Did you hear the one about the comedians sharing a flat at Edinburgh festival?

Performing at the fringe can cost a fortune – little wonder so many comics bunk in together. We drop in on Jon Richardson, Rose Matafeo and Josie Long, among others, to see how they liveIt is the world’s biggest comedy festival, with jokes cracked all …

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Edinburgh festival 2019: the 10 best jokes

From Chic’s ‘free cow’ to the perils of free-range chicken … the funniest gags so far from this year’s standupsSteff Todd: My new boyfriend told me he’s got my face as his wallpaper, which I thought was cute until I saw his lounge.Steff Todd: Reality…

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Wild oversharing comic Phoebe Robinson: ‘I do dumb things. That’s who I am!’

Is the fringe ready for the brash standup who used to get paid in nachos and chicken wings? We meet one half of 2 Dope Queens as she fills her shoes with sweatWhat does Phoebe Robinson want to see when she arrives at the Edinburgh fringe? “Just tons of…

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Edinburgh festival 2019: the shows we recommend

Plan your schedule with our roundup of top shows, ordered by start time. This page will be updated daily throughout the festivalBoutSummerhall, 10.20am, until 25 AugustAn exploration of brotherhood through the motif of boxing, Chang Dance Theatre’s sho…

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The Edinburgh fringe is obsessed with food – so I went and gorged on the best shows

From comedy about carveries to clean-eating rants, food is a huge theme at this year’s festival fringe. The Guardian’s restaurant critic gets stuck inAt Valvona & Crolla, a venerable Edinburgh deli dating from 1934, I am eating arancini for breakfa…

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For one night only: how Edinburgh’s standups spend their day off

For performers, the fringe is a delirium-inducing month of nonstop work. They get just one day off throughout August – so they have to use it wisely…I love my show and when you have a day off, the next day is a bit lacklustre. But I do need it because …

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Space hoppers and superstars: Edinburgh festival 2019 – in pictures

Our photographer Murdo Macleod has been seeking out the wildest, weirdest and best shows during the second week of the Edinburgh fringe festival Continue reading…

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Jack Rooke review – eyebrow-raising stories about love, sex and friendship

Assembly George Square Gardens, EdinburghIn this intimate show backed by a live harp, the effortlessly charming comedian expounds on platonic, brotherly and romantic love At one end of St Pancras train station is a neon pink sign by Tracey Emin that re…

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Kate Tempest review – this isn’t a gig, it’s a reckoning

Leith theatre, EdinburghThe performance poet absorbs all of the uncertainty and anger of our times, and pours it into ferocious, apocalyptic music that both wounds and healsRarely can a room have felt so alive. With her Mercury-nominated mix of spoken …

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Micky Overman on comedy and violation: ‘How could a man masturbate during my set?’

I was told a man had been masturbating during my show. I’ve since heard of two other performers it has happened to. Isn’t comedy meant to be a space where we can safely express ourselves?A comedian friend of mine told me that being on stage is the only…

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