Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025
All reviews by Susan Sloan
4's a Crowd (Or What Not to Do When Stuck in a Bunker During the Apocalypse)
An inventively chaotic comedy that throws together a hapless adult boy scout, an Umbro-loving geezer, a pretentious out of work actor, and two shady women claiming to be the same even shadier tech-billionaire. Egos, idiocy and dwindling supplies collide spectacularly, with standout performances from Leo Corbitt, Todd Bell, and Max Burton ensuring the absurd premise lands with a nuclear blast
The show gleefully mocks elitism, privilege, and performative activism, and though it's not afraid to be edgy the A-bombs still outnumber the F-bombs, revelling more in its own irreverent silliness than being shocking for the sake of it. Featuring a fantastically choreographed comedy fight sequence, a four-way villain-off, and the admittedly tragic demise of Dua Lipa, 4’s a Crowd is a fast, furious, and extremely funny ride from start to finish
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
The 80s Movie Mixtape
A flawless nostalgia trip through the iconic songs that lit up cinema screens in classics like Dirty Dancing, The Breakfast Club, Top Gun, Labyrinth, and The NeverEnding Story. Maia Elsey, Will Sharp, and the award-winning Night Owl band brought the music alive with charm, wit, and a light touch that never took itself too seriously, while still delivering seriously good performances.
The choice of songs was spot-on, the audience was on their feet dancing from start to finish, and the hour flew by far too quickly. It was pure feel-good entertainment from a company that knows how to reimagine the tribute show and make it their own. If you see this show and aren’t grinning from ear to ear by the final number, you must be dead inside
A Bohemian Banquet
After sell-out performances at last year’s Fringe, the Bohemians are back, serving up another delectable evening of Broadway and West End hits. Standout numbers included Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm, Be Our Guest, Get It (Feed Me), Shut Up and Raise Your Glass, and an enticing taster of their upcoming production of We Will Rock You – each one a well seasoned slice of musical magic. When so many Fringe shows, out of understandable necessity, use prerecorded backing tracks the use of a live band was also a real treat. A musical feast that will leave you singing, grinning, and craving seconds
A Year and a Day
A Year and a Day tells the sci-fi adjacent story of Nathan, cursed to skip a year and a day into the future each time he sleeps. Leaving behind a botched heist, his wife, and a jaded criminal gang, he must adapt to his shifting reality across 65 years. It’s a poignant journey of love, loss and betrayal, brought to life by award-winning Christopher Sainton-Clark. While the storytelling is engaging and impactful, some more specific direction or lighting choices could have helped sharpen the focus and guide audience attention more effectively. Overall, a bold and thought-provoking piece that resonates well. Raising Cain ProductionsrnBuy Tickets
art* / a:t / noun
Exploring the tension between artistic authenticity and the desire for external validation through a blend of dance, well-chosen contemporary music, and thought-provoking visuals, art* / a:t / noun questions whether creative integrity should ever be compromised for popularity or financial gain. The performances are energetic, visceral and charged with moments that feel unrestrained, even desperate. This is balanced by simple but striking staging and effective use of back-projection footage
While the work is intense and emotionally raw, its ending lands with a sense of cathartic release and quiet euphoria. It’s an engaging and visually arresting piece that, in-keeping with the subject matter, is open to interpretation by the viewer
Articulate
Two tightly linked share houses face off in a high-stakes board game battle, with the seemingly trivial prize of a framed photo of the losing team displayed on the winner’s fridge. Beneath the surface lies a mix of competitiveness, old grudges, and clashing personalities. The cast all deliver solid performances and while some of their bickering provides humorous moments, the constant squabbling makes it difficult to fully connect with the characters, even as the final push for victory brings out their true colours
Confessions of a Lunatic
Set in 1890s Scotland, Confessions of a Lunatic is a tense and psychological take on Dracula, written by Lewis Mullan, who also gives a gripping performance as the unravelling Renfield
Dr Seward – played with quietly compelling charisma by Aydan Macdonald, who makes the most of the piece’s otherwise less showy role – throws himself into the study of his most disturbed patient. Meanwhile Lucy (Elliot Shaw) finds herself drawn into Renfield’s orbit, as Dracula begins to close in
With effective use of atmospheric staging, reflecting the characters’ increasingly tormented inner worlds, and a script that is at times surprisingly humorous as well as grotesque, this is a dark and inventive spin on a gothic classic
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
The Deadmouse and Peabrain Dreams
