Kate Saffin’s five solo shows by women

Solo performers probably outnumber every other group at the Fringe if you include theatre, comedy, spoken word and music. The 262 solo theatre shows listed this year offer diverse work across every genre and style, every venue and every imaginable topic (well, possibly not every one but certainly a great range!). Many are new writing, […]


“Storytellers from a range of backgrounds, ages and cultures share stories of LGBTQ+ lives past, present and future. With a different line-up at every show featuring household names alongside upcoming storytellers and the occasional audience micro-story. Sometimes hilarious, often moving, occasionally shocking and always queer. Hosted year-round by Turan Ali (Producer of BBC comedy/drama), this […]


Hey there, fellow Fringe-curious! You may or may not know me as the anything-but-typical hypnotist behind Hypnotist Matt Hale – Top Fun: 80s Hypnosis Spectacular.  I’ve been performing at Fringe fests for years … but not Edinburgh. If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably heard all the wild tales about taking part in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival […]


Playing the final week of Edfringe 2023, White Butterfly is a new theatre piece from Heather Tiernan.” “Grief isn’t a straight line, it’s a never-ending rollercoaster you find yourself on one day. White Butterfly explores grief and how it affects different people through a series of vignettes. From wakes, to therapy, to several years later, […]


Box Tale Soup’s Paperless Fringe

Box Tale Soup’s Noel Byrne tells the tale of getting sell-out houses without the need to fell trees… Is a paperless Fringe really possible, or necessary? If you’re a new  company bringing work to the Festival for the first time, of course you  want to do everything you can to promote your show, and the […]


Bipolar Badass is a one-woman show by New York City artist Mari Crawford. It is a dark comedy about her experience getting diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.  I didn’t know how my piece would be received by the Fringe audience. Late nights at rehearsal studios in Manhattan and sleep deprived work days filled my time, in […]


The memory of President Lincoln is widely revered – there is even statue of him in Edinburgh – but the First Lady who supported him through the Civil War is forgotten in Scotland and reviled in America. Mary Lincoln was a woman who suffered repeated personal losses and tragedy and betrayal. And all this was […]


Images from the Fringe 2023

2023 photographs – More Galleries Show Pictures Clearing the Backlog I can’t really believe how quickly the last couple of weeks have gone by as I sit at my computer updating picture galleries, reviewing and sorting photographs to upload. As you may suspect I’m drawn to visually interesting shows and I feel lucky to have […]


“Celebrating the strength of mature bodies and challenging the cult of youth, the show is a reclaiming of the ageing body created by dance-theatre innovators Junk Ensemble. Performed by acclaimed actor Mikel Murfi and leading dance artist Finola Cronin (formerly of Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater Wuppertal), the performers are heroic, vulnerable, comedic and completely themselves in […]


Vagabond Productions are back with what they describe as a perfect lockdown party, their own translation of The Chairs by Eugène Ionesco (originally in French). Picture an ancient couple, beached in life and marooned in some isolated spot, inviting many imaginary guests. The result – lots of chairs and characters but no inconvenient social distancing. […]


The second annual Edinburgh Deaf Festival – part of the Fringe – is underway with more than 60 events for anyone and everyone.  The 2023 line-up features drama, comedy, film, exhibitions, entertainment for children and young people plus workshops and other activities. Running until 20 August it’s designed to appeal to hearing as well as deaf audiences.  Among those taking […]


Alison Skillbeck is no stranger to the Edinburgh Fringe. She is a writer and actor with several critically acclaimed plays under her belt Are There More of You?, The Power Behind The Crone and Mrs Roosevelt Flies to London. In this interview she talks to Kate Saffin about the isolation of lockdown, how important the […]


“The Baxter (two-time Scotsman Fringe First winners) in collaboration with Tony Award-winning Handspring Puppet Company (of War Horse and Little Amal fame) are at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe at the Assembly Hall! The UK premiere of JM Coetzee’s Life and Times of Michael K, adapted for the stage by Lara Foot. A Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus (Germany) […]


“A deliciously Dahl-esque treat from madcap duo Fladam (Flo Poskitt and Adam Sowter), about a boy born with gunky, green fingers! Is he really rotten, or just misunderstood? Maybe the answers lie in the mysterious school garden… Featuring live music, puppetry and plenty of humour.”


