England & Son review – Mark Thomas’s funny and ferocious telling of a lost childhood

Roundabout @ Summerhall, EdinburghPlaywright Ed Edwards frames the story of a juvenile offender through the lens of colonialismIn his 2018 play The Political History of Smack and Crack, Ed Edwards made the connection between government policy and the 1…

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Let’s start the show: Edinburgh festival 2023 kicks off – in pictures

Photographer Murdo MacLeod presents his view of the opening week’s Edinburgh festival and fringe shows – from a show for one to a giant dinner party• See all our Edinburgh festival 2023 coverage here Continue reading…

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Edinburgh festival fringe acts outraged by censorship of ‘provocative’ posters

Performers and producers say arts are being ‘sanitised’ amid more sensitive attitudes towards swearing and sexual politicsAn annual “poster war” has raged between rival promoters for as long as the festival fringe has been filling Edinburgh’s small the…

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Ramalama Ding Dong review – engaging tales of cultural crossfire in Swansea

Summerhall, EdinburghWelsh-Iranian musician Roshi Nasehi spins her heritage into standup that is most impressive when she works the stories into sound piecesHaving established herself as a musician – or, more precisely, a proponent of experimental Wel…

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‘If you break even that’s a bonus’: what it costs to perform at the Edinburgh fringe

Theatre and comedy acts at this year’s festival break down their expenses and consider the financial risks“The big, difficult cost this year is accommodation,” says RoguePlay’s artistic director Kim Wildborne. The physical theatre company is heading to…

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Brighton Comedy Garden review – Rose Matafeo and Phil Wang are in fine form as they battle the gulls

Preston Park, BrightonMatafeo offers up heartbreak hilarity and Wang brings his dad jacket to the charming outdoor event with the nastiest hecklers on the south coastIt is, says host Suzie Ruffell, the only gig where you get heckled by gulls. Or worse:…

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Edinburgh festival 2023: 50 shows to see

Cracking comedy, an eclectic mix of theatre – and aerial dance in an ice rink. Our critics share their picks for the August arts extravaganzaRhod Gilbert: Work in Progress Gilded Balloon Teviot Continue reading…

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Just For Laughs announces ComedyPRO programming. Awards recipients include Bert Kreischer and Quinta Brunson

We’re a little over a month out from the ComedyPRO programming part of Just For Laughs festival and as the… MORE
Just For Laughs announces ComedyPRO programming. Awards recipients include Bert Kreischer and Quinta Brunson appeared firs…

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Alison Spittle: ‘Think of the most shameful thing you have done, then imagine your mum watching!’

The Irish comedian on good gigs, bad gigs, her standup heroes and what makes a good soupHow did you get your start in standup?I did work experience at a radio station when I was in college. The breakfast DJ was Bernard O’Shea, a big comedian in Ireland…

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Dough: David Lescot’s play weighs a man’s life in his bank balance

We follow our loser hero from tooth fairy credits to funeral debts in a comedy of financial errors exploring money as a transactional link through all relationshipsThe award-winning French author, director and composer David Lescot’s play Dough is all …

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