2026 reviews will be added here throughout the festival
The Upwards Journey of a Champagne Bubble
I gave an enthusiastic five stars to this company in 2023, so was excited to see what disturbing delights they were bringing to Fringe 2026. It’s safe to say I was not disappointed.
While dipping into similar thematic and stylistic waters as previously, this is by no means a retread, pushing the envelope a little further while exploring ideas around class, sexuality and the blackest of humour. Writer/Director Harry Daisley’s expertly and densely written script takes gloriously deranged left turns every time you begin to feel settled, and saying almost anything about it feels like a spoiler.
I can’t recommend this enough. It’s not for the easily offended, perhaps, but should probably be compulsory viewing regardless.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
00:45:00
The central premise of 00:45:00 - a scientist testing how far an audience will let an ethical thought experiment go in real time - is intriguing, clever and gripping. The pre-show staging, including crowd work within the queue, was inventively immersive and the atmosphere enjoyably unnerving from the moment you walked in.
Unfortunately, after this strong introduction it doesn't quite follow through, becoming for the most part a more conventional dramatisation. There is a fantastic idea in here, however, and with a few adjustments it could easily become a must-see.
★ ★ ★
Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Innsmouth Crown
Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Innsmouth Crown is an interesting original idea, combining a classic Sherlockian (literal) mystery box with an uncanny occult curse.
Although effective in their characterisation, the cast didn't seem fully confident with the material yet and there were a few fumbled lines and cues. With these minor issues smoothed over, however, this will be a great little play for anyone who is tempted by the idea of a bit of genre-bending intrigue
★ ★ ★ .5
Homunculus
Written by Santiago Mallan, Homunculus is a gloriously chaotic collision of old and new: a classic farce built on Elizabethan and Jacobean screwball mechanics, written in loose iambic verse and set in the present day. Mistaken identity and accidental alchemy combine with more than a dash of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to make a Frankenstein for the Jeremy Scott generation.
Homunculus is exactly the kind of weird, auteur insanity that the Fringe is for. It won’t be everyone’s jar of hex-goo, but if you like your comedy both cerebral and slapstick, please do not miss out on it while it’s here.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Pajama Talks
Pajama Talks is a warmly melancholic piece of theatre that follows best friends Abby and Nina as they revisit their childhood sleepovers, facing up to some difficult memories alongside the ‘fun’ ones.
A small, tender show that doesn't overreach itself, dealing with its subject matter with sensitivity and emotional intelligence.
★ ★ ★ ★
Cabin
Cabin is a cleverly constructed piece of new writing giving a creepy and unique spin to the well-worn cabin-in-the-woods trope. I don’t want to say too much about the story as it will spoil it, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it was an original script given how tightly plotted it is, with some unexpected twists along the way.
Some additional lighting or sound effects could have helped enhance the atmosphere and sense of suspense, however the cast do well to convey the mounting paranoia and confusion, and this is a solid piece of theatre that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys horror and psychological thrillers.
★ ★ ★ ★
Spare Room
A darkly dramatic and acerbic portrait of student life amid a never-ending blur of booze, bravado and boy-banter as a daily hazing ritual. I would certainly recommend Spare Room to anyone familiar with the particular hell that is sharing a flat whilst drowning in British binge-drink culture.
★ ★ ★ .5