“South African comedian, Ambrose Uren, shares his unique story in this stand-up comedy show filled with unexpected twists. His off-grid lifestyle, deep connection to the struggle of goldfish in aquariums and admiration for indigenous fashion choices have him constantly trying to figure out how to navigate his own existence. Come and bare witness to the […]


Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the school gates? Why do people become teachers and then leave so soon? With schools being asked to become multi-academy trusts, the school working world is becoming very different. Come and see the hilarious, unbelievable and simply sublime situations this group of teachers get themselves into in […]


Sci-fi Shows at the Edinburgh Fringe

Science fiction is usually broadly defined in fringe festivals including spectulative fiction and fantasy often in the form of alternative worlds and alternative versions of the future, often in which one form of technology (such as artificial intelligence) has come to dominate our world. For kids shows it is usually about robots and space ships, […]


Five #firsttimefringers as spotted by Kate Saffin

There’s a first time for every Fringe writer, performer, director, producer… and sometimes they are they are all the same person! Those pre Fringe nerves will all be tingling as they get ready for their first show. Will the set/costumes/props last the month? Should we have made more cuts? And the big one, will anyone […]


Théâtre de la Feuille is a physical theatre company based in Hong Kong created and led by Artistic DIrector Ata Wong Chun Tat. Ata trained internationally in physical theatre, martial arts, and Beijing Opera to name a few genres. He talks with Jo Tomalin about how he trains his company in physical theatre before creating […]


Free Fringe Theatre at Edfringe

The free fringe at the Edinburgh Fringe takes two forms. PBH’s (named after founder Peter Buckley-Hill)Free Fringe and The Free Edinburgh Fringe Festival headline offer pay what you can shows across all the main genres. There is history between these two festivals within the Festival which we won’t go into. Suffice to say that they […]


Performance art, according to the Tate means “Artworks that are created through actions performed by the artist or other participants, which may be live or recorded, spontaneous or scripted.” Installation art, according to Wikipedia is “an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space.” This year’s Fringe offers several performance art and installation pieces of varying […]


Greg Byron, the legendary “Standup Poet”, offers his well considered choices for poetry and spoken word at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. When I came to Spoken Word fairly late, and was at Assembly in 2018, I was heartened to have a couple of Loud Poets come see me and stay for a brief chat afterwards. […]


Clowns are playful, happy or sad, with or without a red nose, they may play an instrument, may speak or be silent – clowns have a naiveté about the world and always have quirky characters and individualistic costumes. Mime is traditionally a silent art form but mime characters may make sounds and usually use gestural language to […]


Joe Angella’s Comedy Choices for Edfringe 2023

Here is my no-nonsense list of shows to see in the “comedy” category at Edfringe. As a judge for the Amused Moose Comedy Awards, I see quite a lot of comedy, so these are very much personal favourites mixed with a bit of research into the positive press these folk have garnered. Janey Godley, a […]


If you travelled back as far as Ancient Greece or even more recently to Shakespeare’s time, you could enjoy plays with songs and musical interludes. But you’d have to wait till the 1800s for musical comedies to flourish.To paraphrase theatrical legend Bob Fosse, ‘When the emotion becomes too strong for speech, you sing, when it […]


image of life size puppet

Jo Tomalin’s Puppetry recommendations for Edfringe 2023

Puppets create imaginative and visual storytelling. Puppeteers bring inanimate objects to life with a variety of puppetry techniques and styles such as glove puppets, rod puppets, shadow puppets and object puppetry. While puppets are thought of as a children’s entertainment they appeal to adults, too. Here are some recommendations to start you on your journey… […]


