The Edinburgh fringe has almost 4,000 shows – what does it take for a standup to stand out?

The city is plastered with festival posters during August. If you want to make an impression, beware goofy grins and try channelling Charli xcxThe Edinburgh fringe is in full swing and I’m looking for my posters. Which, given the function of a poster, …

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Bebe Cave: Christbride review – an irreverent romp through womanhood in the middle ages

Pleasance Dome, EdinburghPity poor Batilda Bigbum as she navigates a failed courtship and flight to a nunnery, before being burnt as a witch in this uproarious comedyOne of the great characters in recent live comedy is Rosalie Minnitt’s Clementine, a s…

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The Ego review – tricksy stories from film sets and award ceremonies

Zoo Playground, EdinburghBelgian actors Verona Verbakel and Anemone Valcke share anecdotes about their industry in a knotty show about ambition and failureWhen we arrive, the screen behind the performers is displaying the entry for The Ego in the onlin…

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Babyfleareindeerbag review – build your own Edinburgh fringe smash hit

Summerhall, EdinburghHannah Maxwell’s delightfully meta hour, namechecking Richard Gadd and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s breakthroughs, is a blueprint for three potential shows – with the audience as focus groupHannah Maxwell would dearly like a bad review. …

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Scott Turnbull presents … Surreally Good review – that’s edutainment!

Summerhall, EdinburghThe theatre-maker’s childlike passion for stories and illustrations makes facts a hoot in this faux seminarYou can’t argue with the title: here is a weird, wonderfully warm morning show from illustrator and theatre-maker Scott Turn…

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In the Bushes review – a fun and fearful walk on the wild side

Summerhall, EdinburghWe’re just sensory-seeking animals, says choreographer Léa Tirabasso, with a high-energy hour performed by six impressive dancersThe surrealist worlds of choreographer Léa Tirabasso are not immediately readable to the average audie…

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Simple Town review – these Pythonesque jokers could be your new best friends

Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghThe New York foursome’s freewheeling logic will have you laughing without knowing why in a fringe debut that’s smart enough to revitalise sketch comedyWith sketch comedy not exactly cresting a wave in the UK right now, why…

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Brainsluts review – clinical drug trial comedy could cause severe laughter

Pleasance Dome, EdinburghAn anti-work activist and a nepo volunteer join the group for a research study in Dan Bishop’s polished playWhen plays get under way we wait for something to happen – look and listen for clues, monitor behaviour, tune in. One o…

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Ayoade Bamgboye: Swings and Roundabouts review – commanding comic’s thrilling debut

Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghDrawing on her experiences moving from Nigeria to the UK, this livewire standup delivers a multifaceted first fringe showThe fringe is nothing if not a place where unknowns can write their names across the stars. Ayoade Ba…

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The Unstoppable Rise of Ben Manager review – tales of the unexpected at the office

Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghA man picks up a dead stranger’s lanyard and gets sucked into a sinister corporate world in Bunkum Ensemble’s unsettling playOn the way to an interview for a job, one in a proper office that his mum can be proud of, Ben We…

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