Edinburgh Fringe 2023
The 2023 Fringe promises to ensure we all have an exciting August and our roster of shows includes amazing new musicals, world premieres, circus and physical comedy and lyrical and captivating theatre exploring timely themes, modern relationships and much more. We’ll also be working with the wonderful Pleasance Theatre Trust again on their brilliant programme. This Fringe isn’t to be missed.
Scroll down to plan your Fringe schedule…
17 Minutes
17 Minutes follows a community left in the wake of a tragedy, searching for someone to blame. This critically acclaimed drama by American playwright Scott Organ (What Comes Around, Toronto International Film Festival) takes an intimate look at how the unexpected consequences of gun violence reverberate through a community over time. It explores the repercussions of 17 minutes of action and inaction. Gilded Balloon Teviot (Wine Bar) from Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 14th, 21st) at 14:15.
Almost Adult
A boisterous coming-of-age comedy and brave confrontation of workplace sexual harassment, Almost Adult is inspired by Charlotte Anne-Tilley’s own experience as a young woman taking on The Big City, following an appalling experience at a large immersive entertainment company in London. This big-hearted and honest play gives voice to the thousands of women who have been silenced or challenged when they spoke out. Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose (Snug) from Wednesday 2nd – Saturday 27th August 2023 (not 14th) at 19:00.
An Interrogation
SHORTLISTED: Best Play, The Stagey Place Awards 2023
SHORTLISTED: Best Script, The Stagey Place Awards 2023
Co-director of the international sensation SIX: The Musical, Jamie Armitage writes and directs the world premiere of his tense and chilling debut play, An Interrogation. Inspired by true events, and using live-stream cameras to manipulate the audience’s point of view, this thrilling and claustrophobic show cross-examines society’s preconceived ideas about the kinds of people who commit crimes. The production marks the first collaboration between Tony Award-nominated Armitage and Ellie Keel. Summerhall (Old Lab) from Wednesday 2nd – Sunday 27th August 2023 (not 14th and 21st) at 13:10.
Anything That We Wanted To Be
Renowned theatre director Adam Lenson fuses his own battle with skin cancer with an exploration of parallel universes to create an interdisciplinary work merging gig theatre, memoir, and lecture. Anything That We Wanted To Be looks at how human lives branch, bend and curve. This life-affirming new show is about learning to accept the choices you made, instead of worrying about the ones you didn’t. Summerhall (Cairns Lecture Theatre) from Wednesday 2nd – Sunday 27th August 2023 (not 14th, 21st) at 12:30.
Ben Target: LORENZO
WINNER: Fringe First Award 2023
SHORTLISTED: Holden Street Theatres Edinburgh Fringe Award 2023
Ben Target is a critically-acclaimed performance artist and multi-award-winning comedian; in 2020 he gave this up to become the live-in carer for an irascible elderly prankster. Produced by Soho Theatre and directed by Adam Brace, LORENZO is a life-affirming story about death, conveyed through storytelling and live carpentry, a combination not seen on the world stage since Nazareth (circa 30AD). Summerhall (Anatomy Lecture Theatre) from Wednesday 2nd – Sunday 27th August 2023 (not 14th, 21st) at 11:55.
Bill’s 44<sup>th</sup>
SHORTLISTED: Best Ensemble, The Stagey Place Awards 2023
New York-based puppeteers Andy Manjuck and Dorothy James bring their wordless tragicomedy Bill’s 44th to the Edinburgh Fringe following a sold-out run at London International Mime Festival 2023. This introspective puppet show explores physical and emotional seclusion through a tender and hilarious party. Bill’s 44th explores loneliness and self-acceptance through different styles of puppetry, raucous balloons and a cheeky piece of crudité. Underbelly Cowgate (Belly Button) from Thursday 3rd – Sunday 27th August 2023 (not 14th) at 20:35.
Birthmarked
SPECIAL COMMENDATION: Brighton Fringe Award 2023
SHORTLISTED: Holden Street Theatres Edinburgh Fringe Award 2023
Best Show of The Fringe, Theatre Weekly Awards 2023
SHORTLISTED: Best Ensemble, The Stagey Place Awards 2023
SHORTLISTED, Best Costume Design, The Stagey Place Awards 2023
A Jehovah’s Witness comes to terms with his sexuality in the autobiographical new gig theatre show Birthmarked. Written, performed and composed by Brook Tate, and directed by Olivier award winner Sally Cookson, Birthmarked follows a young Witness on his journey from door-knocking on the street to finding his feet (and high heels) on the stage. It tells the true story of Brook growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness until he was disfellowshipped at the age of 23. Assembly Rooms (Ballroom) from Wednesday 3rd – Sunday 27th August 2023 (not 9th, 14th, 20th) at 19:15.
