Marking their 40th anniversary festival, the Pleasance’s August programme keeps getting better and better. Returning acts come back to delight audiences, Fringe favourites just can’t keep away, award-winning comedians, highly anticipated newcomers, emerging talent, Scottish artists exploring Scottish themes, internationally renowned stars – how are you going to choose?! This incredible programme of theatre, dance, comedy, cabaret and family shows highlights the incredible artists that the Pleasance work with.
Theatre and dance
The Pleasance is the place to go for the most exciting new musicals this summer. The Greatest Musical The World Has Ever Seen by Randy Thatcher comes from Matt Haughey, the singer-songwriter with 10+ million streams and is all about heartbreak, friendship and intergalactic warfare. Based on the cult classic film of the same name, Drop Dead Gorgeous: A New Musical (Work-In Progress Concert Series) features an entirely original soundtrack written and performed by Riki Lindhome and guests. Only one person can save the Union now, and it’s comedic historian Ellie MacPherson; presenting Babe Lincoln she’s out to get your vote by singing and sharing stories from America’s past. Starring Tony Award winner Frances Ruffelle and West End leading man Norman Bowman, The Scot & The Showgirl is a true(ish) wee musical thingamajig about a perfectly imperfect relationship that began 28 years ago at Edinburgh Waverly station. And, told through tales of years working in the service industry, from call centres to cafes, How Can I Help You is a musical ode to Callum Patrick Hughes’s 33 years as a chronic people pleaser.
Some theatre is designed to make us laugh with its comedic storytelling. Fringe favourites Blind Summit also return pulling back the covers on puppet sexuality in contemporary Britain in The Sex Lives of Puppets. Fool’s Paradise – A Comedy of Cross-Continental Courting, Clowns, and Catastrophes fuses storytelling, puppetry and clowning in a modern-day fringe rom-com. A riotous comedy about snakes and surviving capitalism, Jobsworth follows Bea working three full-time jobs, all at the same time. From the stars of The Play That Goes Wrong and Peter Pan Goes Wrong (West End and UK Tour), SPY MOVIE: The Play! is a new hilarious love letter to spy films and fringe theatre, brimming with laughs, thrills, and poorly executed commando rolls. The critically acclaimed, sold-out comedy from New York makes its UK premiere; Hold On to Your Butts is wildly inventive tour de force of comedy, physical theatre, and live foley. In One More, catchy raps accompany fast-paced comedy about self-discovery and the history of dating.
LGBTQ+ stories come to Pleasance’s stages this summer. In Ni Mi Madre, an over-the-top Brazilian woman with too much botox scrambles to raise her queer son in a backwards American culture. Flicker is a queer love story and modern-day sex farce which explores the barrier that Pure OCD has on accepting oneself, created through consultation from OCD UK. A feral equine fantasia developed in the vibrant East London drag scene, All the Fraudulent Horse Girls is a musical saga of loser-on loser violence following 11-year-old Audrey who is telepathically linked to all the other horse girls in the world. Jump aboard the queerest TARDIS in time and space for a night of cosmic drag and cabaret in Gallifrey Cabaret, inspired by the greatest TV show in the universe – ‘Doctor Who.’
Climate change and environmental issues become more pressing by the day. Multi Olivier award-winner Janie Dee will take us on a journey of humanity and nature through song in Beautiful World Cabaret as she tries to make a difference and be part of the change we need to see. Freak Out! tells the story of UK communities losing their homes to coastal erosion in a high-energy theatrical cocktail that blends clowning, physical theatre and live art to explore climate anxiety. no one is coming to save us is about young people finding fragile hope in the face of an overwhelming environmental threat, carrying the flickering flame of belief that things might yet be alright.
Some shows and artists return by popular demand as audiences just want more and more. The Big Bite-Size Breakfast Show is back with brand-new, delicious, rotating ‘menus’ of 10-15 minute comedies, eccentricities, and mini-dramas – all served with complimentary tea/coffee, croissants and strawberries. Lash – A Pulsating New Play About Going Out Out! returns to merge theatre and gig, assaulting the senses as big tunes and mad characters collide. Fringe First and Spirit of the Fringe award winner Apphia Campbell’s stunning show, Black Is The Color Of My Voice, inspired by the life of Nina Simone, returns for a strictly limited run of five performances only. Late Night Magic is back bringing you a brand-new cast of magicians and performers from across the world every single night, hosted by Tom Brace. DARKFIELD’s FLIGHT takes place in absolute darkness in an Airbus 320 economy cabin, inside a shipping container, taking audience members through two worlds, two realities and two possible outcomes to their journey. Yoga with Jillian is back; with a yoga mat and blender, this screwball comedy is all about how Gwyneth Paltrow, guru culture and green juice can save us all!
