A bright orange image with a group of actors looking like things are going wrong. Scripts are flying through the air. A quote from reviewer 'Lost In Theatreland' saying

Theatre

...Earnest?

Fans of The Play That Goes Wrong and Noises Off will love this.  Returning to the Fringe for the FIFTH time due to phenomenal demand, this Oscar Wilde twist is guaranteed to have you in stitches.  When a traditional production of Oscar Wilde's classic play gets underway, everything seems to be going perfectly to plan... that is, until the lead actor fails to arrive on cue.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 3:20 pm

Underbelly George Square

Three people are dressed as chickens locked up behind bars

Theatre

3 Chickens Confront Existence

In this surrealist and hilarious production, three factory farm chickens passionately explore their impossible situation – awaiting their imminent trip to the broiler. Tragedy morphs to comedy and back again as they explore mysticism, power struggles, class inequality, mythology and religion, with plenty of emotionally charged antics and surprises along the way.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 5:20 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Two people look surprised and fearful as yellow banana peels fall around them against a dark background. One wears glasses and a hat, the other has curly hair and an open mouth.

Comedy

A Night of Drama

People of Edinburgh: grab a peel. Join the rebellion and prepare to cry so hard you accidentally laugh. Watch a prolific director guide a company of comedians through his dramatic masterpiece, as you shower them with bottomless banana peels!* Have you ever suffered at the hands of theatre, yet felt obligated to join in endless ovations and applause? A Night of Drama does not want your pity! If the director fails to deliver a dramatic show, peel him without mercy. But if he succeeds, you will cry and theatre shall live another day. *Peels provided.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 10:00 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

A newspaper collage with cut outs of lads magazines and old archive family photos. In the centre there is an old mobile phone with a small child smiling and the title of the show inside.

Theatre

A Small Town Northern Tale

Let’s go back to the 2000s. MSN, Myspace, Big Brother, Nokia Brickphones and lads mags ruling the shelves. But what if you don’t quite fit the mould? What if you’re the only kid of colour in town?  At 13, David finds himself uprooted from the city, navigating life as a Jamaican-English mixed-heritage kid in a small working-class Northern town—trying to carve out his identity while everyone around him thinks they’ve already decided it for him. Hilarious, sharp, and painfully nostalgic, A Small Town Northern Tale is for anyone who ever spent hours perfecting their Myspace bio, knew the exact right time to go “offline and online” for attention, and remembers just how dodgy 2000s fashion really was. But beneath the laughs is a deeply personal, Black-British story about finding your voice in a world that doesn’t quite know where to place you. About the awkwardness of standing out when you desperately want to blend in. And about the quiet, everyday acts of rebellion that shape who we become. For fans of The Inbetweeners, American Pie, and anyone still holding onto an embarrassing Hotmail email address they refuse to delete.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 12:40 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Text stating

Comedy

Adam Kay - A Particularly Nasty Case

Join BAFTA-winning writer Adam Kay as he launches his debut novel A Particularly Nasty Case. Expect: hilarious and horrifying anecdotes, a surgical dissection of the NHS, a much more famous guest host, a Q&A where you get to ask your own questions / show Adam your rash, and readings from his brand new and hugely anticipated medical mystery. Ticket price includes a signed copy of the book (RRP £20) a week ahead of its release. This is probably your best chance of seeing a doctor before Christmas.

23 August 2025, 7:20 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Alex Mitchell sits on a large black arm chair, wearing a blue feather bower, positioned next to a pot plant.

Comedy

Alex Mitchell: Tough

Alex Mitchell is on a mission to find out what it really takes to be a tough guy in modern Britain. He's had a strange couple of years – being thrust into the limelight on mainstream telly, getting into a less than healthy relationship, being abused daily online, becoming disabled, and his best friend gave birth to a now three-foot bully. But, has Alex toughened up? The easy answer is no... but he's trying. Britain’s Got Talent Finalist. 'Accomplished and intelligent' (NeurodiverseReview.co.uk). 'A natural' (Chortle.co.uk). 'Absolutely sensational' (Alesha Dixon).

30 July - 25 August 2025, 6:55 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A white man in his early 30s with mid-length curly brown hair and a short brown beard, wearing a blue t-shirt, lies on a piano keyboard with his hands clutching at the sides. He is looking directly at the camera and has a slight smirk on his face.

Comedy

Alex Prescot: Cosy

Join comedy equivalent of sunshine Alex Prescot for a delightful debut hour that's tailor-made for each audience. Expect a warm and fuzzy blend of joyful musical comedy and quick-witted improvisation. Don't expect his notably absent double-act partner. Clap Back to Reality Winner 2024, Musical Comedy Awards Finalist 2025, Chortle Hotshots Shortlist 2025, Kingston New Act Finalist 2024, Chichester New Act Finalist 2024. Directed by Ben Target (Double Fringe First Winner and Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee).

30 July - 25 August 2025, 11:45 am

Underbelly Bristo Square

A close up of a man lying down, there is a silver lamp above him and he is staring into it. He is wearing a green patterned shirt and there is a green background.

Comedy

Alfie Packham: My Apologies to the Chef

Voilà. Alfie serves up another helping of Fringe. This one's about friends and enemies. Bon appétit. As seen on the BBC New Comedy Awards 2024. Writer for News Quiz (BBC Radio 4). 

30 July - 24 August 2025, 7:15 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A man wearing sunglasses and a white t-shirt. He is holding his head up with his hand sulkily.

