Once I performed to thousands; now I tell jokes to 50 people in a basement, but leaving my dream role felt like freedom, not quittingWhen you have an experience that’s elevated to the level of “magical”, there’s a sense that people don’t want to hear w…
Continue ReadingAssembly Hall, EdinburghIs the fringe veteran stretching himself? No, but his laconic style is deceptive: he’s never less than beadily alertMight knob gags be defended on the basis of cultural inclusion? Frank Skinner claims they were the primary means…
Continue ReadingPerforming at the Edinburgh festival is hugely stressful, but the things I learned there have been useful offstage tooIf the beginning of September still makes me think I need a new notebook and pencil case, the beginning of August makes me think I sho…
Continue ReadingPleasance Courtyard, EdinburghAfter moving to Glasgow, the Yorkshire standup dreams of reinventing himself as a Scotsman – but will faking an accent and ordering vegan haggis be enough?The arrival of a new Kieran Hodgson set can’t fail to excite fringe…
Continue ReadingMusical whodunnits and political backstabbing dominate the escapist agenda this yearA sleuth in search of clues to putting on a successful show at the Edinburgh fringe will not need to reach for a magnifying glass. There is already proof positive that …
Continue ReadingRoundabout @ 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…
Continue ReadingRoundabout @ 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…
Continue ReadingPhotographer 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…
Continue ReadingPerformers 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…
Continue ReadingThe fringe can take its toll, but it’s all good material, right? Whether it’s pukey kisses, sleeping through a gig, or politician-induced paranoia, Ed Byrne, Paul Sinha, Olga Koch et al have lived to tell the tale. Plus! Ten shows to see this yearMy wo…
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