It’s not just the Pleasance celebrating an anniversary this year. Celebrating his 30th consecutive Fringe, Olivier award winner, Guy Masterson, presents his globally renowned solo version of Orwell’s barnyard classic Animal Farm for the final time. Plus, to celebrate this anniversary, Masterson also presents his Under Milk Wood once more. Also celebrating Thomas is Bob Kingdom in Dylan Thomas: Return Journey, seamlessly directed by Anthony Hopkins. Another 30-year Fringe celebration sees Nick Hennegan bring a new, unique Edinburgh version of the acclaimed London Literary Pub Crawl in this literary love letter to Edinburgh – The 30th Anniversary Edinburgh (London) Literary Pub Crawl. Other shows also pay homage to famous names; Before Fame is the humorous and moving origin story of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley by the man who discovered them. And paying tribute to a legend: Beryl Cook: A Private View brings to life the person beyond Cook’s joyful and comic paintings.
The Fringe programme is packed full of epic and powerful stories. In The Book of Mountains and Seas, a California dad teams up with his deceased son’s last boyfriend in New York on an impossible mission to visit all the restaurants reviewed on his son’s Yelp page – an adventure filled with clashing cultures, unlikely friendships, and the review of a lifetime. With pitch-black comedy, deep sincerity and the campest of soundtracks, Beyond Krapp is an existential reckoning of ego and achievement that celebrates the endurance of love in the battle to make our lives count. Bringing audio diaries made on an old Walkman to life, Moscow Love Story is an untamed exploration of love and memory, paralleling personal boundaries with geopolitics in a world on the brink of transformation. A powerful new play from multi-award-winning playwright Philip Stokes, Shellshocked – An Explosive New Play looks at the consequences of the horrors of war on the mind of a young solider. F**king Legend is a one-man, rollercoaster story that cuts to the core of modern masculinity. Across a Love Locked Bridge is a coming of age memoir that leads seamlessly into adult reflections on life and loss in this funny and tender reflection on the magic of everyday experience.
The beauty of dance will mesmerise audiences this summer. Winner of the 2023 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance, Dickson Mbi summons multiple identities in ENOWATE, a mesmerising solo performance, inspired by a life-changing journey to his ancestral home in Cameroon (part of Here & Now showcase). Wayne Sleep: Awake in the Afternoon is an unforgettable hour filled with laughter, song, and dance, as the irrepressible Wayne Sleep, at 75 years young, takes centre stage.
Physicality and movement are also present in many other works. Rebels and Patriots is an Israeli-Palestinian co-creation following four friends and how mandatory conscription to the IDF affects them; a raw multilingual, physical portrayal that exposes the consequences army life has on the mental health of the teenagers enlisted. A young woman sits in a ballet dress making paper swans, locked in an endless loop of encounters; Paper Swans draws on absurdist theatre, visual symbolism and the playwright’s personal experience, as a woman from a post-Soviet country coming to the UK. Three shows are presented as part of the Grotowski Institute Residence at Fringe: A physical theatre of emotions is seen in Nobody Meets Nobody where we witness an extraordinary shift in a human relationship. Sheol is a story about the desire to live a life that is full and vibrant; a theatrical séance with live music and extraordinary density. A combination of performance and ritual The Border is a tribute to the non-binary Ukrainian performer Antonia Romanova who was kept on the front line by the war.
Children’s Shows
Works for new audiences and the whole family remains an ever important part of the Pleasance Theatre Trust’s ethos. 3-8 year old adventurers can join Rosie, Hugh, a Squirrel with a wobbly tooth, a Little Lizard and one very Rusty Robot on Rosie and Hugh’s Great Big Adventure with songs from CBeebies Nick Cope’s Popcast. Soar into space with The Smeds and the Smoos, an exciting adaptation of the award-winning book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler from Tall Stories for everyone aged 3 and up. Experience mischief this Fringe and see the return of the acclaimed stage adaptation of Dr Seuss’s The Cat In The Hat – a lively and engaging first theatre experience for young children aged 3+. Perfect for young learners, Reading Through Singing Time is an enchanting blend of award-winning music and storytelling designed to spark young imaginations and enhance literacy.
Step into an unforgettable family-friendly musical adventure in Uh Oh Spaghetti-Oh! that brings a slice of Australian sunshine to the stage with melodies, laughter and joy that will bring out the happy singing kids in everyone! Monkeys Everywhere is an anarchic story for young audiences combining puppetry, music, dance, clowning and illusion. How a Jellyfish Saved the World is tentacle-tapping puppetry musical, for children and adults, friends and anemones, for our world and the generation inheriting its issues.
Comedy
Some of the biggest names in the business will take to the Pleasance’s stages – many returning again and again. Expect stories about messed-up mescaline trips, getting shot in Bogota and how her boobs ended up on the internet in this new WIP from Sue Perkins. Star of Have I Got News For You and QI, Kiri Pritchard-McLean lifts the lid on social workers, first aid training and what not to do when a vicar searches for you on YouTube. Fresh from supporting Jack Whitehall and Michelle de Swarte, Laura Smyth’s brand new show explores all aspects of modern life uncensored and at her ridiculous best. Join Nabil Abdulrashid, the star of Live at the Apollo, for this hysterical exploration of empathy, morality and political contradiction – one night only. Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Jessica Fostekew returns to the Fringe for a limited run of her critically acclaimed new stand-up show Mettle, about passion, pace and purpose. Award-winning Australian comic Aaron Chen presents Funny Garden.