Comedy

Ali Woods: Basher

Join Ali Woods, star of Comedy Central and Stand Up Sketch Show, after his third sell-out Edinburgh Fringe and sell-out UK tour, for his brand-new stand up comedy show. Known for his viral online sketches (@aliwoodsgigs) with millions of views, Ali Woods has supported comedy greats like Russell Kane, Axel Blake, and Adam Kay. With his unique blend of sharp wit and relatable humour, his performances are a must-see. 

30 July - 24 August 2025, 8:20 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A man embraces a woman in a red dress

Comedy

Alice Fraser: A Passion for Passion

Alice Fraser has fallen in love... with romance novels. She's written a delirious love letter to the genre and now she has to live with the consequences. If you love romance novels, or if you have no idea how anyone could love romance novels, this is the show for you. A show that will make you laugh, cry and rethink happily ever after.  

11 - 25 August 2025, 6:50 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A woman (pronouns she/they) holding a rock over her head. She looks wistful in a green, collared shirt on a lavender backdrop.

Comedy

Alice Tovey: Glass Houses

Just before her wedding, Alice's father returned home from prison. Glass Houses is a love letter to family, showing us that love conquers all – even the prison industrial complex. Through stand-up, stories and original song, Alice Tovey tells the story of a cancelled wedding, budgies and a chef in a show about learning our parents are human and choosing empathy over isolation. Tovey is at the forefront of a new age of comedy excellence. The music is written and performed by Alice Tovey. Directed by Gen Fricker.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 9:55 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

A woman in the centre of the screen is wearing a white vest top and is looking up. Her left hand is pointing up and her right hand is lowered and holding a dark blue ribbon.

Comedy

Alice-India: See You In Hell

In this debut hour, Alice-India explores moral relativism and being "one of the girls". Arrested only 10 days before receiving an autism and ADHD diagnosis, often misunderstood, Alice swan dives into good and evil. Black and white. Whether good people exist at all. And, if they do, does anyone want to sleep with them anyway? Fresh from a break-up and a miraculously clean DBS, Alice-India pays the ferryman and takes you across the River Styx. See you in hell, assholes.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 7:15 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A multi coloured background. In each corner of the screen are 4 different circus performers doing stunts. In the middle of the screen there is a sign with light bulbs all around it which reads 'All Star Circus'

Children's Shows

All Star Circus

Winner of the best children's show award Adelaide Fringe 2025 weeklies. Experience world-class circus talent performing extraordinary feats right before your eyes! Amazing backflips, one-arm handstands, incredible human pyramids, graceful aerialists and more inspiring acts from this award-winning cast of performers. All Star Circus has something for everyone, with plenty of laughs for both young and old, and incredible physicality that can be appreciated by all! The incredible cast is all talent from Australia. Showcasing the unique and cheeky humour of Australian artists with the sheer brilliance, athleticism and talent of Australia's best circus performers.

2 - 23 August 2025, 5:15 pm

Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows

Sutton is hiding under a pearl encrusted veil. Matching pearl earrings dangle from her ears. She is looking straight down the barrel at you. She has green eyes. She looks guarded and concerned, with her lips slightly parted, ready to say something.

Theatre

ALTAR

Today is Sutton's wedding day. Dana has been invited, but Dan will be in attendance. Dan who was once Dana. Beloved by audiences and critics alike, ALTAR is a tender and fervent exploration of growing up and into queerness, or away from it. Em Tambree's striking debut has been described by critics as 'a rallying cry' (RyanHamilton.work), and 'a play that necessitates the existence of theatre itself' (PraiseDionysus, podcast). The sold-out Australian premiere was featured for Best Theatre of 2024 (Keith Gow) and 2024 Playwright to Watch (Guy Webster). ALTAR was commissioned by Midsumma Festival and developed with the generous support of Abbotsford Convent. Say "I do" & RSVP to ALTAR's international premiere this summer at Underbelly.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 2:50 pm

Underbelly George Square

A man in a hat and black clothes holds a large bubble containing a tornado of fog. He looks excited and surprised.

Children's Shows

Amazing Bubble Man

Louis Pearl has been thrilling audiences worldwide for over 30 years with the art, magic, science and fun of bubbles. An Edinburgh Fringe favourite, he has sold out for the last 14 years. Louis explores the breathtaking dynamics of bubbles, combining comedy and artistry with audience participation and enough spellbinding bubble tricks to keep everyone mesmerised. From square bubbles to rocket bubbles, the Amazing Bubble Man conjures shrieks of laughter and gasps of amazement from all ages.

31 July - 25 August 2025, 11:20 am

Underbelly Bristo Square

Two white eighteen year old Boys are mid Rugby Scrum. They are both looking forward wearing matching white and red rugby kits. The boy on the left is wearing a black scrum cap and looks nervous, the boy on the right has blonde hair and looks prepared.

Theatre

An Adequate Abridgement of Boarding School Life as a Homo

Bobby Award-winning comedy following Johnny, an 18-year-old at an all-boys boarding school. He ambles through daily life, Britney in his ears, failing to fit into the school's (rather rigid) mould. Enter Harry, the rugby golden boy. To save time, Johnny and Harry shag. Constantly. This isn't a coming out story or a gay tragedy and it is definitely not porn. It is life through the lens of a young queer man, navigating Grindr, hyper-masculinity and an institution rife with shame.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 12:50 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A green apple sits on a wooden rocking chair. Two eyes and a mouth have been bitten out of her.