Sketch comedy picks for the Fringe

Many shows at the Fringe are listed under “sketch shows”. Here we offer some early choices for classic sketch shows that are largely built on … er… sketches. And Now… features “songs, skits and nonsensical moments” and is billed as ” a must-see for anyone who enjoys dumb jokes and wants to experience true nonsense at […]


Game shows and games at the Fringe

Gamification is the buzz word of the new ’20s. You’ll find it in business speak, in coaching and education. But the compelling nature of interactive theatre and performances for audiences with a distate for the “fourth wall” means that there’s a ready marketing for the live gameshow format as well as shows based on games. […]


Free Workshops from FringeReview at the Edinburgh Fringe

Free Events for Fringe Performers Use the form below to book   Workshop 1 How to hit the ground running at the Edinburgh Fringe A gritty, hands-on session for ensuring you get the most out of every minute at this Fringe. What are the essentials of a successful and satisfying Fringe? What shoukd you do […]


Interactive and experimental shows at the Fringe

Interactive theatre, comedy and some of the more uncategorisable shows on offer at the Fringe are to be found under the headings “interactive” and “experimental”. So, if you are looking for something a bit different, you might just find a few recommended below. In interactive theatre the fourth wall if often shown and the border […]


It’s just the voice – and there is the power! A cappella – singing without instruments – has been around for millennia.  People sing to communicate, to express feelings of joy or sadness, to join in community, to pray, to entertain.  Everyone has a voice. Singing is universal and transcends language, cultural traditions, and demographics. […]


This year there are 125 Children’s Shows at the Fringe and it’s a perfect opportunity to introduce children to the wonders of live performance. Stories, puppets, magic, music, and zany characters engage the imagination and there are shows for the very young to tweens and teens. Topics and styles vary so there’s something for everyone, […]


Gillian Lacey-Solymar is a first-time Fringer at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Gillian is the Bookwriter and Lyricist of IrrePRESSible: The Musical and she talks to Jo Tomalin about how and why she is inspired to create the show. Gillian’s career includes working as a consumer affairs correspondent at the BBC and as a senior […]


Improvised Theatre and Comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe

Where do you start with impro at the Fringe? It’s been growing for years and now there are plenty of shows on offer. It claims to never require a script, but nearly all of then have an underpnning, more or less hidden, structure. There are a range of formats, some which grew out of competitive […]


Physical theatre is an interesting and creative genre of theatre because most physical theatre shows result from developing a gestural language to express a story or topic. A physical theatre show is devised by a director only or by the director and the cast in collaboration. A piece can be based on a true story, […]


Shows based on dance range from pure technique of a single style, or a creative mix of more than one style, to those that integrate other skills such as physical theatre or spoken word in their visual storytelling. Topics and inspiration vary from personal experiences to research about important issues in the world. An empty […]


Tribute shows at the Edinburgh Fringe

Tribute shows take different forms at the Edinburgh Fringe. Most prominent are the many musical tributes to those stars, legends and icons of stage and screen. There are also tributes to literary greats, film and theatre stars, artists, philosophers and politicians. There’s an onverlaps between tribute shows and biography shows but here we’ll stick to […]


History, from recent to ancient, is explored each year at the Fringe across all the genres and in many different ways. Whether it is a standup comedian commenting on recent political events, or a theatre company recreating an episode from the middle ages, an inquiry into a trial in the 19th or 20th century, the […]


Solo Comedy Preview: Ultimate Jewish Mother

The UK comedy circuit’s only Orthodox Jewish Comedian returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with an original new lunchtime comedy show. Whether it’s a relationship problem, how to word a sensitive work email or the best way to cook a brisket, this Jewishmother has all the answers you’ll need. Award-winning comedian Rachel Creeger presents her brand-new […]


Storytelling at the Edinburgh Fringe

Storytelling can be a catch all term toi include a lot of stand up comedy shows listen in the Fringe programme. Storytelling is also a craft going back thousands of years and becomes a genre in its own right in August in Edinburgh. Traditional tales, fables, myths, legends, and histories form the backbone of storytelling […]


