Hold onto your feathers folks, it’s time to begin our crash landing into the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023, as Have a Gander returns to offer our top picks across the categories for this year’s festivities. With over three thousand shows, the Fringe continues to be a juggernaut of international talent, curiosities, and comedic delights. But we must never forget the communities which share the city with these shows.
So where better to start, than the companies that we see all year round? Who support us outside of the Fringe and offer Edinburgh audiences quality and locally produced theatre the entire year round. From children starting out to dab-hands who want to get their time in the spotlight once more, we’re frequently impressed with the quality in and surrounding Auld Reekie.
This year we’re seeing originally produced pieces from The Grads and a sea of shows coming out of Bedlam Theatre from the University societies and groups. Hugely popular musical masterpieces to smaller crowd favourites, this list will have something for everyone.
But this isn’t all! There are still many other local delights to watch at this year’s Festival Fringe, and if you’ve not found your show on this list – pop us a message and we’ll be sure to add you to the follow-up grassroots Have a Gander.
Links directly to the Fringe website to purchase tickets or look further at shows can be followed by clicking on the show’s respective image. Ticket prices are for standard admission, so please check the Fringe website for concession prices.
Throughout the years, Bare Production has continued to provide five-star, sell-out Fringe productions with Addams Family, Kinky Boots, and now, they bring the revolutionary rock-musical, RENT, to Paradise in Augustine.
Set against the backdrop of the AIDS pandemic of 90’s New York, a group of friends struggle to survive as they fight battles of loss and love, their bohemian ideals challenged as they search for a more fulfilling sense of life in the wider world.
A modern reimagining of Puccini’s La Bohème is an epic love-musical that is enormous in scale, score and songs, featuring well-known numbers La Vie Boheme, Another Day, and of course Seasons of Love.
A must-see musical for all this Fringe, RENT’s pop-cultural impact continues to unite audiences. And if you’ve not had enough from the Bare Productions team, they’re also performing Little Women later at the Festival Fringe.
Various times (135 minutes), 4th – 12th Aug 2023
Venue 152 – Paradise in Augustines
41 George IV Bridge, EH1 1EL
Tickets: £19.00
From one of Edinburgh’s most esteemed and successful grassroots production groups, Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Group comes another original piece from playwright cmfwood, who recently brought audiences frisson and prism.
Crackers, one of their two Edinburgh Festival Fringe shows (along with John Godber and Jane Thornton’s Shakers) tackles the ever-growing worries of NHS wait times – specifically for those mental health issues. Will, a popular GP, finds himself at ends when a teenage patient kills themselves. It begins to grow more and more complex as Will blames themselves, and their teenage daughter keeps her own battles with depression a secret in this darkly comic reflection on our struggles when dealing with mental health.
18.45pm (90 minutes), 7th – 12th Aug 2023
Venue 241 – The Royal Scots Club – The Hepburn Suite
29-31 Abercromby Place, EH3 6QE
Tickets: £15.00 (Group tickets available)
Original pioneers and supporters of the Festival Fringe since 1947, the Edinburgh People’s Theatre celebrate their 80th year with a return with a firm audience favourite for its 2023 performance at the festival: Whisky Galore. As they bring Compton Mackenzie’s much-loved tale to audiences, which was first performed by the group in 1966 at the Festival Fringe.
It’s 1942 – the height of the Second World War. But for the islanders of Todday, the real trouble is the fact they’ve run out of whisky, after it’s all exported to aid in paying for the war effort.
But when a shipping vessel runs aground, spilling its whisky contents ashore, can the islanders really ignore their thirst without attracting the unwanted attention of the army stationed on the island?
20.30pm (60 minutes) 4th-5th, 7th-12th, 14th-19th Aug 2023
Venue 11 – Mayfield Salisbury Church – Church Hall
18 West Mayfield, EH9 1TQ
Tickets: £18.00
A Midsummer Dream in Auld Reekie
For their 39th outing to the Festival Fringe, Leitheatre brings a brand-new adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, setting it firmly in Auld Reekie with a cast of some of the best local performers around, who will take us down this adventure of hilarious action.
A Midsummer Dream in Auld Reekie treads the beats of Shakespeare’s classic, asking audiences if Lord Douglas and Lady Jane will make it to the altar? And what about Boaby and his band of am-dram misfits, will they be able to perform? Shifting the action from the warm nights of Greece to Edinburgh, the Athens of the north, this new look at the classic comedy is set to be a sure-fire hit with audiences.