Cabaret and Variety

An Evening with Dame Granny Smith

The world's most celebrated apple returns for an intimate on-stage conversation. From her vaudeville debut at age five to her breakthrough role in Disney's Snow White, Dame Smith will take you on a journey through her storied life and career, all told with her trademark candour and wit. Warm, funny, uplifting, absurd and 'a show you'll remember for many years to come' (GlamAdelaide.com.au). Winner – Best Variety, Adelaide Fringe 2025.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 1:20 pm

Underbelly George Square

Annie Boyle sitting on a chair backwards with a spotlight

Comedy

Annie Boyle: Smooth Criminal

Following the success of her critically acclaimed debut solo show Annie Are You Ok? Annie returns with Smooth Criminal. This comedic confession of her first arrest explores how the silly, the serious, and the surreal intertwine in life – and in comedy. If you'd been there, if you'd seen it... you would've done the same. Annie Boyle is one of Australia’s most exciting rising stars in comedy, renowned for her involving storytelling and deadpan charm. A RAW Comedy State Finalist, she has performed in the prestigious Comedy Zone showcase at Melbourne International Comedy Festival and recently appeared in the award-winning comedy series Colin From Accounts.

30 July - 24 August 2025, 5:45 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A photograph of a woman with dark brown hair sitting in a light pink sparkly leotard.

Cabaret and Variety

Apocalypse Cabaret: Songs for the End of the World

A lonely karaoke jockey is the sole survivor at the end of the world, and decides to go out singing. A darkly hilarious, high-octane spectacle, where Nietzsche meets the Spice Girls, and the world ends in song. Chanteuse, comedian, and chaos enthusiast Scout Durwood (MTV’s Mary + Jane) hailed as 'brazen, brass' (Vogue), makes a powerhouse Fringe debut packed with original songs, pop bangers, audience interaction, and existential musings. This full-throttle celebration of life at the edge of the abyss asks the big question: is there time for one more song?

30 July - 24 August 2025, 9:20 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

8 people in Regency costume stand and look out towards the viewer. They are holding Regency era props – a violin, a fan, a book.

Comedy

Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel

The all-star cast (featuring Rachel Parris, Cariad Lloyd, Graham Dickson and more) improvise a hilarious new Jane Austen novel every show, inspired entirely by a title from the audience. Performed in period costume with live musical accompaniment – it's a riotous, razor-sharp show where swooning is guaranteed

2 - 10 August 2025, 1:30 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

The show's mascot Mr Chicken poses in front of a white background, with the words BATSU! emblazoned in red across the image.

Comedy

BATSU! Cowgate

Edinburgh, are you ready? Warriors, are you ready? Created in New York and Chicago, BATSU! returns to the Fringe after a wildly successful, sold-out 2024 run. This high-energy, spectacle pits fearless comedians against each other as they compete to avoid hilarious, jaw-dropping punishments.  Inspired by Japanese-style game shows, expect the unexpected in this late-night Fringe hit. With visits from Sake Ninjas to shocking twists like paintball guns, electric shocks, and even a giant chicken - don’t miss the chaos, the laughter and the unforgettable madness that is BATSU! - the wildest show at the Fringe

31 July - 23 August 2025, 10:45 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

The show's mascot Mr Chicken poses in front of a white background, with the words BATSU! emblazoned in red across the image.

Comedy

BATSU! George Square

Edinburgh, are you ready? Warriors, are you ready? Created in New York and Chicago, BATSU! returns to the Fringe after a wildly successful, sold-out 2024 run. This high-energy, spectacle pits fearless comedians against each other as they compete to avoid hilarious, jaw-dropping punishments.  Inspired by Japanese-style game shows, expect the unexpected in this late-night Fringe hit. With visits from Sake Ninjas to shocking twists like paintball guns, electric shocks, and even a giant chicken - don’t miss the chaos, the laughter and the unforgettable madness that is BATSU! - the wildest show at the Fringe!

10 - 24 August 2025, 11:15 pm

Underbelly George Square

Ben Goldsmith stands on stage wearing a blue suit jacket with a red hankerchief in the top pocket. He is holding his hands out infront of him and clasping them together, he is pulling a sad expression on his face.

Comedy

Ben Goldsmith: CrimeLandTown

'An insane amount of fun' (TheWeeReview.com). Mafia-themed whodunnit CrimeLandTown returns to EdFringe. Ben Goldsmith plays every character in a hilarious and one-of-a-kind screwball comedy about a wannabe gangster who never made the grade, so ended up singing in a dive-bar. What a schmuck! Don't miss a show described as gloriously silly, epic and weird, performed with enviable vim by a versatile talent with nimble aplomb. 

12 - 24 August 2025, 1:15 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A musical comedian lying on the floor

Comedy

Bennet Kavanagh: Crank Up the Volume!! (To a Reasonable Volume)

As seen and heard on ITV, BBC Radio5Live and BBC Radio 4, multi award-winning musical comedian Bennet Kavanagh brings his 'unique and charmingly chaotic' (TheReviewsHub.com) brand of musical comedy to the Fringe for his debut hour! Expect songs, stand-up and whatever happens when you combine those two things. Winner of Bath Comedy Festival New Act of the Year. Winner of Amused Moose People's Champion. Directed by Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominee Huge Davies.

