Paldem review – Industry’s David Jonsson brings the sexual tension in OnlyFans drama

Summerhall, EdinburghThe actor makes his much anticipated writing debut at the fringe with an adventurous show about homemade pornKevin and Megan are friends who reap the benefits when a one-night stand is accidentally caught on camera. It captures the…

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Why I Stuck a Flare Up My Arse for England review – when macho match-day exuberance goes viral

Underbelly Bristo Square, EdinburghAlex Hill’s boisterous one-man show teases a trade-off between the belonging and camaraderie of football fandom and personal stabilityFootball is coming home for Alex Hill’s one-man play for a third and final season o…

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Make It Happen review – Brian Cox haunts RBS’s Fred Goodwin in sparky financial crisis musical

Festival Theatre, EdinburghCox’s entertaining spectre of Adam Smith visits Royal Bank of Scotland’s fascinatingly bland tyrant CEO in James Graham’s ambitious play about his meteoric rise and remorseless fallThere have been some high-profile dramas abo…

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Falling: A Disabled Love Story review – clever comedy provokes our prejudice for happy endings

Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghAaron Pang’s sweet yet sharp one-man show about the mismatch between his erotic desire and physical capability needles the audience’s need for comfortable resolutionStories will be everywhere in the coming weeks of the Edi…

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The best joke award has gone. Is the Edinburgh fringe taking all the pun out of comedy? | Anya Ryan

I will miss the lighthearted award, but often it overlooked the art of standup in favour of celebrating groan-inducing one-linersAnya Ryan was a member of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards judging panel in 2023 and 2024So long, pun of the year. The best joke…

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The best joke award has gone. Is the Edinburgh fringe taking all the pun out of comedy? | Anya Ryan

I will miss the lighthearted award, but often it overlooked the art of standup in favour of celebrating groan-inducing one-linersAnya Ryan was a member of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards judging panel in 2023 and 2024So long, pun of the year. The best joke…

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‘I spent a month sleeping in a cupboard’: comedians on the true cost of the Fringe

Performing at these festivals can be ruinously expensive – but can you at least attend one for free? Our writer ditches his wallet to find out, and meets the comedians doing their best on an ever-tightening budgetFringe festivals have always been cash …

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Fleabag and Baby Reindeer superproducer Francesca Moody: ‘The next best play can come from anywhere’

She is the Olivier-winning producer behind two of the most successful TV shows in recent memory. Now she has a slate of upcoming projects, including a bold new venture at the fringe. Will one of them be the next big thing?Best of the fest: 10 sensation…

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Best of the fest: 10 of the best shows to catch at this year’s Edinburgh fringe

An undead club manager, sperm donor shenanigans and the pitfalls of trying to work with AI – just a few of the themes of this year’s hottest ticketsKent-Walters, winner of best newcomer at Edinburgh last year, has created one of the most gleefully funn…

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‘I didn’t cry till the following year’: standup Thanyia Moore on the tragedy she turned into laughter

The comic was all set to make her debut at the Edinburgh fringe. Then, with hours to go, she had a medical emergency. The former dancer explains how it all fed into her new standup show‘My first thought,” says Thanyia Moore, “was there has to be a show…

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