd, £6.50
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, £11.00 (£10.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 12th – 15th, £10.00 (£9.00)
Bri is not who she used to be, so she's revisiting the five parties that changed her. Gobby is a playlist of awkward encounters, starting over and growing up. A biting and heartfelt odyssey about what it really means to be loud, this new play is a darkly comic telling of survival, an exploration of self-awareness and a lesson in how to throw a really good party.
Harry Baker: I Am 10,000
Underbelly Cowgate, Belly Laugh, 1st – 24th Aug, (11.40am), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 1st - 2nd, £6.50
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 24th, £11.00 (£10.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 12th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, £10.00 (£9.00)
Mathematician-turned-World-Slam-Champion Harry Baker turns 10,000 days old, celebrating numbers, words and life itself. From winning his school's Battle of the Bands competition with a Jay-Z maths homage, to his prime number poetry TED talk being watched by millions online, Harry's love of language and logic has got him through literal marathons, seen him rap battle in front of Ice Cube, and now has him analysing the technical accuracy of So Solid Crew's 21 seconds. He's got 99 problems but maths ain't one. 'Ferociously intelligent' **** (Scotsman). 'The greatest performer on earth' ***** (BBC Radio 1).
Hatch
Underbelly Cowgate, Big Belly, 1st – 25th Aug, (3.20pm), (no show Monday 12th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 1st - 2nd, £6.50
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £10.50 (£9.50)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 13th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, £9.50 (£8.50)
Solo gig-theatre digging under the skin of anti-heroine Jess, imprisoned for selling drugs on her lover's behalf. Blurring the boundaries of acted scene, poetry and live music; Hatch flows through Jess's feelings of abandonment from her partner on the outside through explosive spoken word poetry, sensual moments of magical realism, a collection of original songs and fierce live electronic music. Winner of the Camden People's Theatre Award and Oberon Books Best New Play Award (NSDF 2018). 'She surrenders herself in a fever of hypnotic song and monologue. Funny and devastating in equal part' (Sunday Times).
Heroes
Underbelly George Square, Udderbelly, 1st – 25th Aug, (3.00pm), (no show Monday 12th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 1st - 2nd, £7.00
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £13.00 (£12.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 13th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, 26th, £12.00 (£11.00)
This playful new aerial show from All or Nothing and Room 2 Manoeuvre delves into the world of superheroes and beyond! In their quirky circus universe, two performers (and their miniature sidekicks) explore what it means to be a hero. The dynamic duo tackle the darker side of life in the spotlight and the pressures of being a role model with a never-ending list of enemies. Are we blinded by celebrity? Or are the ordinary people living extraordinary lives our true heroes? Families assemble – don't miss this clever caper told through aerial dance theatre and contemporary circus.
HOTTER
Underbelly Cowgate, White Belly, 12th – 25th Aug, (8.00pm), runtime 60 mins
Weekend: 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £10.00 (£9.00)
Weekday: 12th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, £9.00 (£8.00)
Hello, we're Ell and Mary. We're best friends and ex-girlfriends and we're bored of playing it cool. So this is a show about what gets you hot. We asked women and transpeople aged 11-97 what makes them sweat, rub and gush. OK, we didn't ask the 11-year-old exactly the same questions. We made a sweaty verbatim dance party out of their answers. Following five-star sell-out runs at the Fringe and Soho Theatre, HOTTER returns for a limited run only. 'Vulnerable, charming, and electric' ***** (EdinburghGuide.com). ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). **** (ThreeWeeks).
Hyde & Seek
Underbelly Cowgate, Belly Button, 1st – 25th Aug, (11.30am), (no show Monday 12th), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 1st - 2nd, £6.50
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £10.00 (£9.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 13th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, £9.00 (£8.00)
One performer. Seven characters. 500+ light and sound cues. No technician. In a long-abandoned theatre, a former stage-doorman, Albert, confesses the untold story of Dr Jekyll... and Mr Hyde. Electromagnets, projection and 18 domestic, colour-changing lightbulbs, all triggered invisibly by one performer employing a system that would make the average Victorian illusionist gawk. Fast-paced, intimate and lavishly visual storytelling: a vaudevillian ghost story expanding on the world of a gothic classic. There will be puppets, there will be songs, there will be technical wizardry and, of course, there will be danger...
I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical
Underbelly Bristo Square, Dairy Room, 31st July – 26th Aug, (8.45pm), runtime 60 mins
Preview: 31st - 2nd, £7.00
Weekend: 3rd – 6th, 9th – 11th, 16th – 18th, 23rd – 25th, £11.00 (£10.00)
Weekday: 7th - 8th, 12th – 15th, 19th – 22nd, 26th, £10.00 (£9.00)
Boasting a West End Wilma Award, a Broadway World Award nomination and a raft of five-star reviews for its recent London run, this comedic musical revue reveals everything you could want to know about being a musical theatre performer... if only there were any who'd admit it. Covering the journey from wide-eyed drama student to brattish diva, or past-it chorus member, or bitter has-been (or never-was), this show lifts the lid on awful auditions, debilitating dance routines, mid-performance mishaps, and backstage backstabbing – plus those magical moments that make it all worthwhile.
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