This year at the Festival, the fringe’s most versatile (and criminally overlooked) art form is taking over every corner of the program. We’re pulling back the curtain to bring you a handpicked selection of shows where felt, wood, and string come alive in ways you never expected. Whether you’re looking for spine-tingling supernatural thrills, heartwarming and magical adventures for the little ones, or side-splitting comedy that pushes every boundary, our team has tracked down the absolute best.
From creepy to captivating, hilarious to family-friendly, here are our top picks for the puppet shows you simply cannot miss this year. There ain’t no strings on us, but plenty in these shows for our Top Puppetry Picks
From now until August, we’ll be releasing our recommendations of the top theatre, comedy, spoken word, film, music, childrens, dance, and visual arts available to audiences across all the city’s festivals. However, this time, rather than focusing solely on genre or performance method, we’ll be examining some of the emerging topics. Come along with us and Have a Gander.
If you have a show coming and would like to chat with us about a Q&A or a review, please do get in touch through the ‘contact’ page where one of the team will get back to you!
Crafted by the award-winning theatre company Half a String, this breathtaking piece of puppet theatre transports audiences to a miniature planet that holds the secrets of the entire galaxy. Merging stunning live camera projection with a unique blend of live folk songs and booming 1900s synths, the production uncovers the beautiful mysteries of a tiny world.
Following a crash landing by an intergalactic space baker, Tiny Planet beautifully explores the profound idea that the smallest things often hold the biggest stories. This exceptional, critically acclaimed show offers a deeply moving experience that captures what it truly feels like to be both impossibly small and infinitely gigantic.
Venue 23 – King Dome at Pleasance Dome
August 5th – 23rd (12:25)
In their boundary-pushing puppet sketch comedy BTCH EAT DOG*, creator Mel Carter deftly interrogates the polarised landscape of modern womanhood. The surreal production weaponises dark humour and feminist theory to contrast the cut-throat nature of “girlboss feminism” against the regressive allure of the “tradwife” movement.
Audiences should brace themselves for a chaotic whirlwind featuring everything from a horrific, rodent-infused IUD insertion to an absurdly multi-breasted raw milk merchant. Anchoring the theatrical madness of BTCH EAT DOG* is a well-meaning but out-of-depth white male host whose clumsy attempts at performative allyship completely unravel on stage.
Photo credit – Jerry Harney
Venue 236 – Jade Studio at Greenside @ George Street
August 7th -29th (22:00)
Following a string (get it?) of critically acclaimed runs, acclaimed ventriloquist Max Fulham is bringing his brilliant family-friendly comedy to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Alongside his cheeky simian sidekick Gordon the Monkey, the seasoned performer promises a briefcase full of nonsense, side-splitting slapstick, and fast-paced sketches for all ages.
This highly anticipated production of Max Fulham’s Monkey Business marks a joyful milestone for one of the UK’s most exciting young variety acts. Audiences can expect a masterclass in modern ventriloquism and visual comedy that will leave the entire family in absolute stitches.
Venue 14 – Dining Room at Gilded Balloon Teviot
August 5th – 16th (11:50)
Presented by the innovative London-based company Roarrr Theatre, this heart-warming family production beautifully tackles the sensitive reality of a grandparent living with dementia. The narrative follows young Charlie and Grandpa Heimer as they use vibrant imagination to transform basic, everyday household items into vast, open-sea maritime voyages.
As Heimer’s condition advances and the metaphorical storms at sea grow increasingly turbulent, the story becomes a deeply touching exploration of memory, love, and the circle of life. Through an expert blend of detailed puppetry, clever object theatre, and original music, Heimer offers audiences of all generations a gentle and comforting approach to navigating loss and family care.
Venue 53 – Theatre 3 at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall
August 20th – 23rd (11:00am)
Lachlan Werner: Sleeper Hit (WIP)
A big favourite of the team, acclaimed clown and live artist Lachlan Werner invites brave audiences to experience the world’s first ventriloquial hypnotherapy session. Alongside his squishy, long-time psychological companion Brew the Witch, the award-winning performer promises to upend ancient traditions through a beautifully chaotic purging of the subconscious.
This devilishly clever work-in-progress production of Lachlan Werner: Sleeper Hit (WIP) delivers an hour of unhinged, queer puppet comedy packed with literal skeletons in the closet. Spectators should prepare for a surreal ride featuring everything from clinically depressed frat bros to bizarrely subverted Punch and Judy love songs.
Venue 515 – Monkey Barrel 2 at Monkey Barrel Comedy
August 26th – 30th (00:50)
Anarchic double act Tom Clarkson and Owen Visser return to the Fringe with their spectacularly chaotic cult hit, The Mr Thing Show. This riotous multimedia stage production invites spectators to step into the live studio audience of a bizarre, fictional television variety show that technically broadcasts to absolutely nowhere.
Alongside the wonderfully grumpy Puppet Steve, the team unleashes an onslaught of tech-fuelled madness featuring remote-controlled cameras, musical robots, and interactive games. Delivering a fast-paced blend of sketch comedy, live music, and brilliantly silly technical hijinx, this high-energy spectacular promises to leave audiences howling with laughter.