Mum did a Shirley Valentine in Benidorm, and Dad is a husk of a man with only God and a great mustache to keep him going. Sisters Shannon and Jodie are left stuck in the basement of the family business (burying shit), singing at funerals for creative outlet and obsessively planning their great escape
Alana Louise and Sarah Palmieri deliver anarchic, offbeat, and gloriously odd performances as the sisters, with equally hilarious (and occasionally scene stealing) help from Jason Schwab
Written by Louise and directed by James Parker, The Deadmouse and Peabrain Dreams is a whirlwind of organised chaos set against a backdrop of creeping, claustrophobic depression and squashed dreams. Surprisingly dark at times, its a wonderfully strange spectacle, laced with optimistic cynicism and artful lip-synching. Rattling through its run time, the show is pacey in all the right places, occasionally slowing down for quiet moments of mouse-led dread
Surreal, ridiculously funny, and strangely good natured in its morbid assessment of life, death and the pursuit of dreams, the small (but perfectly formed) cast navigate more emotional hairpins than a winning X-Factor story. Guaranteed to produce much laughter and perhaps One Single Tear
Elements
Elements explores the four natural forces—Air, Water, Fire, and Earth—through the skillful performances of five contemporary dancers. The darker, more intense moments were particularly impactful, enhanced by effective lighting, well-composed music, and the simple yet striking use of a gauze sheet as a prop
Drawing on contemporary, hip-hop, and folk dance influences, the piece presents a story of harmony, power, and darkness, with careful attention to detail in every movement. The dancers’ commitment and precision create a compelling portrayal of nature’s forces. Overall, Elements is a thoughtfully executed performance that combines strong choreography with atmospheric design
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
The Family Copoli: A Post-Apocalyptic Burlesque Musical
Set 72 years after a solar superflare devastated humanity, The Family Copoli follows a ragtag troupe of survivors who use a raunchy burlesque show to spark desire - and hope - in a bleak world. Led by ringmaster Ferdinand, the family performs with glitter, camp, and dark humour, while behind the scenes tensions and secrets threaten to tear them apart.
The burlesque element of the show is more tease than reveal (which feels like a meta-statement on burlesque in itself) and the bawdy undertone of the premise takes a significantly darker turn in the second act. Survival, but at what cost?
Blending movement, music, and drama the show explores big questions about escapism, purpose, and the future of humanity. The music is memorable and well written - I’m hoping for a studio recording soon - while the impressive set and costumes evoke a ruined world still clinging to sparkle. The cast are uniformly strong with standout performances from Emily Rubenstein, Tess Lovell, Liv Licursi, and Oscar Llodra who bring heart and deapth to their roles
The Family Copoli sits comfortably alongside classics like Cabaret and The Threepenny Opera as a striking and inventive piece of theatre that you won't forget in a hurry
Frankenstein: Afterglow
What if the story didn’t end on the ice? Frankenstein: Afterglow imagines a world where Victor and his creature survive, locked in a neon-lit struggle over identity, choice, and mortality. Incorporating puppetry and pre-recorded dialogue into an otherwise compelling one-man performance with mixed results, this gothic reimagining brings new ideas to Shelley’s classic
HAMLET by New York Circus Project
NYCP’s debut production is a daring fusion of theatre, circus and acrobatics that channels madness and passion into every scene. Maddox Morfit Tighe’s Hamlet tumbles through a storm of delirium, his restless physicality charting the character’s descent into chaos. Maleah Rendon gives a haunting Ophelia, her sequences capturing the anguish of love and loss, while Arthur Morel Van Hyfte lends the Ghost an ethereal, otherworldly presence that lingers long after his appearance. Boldly reimagined, this Hamlet transforms betrayal, heartbreak and psychological torment into a spectacle of theatrical invention
Gladiatrix
In 200 AD, Emperor Septimius Severus decreed that women could no longer compete in the gladiator games. Gladiatrix brings this untold chapter of history to life, providing an entertaining and unflinching look at the resilience of the women left behind
Thanks to a tight, engaging script by Paul Bianchi – who was drawn to the unsung history of female gladiators while researching his mythology podcast Mythunderstood – the show tells an important and overlooked story in a lively and entertaining way, making serious points without ever lecturing its audience.
The music by Tony Gonzalez and Sam Johnides is well-crafted, with the faster numbers proving particularly enjoyable. The direction is also a strength, never leaving the actors to flounder, showing a good eye for a visual tableau and making strong use of the ensemble cast to add richness during solo numbers throughout. Costumes and props are used to simple but striking effect and the fight sequences suitably energetic - even including a few painful looking stunt falls!