Bowjangles: Dracula in Space
An epic horror and sci-fi caper, string quartet Bowjangles present their original musical comedy Dracula in Space. This anarchic examination of creativity versus capitalism asks the all-important question: would you sell your soul in order to sell your art? Forget everything you think you know about string quartets: the Bowjangles company are irreverent genre-spanners that bring music, theatre and comedy together in a truly unique way. Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose (Doonstairs) from Wednesday 2nd – Sunday 27th August 2023 at 16:30.
Chriskirkpatrickmas: A Boy Band Christmas Musical
Chriskirkpatrickmas: A Boy Band Christmas Musical is a laugh-out-loud original parody musical inspired by *NSYNC, featuring 12 original songs and plenty of 90s nostalgia. Created by Valen Shore, a songwriter/artist whose work has been featured on Riverdale, Lucifer, and Pretty Little Liars, and award-winning writer, actor and filmmaker Alison Zatta, this punchy piece includes music direction by Taylor J Williams (Hamilton; Moulin Rouge!) and sound design by Josh Millican (SIX The Musical; The Band’s Visit). Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance Two) from Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 9th, 16th, 23rd) at 15:10.
Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story
RUNNER UP: Brighton Fringe Award 2023
Combining drag, multimedia, audience interaction, puppetry and queer joy, Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story is a unique celebration of the People’s Princess. Told by Diana from Heaven, the show highlights her ground-breaking stances on social and queer issues and allows her to speak her (un)truth in breaking free from the monarchy. Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story foregrounds her as the powerful, independent woman she wasn’t meant to be. Pleasance Dome (King Dome) from Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 15th, 16th, 21st) at 16:30.
Dough
Money isn’t just money: it is the thing that decides our relationships, our choices and our experiences. Dough is an unsettlingly hilarious and bittersweet tale about money and the lack thereof, by the Molière Award-winning author, director and composer David Lescot. Dough is a fast-paced and funny show charting a lifetime’s relationship to money – from the Tooth Fairy to negotiating with the funeral director. Pleasance Dome (King Dome) from Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 14th, 21st) at 13:30.
Hello Kitty Must Die
Based on the gripping cult novel, from the producers of SIX and The Play That Goes Wrong, the world premiere of Hello Kitty Must Die is a darkly comedic musical mashup: it’s time to kill the Hello Kitty stereotype because women can be anything they aspire to be – even murderers. It’s an outrageously irreverent mash-up of Asian feminism which gets its claws into expectations of family, dating and that cartoon cat, to then tear them to shreds. Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance Two) from Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 8th, 15th, 22nd) at 16:50.
Lovefool
The charming and unapologetically funny one-woman show Lovefool is an honest depiction of the shameful, awkward, and painful events in our lives. This deeply personal play by Gintare Parulyte champions life’s endless pursuit of healing, regardless of how heart-breaking or embarrassing it can be. The brutally vulnerable and hilarious show navigates the impossibly confusing dynamics of modern love. Summerhall (Red Lecture Theatre) from Wednesday 2nd – Sunday 27th August 2023 (not 3rd, 14th, 21st) at 19:15.
Lucky Pigeons
A treat for the whole family, Brainfools’ high-flying Fringe debut conjures the unearthly world of a flock of energetic, colourful and curious pigeons. In association with Underbelly, Lucky Pigeons uses polished contemporary circus skills and irresistible humour to tell a surreal new fable about the pecking order of urban society. Expect the unexpected, from jaw dropping juggling to dazzling aerialist tricks and lifts! Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows (The Beauty) from Friday 4th – Saturday 26th August 2023 (not 14th, 21st) at 13:05.
Mervyn Stutter’s Pick of the Fringe and Mervyn’s 30th Charity Gala
Mervyn Stutter’s Pick of the Fringe has been helping to answer the most important question at Fringe, ‘Have you seen anything good?’, for three decades. The unique daily showcase covers all genres of performance, from comedy, theatre and cabaret to music, dance and circus – and everything in between! As well as the legendary showcases, Mervyn will also hold a special charity gala to celebrate a phenomenal 30 years at the Edinburgh Fringe. Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance One) from Saturday 5th – Saturday 26th August 2023 (not 17th, 21st, 23rd) at 12:40. Mervyn’s 30th Charity Gala will be held on Monday 21st August 2023 at 14:30 in The Grand.
NewsRevue (HMS Unthinkable)
From King Charles to Keir Starmer, Prince Harry to Putin, Sunak to Strikes and Sleaze, no stone will be left unturned. Expect 100% brand-new material from this multi award-winning institution. This incredible song and sketch shows parodies our crazy world, giving us all a bit of light relief from the madness in which we live. Pleasance Courtyard (Grand) from Wednesday 2nd – Sunday 27th August 2023 (not 16th) at 17:30.