30 July - 22 August 2025, 8:30 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Cabaret performer in fishnet top and black bob haircut poses seductively with her hand on her chin. Collage includes images of fire-breathing and aerial acts on stage with a live band and dramatic lighting.

Cabaret and Variety

Bernie Dieter's Club Kabarett

Join kabarett provocateur Bernie Dieter as her gin-soaked haus band soundtracks a debauched night of breathtaking circus, gender-bending aerial and fire-breathing sideshow at its most provocative and hilarious best. Club Kabarett is more than just a show; 'It's an exuberant, juicy, guns-blazing performance that makes other cabarets look stale and tame' (ArtsHub.com.au). A triumphant middle finger held up against the mundane, this wickedly funny show is a life-affirming lightning bolt of pure, unadulterated joy!  

1 - 23 August 2025, 7:20 pm

Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows

5 performers are on stage all wearing a suit with waistcoat and tie. Three are center stage performing an acrobatic handstand, the other two are stood slitghtly behind them one off to the left and the other on the right

Dance Physical Theatre and Circus

Black Blues Brothers: Let's Twist Again!

Fringe favourites the Black Blues Brothers are back with a brand-new show, fit for the whole family. After wowing over 50,000 fringe spectators the Brothers make their McEwan Hall debut. Set in a smoky train station against a soundtrack of unforgettable rockn'roll music, witness breathtaking acrobatic stunts, human pyramids and amazing somersaults. Featuring songs by Glenn Miller, Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, get ready to go wild as the Brothers astonish and delight. Following four successful Fringe seasons, appearances at the Royal Variety Show and The Moulin Rouge, don’t miss out!  

31 July - 25 August 2025, 3:30 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

The backdrop is purple curtains and candles with Jon Gracey in a dramatic Storyteller pose in the foreground

Comedy

Blood on the Clocktower: Live

Following a sell-out 2024 run, the award-winning social deduction game Blood on the Clocktower returns to EdFringe as a live comedy show. Hosted by Jon Gracey (Werewolf: Live, No Rolls Barred) and featuring a revolving cast of comedians, Blood on the Clocktower: Live is a night of gothic chaos and carnage. Will the townsfolk of Ravenswood Bluff finally destroy the demon – or will they only destroy each other?

12 - 24 August 2025, 10:00 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A woman cries tears made of blue glitter

Comedy

Britt Migs: Dolphin Mode

New York Comedy Festival's Creator to Watch, Britt is newly divorced and coming out... again. Using stand-up, storytelling and graphic design, Britt takes you on her rollercoaster (or should we say jetski) ride of a journey. You'll hit bumps like heartbreak, dating, feral men in her DMs and having to come out to her family. But then you'll glide through smoother waters like her beautiful new queer life! If you're single, dating, straight, gay, have ever gone through a breakup, been cheated on or been scammed by a bot on Instagram... this show is for you!

30 July - 25 August 2025, 2:15 pm

Underbelly George Square

Two women, colourfully dressed, laugh at a shared joke

Theatre

Brown Girls Do It Too: Mama Told Me Not To Come

In this fierce, funny and frank show, they explore messy realities, fantasies, sexpectations and navigating life and relationships as British Asian women. Their award-winning, groundbreaking BBC Sounds podcast Brown Girls Do It Too, now in its sixth series, has amassed fans who love their honesty and openness, and faced backlash for breaking the silence on sex in Asian communities. With songs, sketches and some graphic content, this is a celebration of brown British women and genital warts.

30 July - 24 August 2025, 4:10 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A digitally altered version of Goya’s “Saturn Devouring His Son,” featuring a smiling man in a suit (the performer) gleefully posing while being torn apart by the monstrous god Saturn. The image is absurd, theatrical, and darkly funny.

Comedy

Bryan Safi: Are You Mad at Me??

Emmy-winner Bryan Safi (star of ABC's 9-1-1, Netflix's You, Attitudes!) brings his distinctive voice to this solo comedy spiral all about queerness, confidence and the art of being unapologetically too much. A beloved comedian, podcaster and performer, Safi dives deep into big laughs, big feelings, terrible flirting and one aggressively horny apartment that might just steal the show. It’s a hilarious and heartfelt journey from one of comedy’s sharpest voices. After sold-out shows in LA and NYC, the spiral continues. If you've ever felt like "a lot", this one's for you.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 5:20 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A woman in a blue jumpsuit wearing clown-makeup rests her head on her arms and her forearms on the head of a broom. She is also wearing a blue hat and is stood in front of a blue background.

Comedy

Cabbage the Clown: Cinemadrome

Minimum wage cinema employee turned multi award-winning tragic fool Cabbage the Clown's debut hour marries a buffet of genres in polygamous holy matrimony in the name of drag. With over 8 million views online for their genre-busting brand of multimedia drag-clowning, Cabbage presents their hotly-anticipated debut show: One part breathless parody of cinematic history, one part thoughtful dissection of minimum wage careers, one part rolling around on the floor covered in popcorn. So talk through the trailers, get the loudest snacks available, then sit back, relax and enjoy this Bechdel Test-passing, BBFC-unapproved, global premiere.

30 July - 24 August 2025, 9:45 pm

Underbelly George Square

Connor Delves as Cadel Evans in the new play CADEL: Lungs On Legs. Delves, as Evans, rides a BMC road bike, following the 2011 win of the Tour de France.

