Emerging Edinburgh 2026
Returning for a fourth year after an award-winning 2025 season, CNC’s Emerging Edinburgh roster continues to champion the next generation of theatre-makers. Running alongside our Main Roster, the programme supports 24 electrifying companies bringing ambitious new work and fresh creative perspectives to the Fringe, providing practical mentorship, industry expertise and increased visibility at one of the world’s leading arts festivals.
Scroll down to plan your Fringe schedule…
15 Minutes of Shame
A sharp new play from investigative journalist turned writer Sean Stillmaker. When a young London couple turn to OnlyFans to survive mounting financial pressure, their online success begins to unravel their real-world relationship. Directed by Adébayo Bolaji, this urgent, research-driven drama explores the cost of monetising intimacy, where visibility becomes currency and privacy comes at a price. ZOO (Playground 2), High School Yard, Edinburgh from Friday 7th – Sunday 30th August 2026 at 19:20 THEATRE
A Costume Drama
With World Cup fever sweeping the nation, writer-performer Claudia Fielding returns to Edinburgh Fringe with A Costume Drama, a heart-warming new comedy where football, family and legacy collide. When reluctant Ella is suddenly thrown into the oversized boots of her mascot father, she’s pulled into a world where the forgotten figures on the sidelines matter just as much as those on the pitch. Inspired by the rise of women’s football, this feel-good story celebrates the fans, families and women at the heart of the game. ZOO (Playground 3), High School Yard, Edinburgh from Friday 7th – Sunday 30th August 2026 (not 18th) at 13:25 THEATRE
A Queer Little Murder
From Savannah Hankinson, A Queer Little Murder is a riotous interactive whodunnit with a distinctly queer twist. Set in a suspiciously fabulous small town where everyone has something to hide, Hankinson plays six larger-than-life characters in a camp, chaotic murder mystery where no two nights are the same. Packed with audience participation, improv and absurd humour, this is a gloriously gay game of whodunnit where the killer changes nightly. Gilded Balloon Patter House (Coorie), 2 Commercial Street, Edinburgh from Wednesday 5th – Monday 31st August 2026(not 19th) at 15:40 THEATRE
Alexis Sakellaris presents
Award-winning queer icon Alexis Sakellaris returns to Edinburgh Fringe 2026 with a bold season of musical comedy, new work and late-night chaos. From A STAN IS BORN! – Encore, a camp pop-diva musical about queer obsession and identity, to CHILD STAR (WIP), a funny, cringeworthy look at teenage fame, Alexis explores fame, fandom and selfhood through song and storytelling, alongside MCU: Musical Comedians Unite! and THE CVNTY AWARDS, a parody awards show and Fringe afterparty. Gilded Balloon Patter House, 3 Chambers Street, Edinburgh from Thursday 6th – Sunday 30th August 2026 (not 10th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 24th) at various times THEATRE
An Ode to the Casting Director
She’s auditioning by day, questioning everything by night… An Ode to the Casting Director is a sharp, funny and deeply honest solo show from Sophie Fisher (Project Rabbit, Netflix), following a critically acclaimed Fringe 2025 run. When a young actor enters the relentless world of auditions and industry expectation, she begins to realise the real performance isn’t on stage but in how she is seen, judged and valued. Inspired by Fisher’s own experience of the industry, this breakout solo work explores identity, ambition and self-worth with vulnerability for the absurdities of casting culture. Assembly George Square Studios (Studio Four) from Wednesday 5th – Saturday 29th August 2026 (not 13th, 20th) at 12:00 THEATRE
Argonauts
Opinions are weapons and friendship is the casualty… Argonauts is a sharp, funny and devastating new tragicomedy from Brazilian company Technis. When two theatre podcast hosts clash over a controversial production, their argument spirals until myth and reality collide, unleashing figures from Medea to Prospero into the present day. Blurring criticism, creation and chaos, this world premiere turns theatre into its own battlefield in a bold exploration of why we still make art at all. ZOO (Playground 2), High School Yard, Edinburgh from Friday 7th – Sunday 30th August 2026 (not 10th, 17th, 24th) at 18:05 THEATRE.