The cast is strong and, as a whole, feels larger than it is, with standout performances from Bukky Oronti, Paul Bianchi, Stella Antonogionnaki and Stephen Quinn. Special mention must go to Dashaun Vegas as Septimius Severus, whose scene-stealing turn, somewhat reminiscent of JC Superstar's Herod, was both hilarious and menacing
Small improvements could be made - on occasion, it was difficult to hear the cast over the backing track, and it took a little time for the show to fully warm up, with the opening song feeling not quite as strong as most that followed - but these are minor quibbles. I would highly recommend Gladiatrix to anyone looking for a fresh, fun way to learn more about these fascinating and fierce women of history
Hidden Powers
Magician Angus Baskerville returns with Hidden Powers, an entertaining hour blending mind-reading, magic, and affable neurodivergent humour. Several clever tricks involving audience participation leave a real impression – including one where a sheet of paper is torn up and then... well, you’ll have to go along to see for yourself. Comparing his autism to a superpower, Baskerville is funny and full of surprises
It's Gonna Blow!
Set on the brink of disaster in 79 AD, It's Gonna Blow! invites audiences to Pompeii's final public forum - where ancient arguments bubble over and a literal dark cloud of ash, fire, and rock looms overhead. This new historical immersive comedy from Fishing4Chips blends the family-friendly silliness of Horrible Histories with the shaggy-dog saga of its geographic predecessor Up Pompeii!
Entertaining throughout, the show is energetically performed by an excellent cast, most notably Freddie Walker’s withered crone and Yasmine Meaden’s standout performance as the scheming Mayor Faustus. The show is often at its funniest when involving the audience - though these moments are surprisingly small and tightly contained given the immersive premise
Sean Wareing’s extremely funny pre-show turn as the town crier, welcoming audience members and collecting their “agenda items” for the forum, is also a real highlight. It’s a shame, however, that few (if any) of these improvisational prompts found their way into the main performance. Still, It's Gonna Blow! delivers a lively and playful spin on impending doom
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Life Cycle of a Star
Follow lifelong friends Anna and Lily as their childhood promise to stay side by side through all of life’s stages is tested by time and circumstance.
Life Cycle of a Star is an incredibly moving show, especially in its closing moments when several audience members were visibly wiping away tears. What could have been a maudlin or tired reflection on aging is instead delivered with panache, originality, and a close-to-the-bone relatability. The play balances sadness, joy and humour, supported by a strong script and an excellent cast. The direction is clever and assured, featuring some unexpected and striking visual moments that add depth to the storytelling. The two leads deliver wonderful performances full of genuine chemistry, drawing the audience into their journey from youthful exuberance to adult anxieties
A touching exploration of friendship, promises, and the passage of time that will leave you feeling both fulfilled and emotionally raw
Mason King – The Mind Spy
Psychological magician Mason King returns with Mind Spy, an interactive blend of mystery and mind reading. Inspired by the real-life Project Stargate, the show invites the audience to become test subjects in demonstrations of thought transmission, remote viewing and precognition.
While the premise is intriguing and the concept well-framed, the delivery can at times feel a little dry, and the slower pacing occasionally gives the audience a bit too long to ponder how the illusions are achieved. Despite this, it’s an enjoyable way to dip your toe into the world of mentalism, and many of the tricks will leave you scratching your head
HIGHLY RECOMMENDEDMark Vigeant: The Best Man Show
The best, bester, bestest Best Man
This was my second year witnessing the madness of Mark Vigeant’s Best Man Show, and I can honestly say it was just as funny – if not even more so – than the first time round. Vigeant’s catastrophically awful character once again rips through the full bingo card of wedding-speech disasters culminating in a shameful, if electric, display of royalty-free-Enya-accompanied 'dancing' and some audience aided musings on the meaning of love. It's a despicable, drunken car crash, yet you find yourself empathising with the struggle
The vibe is chaotic and unpredictable, but Vigeant keeps it under control, while simultaneously appearing to be completely out of control. I laughed like a lunatic from start to finish, and even got to do a bit of angry-screaming too. He mentioned he’ll be back at the Fringe next year with a new show, and I cannot wait to see what he comes up with next
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Midsummer Night’s Dream set in the Love Island villa is a clever concept, with contestants standing in for lovers and fairies recast as presenters and crew. The decision to stick almost entirely to Shakespeare’s text is ambitious, but it sometimes makes the theme feel tacked on and the humour less consistent than the premise promises. A braver rewrite might have opened it up beyond what feels like a bit of a theatre-kid niche. Still, there are standout touches – Bottom as a smug recruiter, Oberon and Titania as rival hosts, and a lively Puck – making for an inventive if uneven adaptation
No More Bull
No More Bull offers a reimagining of the Minotaur myth, following Ariadne - caught between the Minotaur and hero Theseus - as she discovers the truth behind her family’s fate. The staging, direction, and costuming are all strong, with notable visual moments including striking backlit silhouettes and the cleverly staged chase through the maze. The cast give solid performances throughout, with a highlight being Ariadne’s song to the Minotaur, one of the show’s more heartfelt scenes
