Award-winning performer Thomas Currie is bringing their electric late-night cabaret Basically Nocturnal to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer, following a sell-out run in Australia. Described as a celebration of the midnight hours shared between the restless, the show promises a unique blend of storytelling, original music, and reimagined classics—all unfolding in the intimate glow of the late-night stage.
“Edinburgh’s been on the bucket list for a while,” Currie says. “It feels a little bit like unfinished business. Certain shows never got to happen in Australia because of lockdowns, so it’s good to be going there and completing that run.”
The show was born from real-life experiences of late-night conversations with friends—those meandering, often hilarious chats that stretch into the early hours. “There’s something great about that intimacy,” Currie explains. “There’s always someone with a disastrous date story, someone who swears there’s a ghost living downstairs. That sort of inspired the atmosphere of the show.”
Performed with Currie on piano and joined by an electric cellist who loops and layers soundscapes live on stage, Basically Nocturnal is a musical voyage through stories both heartfelt and humorous. “It’s a very funny show, but it’s not stand-up,” Currie clarifies. “If you like stand-up, you’ll like this. If you like music, you’ll like this. If you like both, you’ll really like this.”
The music itself is a mix of original compositions and inventive covers. “There’s a great song called Mr. Tanner that we reimagine in quite a fresh way,” Currie says. “I try not to lock myself into genre. The challenge is how to make it cohesive—how to tie it all together musically so it feels like one product.”
That cohesion is especially important in a show without a traditional narrative arc. “It’s me being me, not playing a character,” Currie says. “So you’ve got to find those high points and low points. How do you take an audience on a ride without a beginning, middle, and end?”
Audiences in Melbourne responded with enthusiasm, especially as the show marked a return to live performance after lockdown. “Everyone was just so keen to see theatre, to hear music, to be in a room with other people,” Currie recalls. “That really sticks in my mind.”
Now based in London, Currie is excited to experience Edinburgh for the first time. “I’ve never even been, but I’ve heard wonderful things. I’ve got some recommendations for good pubs and places to hear music. I’m looking forward to it very much.”
Basically Nocturnal runs at the Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose (Blether) from 30 July to 25 August (not 5, 12, or 19 August) at 9:40pm. Tickets available here.