Broke & Fabulous in the 21st Century
Created by and starring Dale Robertson, Broke & Fabulous in the 21st Century is a sharp, funny new comedy about friendship, ambition and surviving London as a young artist. Best friends Alex and Petunia are determined to make creative lives for themselves while juggling precarious work, visa pressures, complicated love lives and the relentless pressure to “make it”. When they unknowingly become involved with the same man, loyalty, ego and romance collide in unexpected ways. Gilded Balloon Patter House (The Dram), 2 Commercial Street, Edinburgh from Wednesday 5th – Monday 31st August 2026 (not 17th) at 14:20 THEATRE.
Forget About Me
Performed, designed and co-written by Dylan Howells, Forget About Me is a funny, frightening and inventive new collaboration between Despite the Monkey and Worklight Theatre. Set in a remote village where something unsettling lurks in the bathroom, the show blends mind-bending mentalism, ghost stories and theatrical illusion to explore memory, childhood and the things we try to leave behind. Co-written and directed by Harry Machray, this hauntingly playful solo show asks what happens when the past refuses to stay buried. Pleasance Courtyard (Below) from Wednesday 5th – Monday 31st August 2026 (not 12th, 19th, 26th) at 13:40 THEATRE.
Georgina Thomas: Hysterical Soprano
She’s chasing operatic greatness by day, spiralling into delusion by night… Georgina Thomas: Hysterical Soprano is a gloriously unhinged musical comedy from critically acclaimed comic and classically trained soprano Georgina Thomas. Determined to become the world’s greatest soprano, Georgina embarks on a chaotic quest involving an old witch, a bitter rival and more than a few existential crises. Blending virtuosic singing with razor-sharp comedy, this bold solo debut explores ambition, ego and the terror of being perceived. Underbelly Bristo Square (Dexter) from Wednesday 5th – Monday 31st August 2026 (not 17th) at 13:15 THEATRE
Heart Beats Strong
Three birthdays. Three boys. One night that changes everything. Based on the performers’ own teenage diaries, Heart Beats Strong is a funny, fast-paced and deeply personal new show from Kickdrum. Blending physical theatre, dance and storytelling, it follows three young men on the cusp of adulthood as they navigate friendship, identity and the moments that shape who they become. Created by Alfie Wickham, Kai Porter and Noah Manzoor, this joyful and energetic exploration of modern masculinity celebrates vulnerability, connection and growing up. Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker 2) from Wednesday 5th – Monday 31st August 2026 (not 12th, 18th, 25th) at 12:20 THEATRE.
I Bought A Flip Phone
He’s deleting social media by day, questioning every life choice by night… I Bought A Flip Phone is a candid, nostalgic and hilarious Fringe debut from Panos Kandunias. Fed up with endless scrolling and watching everyone else’s lives look better than his own, Charlie swaps his iPhone for a 2002 flip phone, convinced it will solve all his problems. What follows is a sharp, funny exploration of loneliness, queer desire and the search for connection in an ultra-connected world. ZOO (Playground 2), High School Yard, Edinburgh from Friday 7th – Sunday 30th August 2026(not 19th, 26th) at 15:35 THEATRE.
In A Bad Way
She’s back at the doctor’s office for the fifth time this month… In A Bad Way is a fast-paced, darkly funny solo show from Irish playwright Isolde Fenton. Convinced something is seriously wrong, Grá spirals through symptoms, self-diagnoses and worst-case scenarios in a frantic search for certainty. Drawing on Fenton’s own experiences of anxiety, this sharp comedy explores overthinking, hypochondria and the chaos of a mind that never switches off. Gilded Balloon Patter House (Blether), 2 Commercial Street, Edinburgh from Wednesday 5th – Monday 31st August 2026 (not 17th, 24th) at 14:20 THEATRE.
