‘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 […]


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 […]


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 […]


Antonio Vega is artistic director of Por Piedad Teatro (Mexico | USA) and he is co-creator of DJANGO IN PAIN with Por Piedad Teatro founder and artistic producer, Ana Graham. Jo Tomalin talks to Antonio Vega about his background in theatre, and how he developed this show during the pandemic. DJANGO IN PAIN is digital […]


Erin B. Mee talks to Jo Tomalin about directing theatre in innovative spaces and her latest digital show, Tree Confessions, written by Jenny Lyn Bader. Tree Confessional is a digital audio play, site-specific and self-scheduled, presented on demand through the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2023, January 4-15. “While it is obvious that we need to […]


Angry Black Woman 101: Jo Tomalin talks with Kathryn Seabron about developing her show about Misogynoir and a recent work experience

Angry Black Woman 101 takes a introductory dive into the microaggressions,tropes and stereotypes Black women grapple with daily. Using slides, videos, music and history this storyteller deftly illustrates misogynoir and it’s effects. This show is couched in a truthful and hurtful work situation during her tenure at TechSoup, a nonprofit. Twitter @JuicyDLight Facebook


Potato Topos by Andomifevin comprised of Andrew Rose, Dominique Nigro, Fenner Merlick, and Kat Countiss A poet, a dancer, a clown, and a clarinetist bring you their first collaboration, a multi-sensory poem-play about potatoes. An hour long show with themes of nostalgia, fantasy, and expansion. The modalities include performance, light, sound, textiles, and language. The […]


Bipolar Disorder and Solo Show: Jo Tomalin talks with Bennet Caffee about his latest show exploring his own experiences and creation of My First Miracle — adventures in bipolar disorder

“I’m a San Francisco based solo performer. My shows are about my experiences with bipolar mood disorder, which I’ve managed to keep private the majority of my life. For the most part my mood swings have been mild enough to hide, but I’ve had a few full on manic episodes that have led to some […]


Comedy, Storytelling, Clown and Dramedy: Jo Tomalin talks with Kazu Kusano about starting out in Stand-Up and her solo show Pretty Beast at San Francisco Fringe

Kazu Kusano (Producer, Writer, Performer) is a comedian, actress, and writer. She has a Japanese accent, crazy physicality, a dark sense of humor, and hot flashes. Kazu immigrated to America all alone in her thirties to do comedy. Kazu can be seen on Comedy Central UK’s Cannel Hopping as a Japanese correspondent. Also, she is the […]


Christina Augello’s Bio from The EXIT Theatre Website: Christina Augello is the founder and artistic director of EXIT Theatre and is an actress, arts activist and arts administrator. She has been involved with American theater for over 50 years, growing up in the 1950s as the daughter of the proprietor of a famous theater saloon and […]


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 […]


New writing at Camden Fringe

We love new writing. It isn’t that we don’t like old writing, but we do love new writing. Fresh Fringe is like fresh vegetables at a market stall, newly arrived from a local farm. New writing, when ripe for picking means it is ready for the stage and we love to find it and see […]


FringeReview’s recommendations for Camden Fringe

There are 253 results in a search for shows and events at this year’s Camaden Fringe. Bursting with new writing, experimentation and radical creativity, celebration and entertainment across a range of gengres, Camden Fringe has been a viable alternative for theatre makers and audiences for quite a few years now. Here are our recommendations going […]


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 […]


Brighton Fringe is back and with it, lots of great comedy. Here are my top tips for some of the best comedy around. Just to make it easier, I’ve included links to each of the shows. First up Shaggers, hosted by Nik Coppin. I was lucky enough to review this show last year, and I […]


Ever heard of Jasper Maskeleyne? Many haven’t these days – but he was quite remarkable. He was known as The War Magician and was a major inspiration for Kevin Quantum‘s ★★★★ Army@TheFringe show The Trick That Fooled. During the show Kevin, who is based in Edinburgh, recreated magic tricks that fooled the greatest and most creative people […]


