Ah yes, the other side of the coin. The misery to the laughter. The performance to the wit. The theatrical underbelly of the Festival Fringe to that of its Comedic alter-ego and larger sibling. All the world’s a stage, and we are merely the audience. Something like that, yeah?
There’s no question that the comedy origins of the Festival have made way to allow for a wealthier and more diverse programme for the Fringe – with some notable flashes of brilliance emerging from this city to become West End hits, BBC showstoppers, and major touring marvels which take to the glitz of Broadway.
This year is no different, as some of the worlds of theatres’ finest make their way to the city once more to draw in hungry audiences looking for Shakespearean re-imaginings, Queer romances, and as usual a suspiciously open and large number of murder-focused narratives…
Here you’ll find performers from the roots of Scotland to the warmth of Down Under. It’s our speciality, and this year Edinburgh is in for a proper corker of a year in terms of the Theatrical.
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.
Me, Myself, And Mary (Queen of Scots)
Scots speaker of the year 2022, performer, comedian and Shetland-born storyteller Marjolein Robertson is no stranger to the marvellous realm of Scotland’s past. Her recent performance as part of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival at the Scottish Storytelling Centre proved that in droves with a superb command of the space, inviting atmosphere and magnificent infusion of humour with drama and authenticity.
Now she performs a cast of thousands in this one-woman play from award-winning writer Raymond Friel, Me, Myself and Mary (Queen of Scots). Audiences are here for a spot of history with proud citizens historian and Shetlander Mary Fraser for a whistle-stop tour of Mary Stuart’s life and the similarities she finds along the way. Full of murder, chaos, family infights, gender politics and mystery, Mary Queen of Scots’ life has more resonance than ever before… and it all comes with a delightful Shetland twist from one of the island’s finest storytellers.
14.15pm (60 minutes), 2nd – 8th, 10th- 13th Aug 2023
Venue 30: Scottish Storytelling Centre – Netherbow Theatre
43-45 High Street, EH1 1SR
Tickets: £12.00 (Con. available)
The Grand Old Opera House Hotel
Working in hospitality sucks. Especially in the hotel industry.
So when shy Aaron joins a hotel’s ramshackle team, what he encounters might put him off the job forever. Facing inept management, volatile and demanding guests, and even the prospects of a singing ghost, one voice ringing through the chaos keeps him going. Seducing Aaron’s ears and heart, this voice echoing through the hotel calls to him – pushing Aaron into a battle with the hotel’s magical madness in an effort to discover the voice.
A heart-filled ensemble performance from Olivier Award-winning Isobel McArthur who brought audiences Pride and Prejudice *sort of and Kidnapped, directed by Gareth Nicholls (Ulster American), The Grand Old Opera House Hotel sets out to explore the influence and power of art and the peculiar beauty of seemingly hopeless circumstances.
Various times (90 minutes), 27th July – 27th Aug 2023
Venue 15: The Traverse Theatre
10 Cambridge Street, EH1 2ED
Tickets: £25.00 (Group tickets available)
Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story
Have you read enough Daily Mail articles to know your Spencer from Windsor?
Following a hugely successful tour, Awkward Productions are bringing the untrue story of the People’s Princess to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Dig out your revenge dress and get ready to attend the event of the year.
Back with more shows this year (with the returning How to Live a Jellicle Life: Life Lessons from the 2019 Hit Musical Cats), Linus Karp’s multimedia extravaganza unleashes puppetry, drag, the audience themselves and lashing of queer joy as we meet Diana in the afterlife in this hilarious, ludicrous and unhinged theatrical experience is as funny as it is tasteless. And if that doesn’t get you into the theatre – nothing bloody will.
Make sure to wear your best pearls.
16.30pm (70 minutes) 2nd-14th, 17th-20th, 22nd-28th Aug 2023
Venue 23: Pleasance Dome, KingDome
1 Bristo Square, EH8 9AL
Tickets: £16.00 (Con. available)
From the mind of last year’s CATS-nominated Best New Play for Truth’s a Dog Must Kennel comes a rare chance to see the play that shaped a theatre landscape when it opened in 2005. Tim Crouch’s An Oak Tree altered the rules theatre lived by, as it brought in an actor who has neither seen nor read the play. They are guided through a story of loss, suggestion and the power of the mind is the playwright. No two shows will ever be the same, and an experience for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is not to be overlooked.
