FringeReview’s Paul Levy was flyered by musical comedy veteran Chris Tavener and sat him down to talk about his solo show that combines music and comedy, Chris Tavener is Faking Cool. “Watch Chris Tavener battle his intrusive thoughts through the medium of witty, satirical songs. Will it work? Not likely… “As heard on BBC 6 […]


Playing the Star Ratings Game at Fringe Festivals: The Theatre Makers’  Ethical Dilemma Shady Fringe Reflections in Pavilion Gardens I’m just sharing some thoughts here in Pavilion Gardens Cafe, a fringe venue, number one here at Brighton Fringe, but also the regular headquarters when the weather allows of Fringe Review. And I’m just reflecting on […]


Verbatim Theatre is a form of documentary theatre in which the script is constructed from the exact words spoken by real people, usually taken from interviews, recordings, or transcripts. The aim is to present authentic voices and lived experiences, often in response to social, political, or historical events. Paul Levy spoke with the creator of […]


Comedy performer Cheryl Roberts met Paul Levy at a Brighton Fringe networking event and chatted about her solo comediy show Get Real with Relationships by Dr Sheryl (nOPhD, DwP). “Are you single (again) and feeling unlucky in love? Are you in a relationship but occasionally consider how to dispose of your partners body? Don’t despair, […]


FringeReview editor, Paul Levy, offers some gritty advice on managing your fringe show reviews A regular at Brighton and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, he delves into the world of reviewing with some practical advice on making smart decisions about who you let in and who it might be better to not in to review your work. […]


Sweetfest runs for two weeks in May in Brighton. UK. Here are FringeReview’s podcast recommendations for cabaret, music, comedy, spoken word and theatre. Browse the programme and book tickets here. SweetFest 2025 runs from 14th May to 1st June. You can also keep up to date on Facebook SweetFest Brighton is a lively annual theatre […]


Richard Dale talks to Paul Levy about his solo theatre piece, Awake, Gay and Writing a Play “Preaching the word to thousands in football stadiums and evangelising undercover in China amidst 30 years of door-knocking, and all the while the sound of sexuality was knocking loudly upon his own door. Escaping from a high-control religious […]


Paul Levy is in conversation with improv performers Summer Tewkesbury and Fillipe Ribeiro about Who Wrote This? “Who Wrote This?” is an improvised comedy show (produced by ‘The Audition Room’ company) where every performance is completely unique. Audience suggestions shape the scenes, creating spontaneous and unexpected stories on the spot. Come and experience a night […]


‘Any Objections?’ is billed as “a playful celebration of defying stereotypes, embracing self expression, and making space for joy and silliness in a messy world.” Scarlett Smith is an electroacoustic harpist and comedian. “Blending live looping harp covers of popular songs, self-produced indie-pop jingles, and fast paced punch lines, she will take you into her […]


Circus as a social and psychological experiment? Paul Levy talked with Lennart Parr about a very unique circus show at the Fringe, InThisTogether. “This is an experiment. We have intentions, but just like you we don’t exactly know what is going to happen.” “InThisTogether is a participative circus show that relies on the audience in […]


Shaolin Clown is a show from acclaimed clown and physical performer Tom Corradini. Paul Levy caught up with him at Brighton’s Pavilion Gardens cafe. Tom Corradini is a clown and playwright engaged in the experimental research of new comic languages with social themes. He has participated in numerous international festivals in Europe and Asia, among […]


Paul Levy was in conversation with Sam Clarke about his solo show Delightfully Dark hosted by the charismatic and shadowy Victor Von Plume. “Prepare for a hilarious and heartwarming journey into the great unknown with “Delightfully Dark,” where laughter meets the afterlife in a cabaret that celebrates the absurdity of death! Whether you’re a fan […]


FringeReview talks to Alexandra Jorgensen about Tales of a Jane Austen Spinster. “When a Jane Austen heroine, unlucky in love, finds herself thrown into the modern world of dating, she must set aside her customs and expectations to brave this new world of courtship. But the unsolicited pictures and lack of chivalry may be all […]


