Top Goose: KINDER

Kinder is a vital, razor-sharp drag-cabaret that fuses clowning, protest, and poetic fury into a sequin-streaked interrogation of queer lineage, childhood narratives, and generational trauma. Ryan Stewart’s script—delivered with incandescent wit by Goody Prostate—refuses to sanitise or simplify, instead offering a deeply articulate and emotionally charged performance that pulses with rage, resilience, and radical tenderness. With cinematic lighting, rebellious costuming, and choreography that dances between chaos and control, Kinder is theatre as resistance, drag as manifesto, and cabaret as catharsis. It’s a ferocious triumph that demands award recognition for its bold vision and uncompromising artistry.

Review by Dominic Corr (for The List)
Big Belly at Underbelly, Cowgate

Top Goose: She’s Behind You

She’s Behind You is a glittering, gutsy triumph that reclaims pantomime with unapologetic queer joy and razor-sharp wit. Johnny McKnight’s magnetic performance as Dorothy Blawna-Gale anchors a riotous blend of farce, political clarity, and theatrical flair, adapted from a University of Glasgow lecture and bursting with love for the genre’s rebellious roots. With dazzling visuals by Grant Anderson and a script that fiercely defends queer culture and women, the show transforms camp into truth and chaos into craft. It’s not just a celebration—it’s a radical act of theatrical resistance, and richly deserving of award recognition.

Review by Katherine McIntyre
Traverse Theatre – Traverse One

Top Goose: Don’t Tell Dad About Diana

Don’t Tell Dad About Diana is a riotously funny, emotionally rich celebration of friendship, queer identity, and the enduring iconography of Princess Diana. Set in Dublin during the summer of 1997, Conor Murray and Hannah Power’s dazzling two-hander blends drag, chaos, and heartfelt coming-of-age storytelling with impeccable comedic timing and theatrical flair. From Diana-inspired revenge dresses to eggings and stolen fabric, the show’s joyful absurdity is matched by its tender exploration of queer resilience, familial tension, and the nuanced bond between gay men and their female best friends. With inventive staging, unforgettable performances, and a script that balances outrageous humour with genuine pathos, it’s a glittering triumph that deserves to be crowned with awards.

Review by Aislinn McSharry
Underbelly Cowgate – Belly Dancer

Top Goose: Ohio

Ohio by The Bengsons is a breathtaking fusion of autobiographical storytelling and indie-folk concert that transforms personal grief, faith, and hearing loss into a communal celebration of resilience and joy. With Abigail Bengson’s astonishing vocals and Shaun Bengson’s gentle guitar, the show weaves poetic lyrics, live looping, and immersive sound design into a rich tapestry of emotion and artistry. Clever captioning and evocative visuals deepen the experience, while audience participation builds a shared sense of catharsis. Directed by Caitlin Sullivan and produced by Francesca Moody, Ohio is a masterclass in gig-theatre—raw, radiant, and profoundly moving—earning its award for originality, emotional depth, and musical brilliance

Review by Orly Benn
Assembly Roxy – Upstairs

Top Goose: This Is Not About Me

This is not about me is a fiercely intimate and emotionally resonant debut from Hannah Caplan, weaving metatheatrical complexity and coming-of-age vulnerability into a taut, handcrafted production. Staged in the Women’s Locker Room, the play’s immersive setting amplifies the raw tension between Grace and Eli—brought vividly to life by Amaia Naira Aguinaga’s magnetic performance and Francis Nunnery’s gentle charm. Caplan’s script pulses with cinematic lyricism and personal insight, while her meticulous design work—threaded webs, projections, and poetic textures—infuses every moment with care and artistry. It’s a bold, unapologetic piece that deserves award recognition for its originality, emotional depth, and sheer love of live theatre.

Review by Marina Funcasta
Summerhall – Former Women’s Locker Room

Top Goose: Orpheus

Wright & Grainger’s Orpheus is a stand-out for its originality, emotional power, and flawless execution. This modern retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth blends music, poetry, and storytelling into a vivid, contemporary experience that resonates deeply with audiences. Alex Wright’s passionate narration and Phil Grainger’s captivating guitar and vocals create moments of intimacy and awe, while their effortless chemistry and charm draw the audience into the heart of the story. By transforming an ancient tale into a richly emotional and accessible performance, Orpheus stands out as a truly innovative and moving piece of theatre.

Review by Eve Nugent
Summerhall – Dissection Room

Top Goose: Lachlan Werner: WonderTwunk

Wonder Twunk is a dazzling, genre-defying spectacle that showcases Lachlan Werner’s extraordinary talent in a riotous blend of ventriloquism, puppetry, song, and circus. Co-written with Laurie Luxe, this darkly camp fairytale follows Jack, the strongest boy in the world, through a surreal journey of self-discovery, brought to life with Freddie Hayes’ vaudevillian puppets and Paulina Lenoir’s whimsical design. Werner’s magnetic stage presence and lightning-fast character shifts are nothing short of breathtaking, while the show’s clever direction and immersive soundscape elevate its absurdity into something deeply moving. It’s bold, bizarre, and utterly unforgettable—an award-worthy celebration of queer joy and theatrical brilliance.