20.30pm (70 minutes) 4th – 6th, 8th – 13th, 15th – 20th , 22nd – 27th Aug 2023
Venue 593: The Royal Lyceum Theatre – Studio
30B Grindlay Street, EH3 9AX
Tickets: £22.50 (Con. available)
Initially conceived through the Village Storytelling Festival 2022, this whimsically superb blend of spoken word and comedy will have a near-full Edinburgh Festival Fringe run at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. I Hope Your Flowers Bloom flitters between romantic obsession and a botanical description, a semi-autobiographical piece from Raymond Wilson.
Offering moving, authentic explorations of healthy masculinity and a raw look at self-worth and working-class access to nature, I Hope Your Flowers Bloom wanders through Wilson’s friendship with Flo and her modern nomadic lifestyle as he attempts to break away from the greyness of Glasgow’s schemes and into Scotland’s rich natural world. Directed by Fiona Mackinnon, a part of the Made in Scotland Showcase, this is a top-pick piece to catch in both the genre of theatre and the Fringe overall. Read our thoughts about the show from its initial performance.
16:00pm (60 minutes) 2nd – 8th, 10th – 12th, 14th – 15th, 17th – 19th, 21st – 27th Aug 2023
Venue 30: Scottish Storytelling Centre – Netherbow Theatre
43-45 High Street, EH1 1SR
Tickets: £12.00 (Con. available)
The debut play from Jade Anouka, HEART, offers a raw and authentic exploration of loss, self-discovery and life. Telling the story of a woman coming to terms with the end of her marriage and the beginning of a new chapter in her life. Anouka’s work celebrates human resilience, the unwavering strength of the human spirit, and the beauty of the connections we forge.
Featuring live music and sound design from the four-times UK Beatbox champion Grace Savage, this unique and ground-breaking production is a calling space for all the misfits out there who never felt as though they ‘belonged’.
23.00pm (60 minutes) 24th – 27th Aug 2023
Venue 26: RUNDABOUT@Summerhall
1 Summerhall, EH9 1PL
Tickets: £15.00 (Con. available)
Meet Maureen.
They’re a razor-tongued, acid-infused, and self-described ‘working-class glamour queen’ with plenty of outrageous stories to share with the audience. Resplendently awaiting an audience in their living room, surrounded by the scatterings of crumbs and cigarette ash, Maureen is caustic, humorous, poignant and a profoundly moving production – setting the stage for an afternoon of wit, wisdom and imagination gone wild.
With oodles of enthusiasm, written masterfully and with a driven performance of love and respect, Maureen is set to turn The House of Oz into another hub of brilliance at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
14.30pm (80 minutes) 4th – 8th, 10th – 13th, 15th – 20th, 22nd – 27th, Aug 2023
Venue 73: House of Oz – the Great Indoors
Kings Hall, EH8 9NZ
Tickets: £14.00 (Con. available)
The Real William Shakespeare… As Told By Christopher Marlowe
Following on from their previous success at last year’s Festival Fringe with The Masks of Oscar Wilde, Matchmaker Theatre Productions return to this year’s celebrations with another twist to a tale we all thought we knew.
The Bard himself, Shakespeare, lived a loved littered with provocations, scandal, blood, and political intrigue, but now Christopher Marlowe is ready to tell it all to Edinburgh audiences. Steeped in history and secrets, Marlowe is famed for his playwriting and espionage, but just how far will some go to protect this secret…
Think you know all about Shakespeare? Watch this and find out.
13.55pm (55 minutes) 4th- 12th, 14th – 19th Aug 2023
Venue 16 – Greenside @ Riddles Court – Thistle Theatre
Riddles Court, EH1 2PG
Tickets: £14.00 (Con. available)
Politics is a life-or-death game: a chess board where the hands moving the players know not the weight they wield.
Based on the book by Édouard Louis, translated by Lorin Stein, Who Killed My Father returns to Edinburgh after concluding a powerfully successful tour after its delayed start the previous year. Growing up gay in a small town in France, the author of The End of Eddy, Édouard, dealt with tremendous violence and homophobia at the hand of his right-wing factory worker and alcoholic father.
Confronting his father, now Édouard uncovers a gut-wrenching series of connections between the political decisions and his father’s broken body. An intimate declaration from son to father, and a defiant call for social justice, if you missed its run at the Traverse Theatre earlier this year, do not lose the opportunity to catch it at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
10.10am (60minutes) 22nd – 27th Aug 2023
Venue 26– Summerhall – The Old Lab
1 Summerhall, EH9 1PL
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’
Wow, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023 promises to be an incredible celebration of theatre! “Have A Gander” gives us an exciting sneak peek into what awaits us at this world-renowned event. The diversity and creativity showcased in the line-up are truly impressive.