Interview: All about Freezer Cake and Cooking

Freezer Cake is a contemporary play being performed at the Lantern Theatre, Brighton, as part of Brighton Fringe 2025. The production runs from Monday 5 May to Friday 9 May, with evening shows at 5:00 PM from Monday to Thursday and a matinee at 2:00 PM on Friday. It is staged by Fitsnomore Productions. We […]


Interview: The Queen, Shakespeare and Me

The Queen, Shakespeare and Me is “a musical comedy tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II, presented by Carole Shaw. The show is scheduled to run from Thursday, 8 May to Sunday, 11 May 2025, at 7:00 PM each evening, at the Grania Dean Studio within the Lantern Theatre, Brighton. “This affectionate performance offers a […]


“With Ruby and I” is a fast-paced dark comedy about the complexities of friendship, love, sex, and betrayal. Set in a tiny flat high above the city, it follows Mags and Ruby-inseparable friends whose lives revolve around partying, hustling, and each other, until the arrival of Tony threatens to unravel everything. The story asks how […]


Paul Levy, Fringe Review’s Brighton editor found a comfy sofa at the Circus Yard, brand new Circus venue at Brighton Fringe run by Revel Puck Circus. Here’s his podcast as he London Victoria call browses through the programme and recommends a few shows. Here is the information about Revel Puck Circus at Brighton Fringe without […]


“Duty” is a new play by Susanne Crosby being presented at the Lantern Theatre Brighton during Brighton Fringe 2025. “As the First World War unfolds, three friends in rural Sussex feel very different calls to duty; changing their lives forever. “John and his mum Mags run their farm with Joe and Harry’s help: these three […]


A guide for fringe-seeking first-timers Brighton Fringe 2025, running from 2 May to 1 June, marks the festival’s 20th anniversary with over 4,000 performances across 140 venues. As England’s largest open-access arts festival, it continues to champion inclusivity and creativity, welcoming both emerging and established artists This year’s programme features a diverse array of events, […]


Twenty to see at Caravanserai

Caravanserai is the Fringe’s community hub, with theatre spaces, bars, eateries and places for families to safely hang out. There’s a stage called Fringe City for shows to showcase a flavour of their work. And it’s all (or mostly) built from bits of old caravans (and a lot more) into a living work of art […]


They’ve ignored my press release! Whether you are bringing a show to a Fringe festival or simply trying to get media coverage for a show at any time of the year, these tips are for you. There could be a number of reasons why your press has been not responded to by potential reviewing publications. […]


Venue Focus at Brighton Fringe: Sweet Venues

Sweet Venues at Brighton Fringe has become established at a true fringe venue year-round at the Poets in Hove. During the Fringe you can also find them at the truly intimate Sweet at the Welly. Offering some real variety covering theatre, comedy and a lot more, we offer some of our choices for you to […]


Our first must see cabaret theatre choice at the Latest Music Bar is Queen Mab: The Witching Hour. “Queen Mab is irreverent yet commanding, escapist, ethereal, alluring, slightly unhinged… Fun, but with an undeniable darker streak. She conjures a heady witches’ brew of wildly eclectic influences – a pinch of trip-hop here, a dash of […]


Venue Focus at Brighton Fringe: The Actors

Formerly The Marlborough Theatre, The Actors is the new name for what is emerging as an important and exciting theatre and performance hub in Brighton. I say “hub” because they have developed more than just their original theatre space so you can enjoy the intimacy of the Back Bar and the Light Room and you […]


The Lantern Theatre is based at Brighton’s much valued Academy of Creative Training, a drama school founded by Daniel Finlay and Jeanette Eddisford. Recent developments at the space have resulted in an upgraded, intimate theatre space as well as the new Finlay Bar, named after patron Frank Finlay. We are delighted to see a diverse […]


Improvised comedy and theatre at Brighton Fringe.