Nobody's Talking About Jamie
Best Fringe Debut – Jamie Finn, Theatre Weekly Awards 2023
It’s a boy meets girl story, with a melodic twist. Regional Finalist for the BBC New Comedy Awards and Finalist for Musical Comedy Awards, Jamie Finn blends storytelling, comedy and original music to explore this story of dizzying romance and the tragedy of friendship. Sometimes the loss of a friend is more agonising than the loss of a romantic partner. Nobody’s Talking About Jamie celebrates the wilderness of platonic love. Underbelly Cowgate (Iron Belly) from Thursday 3rd – Sunday 27th August 2023 (not 14th) at 15:40.
Nuclear Children
Winner of the 2021 Platform Presents Playwright’s Prize, Nuclear Children is written and performed by Ezra England, and is directed by Seán Linnen (Director, Queers, Old Vic; Associate Director, Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, Harold Pinter Theatre). This absurd and deeply human production follows Isla as she battles with grief and strives to find her identity as an adult. This dark comedy is about mental health, a submarine accident, and a melon. Pleasance Courtyard (The Attic) from Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 15th, 22nd) at 14:05.
PITCH
Pitch is a bold and joyful exploration of the relationship between football and the queer community. Winner of the Pleasance’s Charlie Hartill Fund, it will dig under the surface of the world’s most popular sport to celebrate the connectivity it can bring while giving a voice to those who still can’t be proud of their identity when in a stadium. In the wake of the Qatar World Cup, Pitch imagines a future in which queer representation in football is more than just a debate over a rainbow armband. Pleasance Courtyard (Above) from Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 9th, 16th, 23rd) at 15:45.
Public - The Musical
SHORTLISTED: Holden Street Theatres Edinburgh Fringe Award 2023
Best Musical, Theatre Weekly Awards 2023
Plunge into the pop-rock world of Public – The Musical, exploring identity, connection and compassion, all set to an electrifying new score. Winner of the Pleasance’s Charlie Hartill Fund and VAULT Origins Award, this witty and sensitive new musical follows four unlikely strangers trapped in a gender-neutral public toilet. With an hour to kill until maintenance arrives, the group must stop themselves from going around the U-bend while navigating unexpected challenges, pungent opinions and some seriously sticky conversations. Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance Two) from Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 9th, 21st) at 18:30.
Santi & Naz
Winner of the Pleasance’s Charlie Hartill Fund, Santi & Naz captures how ordinary life must continue even as world-shaking events shift everything. Award-winning company The Thelmas return to the Pleasance following their critically acclaimed production Ladykiller, with a vibrant production that explores queer love, identity and loyalty, set against the backdrop of pre-partition India. This complex, lyrical show is a touching and honest story of female friendship. Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance Two) from Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 9th, 23rd) at 13:30.
Schërzo
WINNER: Best Performance Award for Seoul Arts Awards
The award-winning and internationally renowned Släpstick returns to the Fringe with their unique brand of mischief: Chaplin meets Tchaikovsky, Groucho Marx does Mozart. Schërzo sees a highbrow classical concert glissando into a bacchanal of mishaps and absurdity. With their trademark blurring of physical comedy and musical talent, Släpstick play every imaginable (and un-imaginable) instrument to the highest level as they return to Fringe once again. Pleasance Courtyard (Beyond) from Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 8th, 22nd) at 15:10.
Showgirls and Spies
The highly acclaimed Young Pleasance ensemble will bring to life the thrilling true story of Florence Waren, an intrepid Jewish resistance fighter and dazzling showgirl leading a perilous double-life in World War II. With soaring ambition and a wellspring of youthful energy, Young Pleasance is truly incubating the stars of the future, with alumni going on to work with the RSC, the Barbican, Curtis Brown, Trafalgar Studios and the Globe as well as in TV and film. Pleasance Dome (King Dome) from Thursday 3rd – Sunday 13th August 2023 at 15:00.
Sound Clash: Death in the Arena
Conceived by Levi Roots, the reggae musician, chef and entrepreneur, Sound Clash: Death in the Arena is a contemporary street musical about star-crossed lovers. This world premiere is written by the award-winning novelist and playwright, Alex Wheatle MBE, produced by Adrian Grant (Thriller – Live), choreographed by Jade Hackett (Hex, National Theatre; Get Up, Stand Up), and directed by renowned director and actor Ray Shell (the originator of Nomax in Five Guys Named Moe and Rusty in Starlight Express). It tells a story of young love, betrayal, and murder in the dancehall. Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance One) from Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 8th) at 16:10.
stark <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">bollock </span>naked
Inspired by Larisa Faber’s own experiences, stark bollock naked takes a frank but funny look at abortion and the pressure of the biological clock. The international hit about women’s reproductive shelf life is live-scored using gynaecological instruments. The show considers how our bodies are used as projection spaces by advertising, education, society, social media every day. And how those constant projections influence how we shape our identities and how we feel about our bodies. Assembly Roxy (Downstairs) from Wednesday 2nd – Sunday 28th August 2023 (not 8th, 15th, 22nd) at 15:10.