Theatre

CADEL: Lungs on Legs

The epic true story of the first Australian to win the Tour de France, live on stage. Performed entirely on a bike in an epic theatrical feat of endurance by acclaimed Australian actor Connor Delves. Pedalling non-stop for an hour, he recreates the thrilling journey of Cadel's 2011 Tour de France win, and all the triumphs, heartaches and sacrifices made along the way. “Connor's vision for this show is bold and exciting, and I'm thrilled to be involved from the start. He’ll be riding a BMC, just like I did (and do!), wearing the same yellow jersey I wore, and actually riding on stage every night... how cool is that? I love cycling, and I'm deeply honored that an Australian artist has been inspired to bring my story to life for audiences worldwide. I hope you enjoy CADEL, and I encourage you to support Connor and his creative journey in giving the show a long life. See you there!”– Cadel Evans

31 July - 24 August 2025, 1:00 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

A drawing of a young Cecilia Gentili in an extravagant bejeweled outfit with a huge heart-inspired pendant and headpiece adorned with cutlery.

Theatre

Cecilia Gentili's Red Ink

God won't give up on Cecilia Gentili. Unfortunately, neither will the devil. Follow a young trans girl as she navigates the hilarity of rural Argentina during the 1900s. Part stand-up, part camp and (almost) all true, Red Ink is an irreverent romp in searching for faith while trans. Presented by Elliot Page and PAGEBOY Productions, Sara Ramirez, Breaking the Binary Theatre, Queer Arts Coalition and Nic Cory, Red Ink is the late writer, activist and icon Cecilia Gentili's autobiographical work. The play's off-Broadway 2024 premiere received a Special Recognition GLAAD Media Award.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 2:30 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

An illustration of a landscape with a path trailing up the middle of the picture, a castle and folk style drawings of a dragon and trees.

Comedy

Cerys Bradley’s Queer Tales For Autistic Folk

You find a mysterious door that you have never seen before. Do you open it? If yes – buy a ticket to see this show. If not – why not? Join Cerys Bradley (Actually Autistic Excellence Award 2022, as seen on Comedy Central, UKTV, BBC One Wales) for their wonderful, expansive, interactive choose-your-own-story comedy show. 

30 July - 25 August 2025, 2:45 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Tegan Verheul's face against a grey background. She has curly blonde hair and a bloody nose.

Theatre

Chokeslam

A knockout solo show about one woman's love of pro wrestling. Part confessional, part exuberant oral history of sports entertainment's greatest matches and most loved characters. Acclaimed comedian Tegan Verheul leaves no Stone (Cold) unturned in her unflinchingly raw autobiographical debut that grapples with heartbreak, friendship and the healing power of bloodsport. Riotously funny, unexpectedly touching, brilliantly human. You will leave a wrestling fan. 

30 July - 25 August 2025, 8:45 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Comedian Chris Turner, wearing a black jersey and silver chain, stands in front of a blue background, pointing both fingers at the camera, moderately distorted by a prism to seem as if he's in motion.

Comedy

Chris Turner: Spontaneous

The show that's never the same twice! Join Chris (Cirque Du Soleil, America's Got Talent, TED Talks) for an unmissable live experience where freestyle rap and stand-up comedy combine with jaw-dropping results. Your participation fuels a performance that's unique to the audience, with no script and no limits, just pure, unpredictable entertainment. Repeat viewings encouraged.  Chris Turner is one of the first comedians to ever perform a Las Vegas residency with Cirque Du Soleil; defeated ChatGPT in TED’s inaugural Man vs. Machine rap battle; and his appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earned him a rapturous standing ovation.  A regular headline act at New York’s world famous Comedy Cellar, with over 100 million views online thanks to his unmatched improvisational talent, Chris combines freestyle rap, musical comedy, stand-up, and improv in his unique live shows that have to be seen to be believed.

30 July - 24 August 2025, 5:15 pm

Underbelly George Square

A performer in a pink apron and hat holding a wooden spoon. Behind her is a man wearing a pink apron and holding a guitar.

Children's Shows

Cinderella Ice Cream Seller – A Musical

Get your dessert spoons ready for this delicious new musical for the whole family! Over the last four decades, Cinderella's has become the kingdom's most beloved ice cream company. But how did a humble ice cream maker with not a penny to her name end up as a multimillionaire with her own ice cream empire? Perfect for the whole family, this exciting musical retelling of a fairy tale classic promises a delightful blend of storytelling, stunning live music and theatrical magic that will capture your heart and tickle your taste buds.

30 July - 17 August 2025, 11:40 am

Underbelly Bristo Square

Image of female performer in a cropped bodysuit standing on a male performers head.

Dance Physical Theatre and Circus

Circa: Wolf

Clad in designer Libby McDonnell's form-hugging costumes and set to DJ Ori Lichtik's relentless primal rhythms, the cast of ten extraordinary Circa artists grasp, tear, climb, leap and balance with fierce abandon. For Director Yaron Lifschitz, the wolf is a symbol of our untameable selves: liberating, anarchic and savage. The wolves evolve from disruptive forces of chaos into a ferocious pack whose intense choreographies overflow with raw energy and astounding physicality. Wolf is circus with fangs. Join the pack.

1 - 23 August 2025, 6:20 pm

Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows

8 actors dressed in blue and black sit on and around a bench. They are comedically handcuffed to each other, eating doughnuts and wrapped in police tape.