Most “improv” is quintessentially fringe, WHy is that? Probably because unscripted live performance has always been a reaction to the mainstram of “scripted” performance. With no lines to learn we are already on (and even falling over) the edge. Some improv is right on that edge whilst some is a bit scripted, haging on formats […]


Exploring Mental health at Brighton Fringe

Mental Health has always been a critical issue that artists have explored at Fringe festivals. In the ’90s. theatre and movement based work examined issues that were being increaingly written about in the mainstram media such as suice and depression. In recent years the diversity of art and performance is rightly being centre-staged in Fringe […]


Local educational arts company Ensonglopedia will be launching their new show ‘The Puddle at the End of the World’ at this year’s Brighton Fringe. The story follows a 13-year-old girl and her Nanna as they escape their home after flooding; they need the audience’s help to find somewhere to sleep and figure out why the […]


‘Would You Still Love Me if I was a Wiggly Worm?’ The Important Questions We WantAnswered in the New Feminist Comedy Musical. OnTheNose Productions presents their debut show 60 Minutes of Mood Swings atBrighton Fringe; “a hilarious yet harrowing feminist musical that explores the performers’insecurities, imperfections, and ’constructive feedback’ from men. As they comedically putthemselves […]


Family and Children’s Shows at Brighton Fringe

Fringe offers the perfect break from digital screen time and this year’s fringe, as ever, covers the age range from toddlers to teens. With plenty of coihce here are a few recommendations from your good fringe guide. Check dates as manyt only play for a few days and blink and you’ll miss them. I want […]


Brighton Fringe: Real Fringe Venues

Perhaps more than ever this year, the fringe venues on the true Fringe of Brighton Fringe beckon. With Caravanserai and the Brighton Spiegeltent offering to fill the central spaces of those larrger fringe hibs that form the default of Fringes as far afield as Edinburgh and Adelaide2, there have always been venues that could lay […]


OPINION: Unfussy Curtain Calls

Get the **** off stage!   Here is a bit of as personal and despesarte plea to theatre makers at this year’s Brighton Fringe… So, the lights fade slowly and we are ready for a fairly silent, dare I suggest, stunned exit. Before even five seconds have elapsed since the final blackout, the lights shoot […]


I want to see … some history at Brighton Fringe

I want to see… some history at Brighton Fringe 2023 Those of you interested in history, from most points on the timeline if posterity have plenty of choice at this year’s Fringe. History is often explored through theatre, musicals and comedy, as well as talks and a bit of film and cabaret. Here are a […]


5 Theatre shows to see at Brighton Fringe

Here are Fringe Review editor Paul Levy’s five early theatre show recommendations for Brighton Fringe 2023… First off is Anna & Marina from award-winning Brighton based theatre company Brighton Theatre. with a reputation as a company brimming with experimentation but with a solid history as assured theatre makers, Anna & Marina has to be on […]


The bumpy road gets a bit longer

By Lori Hamilton One thing about me is that I am persistent. SO PERSISTENT (aka stubborn, hard-headed, etc.). Given a problem, I am 100% sure that I can find a solution.  When obstacles arise, I set about pulling out my fix-it tools and get to work. Ha ha! My confidence abounds! I like this about […]


First Crack off the Bat – Three Broken Ribs

Lori Hamilton continues her series of blogs about the mishaps and challenges of bringing a show to the Edinburgh Fringe. It was February 10, 2020. Having written a play about following my intuition, you would think that I would follow my intuition. But you would be wrong. On that particular morning, I decided to shave […]


Pete Wells and Rabiah Coon talk about comedy

It’s Sunday 6th of June, and I find myself sitting the Caroline of Brunswick. I’m here for a comedy show, and fall into conversation with Pete Wells and Rabiah Coon. It was an interesting and free ranging look at comedy from different perspectives. Rabiah is starting out, Pete is more experienced (and runs London’s Comedy […]


About nine months into Covid, a friend and I decided to remain hopeful by booking a trip to Yellowstone National Park. Little did I know that by the time we were there, I would also be rehearsing for the World Premiere of my show at the Brighton Fringe Festival. That’s right!  I started live streaming […]