Various times (135 minutes) 5th, 7th-12th, 14th-19th Aug 2022
Venue 83 – Inverleith St Serf’s Church Centre – Main Hall
1A Clark Road, EH5 3BD
Tickets: £15.00 (Con. available)
An enormous show for Edinburgh audiences, this Festival Fringes finds the wonderful Edinburgh Theatre Arts Group stage the first-ever adaptation of Stephen Fry’s 1996 novel Making History. Presented by the Edinburgh Theatre Arts group, who have been performing challenging pieces since the late 40s.
A brilliant young student, Michael Young’s life is changed when he meets Leo Zuckerman, an ageing physicist with a theory which could change worlds. Soon they realise that this theory comes with the power to alter history, and to eradicate the immense evil deeds of the past.
But tinkering with the past timelines is far more dangerous and chaotic than anyone could imagine. Nothing – past, present, or future – will ever be the same again.
Various times (135 minutes) 7th-12th, 14th-19th, Aug 2023
Venue 230 – St. Trinian’s Hall
40 Comely Bank, EH4 1AG
Tickets: £17.00
The slapstick, pie-throwing and splurge gun musical comedy hit set in Prohibition New York is returning to Edinburgh for this year’s Festival Fringe. With one of musical theatre’s most memorable tunes; My Name is Tallulah, this beloved musical is one for the entire family.
Produced by A-Team Productions, who brought Bonnie and Clyde to last year’s Fringe, this musical extravaganza has it all@ gun-toting rivals, showgirls, gooey gowns, singing, dancing, and plenty of humour.
14.00pm (120 minutes) 7th – 12th Aug 2023
Venue 416 – George Watson’s College, Main Auditorium
George Watson’s College, EH10 5EJ
Tickets: £15.00 (Con. available)
Do you hear the bells? The bells which bewitch and tell the tale of a monster and a man. The captivating and incredibly hard-working Captivate Theatre are bringing five shows to this year’s Festival Fringe, including Matilda, School of Rock, Les Misérables and their hugely successful Sunshine on Leith (check out review here).
But there’s one which stands out above the rest.
Featuring songs from the award-nominated Disney animated feature, The Hunchback of Notre Dame heralds the incredible score, and original songs from Alan Menkin and Stephen Schwartz.
The story of Quasimodo, the cathedral’s bellringer, and his infatuation with the gypsy Esmerelda is a sweeping tale of acceptance and powerful rejection of obsession. This gothic musical classic is rarely performed outside of its mainland European tours, don’t miss your chance to catch it in Edinburgh.
20.00pm (120 minutes) 4th – 15th, Aug 2023
Venue 70 – The Edinburgh Academy, Magnusson Theatre
42 Henderson Row, EH3 5BL
Tickets: £17.00 (Con. available)
From the determined and brilliant minds over at Bedlam Theatre comes the Edinburgh University Theatre Company’s Festival Fringe performance of a new comedy, The Booth.
Step up into The Booth and experience the mysterious world of the radio play. From turning coconuts, doorbells, heels, and other objects into a world of radio. But more, this ghostly radio play finds its performers at ends with clashing egos. Will the production even make it to air?
This new comedy finds the action shifting between the on-air play and the real lives of its performers as the off-air hijinks erupt. Touching upon how the medium is constructed and shaped, it also satirises the power dynamics of any theatrical endeavour.
17.00pm (60 minutes) 2nd – 12th Aug 2023
Venue 49 – Bedlam Theatre
11b Bristo Place, EH1 1EZ11b Bristo Place, EH1 1EZ
Tickets: £9.00 (Con. available)
For forty-two years, Forth Children’s Theatre has been entertaining audiences over Edinburgh and the surrounding areas with a wide variety of performances. Award-winning, from their five-star Oliver! To a new panto classic, FCT are bringing the spookiest, and kookiest of musicals to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe – The Addams Family.
Join in the fun of this wildly popular musical staging of the most macabre family around, as Wednesday Addams decides to do the unthinkable – introduce a boy to the family. Featuring splendid humour, and some stellar musical numbers like When You’re an Addams and One Normal Night, experience what it is which makes FCT such a well-respected group.
14.00pm and 19.00pm (150 minutes) 5th-6th, 8th-12th Aug 2023
Venue 318 – Broughton High School
29 East Fettes Avenue, EH4 1EG
Tickets: £15.00 (Con. available)
If you haven’t spotted your production – do not worry! We’re currently working our way through a huge backlog of requests, with many previews and Q&As lined up. If you haven’t, please do get in touch through the contact page to feature in an upcoming ‘Have A Gander’