India’s biggest stand-up Vir Das returns to the Fringe following 2022’s sell-out smash hit run. Fresh from the viral success of his hit web series Fin vs The Internet, and a sell-out nationwide tour, that comedian your mother doesn’t like you seeing – Fin Taylor – shares a new hour of brutally funny stand-up. Emmy nominated sketch duo BriTANicK (Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher) have amassed over 100 million views online, and performed sold out runs worldwide; they present Cash Grab Live, their online weekly talk show off the internet and onto a real life stage. Plus BriTANick also bring us brand new show Dummy! Award-winning musical comedy duo Flo & Joan present their very own original one-man musical about a very renowned gentleman.
Newcomers are welcomed to Edinburgh from around the world. New York comedian Ashley Gavin is known for her top charting podcast We’re Having Gay Sex; now she brings her confidence, authenticity and unrelenting energy to the Edinburgh stage. Tidying up is not normally the stuff of gripping drama but for Josh Thomas it’s Everest, a fundamentally impossible task, like trying to defy the moon and control the tides. Learn how to manifest a better life by simply just thinking hard and good with Erin Farrington. In Marguerite, Maggie Winters explores her life, her laugh, and her love tackling difficult subjects like depression and body image, while also ranting about Subway meatballs and her four-year abstinence from drinking water. Fresh from their award-winning sold-out shows, Australia’s Hot Department make their Edinburgh debut with an hour of high-energy, cinematic, unhinged sketch comedy. Award-winning Indo-Kiwo-Ausso comedian and loveable dreamboat Runi Talwar (writer for Hypothetical, HIGNFY) brings a show about unluck, fortune and the lengths we go to to prove we have control over
Kolkata-born, Mumbai-based Anirban Dasgupta explores three generations of his family back to British India and what the world really is today in Polite Provocation. Emma Holland tells us about growing up in Indonesia. Australian genius comes from Virtuoso which follows the trials and tribulations of a pretentious idiot doing anything he can to win over the crowd. After sold-out Australian tours and millions of views online the Wankernomics consultants are here for a deep-dive into the bureaucracy, buzzwords and bullshit of work. any of it.
And there are also some amazing newcomers from the UK. Defence Mechanism from Hannah Platt is an unflinching outlook on the world and how the world looks back at her. Join IG/TikTok star Mark Bittlestone for his hotly anticipated debut hour.
There are some firm Fringe favourites coming back this August. The UK’s leading political comedian Matt Forde presents his brand-new show ahead of the UK and US elections. Edinburgh Fringe Best Newcomer Nominee Huge Davies is recording his first ever music album and everyone’s allowed to watch and pay in Album For My Ancestors (Dead). Carl Donnelly used to spend the Fringe in a haze of booze, narcotics and award nominations; he’s now a married middle-aged father with recurring stomach ulcers, a bald patch and recently purchased some anti-leakage boxer shorts. Bella Hull has let out her inner child, and now it’s at large – hide your kids, hide your wives, hide your lunch. Like many insufferable late twenties bourgeois types, Josh Berry has spent the last eighteen months in therapy ‘doing the work’; come and hear about all the problems he has and have a bloody good laugh at them. For three performances only, the four-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and star of BBC’s Two Doors Down Kieran Hodgson is back with 2023’s critically acclaimed, sell-out show. TikTok starlet Daniel Foxx returns with his sensational show about childhood, for a limited run. Ray Badran, host of comedy nights at Moth Club, brings Welcome to Raytown to Edinburgh. This Doesn’t Leave The Room is a scandalously fun night of daring, confessional improv comedy from the all-star team at The Free Association along with mega-watt guests. The Cambridge Footlights return with six of Cambridge’s best student comedians putting on a brand new show featuring their funniest sketches!
You can catch something at any time of day at the Pleasance – even late at night. Prepare yourselves for a wild and wonderful variety night hosted by character-comedians and IRL sisters Maddy and Marina Bye with Siblings and Family Friends – who happen to be the best comedians at the Fringe. A raunchy, chaotic, full-on fever dream, the incredible Stamptown Comedy Night will come to the Grand, in the Pleasance Courtyard – this is a see-it-to-believe-it spectacle featuring the most anarchic and wildly entertaining performance from around the world, hosted by the bad boy of clown, Zach Zucker. Coming straight from its New York run for one show only, New York Times Critic’s Pick Jack Tucker brings us Comedy Standup Hour.
There’s still one more on-sale to come so keep your eyes peeled for even more comedy, theatre, circus, magic, dance, kids’ shows and much more, alongside support for some of the most innovative newcomers through artist development strand Pleasance Futures. There’s nowhere quite like the Pleasance at Fringe!