Actor and writer Christopher Tajah from Resistance Theatre Company talks to Jo Tomalin about his career so far, and writing and performing his latest solo play at the Brighton Fringe 2021, 14 – 27 June 21 & The Space Theatre, East London 17 & 18 August 21. “‘Under Heaven’s Eyes’ is a new 60-minute solo performance exploring the […]


My Bumpy Road to The Fringe

Hi. I’m Lori Hamilton, writer and actor currently living in New York City. Between now and August, I’m planning to do a regular blog about the challenges of bringing a show to the Edinburgh Fringe (I’m also doing online performances for the Brighton Fringe) from the USA in 2021. You’ll hear about recording during Covid, how my cats […]


Between Two Waves (We’re back)

By Luke Ofield for Unmasked Theatre ‘Daniel is a climatologist and he knows bad weather is on its way. Fiona knows the glass is half empty but is determined to make the absolute best of it. What neither of them knows is whether all they’ve built together can survive the coming storm and if you’ll […]


Top Comedy Picks for Brighton Fringe 2021

Finally, shows and festivals are coming back to life. I won’t bore you with all the welcome back stuff as that is someone else’s job. A couple of weeks ago, Paul asked me to do some recommendations, highlights and things to look forward to at this year’s Brighton Fringe. So, in no particular order, here […]


Brighton Fringe 2020

          1st – 31st October 2020 In a year in which we, the public, and fringe theatre were both locked down, how do things stand in October 2020? Brighton Fringe announced the postponement of the May Fringe and boldly set out a hope to be back in the Autumn. Well, here […]


So, Brighton Fringe 2019 comes to an end and I am not going to name drop or specifically hyperlink – partly because I can’t be arsed and mainly because this isn’t about this show or that show; it is about the Fringe beast as a whole. There has been some very reflective work – some […]


BREXIT – You cannot predict the future

As we’re about to stage our second performance here in Brighton I’m writing this final post from an undisclosed location of the city. The day seems to be blessed with a warm summer sun, people are out on the beach or sipping a drink in the many bars scattered along the seafront and I have […]


BREXIT – the 5 ingredients of Populism

We’re finally in Brighton. Today I’ve been walking about flyering a little bit while enjoying the city at the same time. Given that yesterday I woke up at 5 am and didn’t go to bed until 2 am of the following day I’m feeling a bit weak, to say the least. In any case, I’m […]


          Paul Levy talks to acrobat Adam McMahon about Railed. “From the creators of the smash hit ‘Elixir’ (winner of Best Circus and physical theatre award at Adelaide Fringe 2018). Welcome to ‘Railed’, a western-themed circus spectacular, combining the trademark physical talents, finely chiseled bodies and hilarious comic timing of the […]


          Paul Levy talks to Faynia Williams from Brighton Theatre about Mozzz! “A highly topical, 5* tour-de-force from Festival Best Production Award Winners, director/designer Faynia Williams and actor/playwright Richard Crane. “A one-day-old male mosquito looks forward to joining the mile-high club. He invites you to donate a sip of your blood […]


            Paul Levy talks to performer Beth Hodd about Coming Home With Me. “A night exploring the grimy underbelly of a girls’ night out. The perils of creepy dudes, lad culture, and general unwanted attention face almost every girl when partying, so why aren’t we talking about it?  Using verbatim […]


BREXIT – In England even God speaks English

When I wrote my last post I was killing time in the north of France. Today I’m in the opposite side of the country i.e. in Cannes waiting to enter inside a conference room at the Cannes Film Festival. One wonders what the effects of Brexit will be on cinema, apart from theatre. Who knows, maybe […]


                  What are we going to do about the Arts in Brighton and Hove? That was the question posed by FringeReview’s Paul Levy and Brighton Spiegeltent’s Adrian Bristow. (You can read Paul’s thoughts going into the event here).                   […]


BREXIT – That’s the French Parliament

So….I’m back at the keyboard after a few intense days. Today I’m in France warming up for yet another show which I took to Brighton Fringe in 2016. Indeed these past 3 weeks I’ve been in France quite a lot touching different cities and regions: Tours, Besançon and the small town of Longwy, where I […]