Comedy

CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation

No one knows who the killer is, not even the cast! Following multiple five-star sell-out runs, CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation returns with another rip-roaring crime comedy made up entirely on the spot. Leicester Comedy 2023: Best Improv Show Award. Colchester Fringe Comedy Award 2024. Who? What? How? The choice is yours in this fully improvised, witty and absurd murder mystery where the audience creates the crime.

1 - 17 August 2025, 3:10 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A man in the middle of the image is smiling and holding onto a keyboard. Behind him is a backdrop of newpapers.

Cabaret and Variety

Daniel Cainer: Topical

A new collection of smart, funny and deeply moving story-songs inspired by current affairs, family affairs and affairs of the heart. A perfect way to start your day at the Fringe. Celebrating 20 years at Edinburgh. 'His songs make you laugh, bring you to tears, warm your heart and break your heart' (FringeReview.co.uk). From the creator of the award-winning Fringe and Off-Broadway show Jewish Chronicles. 

30 July - 25 August 2025, 11:50 am

Underbelly George Square

An image of David and Katie. Katie is lying on the floor and David is standing over her in a squatted position.

Theatre

David and Katie Get Re-Married

You’re cordially invited to the second wedding of David and Katie: confidently codependent, deliriously devoted to a dangerous degree and fully qualified to flaunt a flawless approach to marriage; with music, exotic rituals and, a unity volcano. Bear witness as the world’s worst couple celebrates the (second) happiest day of their lives. Starring David Carl (Trump Lear, The Tender Bar) and Katie Hartman (Netflix’s The Week Of, The Other Two), David and Katie Get Re-Married is a glorious celebration of love, dysfunction and doing it all over again. This time it’s forever. For realz! Probably?!?

30 July - 24 August 2025, 9:50 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A woman dressed as an emo teenage boy stands at a mic, singing and playing an electric guitar.

Comedy

David's One-Man Band (F*ck You, Steven)

Welcome to the mid-noughties world of emo teen and future rockstar, David. He's smart. He's mature. He's memorised a diagram of a vulva and it definitely didn't make him feel sick. And he's here to headline Sticky Floors – the coolest under 16s band night in the Bay Area. But when his bandmate doesn't show, will he handle himself with a sense of poise and rationality? With live renditions of classic rock, original songs and emo bangers, this coming-of-age character comedy looks at how teenage boys communicate when, like, words are hard.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 4:10 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

DeliaDelia has a green face and is wearing a witch's hat in full black dress, squatting in the middle of a ring of green fire, holding a wand

Comedy

DeliaDelia! The Flat Chested Witch!

'Particularly funny' (Vulture.com), Amando Houser invites you to their unhinged clown hour of self-discovery. Inspired by the "witch hunt" on trans rights in the United States, DeliaDelia happens to be as nasty on the eyes as she is on the basketball court. On a quest to become a "real girl" and also join a human basketball team, will she finally get her shot at greatness or will she be cursed forever? Directed by Kedian Keohan. Produced by Beth Sitek. 

31 July - 24 August 2025, 11:10 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

- Three toilet cubicles in colours: pink, green/blue and purple. - Cubicle one (left): A man (Ollie) dangling off the door with a mahoosive smile on his face. - Cubicle two (middle): Ollie sat on the toilet seat with his legs crossed and his hand on his

Theatre

DESPERATE WEE GAY BOY

DESPERATE WEE GAY BOY dives headfirst into the whirlwind life of Ollie, a chaotic but lovable Scot navigating London's queer nightlife. From tequila-fuelled dance floors to messy encounters with geezers on Grindr, to the high school crush he ached to get with, to Phil Mitchell in a sauna? How iconic can one gay boy be! Join Ollie on a sexy-ass odyssey of a night out in this not-so one-man show exploring what it means to crave connection in a world of fleeting thrills.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 5:45 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

A woman is dressed in a white shirt, red bowtie, black jacket and a black hat with flowers and cherries on them. She is looking into the camera with a confused look, wide eyes and red liptick.

Comedy

Dirty Work

Mary Floppins has thrown a shit fit. Wipe the wee from the toilet seat and pick up your dirty undies, because The Perfect Nanny is back to teach all you little boys – and girls – a thing or two about running a prim and proper household. Hailed “a rising star and quadruple threat” (Australian Arts Review), Jessica Barton combines a spoonful of song, dance, clowning, and deep-cleaning to present a skanky and empowering Edinburgh Fringe debut.  BEST NEWCOMER AWARD WINNER (Melbourne Int. Comedy Festival 2025). TAKE A CHANCE ON ADELAIDE AWARD WINNER (Adelaide Fringe 2025). 

31 July - 24 August 2025, 5:25 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Two friends lie on a green carpet surrounded by cut-outs of Princess Diana and sewing materials. One wears her iconic black revenge dress and holds white rosary beads; the other wears a white YALE jumper and holds a measuring tape. They face each other,

Theatre

Don't Tell Dad About Diana

Dublin, 1997. Two friends prepare to compete for the crown of Alternative Miss Ireland with their Princess Diana drag act, under the nose of their hardline nationalist families. As they race through the city towards competition night, Diana's death sparks the unravelling of their secret, their friendship and their plans to leave Ireland. A high-energy, fast-paced two-hander packed with comedy, courage and coming-of-age chaos. After a sell-out London run, Don't Tell Dad About Diana promises to be one of the must-see debuts of the festival.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 12:50 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Two women are stood in the middle of the frame, one is holding a glass of Prosecco, one is holding her hand to her mouth in shock. Both wearing back in front of a black background.