Going site-specific at Edfringe 2023

Site-specific theatre and performance has been just about everywhere in Edinburgh from down at the docks to a graveyard, from a real hotel room to the underground catacombs that honeycomb the city, from swimming pools to the register of births and deaths. Site-specific theatre takes you away from traditional performance spaces and the location becomes […]


Verbatim Theatre at Edinburgh Fringe 2023

Verbatim theatre is define as. “Verbatim theatre is a form of documentary theatre which is based on the spoken words of real people. Strictly, verbatim theatre-makers use real people’s words exclusively, and take this testimony from recorded interviews.” (Source). It can also involve using words from recorded video, from papers and documents, such as court […]


A search of the Edfringe 2023 programme under the genre of “theatre” yields up 867 results (as we go to digital print). That’s heartening given the fact that many theatre shows have fled into the comedy section in the hope of bigger audiences. So here are some of our early picks for theatre this year. […]


Boost your box office sales with an advert on Fringe Review, the guide to good Fringe and one of the world’s most respected theatre publications. Book a single advert for just £50. Advertising for the Edinburgh Fringe 2023 is now open. We have a limited number of discount advertising slots. First come, first served. Advertising on FringeReview […]


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. […]


When I began to work with Fringe Review, I opined that I hated the Edinburgh Fringe. Over the years I have softened and my old joke that people believe we have a cultural supermarket each August, and think it is Sainsbury’s when it is actually Aldi or Lidl has been used so often it is […]


Fringe Views

When I’ve had the chance I’ve taken a few pictures around the fringe, late at night and during the day. Here are a few in a slideshow. Note to self: Must get out and about more!


Preparing to leave the fringe

Final few days Friday of the last week opened to a dreary Edinburgh with rain in the air. Fortunately the rain cleared as I made my way to the final ‘FringeReview’ gathering for this year. These are one of my favourite mornings of the fringe as I am guaranteed to have a good chinwag. Today […]


Guest Blog: Edinburgh and Its Part in My Downfall

Edi 2022 in Review (15-21st Aug) – Alec Snook Well, my first Fringe, but absolutely the first of many to come. Edinburgh chewed me up and spat me out, directly into the lap of a passing angel… Despite a sociopathic, accommodation-based episode, I managed to complete all my spots for the week, performing to several […]


Guest blog at Edfringe 2022: Mark Saltveit’s first Edinburgh Fringe adventure

Why did I think it was a good idea to create my first Fringe show at age 60? That’s easy: it’s an adventure. I started a “zine” about palindromes in 1993, before web pages existed, and it got out of hand, creating a worldwide (though very small) network of palindrome writers. (You know, palindromes like […]


Guest Blog at Edfringe 22: ASSISTED – a cautionary tale about love and learning in the age of Artificial Intelligence

Every ten years or so, our relationship with technology is revolutionised. Just thirty-odd years ago, mainframe computers dominated the landscape; since then, we’ve raced through desktop computing, the internet, smartphones and the explosion of social media.  Will the next revolution be in voice computing and conversational AI?  The uptake of this new technology is happening […]


Czech Cirk La Putyka on tour: Lenka Capova and Ethan Law talk to Jo Tomalin about the company from Prague and their new show Runners

“Award-winning contemporary circus company returns with an extraordinary show looking at the hectic pace of today’s world. In a unique set design featuring a giant treadmill, four performers and two musicians mix dance, running, cyr-wheel acrobatics and original live music, while running almost a whole marathon. This UK debut for Runners marks the company’s fourth […]


Guest Blog at Edfringe 2022: Russ Pollard: The taste of the fringe

We are delighted to welcome Russell Pollard as a guest blogger. Watch his show trailer. DAY 6 – 27th August 2022 Day 6 at the fringe – Renewed afresh Last chance to see me is 14:00 today. The reality is that while I might do the fringe again, it will not be such a personal […]


