Edinburgh Fringe 2025
Rachel Creeger: Ultimate Jewish Mother
Rachel Creeger
Genre: Solo Performance, Stand-Up
Venue: The Big Tent at Hoots on Nicholson Square
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
Rachel Creeger’s 2025 Edinburgh Fringe show is titled “Ultimate Jewish Mother.” The show is an interactive comedy performance where Creeger, known for her distinctive voice as an Orthodox Jewish comedian in the UK, offers humorous insights and advice on various everyday topics, from relationship issues to crafting sensitive work emails and cooking Jewish comfort classics.
The show embraces a warm, witty approach to culture and identity, presented through Creeger’s unique perspective. In 2025, “Ultimate Jewish Mother” is on at two venues in Edinburgh: The Big Tent at Hoots @ Nicolson Square Gardens and at Le Monde. I have added her advert below so you can get the exact listings for a show that had to move from its original venue. The show maintains an unticketed format, allowing audiences to attend freely with an option to donate based on their means. And Rachel emphises a welcome t any one, whatever theor income and means. Creeger engages directly with her audience in an accessible and welcoming manner throughout the performance. Basically, it’s warmhearted in a way that never undermines her comedy impact.
Review
Rachel Creeger’s 2025 Edinburgh Fringe show, Ultimate Jewish Mother, is an hour in the company of the Fringe’s only female Orthodox Jewish comedian. As part of PBH’s Free Fringe, here we have stand-up, here we have music, and here we have just under an hour in the company of a mum who has classic Jewish wisdom to dispense, based on questions the audience puts in a hat on entering the venue.
We’re more than happy to sit in this large tent in the middle of Nicholson Square Gardens and enjoy plenty of clever banter, laugh-out-loud wisdom, sharp observation and snappy songs that cross the religious divide and tickle politics without letting that way too heavy on the room. There would be plenty of scope for this to be a controversial show but it is proudly and overtly not, while remaining humble and respectful to what is going on in the world. We can all ask for peace and wish everybody well without our religious beliefs creating a barrier for entertainment to be exchanged between any of us at any time.
Determination and resilience, just like the best Jewish mother (and grandmother). Rachel has something even more ultimate about her this year. Creeger is genial, direct, and an immediately authentic and welcoming host. It is as much about being in the company of our host as being performed to.
The format is a Jewish mother drawing upon her gritty wisdom to take on questions submitted by the audience just before the show starts. Managing relationships, how to cook chicken soup properly, and plenty of other questions form the basis for this improvised revelry demonstrating the wit and in-the-moment comedy skills of Rachel Creeger. Of course a show like this is only as good as what goes in the hat, but actually with this comedian whatever went in the hat became raw material for pleasing comedy that is always gentle yet sometimes very powerful.
We also had a couple of hyena-style laughers in the audience. She describes this a very “jewy” show. The banter and question-answering is interspersed with comedy songs, including a 4,000 years old version of a Madonna song. No spoilers will I give beyond that.
This is harmless comedy for all the right reasons. She’s on top of her material, commands the stage and knows how to take flight into a bit of improv.
In this post-cancelled show, rising like a deceased great aunt in that graveyard dream scene from Fiddler on the Roof. There are biblical jokes, there is motherly wise advice offered disguised as quips and punchline payoffs. Chicken soup rears its healthy head.
A deeper theme arises from that distinction between Jewish as religion, and as cultural tradition. There is wit, wisdom and a few recipe tips in both song and wordplay. “50 ways to call your mother” was a personal recommendation. My fellow audience members appeared to agree, joining in by clapping. The show could be refined further with a clearer through line into and through the pleasing songs.
Politics is well and truly outside and not what this show is about. Not all shows have to be about politics to be current, relevant and edgy. This show is both current and relevant. A few questions in the chicken soup pot do refer to politics and Rachel does take them on with some important wisdom, motherly, Jewish and universal at the same time: Be your best self.
Some more observations of this show: plenty of laughter; some very witty, sharp but never cruel answers to the audience questions; there’s kind intention at the heart of this show, but it is so earthy and takes on some of the genuine questions and challenges that Life throws at us.
The value of family and parenting is celebrated. But ultimately this is not only a celebration of Jewish family but also of family and ultimately humanity.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the company of the solo performer who now has created a classic, simple format and inhabits the role with just the right balance.
