Running from 2 to 26 August 2024, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is among the biggest celebrations of performing arts and creative expression in the world. If you’re attending this year, be sure to fit these shows into your schedule.
Edinburgh is the place to be right now as thousands of performers take to the stage across 262 different venues around the city. There’s an explosion of creativity, colour, and energy not just in theatres and concert halls but also in bars, parks, shipping containers, and streets as both seasoned and emerging artists pull out all the stops to entertain audiences.
You can expect live performances spanning all genres, including comedy, theatre, dance, musicals, cabaret, spoken word and more. After scouting the programme, here are five shows you won’t want to miss.
Gwyneth Goes Skiing
From Pleasance & Awkward Productions comes an LGBT+ musical comedy inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow’s 2016 skiing collision with a retired optometrist from Utah and the lawsuit that consequently followed. Expect many jokes, clever witticisms, and surreal puppetry throughout the show, as well as plenty of audience participation, including the option to vote as a member of the jury, providing a dynamic ending! View Gwyneth Goes Skiing.
A History of Paper
A History of Paper is a posthumous chamber musical from the late Oliver Emanuel, one of Scotland’s most imaginative playwrights, and Gareth Williams. It’s a musical love story between a man and woman – neighbours – told through little bits of paper. The production evokes various emotions, from fun and fizz to devastation and unexpected loss.
Ian Stone is Keeping it Together
Enjoy topical and razor-sharp comedy from the talent that is Ian Stone. He’s ranked as one of the top ten British stand-up comedians by The Independent and has made several TV appearances on programmes like Mock the Week, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and The 11 O’Clock Show. Stone’s easy-going manner and self-deprecating style make him a hit with any audience.
Rose Matafeo: On and On and On
New Zealander Rose Matafeo is the creator of BBC Three’s Starstruck and winner of the 2018 Edinburgh Comedy Award for her show Horndog. This year, she’s returning to stand-up comedy at the fringe, exploring all sorts of topics, from love and loneliness to her favourite fonts and death. Matafeo’s style is wry, quirky, fast-paced and hilarious – you’ll surely be in for a side-splitting treat.
La Clique Cabaret
Mesmerising, dangerous, hilarious, and risqué, La Clique Cabaret was born at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2004 – and this year, it’s back! Created by David Bates, this Spiegeltent attraction has gained international acclaim as a theatrical phenomenon. Expect death-defying acrobats, singing, puppetry, and comedy delivered at a fast pace. Due to the adult nature of the performance, it’s best for over 18s.
There are almost 4000 shows to watch at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year, and you can view them all in the online programme. You’ll also find this daily guide helpful for a chronological listing of every performance each day.
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