Guest blog: Creating Floodgate – science fiction theatre at the Fringe

“It’s 2061. A coastal town is quiet, deserted by those seeking higher ground. As three siblings clear out their grandma’s belongings, they find a diary left behind that will change everything. Locked within are journals and love letters set amidst a world of climate chaos. With the audience’s help, the family secrets are spilled. When […]


Pat Silver’s a Cappella shows to see in the last week at Edfringe 2022

Innovative, entertaining, and fun – that’s a cappella at this Fringe This year the Fringe is sporting at least 23 a cappella shows, ranging from barbershop to choral to contemporary a cappella.  My original story profiled the genre and some of the upcoming shows.  / Now at the Fringe, I had a chance to review […]


Sarah-Louise Young is a theatre maker with 26 years’ experience at her 17th Fringe with her 40th production and the 13th show she has created. Which is nicely serendipitous because it’s also the first show she has made telling a very personal story. We found what we thought would be a quiet corner of Summerhall… […]


Actor, Samara Neely Cohen talked to Kate during Edfringe 2022 about 9 Circles, 9 Circles by Bill Cain asks how can a soldier be trained to be a cold-blooded killing machine while clinging on to the threads of humanity? A Dantesque descent into the conundrums, contradictions and hypocrisies of war through the eyes of a […]


Sarah talks about her journey to embracing the chronic pain she has lived with since her teens and how she developed Pain and I. She describes it as a bold exploration into chronic pain experience, featuring playful choreography, experimental dance, intimate autobiographical text, and original classical music composition by Alicia Jane Turner. In addition to […]


@ theSpaceUK

With All Jew Respect Cyril Squirrel Grounded Self Service The Sound of Mucus


You’ve probably seen the fact that endometriosis is as common as diabetes plastered over billboards, newspapers and the TV recently. If you haven’t I’ll fill you in. Endometriosis is as common as diabetes and Channel 5 have recently decided to create a 4 part documentary to better equip menstruators with information that they may need. […]


Fourth Wall’s musical show Fruit Flies Like a Banana comes in two flavours for their first Edfringe: one for children and a longer one for adults (not that there is anything unsuitable for children in the longer version, it is just framed differently). It’s a show that combines extraordinary physical acrobats with virtuoso musical skill […]


Guest Blog at the Edinburgh Fringe: The Cambridge Impronauts

We are delighted to welcome guest blogger Dylan Perera producer for the impronauts at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. I just spent a week performing an improvised reality TV Edinburgh Fringe show, Keeping Up With the Kimprov. And it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had”. I’m on the 10am train from Edinburgh to London, reflecting […]


“How do you live your best ho life? Have you accidentally become your parents? These are the questions NYC-based comedian Ann Chun (SF Chronicle, Timeout) explores in her solo show about an immigrant coping with the dissolution of her parents’ marriage in Thailand, while learning how to be a fuccboi in America. Ann’s immersive storytelling […]


Emilienne Flagothier creates contemporary dance, directs non-theatrical text theatre and performs in street theatre, a solo show and more. At the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe she directs a new show called We Should Be Dancing, based on observations of children playing, working with her collective from Brussels.


“Triple Fringe First and Olivier winning Fishamble, in association with Fringe First winning Sunday’s Child, return to Summerhall with the 2019 hit show Mustard by Eva O’Connor. A darkly comic play about heartbreak, madness and how condiments are the ultimate coping mechanism. When the man of her dreams, a professional cyclist, leaves E, she plummets […]


“Pluto and Vector have been dating for almost a year now, but as they hike up the mountain where the Greek god Prometheus was bound as punishment, their relationship hits its breaking point. The myth of Prometheus looms large over the mountain’s cold peak as Pluto and Vector confront their differences, their fears about their […]


Gilded Ballon Press Launch

Thursday 4th August MC: Lou Conran Maise Adam Mythos Ragnarok James Roque Finlay Christie Elf Lyons Tehran Von Ghasri Grant Buse Basil Brush Pete Firman Kylie Brakeman Just These Please