Learning to Human
Following multiple award wins, Austin-based comic actor Sims Holland brings Learning to Human to Edinburgh Fringe, a funny, moving solo show about addiction, recovery and starting over. Blending storytelling, clown, stand-up and poetry, Holland charts her journey from the depths of addiction to the often messy reality of sobriety. Developed over seven years, this uplifting and deeply human show celebrates resilience, connection and finding your way back to yourself. Gilded Balloon Teviot (Wee Room) from Wednesday 5th – Sunday 30th August 2026 (not 17th) at 15:00 THEATRE.
Operotica: Lovers in Every Lifetime
Classically trained, fetish approved and recently deceased… Operotica: Lovers in Every Lifetime is a sexy, hilarious and wildly original new show from queer opera duo Operotica and award-winning performer Dan Wye. Guided by the ghostly Séayoncé, audiences journey through the past lives of star-crossed lovers doomed to repeat the same tragic fate across time. Blending virtuosic opera, comedy, cabaret and kink, this gloriously unhinged theatrical debut reclaims opera for a new generation of queer audiences. Underbelly Bristo Square (Dairy Room) from Wednesday 5th – Sunday 30th August 2026 (not 12th, 17th, 24th) at 19:45 THEATRE.
Puck Bunnies A Heated Rivalry Drag Musical Parody
They’re rivals on the ice, lovers in everyone’s fantasies… Puck Bunnies: A Heated Rivalry Drag Musical Parody is a camp, chaotic and gloriously queer musical comedy from writers Kyra Brown and Christan Leonard. Starring an ensemble of drag kings and queer performers, this unhinged celebration of fandom, romance and hockey obsession transforms 2025’s hottest TV show into a singalong spectacle packed with original songs, outrageous characters and big queer energy. Gilded Balloon Patter House (Other Yin), 2 Commercial Street, Edinburgh from Wednesday 5th – Monday 31st August 2026 (not 11th, 18th, 25th) at 22:45 MUSICAL COMEDY.
Racists, Recessions & Revolutions
Girl I’m bored, let’s go spread fake news… Racists, Recessions & Revolutions is a darkly funny and unsettling new play about the global rise of misinformation. When a group of teens in a small Macedonian town stumble into the early internet fake news boom, one young woman is pulled into a lucrative world of political manipulation, viral lies and digital chaos. As the hustle spreads from a kitchen table to an international crisis, the line between truth and profit begins to collapse. ZOO (Playground 3), High School Yard, Edinburgh from Friday 7th – Sunday 30th August 2026 (not 12th, 19th, 26th) at 15:55 THEATRE.
Rockpools
A young woman, a crumbling marriage and a house full of rooms she can’t face… Rockpools is a darkly comic and surreal solo debut from Molly Windust. Blending character comedy with a fractured domestic world, it follows a woman caught between grief, care and her own quiet unravelling as she builds a strange private refuge room by room. Funny, unsettling and deeply human, the show explores endometriosis, loneliness and the pressure to fit into a life you never wanted. Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker 3), 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh from Wednesday 5th – Sunday 30th August 2026 (not 17th, 24th) at 15:20 THEATRE.
Stayin’ Alive
Maggie’s nan is dead, her therapist is useless, and her sister is threatening to knock her out… Stayin’ Alive is a riotously funny and brutally honest new play about OCD, survival and the chaos of keeping going. Written and performed by Victoria Oxley, this Scouse-led story unfolds in The Blue Anchor pub, where Maggie tries to make sense of grief, family and the fragile systems holding her together. Blending biting humour with working men’s club culture and lived experience, this is a sharp, compassionate look at mental illness, class and resilience. Gilded Balloon Patter House (Blether), 2 Commercial Street, Edinburgh from Wednesday 5th – Monday 31st August 2025 (not 12th, 19th, 26th) at 15:40 THEATRE.