The script feels somewhat conflicted in tone: mostly a serious retelling, but with occasional contemporary, humorous asides that jar slightly - much like the title itself - with the majority of the content. Both the script and songs could push further into either dramatic or comedic territory to help the show land more decisively. Still, with a staging that feels larger in scale than its footprint, this is a slick production that reflects on patriarchy, power and hero worship in an engaging and distinctive way
Out of My Wheelhouse
Surreal, theatrical improv with a spinning wheel of mini-games that are most definitely completely random and chosen only by fate itself. Each night brings a surprise immersive theme with costumes, scene prompts, and audience-driven challenges. I saw a medieval theme and, my favourite, a jewellery heist - both filled with silliness and scrappy, DIY charm. Host Nora Dell’s laid-back, off-beat humour is the highlight of the show, keeping things moving and holding it all together, even when it’s (entertainingly) falling apart
Proust Effect
Britain’s Got Talent 2025 semi-finalist Eden Choi brings his first solo UK show to Edinburgh with Proust Effect, a captivating blend of storytelling and sleight-of-hand set in the grand surrounds of The WU on George Street
Framed as a global journey through memory, each illusion is paired with a light narrative touch that gives the show shape and heart. The dinner-theatre setup adds a unique atmosphere, even if the occasional clatter of cutlery can distract. But Choi’s charm and theatrical flair hold the room, rewarding your attention with some jaw dropping moments.A magical hour, well worth your time. Eden Choi
Queen: The Legend of Queen
Peter Marchant, backed by the Night Owl Band, takes on the huge challenge of tackling Freddie Mercury’s extraordinary vocal range and panache and rises to it admirably, nailing some of the toughest vocal moments with real skill. Like most Night Owl shows, it’s not an impersonation, but vocally he gets surprisingly close, even throwing in some of Freddie’s well-known in-song ad libs. The show weaves in a potted history of Freddie and Queen, alongside short video clips of interviews with the band, giving it more meat than the usual tribute act
As a huge Queen fan - they were the first band I ever had a poster of on my wall, though I never managed to see them live - it’s a genuine treat to hear their music played live and loud. The backing band are excellent, with the guitarist delivering Brian May’s signature riffs with aplomb. Queen remain a rarity on open mic nights or in pub band setlists, and for good reason: they are incredibly hard to emulate. This show proves it can be done - and done well
Roadkill-Bambi
Roadkill Bambi is an imaginative and engaging piece, effectively staged and full of strange, haunting energy. Trapped in a surreal, and fatal, time loop, Portia must confront the uneasy truths of her relationship while trying to make sense of a moment that refuses to resolve. The show is self-aware enough to reference the Bill Murray classic Groundhog Day within the dialogue, but it pushes beyond homage into darker, more philosophical territory
A standout performance comes from Em Preseley as The Deer, whose louche, sardonic delivery oozes cynical charisma. These were also the most compelling sections of the show, where the script became looser and more abstractly reflective, allowing its ideas to breathe
Bold, strange, and thoughtful, Roadkill Bambi's success is in leaving plenty of room for interpretation after the fact. Roadkill BambirnBuy Tickets
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrotern
Tim Benzie returns with another sharp, investigative spin on the primetime ’80s whodunnit. It’s my third year seeing this show, and it’s only got better each time — this latest instalment is my favourite yet. Whether you caught last year’s outing or are diving in fresh, you’re in for an all-new mystery to solve, complete with the trusty “Suspicionometer,” plenty of audience participation, and new highlights such as FINGO (like bingo, but faux-French) and the chance to heckle some questionable ’80s catwalk fashion
The clues that the iconic Miss Fletcher uncovers may be about as subtle as Benzie’s giant cue cards (this year brings us “Not Jessica Fletcher” and “Pornography”), but that doesn’t mean you won’t be duped by the dastardly villain. Add in TV trivia, amusingly slapdash costumes and a genuine ’80s ad break, and you’ve got a fabulously entertaining, comfort-food kind of show. A must-see for Murder, She Wrote devotees, but equally perfect for anyone wanting a fun, friendly, and occasionally bitchy night of interactive TV
Tall Tails
Tall Tails makes a splash with five mermaids – chronic people-pleasers on a retreat – trying to navigate perfectionism, anxiety, and the choppy waters of love. It’s awash with fishy puns, cheeky humour, and characters whose personalities sparkle as much as their mid-2000s-glam costumes. Channeling spiritual silliness and the tangled fishnets of friendship, this watery comedy will have you floundering with laughter. The last 10–15 minutes are particularly hilarious, sending the audience overboard with joy
The Unquiet Mind
Directed by Daniela Poch and adapted by Anastasia Stern, The Unquiet Mind offers an interesting approach to Shakespeare’s Hamlet, blending original text with movement and music. Drawing on the influence of Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater, the production shifts focus to Hamlet’s relationships with Gertrude and Ophelia, exploring themes of identity, agency, and inner turmoil
While the fusion of styles creates some striking moments, the more traditional dramatic elements occasionally dilute the impact. A more fully movement-led approach might have made this ambitious reimagining even more compelling
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
What If They Ate the Baby?