Stuntman
Stuntman is an intensely physical, funny, and tender duet which sees two men wrestle with their relationship to violence – both onscreen and off. It examines the impact of action-hero role models on men and boys by taking inspiration from movies such as Die Hard and John Wick to create high-octane and sometimes ridiculous fight scenes. Stuntman also confronts them with the performers’ personal stories of real encounters with violence and their relationship with aggression. Summerhall (Tech Cube Zero) from Wednesday 2nd – Friday 25th August 2023 (not 7th, 14th, 21st) at 17:50.
Super
SHORTLISTED: Popcorn Writing Awards 2023
Starring Max Dowler (Line of Duty, BBC; Emmerdale, ITV) as Rick and Edinburgh-born Charlie Vero Martin as Catherine, Super sees two not-very-super heroes share their story of ambition, love and overwhelming failure. Written and directed by Matthew Radway, Super is inspired by a true fascination surrounding uncanny heroes and developed from interviews with the real people behind the masks on Hollywood Boulevard. Pleasance Courtyard (Cellar) from Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 14th) at 13:45.
The Black Blues Brothers
The Fringe’s best physical theatre show 2022 (Theatre Weekly) is coming back to Edinburgh for the third time. Wowing audiences with their acrobatic prowess, The Black Blues Brothers bring flips, tricks, firey limbo, human pyramids, hilarious gags and dance challenges like you’ve never seen and all to the soulful tempo of The Blues Brothers’ music. This acrobatic tribute to the cult movie The Blues Brothers has established itself as a must-see international show. Assembly Rooms (Music Hall) from Thursday 3rd – Sunday 27th August 2023 at 15:05.
The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria
The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria comes to the Edinburgh Fringe to share a largely forgotten story of World War II. Combining historical theatre and folk music with a modern revisionist twist, the energetic production explores the suspicious circumstances of the King of Bulgaria’s demise, how 50,000 Jewish people were saved from deportation and death, and how the world forgot all about it. 2023 marks 80 years since the events of The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, with the anniversary of the mysterious death coinciding with the final day of Edinburgh Fringe. Pleasance Dome (Queen Dome) from Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 14th) at 17:20.
The Great Ruckus
Telling the story of two sisters navigating their mother’s funeral, Izzy Tennyson (Grotty, Bunker Theatre; Brute, Edinburgh Fringe, Soho Theatre) returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with a wickedly dark play about the absurdity of rigid Western ideas of grief and class. The Great Ruckus brings to life how death strums dangerously at family and class relations. Pleasance Courtyard (Baby Grand) from Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 14th) at 14:00.
The Ice Hole: A Cardboard Comedy
Best Comedy, Theatre Weekly Awards 2023
The creators of Fringe sensation Fishbowl return to Edinburgh with their latest Molière Award winning production – The Ice Hole: A Cardboard Comedy. This innovative show, in the spirit of Monty Python and with a Laurel and Hardy style twist, is told by two actors with some side-splitting and meticulous theatrical acrobatics. Told using a thousand pieces of cardboard, in a language no-one quite understands, a great actor recounts an epic journey from the fjords of Iceland to the dust of the Spanish desert. Pleasance Courtyard (Grand) from Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 at 13:00.
The Life Sporadic of Jess Wildgoose
The creators of smash hit The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much return with an explosive new show, The Life Sporadic of Jess Wildgoose. This electrifying thriller by award-winning physical theatre company, Voloz Collective, explores the universal themes of ambition, failure, revenge, and high-risk equity trading. With virtuosic acrobatics, live music, and physical theatre, this madcap tragicomedy unnerves and astounds in a genre-defying cinematic adventure. Pleasance Courtyard (Above) from Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 9th, 16th, 23rd) at 14:25.
Unforgettable Girl
SHORTLISTED: Brighton Fringe Award 2023
Best Writing, Theatre Weekly Awards 2023
Winner of the Pleasance’s Charlie Hartill Fund, Unforgettable Girl was written by and stars Elisabeth Gunawan. Money can’t buy love, but £19.99/month gets you Unforgettable Girl, a mail-order bride direct from the wasteland of Asian stereotypes. As she strives to become unforgettable, she is forced to transform, destroy and rebuild herself in order to survive. This irreverent bouffon-inspired myth is about the violence our culture inflicts on bodies of colour. Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance Beneath) from Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 16th) at 15:40.