Comedy

Drunk Women Solving Crime

After sell-out runs in 2019, 2022 and 2023, hosts Hannah George and Taylor Glenn welcome a guest to "solve" a crime over a glass or two, plus invite an audience member to share their own tale for a prize. Past guests include: Katherine Ryan, London Hughes, Rosie Jones and James Acaster. Every show is unique. 10 dates only, book early!

15 - 24 August 2025, 5:55 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

silhouette upside down against a night sky with stars. The text in neon lights says 'edinburgh comedy allstars'

Comedy

Edinburgh Comedy Allstars

The biggest, brightest comedians at the Edinburgh Fringe all in one huge show, staged in the famous Udderbelly. A one-stop shop for your comedy fix right in the beating heart of the festival - the big upside-down purple cow.  Previous performers have included: Jason Byrne, Nina Conti, Phil Wang, Fern Brady, Ivo Graham, David O'Doherty, Sam Campbell, Joanne McNally, Larry Dean, Amy Gledhill, Ian Smith, Flo & Joan, Olga Koch, Ahir Shah, Every weekend – Friday and Saturday nights. Nightly line-ups will be released soon. 

1 - 23 August 2025, 11:15 pm

Underbelly George Square

At the centre of the image is an illustrated egg being fried in a black and orange pan, against a light blue watercolour painted background. Coming in from the top left corner is a black and white photo of a hand holding half a cracked egg, and another c

Theatre

Eggs Aren't That Easy to Make

'If I'm in a lesbian relationship when I'm older, I want you to be the sperm donor' a woman says to her best friend, while drunk at a birthday party in uni. 'Okay, it's a deal', he says. Flash forward ten years and the two friends are making good on their promise. She is in said relationship, and he's just got a girlfriend. Having your best friend be your sperm donor – what could go wrong? A queer rom-com about having a baby in the modern world.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 1:00 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Eli matthewson stares at the camera terrified in bed at night.

Comedy

Eli Matthewson: Night Terror

Last year, my boyfriend tried to kill me in my sleep. We are still going strong. This is a story about theft, anxiety and unforgettable biscuits. A new hour of comedy from one of NZ's best.  As seen on Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont-Spelling Bee, Have You Been Paying Attention? NZ, Celebrity Treasure Island. Winner – Best Comedy Dunedin Fringe 2024. Winner – Fred Award 2021 NZ International Comedy Festival.

30 July - 24 August 2025, 8:50 pm

Underbelly George Square

A man with a drawn on monobrow and beards wearing a yellow fishermans Sou'wester stares down the camera.

Comedy

Fisherman Jon: What's on the End of My Rod? A Clown Odyssey

After a sold-out, five star run at venues around London, join Fisherman Jon on a hilarious and heartfelt journey of self-discovery in this captivating clown odyssey. Jon is a lonely fisherman sailing the seven seas, but his life changes forever when he falls in love with a Carp. However, a violent storm separates them, and Jon washes up on a deserted island. There, he must confront his inner demons and find a way back to the love of his life. A riotous tale about love, self-acceptance, and the ocean’s mysterious power. Written by Coral Bevan, Ricky Hunt, & David Alwyn Directed by Ricky Hunt & David Alwyn Character Created by Coral Bevan About the Artists Coral Bevan (Fisherman Jon) – Actor, clown, and Commedia Dell’Arte performer. A Funny Women finalist and award-winning filmmaker. Ricky Hunt – Comedian, writer and director known for genre-defying works that champion LGBTQI+ voices. David Alwyn – Actor, writer, and director with a background in immersive theatre, including Secret Cinema’s Guardians of the Galaxy where he was the resident director. Book now for a heartwarming and unforgettable odyssey upon the seven seas!

30 July - 25 August 2025, 2:45 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A performer in a cyr wheel is standing against a light background

Dance Physical Theatre and Circus

FLIP Fabrique: Six °

Five individuals who do not know each other receive a mysterious invitation that leads them, on a stormy night, to an old, abandoned building deep in the forest. These visitors will discover that this house has a soul and a personality all of its own. Dive into this astonishing acrobatic comedy by FLIP Fabrique, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary and ingenuity is always at play! On this planet, we are within six degrees of separation from knowing everyone. And since there are only five on stage, it makes you wonder: could the missing connection be you?

2 - 23 August 2025, 2:05 pm

Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows

Peter and Lloyd wearing yellow shirts against a red background with bingo balls suspended from the ceiling.

Comedy

Foxdog Studios: Robo Bingo 2.0

Fresh bingo, new robots and lower quality prizes. The UK's #1 IT consultants, Pete and Lloyd, have created the best interactive quirky bingo-based experience for introverts. Play using your (charged!) phone, but in a fun way! From the comfort of your seat, control the show, steer a robotic shopping bag, attempt to draw a perfect circle, and become a statistic in our all-new multi-level bingo jail, dungeon and judicial system. If you don't like bingo, come to this. Winner of the 2024 Adelaide Fringe Innovation Award.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 8:25 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Peter and Lloyd wearing yellow shirts with Mr Bing robot head between them, against a red background with bingo balls suspended from the ceiling.