Back this year as part of their, frankly insane, three-show lap of honour at the Space Uk, this was my second time seeing Xhloe and Natasha's What if They Ate the Baby? and it still rates not only as one of the best things I've seen at the Fringe, but one of my favourite pieces of theatre, full stop. Not only does the show stand up to a second viewing, it actively benefits from it, and despite no changes to the piece itself, I came away with a very different tonal impression
I’m not keen to over-analyse the specifics of the story – the enigma is part of the charm – but this time around the oppressive and paranoiac themes of trust and betrayal seemed less external than I had initially thought. Could the call be coming from inside the house?
The show contains all the striking hallmarks of Xhloe and Natasha’s work – vintage Americana, repressed emotion, and tightly chaotic choreography, as well as an unrelenting sense that something awful is hiding just out of sight. The dialogue and movements glitch, repeat, and reconstruct themselves in a surreal fugue state, underscored by a searingly aggressive soundtrack and bursts of blinding strobe
There is still a laugh-out-loud absurdist humour here, but the edges feel even darker and more dangerous on second watch. Shirley and Dottie dance around their missing husbands, the strange noises in the attic, and that scone recipe that seems laced with menace – but what lingers is the overwhelming sense that something is very, very wrong
Something, most definitely, inside the house
Women of Rock
Women of Rock takes the audience on a journey through time with some of the most influential female artists in rock, from the 1960s onwards. Backed by the award-winning Night Owl Band, Reine Beau delivers an energetic, full-throttle performance, with standout moments including a blistering rendition of Janis Joplin’s Piece of My Heart and an equally fierce take on The Runaways’ Cherry Bomb. The show weaves in details about the artists featured, and it’s clear Beau connects with the material on a personal level
Having seen her in other Night Owl productions, I have always been impressed, but this show truly highlights Beau’s vocals and performance style, perhaps because she is able to bring more of herself to the delivery rather than inhabiting a single artist’s persona. The choice of songs and artists covered was excellent overall, though the inclusion of Addicted to Love as one of two songs representing Tina Turner (the other being the more expected Proud Mary) was a surprising pick - it might have been stronger to swap it for a track more closely associated with Tina, or to feature another artist not already in the line-up
Either way, the show is a high-energy celebration of the women who defined - and continue to define - rock music, and a reminder of why their contributions deserve greater recognition
You're Fired! The Musical
You're Fired! The Musical is a silly but surprisingly sharp spoof of The Apprentice, set in a glossy corporate London where success is measured by profit, power and personal gain. Following hapless hopeful Steve as he competes on The Trainee – a high-stakes reality show where the winner gets to work with business mogul Baron Sweetener – the show gleefully sends up competitive reality TV, the b******t-bingo, jargon-filled world of corporate nonsense and broader themes of consumerism and capitalist excess
The songs, for the most part, are catchy and cleverly crafted, while the show has a well-paced structure that balances daft humour with smart satire. Standout moments include a song detailing the familiar “buy low, sell high” task, a whistle-stop tour of great economic thinkers from Adam Smith to Karl Marx, and my personal highlight - the Baron's big solo song. Reminiscent of Oliver!’s “Reviewing the Situation,” it's a hilarious, knowingly overblown number in which he describes his humble East End roots and confesses his secret dreams of being a song-and-dance man
Performances across the board are strong, particularly from the actors playing Steve, shoeless Ricky, and the Baron himself – each delivering characters that are ridiculous, recognisable, and enjoyably risible. While the production is a little rough around the edges in places, it never loses momentum, delivering laugh-out-loud moments all the way through
Fans of The Apprentice will relish the many specific in-jokes, but there’s plenty here for anyone who’s ever rolled their eyes at buzzwords, branding, or boardroom egos. You may not think you need to see a musical with an ode to Kate Raworth's Doughnut Economics in it – but you do. This is a fresh, funny and original show that hits its target with real flair.