Review by Moyra Jones
Pleasance Dome – 10 Dome

Best Scottish Production: Windblown

Raw Materials: Windblown is a luminous, meditative triumph that transforms ecological grief into poetic ritual, as Karine Polwart—joined by pianist Dave Milligan—gives voice to the long-silenced Sabal palm of Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden. With reverent storytelling, evocative design, and elemental music, the production conjures a deeply immersive ceremony of remembrance, colonial reckoning, and quiet transformation. From Lizzie Powell’s firefly-lit stage to Pippa Murphy’s whispering soundscape, every detail pulses with care and clarity. In a festival of noise, Windblown stands out for its emotional depth, artistic integrity, and its profound invitation to listen—and deserves award recognition for its grace and courage.

Review by Katherine McIntyre
Queen’s Hall

Best Theatre: Eat The Rich (but maybe not me mates x)

Eat The Rich (but maybe not me mates x) is a blisteringly funny, politically sharp solo show that masterfully explores class, identity, and survival through Jade Franks’ electrifying performance. Charting her journey from a Liverpool call centre to Cambridge University, Franks skewers elite absurdities with wit and vulnerability, seamlessly shifting between characters and personas with dazzling precision. Directed by Tatenda Shamiso, the production’s clever staging, vivid costuming, and incisive script expose the emotional toll of assimilation while celebrating working-class resilience. It’s a bold, brilliantly crafted piece that deserves award recognition for its originality, authenticity, and theatrical impact.

Review by Dominic Corr
Pleasance Courtyard

Best Cabaret: Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett 

Club Kabarett is a riotous, glitter-soaked celebration of radical joy, led by the magnetic Bernie Dieter whose powerhouse vocals and razor-sharp wit anchor a show that’s equal parts punk cabaret, circus spectacle, and emotional reckoning. With a kaleidoscopic ensemble of international talent—from gravity-defying acrobatics to fierce burlesque and cathartic drag—the production dazzles with precision, passion, and unapologetic flair. Seamless staging, seductive lighting, and a pounding live band elevate every moment, but it’s the show’s ethos of inclusivity, vulnerability, and wild connection that makes it truly award-worthy. Club Kabarett doesn’t just entertain—it transforms.

Review by Katherine McIntyre
The Beauty at Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows

Best Children’s and Young Persons Show: Snow White Rose Red Brown Bear

Snow White Rose Red Bear Brown is a quietly dazzling triumph of storytelling, where Andy Lawrence’s masterful puppetry and voice work conjure a fairy-tale world rich in warmth, wit, and emotional depth. With handcrafted charm and a gorgeously detailed set, the show evokes wonder through simplicity, drawing children and adults alike into a tale of kindness, curiosity, and transformation. Its expressive puppets, seamless transitions, and textured design create a theatrical experience that lingers long after the final bow. In a festival of spectacle, this intimate gem proves that true magic lies in the art of telling—and deserves award recognition for its craft and heart.

Review by Dominic Corr
The Scottish Storytelling Centre

Best Musical: Hot Mess

Hot Mess is a blisteringly smart pop musical that reimagines the climate crisis as a toxic love story between Earth and Humanity, blending satire, emotional depth, and powerhouse performances into a theatrical tour de force. Danielle Steers delivers a volcanic portrayal of Earth, matched by Tobias Turley’s chilling evolution as Humanity, while Jack Godfrey’s razor-sharp lyrics and synth-pop score cut through the comedy with devastating clarity. With sleek design, emotionally intelligent storytelling, and a fearless interrogation of abuse and neglect, Hot Mess doesn’t just entertain—it confronts. It’s a bold, genre-defying triumph that demands award recognition for its originality, impact, and unforgettable voice.

Reviewed by Dominic Corr
Pleasance Courtyard – Pleasance Two

Best Dance, Physical Theatre: Inlet

Inlet is a visually arresting and emotionally resonant work that transcends traditional dance, weaving together myth, movement, and metaphor into a haunting meditation on civilisation and constraint. Choreographer Saeed Hani, alongside performers Ana Melero, Francesco Ferrari, and Michele Scappa, crafts a textured, symbolic language that defamiliarises the everyday with tragic beauty. Marc Thein’s lighting and the ensemble’s slow, deliberate transitions—particularly Melero’s final solo—create a performance that lingers long after curtain call. For its originality, emotional depth, and bold reimagining of physical storytelling, Inlet is a standout deserving of award recognition.

Reviewed by Marina Funcasta
DB1 at Assembly @ Dance Base

Best Storytelling: NUISIA

NIUSIA is a profoundly intimate and epic solo performance by Beth Patterson that masterfully weaves personal memory, Holocaust history, and generational trauma into a rich tapestry of storytelling. Through striking physicality, layered character work, and a set design brimming with symbolic detail, Patterson brings her formidable grandmother—both magnetic and deeply flawed—vividly to life. Co-created with director Kat Yates, the show refuses sentimentality, instead offering a raw, honest reckoning with legacy, identity, and the contradictions we inherit. With its emotional depth, theatrical precision, and fearless authenticity, NIUSIA is a standout deserving of award recognition.

Reviewed by Dominic Corr
Former Womens Locker Room at Summerhall