2022 Underbelly Launch

Thursday 4th August – McEwan Hall A selection of photographs of the press launch. Featured shows Dragons and Mythical Beasts Rhys Nicholson Caligari Emmanuel Ja’mime La Clique Balloon Myra Dubois Rob Madge La Clique – Charlie Wheeler Cyr Camille BOOM


2022 Greenside Launch Show

Riddles Court – 12:00pm Thursday August 3rd The morning following my arrival at this year’s fringe I eased myself into the round of venue launches. Here are some photos I took at the Greenside Launch held at their ‘Riddles Court’ venue at the top of the Royal Mile. Following the welcome we saw excerpts from: […]


The Importance of Being An Earnest Reviewer – Kind of…

(With apologies…Kind of…) In April of this year, the Oliviers were back. After three years of not celebrating those who have got to the be seen as the best in theatre … We celebrated them publicly and without Zoom. But… There was one story that was deep in my heart. It reminded me that the […]


2022 theSpaceUK Press Launch

theSpace Triplex theSpaceUK bounced back into 2022 with what they claim to be ‘the biggest new writing programme of the fringe’. Here are a selection of photographs from the shows previewed. Featured Shows – Compered by Fraser Brown Hip-Hop Orchestra Experience Crossing the Void Apartness Prejudice and Pride Merrill Means Well Brother’s Keeper The Mistake […]


2022 Assembly Launch Show

40th Anniversary Festival Gala – Assembly on the Mound Gathering in the courtyard of the Mound I prepared to photograph this show. When we were allowed in they ushered us to a specially prepared space for photographers. Yes we had an unobstructed view, but I like to select my vantage point from where to photograph. […]


Verbatim Theatre at the Edinburgh Fringe

“Verbatim is a type of documentary theatre constructed from the words of real people responding to a particular theme or a real event. These words might be taken from interviews or testimonials, or even from media or news footage.”. (Naomi Joseph) There are always verbatim theatre productions at the Edinburgh Fringe and, if you haven’t […]


Improvised Comedy and Theatre at the Fringe

Improvised performance tends to be mostly comedy-based at the Fringe. Yet there is also a smattering of improvised music and theatre as well. There are news shows on offer each year and the quest for a novel angle is always at the forefront as compnaies and performers try to win the audience battle. There are […]


Science Fiction at the Fringe

I have to admit I am disappointed at the lack of science-fiction at this year’s Fringe. Despite it being a comeback fringe with less shows, there are still well over three thousand to choose from. Could it be that our worst sci-fi nightmares have arrived in the present, with environmental catastrophe and AI Hell already […]


Aca-cool ! A cappella is the Edinburgh Fringe

Theatre maker, musician, clown and reviewer Pat Silver shares her thoughts on this popular fringe niche. NEW! Pat Silver’s shows to see in the last week for Edfringe 2022. Aca-cool! “But where is the music?” “ I don’t see the drummer but I hear one.” “I sing in a group. Is it ok if we […]


Kate’s five solo shows to see at Edfringe 2022

Making sense of life: Age is a Feeling From Haley McGee, a new show, that is different every day, inspired by interviews with hospice workers, interactions with mystics and trips to the cemetery. Age is a Feeling is a story about the glorious and melancholy unknowability of human life that charts the seminal moments, rites of passage […]


Richard Daniels Edinburgh Fringe 2022

I’m very happy to be back at the ‘Fringe’ this August with my camera for FringeReview after a couple of years absence.  Looking back Enjoyable as it is, this will be very different time for me, because my good friend, the well known fringe performer, “Lynn Ruth Miller” will never be with us again. Sadly, […]


Joe’s comedy picks for Edinburgh Fringe 2022

Now that Edinburgh Fringe is back, here are some of my comedy highlights. My apologies for the length of the list, there is so much good stuff to see! I haven’t posted show links; if you’re reading this, you will already know where to find them. The shows are in no particular order. Paul Currie […]