Venue 3 – Piccolo Tent at Assembly George Square Gardens
August 5th – 30th (17.45)
Hendrik Quast: Spill Your Guts
The innovative German performance artist Hendrik Quast brings a deeply personal and uncompromisingly raw perspective to the stage with his darkly comic production. For this unique piece, the artist explicitly mastered the art of ventriloquism to directly confront his real-life experiences with chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
In the wonderfully unsettling Hendrik Quast: Spill Your Guts, a sharp-tongued, unruly dummy embodies the creator’s illness and acts as a dysfunctional double act turned against him. Blending crip comedy, live music, and theatrical chaos, the performance brilliantly challenges the medical system while interrogating who truly holds control over a sick body.
Venue 16 – Pickle Studio at Greenside @ Riddles Courtance Dome
August 7th – 22nd (20:45)
Created by the award-winning The Unnatural Disaster Theatre Co., this intimately macabre piece of puppet theatre invites brave spectators to face their ultimate mortality. The production introduces audiences to a misanthropic, thousands-of-years-old oracle crafted entirely from real animal bones who delivers darkly comedic, bespoke fortune-telling experiences.
Through an exceptional fusion of improvisational comedy, the occult, and striking object design, The Augur ensures that no two performances are ever the same. Winners of the Outstanding Design award at the Halifax Fringe, this brilliantly eccentric Canadian troupe seamlessly blends puppetry and avian-obsessed oration to create an unforgettable piece of fringe theatre.
Venue 85 – Hollywood at Laughing Horse @ City Cafe
August 7th – 31st (00:05)
Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities: A Toy Theater Atlas
Brought to the stage by the acclaimed Chicago-based collective Toy Atlas Theater, this mesmerizing adaptation of Italo Calvino’s classic novel explores the dreamlike relationship between an emperor and a legendary explorer. As Kublai Khan watches his massive empire crumble, Marco Polo uses fragile, shifting sands to conjure the magnificent, imaginary cities of the ruler’s dreams.
Through the use of intricate paper mechanics, living sculpture, and stunning live camera projection, Invisible Cities casts a spellbinding, miniature world across a single table. Having previously stunned audiences across the United States and earned a completely sold-out run at the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, this breathtaking production beautifully captures the magic of visual storytelling.
Venue 40 – theatre at C ARTS | C venues | C alto
August 5th – 30th (19:30)
Crafted with profound care by the acclaimed Cardboard Box Theatre Company, this gentle and lively musical production introduces young audiences to the wonderful world of Willow Park. Guided by the cheerful Parker the Parkkeeper and his trusty cat Clover, the story follows two magpies named Maggie and Mylo as they navigate a deeply emotional family transition.
Through beautifully crafted puppetry and age-appropriate storytelling, Seasons offers a sensitive, comforting space for families to explore the difficult theme of grief and miscarriage. This heart-warming piece celebrates the enduring power of community, providing solace for loved ones of all generations—both for those who are here, and the ones up above.
Venue 152 – Studio at Paradise in Augustines
August 8th – 15th (11:15)
The internationally acclaimed, visual theatre collective Plexus Polaire returns to the stage with a hypnotic and visually breathtaking reimagining of Bram Stoker’s immortal gothic masterpiece. Directed by the award-winning Yngvild Aspeli, this wordless production subverts traditional horror tropes by placing the often-sidelined character of Lucy Westenra at the absolute centre of the narrative.
Through a haunting collision of life-sized puppets, human performers, and cinematic video projections, Dracula dissolves the boundary between dream and nightmare to explore themes of obsession, control, and female emancipation. Audiences should note that this dark, sensual, and intoxicatingly visceral descent into desire features intense themes of psychological horror, flashing lights, and loud, dramatic soundscapes.
Venue 150b – Lennox Theatre at Pleasance at EICC
August 6th – 29th (17:30)
The wonderfully talented performer Steph Ventriloquist invites young audiences into a vibrant, interactive world designed specifically for children under the age of ten. Alongside the warm and welcoming Layla, the creators introduce families to a delightful zoo filled with charming, quirky puppet animals who completely steal the show.
However, the peaceful animal adventure takes a sudden, unexpected twist when a mischievous gremlin casts a dark spell over the sunshine. Packed with magic, laughter, and high-energy crowd participation, Zoo Adventure relies on the help of the brave little audience members to reverse the curse and save the day.
Venue 272 – The Live Room at Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters
August 6th – 16th (10:00)
Harvey Cobb: Pink Boots and an Alcoholic Sock Puppet
Following a wild and turbulent quest to secure European citizenship, the exceptionally talented performer Harvey Cobb makes his highly anticipated debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Celebrated for his idiosyncratic improvisational skills and charismatic stage presence, the artist brings a uniquely chaotic energy back to the UK comedy scene.
This hilarious debut production of Pink Boot delivers a delightfully absurd hour packed with pink boot juggling, ridiculous characters, and silly songs. Intersecting contemporary art with high-energy physical comedy, the show ultimately unravels into glorious theatrical madness alongside a hilariously cynical, alcoholic sock puppet.
Venue 61 – Big Belly at Underbelly, Cowgate
August 5th – 30th (15:00)
Interested in being featured? With many previews and Q&As lined up, we’re always happy to chat about including your show in future articles. Please do get in touch through the contact page to feature in an upcoming ‘Have A Gander’