As people descend at 6pm on the Brighton Spiegltent as we approach the midpoint of Brighton Fringe 2019 for a gathering exploring the question “what is to be done about the Arts in Brighton and Hove?” I wonder why we keep asking this question year after year after year. It could be that there is […]


Paul Levy talks to Sam Chittenden from Different Theatre about Sary and Clean. “Different Theatre create intimate work with a strong theatricality. Past shows include ‘Metamorphosis’, ‘Sary’, and ‘So You Say’”. In this interview, Sam talks about where her ideas and creative impulses come from and how she makes her theatre. Sary       […]


    Paul Levy talks to Adam Potrykus about The Nordic Season at Brighton Fringe 2019 at The Old Market “Fancy some Daddy Issues from Sweden? Intergalactic adventures from Norway? Your most secret desires from Finland? Virtual reality theatre from Iceland? A performance lecture from Denmark? Or maybe some Scandinavian burlesque, dance, folk song, site specific […]


              Paul Levy talks to Lucy Pickering about Cellophane Flowers – The Beatles Revisited which returns to Brighton Fringe after sellout shows in 2018. “After a sell-out show last year, Cellophane Flowers are back. Alex Eberhard, Lucy Pickering and Rachel Myer will take you on a fabulous journey through […]


          Paul Levy talks to Naomi Paul about Despite Everything, Price (Still) Includes Biscuits. Naomi brings her acclaimed show to the Brighton Fringe after success in Edinburgh and around the UK. “Naomi Paul returns to Brighton Fringe with her satirical 4-star solo show. Enjoy original songs, topical stories and Jewish humour. […]


          Paul Levy talks to roleplay game fan and show maker David McIver about Teleport. “Come! Escape into the Kingdoms of Ashgorn, where you can level up, complete quests, defeat monsters and watch a very cheeky young man doing some really stupid character comedy. That’s right my friends, it’s another big […]


  Paul Levy talks to Luke Olfield from locally based Unmasked Theatre. Unmasked Theatre bring two shows to this year’s Brighton Fringe. Further Education is their own creation,  a winner from the highly successful Brighton Scratch Night at Rialto Thatre. “1985: Frank the miner likes doing his job and reading the Sun. Unfortunately, Maggie is after […]


          One Beautiful, Enormous, Historical Flat Pack? Paul Levy talks to Izzy Tyndall Bristow and Sam Rush about Brighton Spiegeltent at Brighton Fringe 2019. This perennial Brighton Fringe hub goes up quicker than you might think. This year it is as packed as ever with Fringe varety. Paul Levy caught up […]


BREXIT at Brighton Fringe – Darth Vader for PM

So here I am on a Wednesday afternoon turning into evening in less than an hour staring blankly at my computer screen. What on earth shall I write about? I ask myself. I mean, let’s face it, in theory I should write about our new show coming to Brighton Fringe at the end of the […]


Brighton’s Burger Brothers – a Review

Most stories of people’s favourite burgers are probably quite unlikely to feature Brighton. More likely are tales of that legendary burger devoured and forever imprinted in memory from various states in America. I, too, had it not been for a visit to Burger Brothers, would be in this category. I have many a fond memory […]


Step lightly, step carefully and watch what you pack

Most of the large Fringe venues are close to each other, within 10-15 minutes walking distance. The Brighton Spiegeltent, The Warren, Sweet Venues, Junkyard Dogs, Komedia and The Rialto can all be easily strolled to. Do take care you don’t get run over, by a car or a bike. Also sort your tickets in advance […]


            Paul Levy talks to co-author and director Amy Whitington from Gauntlet Theatre about devised theatre piece My Life Closed Twice which she co-wrote with writer and performer Joseph Hand. “After being diagnosed with schizophrenia aged 20, Joe’s life becomes a cacophony of visions, voices and questionable media stereotypes. From the […]


Dance and Physical Theatre at Brighton Fringe 2019

  Dance and Physical theatre is one of those categories that doesn’t really work. As a result a lot of physical theatre gets listed in other categories such as comedy or theatre. Here are a few of our recommendations to help you find your way through the mire. What would you like to see? I […]