Scottish Pakistani actor, writer and stand-up comedian talks about how she started writing and performing with Jo Tomalin. Lubna presents Tickbox – her latest theatre/comedy/storytelling show at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2021. “Tickbox is a semi-autobiographical, one-woman play, in Scots-English and Urdu. Describing a Pakistani woman’s journey from a middle-class life in Pakistan to Govan in […]


Writer, performer mandla rae talks to Jo Tomalin about their work, how they started writing and performing and their show: mandla rae -as british as a watermelon. “‘My name is mandla. It means power. I gave it to myself’ – mandla rae has a selective memory and they are scrambling to piece together their life. […]


Loneliness and social dislocation are the price some children pay for life in a military family – due to frequent moves and relocations. This makes it difficult to settle into education, establish friendships or even know where to call home. Dandelion by Creative Electric addresses these issues in a work of physical theatre created for this year’s […]


The head of the Army in Scotland, Brigadier Ben Wrench, raised the curtain at the Army’s own Edinburgh Fringe venue – a drill hall converted into a COVID-safe theatre space. With the Edinburgh Fringe facing so many challenges, the Army wanted to ensure that Hepburn House (which hosts Army@TheFringe) was one of the venues able […]


If someone mentions Army musicians what springs to mind? Changing of the Guard, The Edinburgh Military Tattoo, perhaps a sombre rendition of The Last Post. All very much part and parcel of what they do, but they have many other dimensions too. Take Colour Sergeant Dougie Anderson of the Lowland Band of the Royal Regiment […]


As a small venue outside the Edinburgh city centre, with little walk up trade, Army@TheFringe has always had to work that bit harder to win audiences. Ticket sales tend to build as the Fringe goes on, as the result of reviews and word of mouth recommendations. This year we decided to return to in-person performances […]


From Page to Stage – a Platform for New Edinburgh Writers

When Michelle McKay returned to Edinburgh she found there were few opportunities to connect with other creatives and started Page2Stage as a solution. The idea was to provide a platform for new work and bring people together. As the arts seek to recover after the pandemic she’s relaunching the initiative during Army@TheFringe. This year’s Army@TheFringe […]


By Jordan Blackwood, Army@TheFringe producer It’s good to be back on stage at The Edinburgh Fringe. Last year we went digital and it worked well. But there’s huge yearning among performers and audiences alike to get back into venues and to soak up the atmosphere that is unique to in-person performance. A mark of that is […]


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 […]


By Lori Hamilton At last it’s confirmed – the 2021 Edinburgh Fringe is happening! I’m SO EXCITED. And I’m so grateful. The importance of the Edinburgh Fringe: When I was in college at UCLA, one of my favorite classes was Modern British Drama, where we learned about the incredible impact of the Fringe on the quality and […]


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 […]


Mini-Reviews of Online Fringe

Over August I have been watching online content. Not all of these shows are long enough to warrant the full Fringe Review experience but are good, and interesting enough to be talked about. Whilst the review criteria are the same, the brevity is a whole new experience. Anyhow, here are my thoughts on these shows. […]


A busted August

Like most of us, this is not the August I imagined. I won’t bore you with the same tale, you have heard told again and again. Suffice to say, the image on the left tells its own story. What I would like to talk about is new work, the emergence of a new medium, and […]


Edinburgh Fringe Online 2020

Welcome to our coverage of a very different Edinburgh Fringe for 2020. In the midst of the strange times we find ourselves with and a cancelled physicial world version of the world’s largest arts festival, Edfringe has ported online, hopefully just for this year, though we suspect there will be a mch more significant number […]


Welcome to ZOO TV

        Welcome to our coverage of ZOO TV. Zoo Venues, one of Edfringe’s key performance venues, brings an impressive programme to you, via the digital realm. We’ll be posting recommendations, previews and interviews soon, so watch this space. VIew the Zoo TV programme here.


Adelaide Fringe

11th February – 15th March 2020 Adelaide Fringe, one of the largest arts fesivals in the world, returns in 2018 with its usual variety, new work and regulars. “The important thing about us is that we’re open access, which means that we don’t have a curator handpicking shows. Anyone who wants to be a part […]