Surreally Good
Grief, corporate absurdity and lo-fi storytelling collide in Surreally Good, a delightfully bizarre one-man show from award-winning theatre maker Scott Turnbull. Playing the finest Edutainment Officer in the business, Turnbull guides audiences through a surreal, illustrated world of overhead projections, unreliable memory and workplace chaos as he tries to make sense of loss through art. Directed by Ed Gaughan with original music by Jeremy Bradfield, this cult hit blends humour, heart and total nonsense. Summerhall (Former Women’s Locker Room), Edinburgh from Thursday 7th – Monday 31st August 2026 (not 17th, 24th) at 17:20 THEATRE.
Thermodrama
Four people enter a sauna. Three walk out… Thermodrama is a tense and darkly funny new play from Lovelock Productions, set entirely inside a sauna pushed to breaking point. When two estranged sisters are unexpectedly reunited, their fragile dynamic is disrupted by an evangelical gym-goer and a cyclist seeking revenge, as the temperature and tensions steadily rise. Set against the backdrop of wellness culture and self-optimisation obsession, this sell-out return asks what happens when nobody gets better. Summerhall (Old Lab), Edinburgh, from Thursday 7th August to Monday 31st August 2026 (not 18th, 25th), at 22:30. THEATRE.
They’re Just Small Town (Northern) Lads
Be hard. Be respected. Never be too different… They’re Just Small Town (Northern) Lads is a bold and deeply personal new play from Nathan Jonathan, set in a Northern town in the early 2000s. Told through nostalgia, humour and sharp emotional clarity, it follows a mixed race teenage boy navigating competing models of masculinity, from a volatile father to a gentle Windrush grandfather, as he learns the unwritten rules of becoming a “proper” lad. Exploring class, identity and inherited expectation, this is a funny and affecting look at what shapes us and who we choose to become. Summerhall (Anatomy Lecture Theatre), Edinburgh from Thursday 6th – Sunday 16th August 2026 at 19:15 THEATRE.
This Is How I Got Arrested (after smuggling drugs across the border but never actually getting caught with any drugs)
These girls are not drug mules. They are young women chasing feelings, sensations and escape… This Is How I Got Arrested (after smuggling drugs across the border but never actually getting caught with any drugs) is a raw, darkly funny solo show written and performed by Azaelia Slade. Following Sophie, a sharp-tongued young woman performing different versions of herself to survive, the story unravels a world of parties, lies and fractured home life as her search for belonging spirals out of control. Blending humour with honesty, this urgent debut explores class, identity and the stories behind the headlines. ZOO (Playground 3), High School Yard, Edinburgh from Friday 7th – Sunday 30th August 2026 at 19:40 THEATRE.
To Do Lists
NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE YOU. EXCEPT YOURSELF… To Do Lists is a high-energy solo show from Amy Lever about control, chaos and our obsession with productivity. Born from a compulsive relationship with list-making, the piece begins in perfect order before spiralling into playful collapse as diaries, goals and memories start to unravel. Blending humour, projection and creative captioning, it charts a life measured in tick boxes, from childhood ambition to adult burnout, and asks what happens when the systems we rely on stop working. Pleasance Courtyard (The Green), Edinburgh from Wednesday 5th – Monday 31st August 2026 (not 12th, 17th, 26th) at 17:15 THEATRE.
TOAST
WINNER: Fringe First Award 2026
One skint creative versus the system. Living off toast, apparently… TOAST is a blisteringly funny and brutally honest debut from writer and performer Jude Green about starving for your art. Selected for the Shedload-of-Future Fund 2026, this unflinching comedy follows an actor as they navigate crumbling work, benefits bureaucracy and the impossible cost of staying afloat while trying to make theatre. As everything unravels, the question becomes whether survival itself is the final performance. Summerhall (Dissection Room), Edinburgh from Thursday 7th – TBC at 12:10 THEATRE.