Children's Shows

Foxdog Studios: Robo Bingo Kids

Ages 8 to 8,000: the thrills of bingo, robot frogs and low-cost prizes for the whole family. The UK's #1 IT consultants, Pete and Lloyd, present the perfect all-ages, interactive quirky bingo-based experience. Play using your (charged!) phone, but in a fun way! From the comfort of your seat, control the show, steer a robotic shopping bag and attempt to draw a perfect circle. Just bring your phone. There's no app to install, it works in your normal browser. No technical skill required; we'll get everyone connected before it starts.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 12:55 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

A smiling person in a Giraffe costume, in front of a yellow Giraffe patterned background.

Comedy

Francisco de Nata

Step into the joyful and absurd world of Francisco de Nata – A giraffe. In a G-string. With a job to do. In this non-verbal clown show featuring audience interaction, puppetry and yes, a very special Portuguese custard tart, Francisco invites you on a playful journey where nonsense, vulnerability and wonder take centre stage. Tasked with painting a ceiling, his world soon unravels into beautiful chaos, but as the clock ticks and the paint dries, a tender and ridiculous story unfolds about this giraffe's love for his Avó (grandma). Will it come together before time runs out?

30 July - 24 August 2025, 10:15 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Furiozo leaps across a road bare-chested, with limbs splayed in every direction.

Comedy

Furiozo: Man Looking for Trouble

Deemed 'well worth the hype' (Guardian) and featured on The Guardian’s Best Comedy Shows 2024, Furiozo returns for its final ever season. Police chases, petty theft, drugs and the ultimate high – the longing for true love. A disturbing yet absurdly funny portrait of toxic masculinity. You will love him. You will hate him. You will experience the presence of the beast. Live fast, die. Award winner: Adelaide Fringe 2025 and 2024, Perth Fringe 2024. Main Festival Award: Taiwan International Comedy Festival. Shortlisted: Best Show, Edinburgh Fringe 2023 and 2024.

31 July - 10 August 2025, 8:55 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Theatre

FURNITURE BOYS

In this absurdist comedy from writer-performer Emily Weitzman, boyfriends are armchairs, lampshades and futons. Hailed as 'hilarious', 'weirdly poignant' and 'loopily, luminously charming' (BuzzPei.com), Furniture Boys explores how furniture endures, but boyfriends – not so much. Blending theatre, comedy, clown, spoken word and furniture showroom, this one-woman show has been called 'imaginative, thoughtful, playful, hilarious and relentlessly, infectiously joyous' (BuzzPei.com). Winner of Theatre’s Choice at Off-Broadway’s SoHo Playhouse in NYC, the Fringiest Show Award at the 2025 Orlando Fringe FestN4, and the 2024 Jilline Ringle Solo Performance Award. 'Furniture,' writes one reviewer, 'has never been more moving'.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 12:45 pm

Underbelly George Square

Half man half penguin in the middle of the poster. He is wearing an orange neck ruff and is looking directly into the camera

Comedy

Garry Starr: Classic Penguins

Literature! Literature! Literature! It might not rhyme with anything but it's still very important.​ Garry Starr is back and he's hell-bent on saving books from extinction by performing every Penguin Classic novel ever written. Mostly naked (but with flippers). Comic wunderkind Starr takes us on a literary adventure through the world's most iconic works of fiction. From The Little Prince to Moby Dick and everything in between, nothing is safe from being lampooned with the utmost nincompoopery. 'A very funny man who is peculiarly averse to wearing trousers' ***** (Scotsman).

30 July - 25 August 2025, 9:30 pm

Underbelly George Square

man with a beard and short dark hair wearing a black blazer and blue tshirt in front of a grey background

Comedy

Geoff Norcott: BASIC BLOKE 2 - There's No Bloke Without Fire

New national tour for star of Have I Got News For You, Is University Really Worth It?, The Last Leg, Would I Lie to You?, Live At The Apollo, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Backstage With Katherine Ryan, The News Quiz, Geoff Norcott's Working Men's Club and many more! This will be Geoff's first UK tour under a Labour government, so he's got plenty to get off his chest. Not least because there's nothing quite so British as being promised a brave new dawn then realising it's as crap.

11 - 24 August 2025, 3:50 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Two men in prison officer uniform, in a multi-coloured ball pit

Theatre

Going Soft

Bar-L is Glasgow's hottest attraction – an immersive prison themed bar. With business thriving, co-owners Martin and James are expanding into an adult-only soft play. They've got the vision and, hopefully, the backing of a potential investor. But as the meeting unfolds, tensions rise and the cracks in their partnership begin to show. Can their friendship survive the business world, or will their dream collapse like a poorly built ball pit? Fast-paced and razor sharp, Jack Byrne's solo-writing debut sheds light on toxic masculinity in working class Glasgow with both humour and heart.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 2:35 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

A girl smiling on a bus

Comedy

Grace Jarvis: Just Because I'm Crying Doesn't Mean I'm Not Having a Nice Time

A new hour of stand-up comedy from the Antipodes' most verbose and melancholy good time gal. Grace Jarvis is excited to regale audiences with her tales of living overseas, falling in love, working in a sex shop and getting into notable scrapes on public transport.  As seen on Comedy Up Late and Upfront. Tour support for Josh Thomas.

30 July - 24 August 2025, 5:50 pm

Underbelly George Square

Two people holding a butt plug floating in the heavenly sky

Musicals and Opera

Hole!

Plug up thy hole! A religious sect in Nebraska wears butt plugs at all times because they believe a wrathful God shall suck the unplugged up, ass-first, to burn on the face of the sun. The crazy thing is… they're right.  HOLE! is an epic love story set in the apocalyptic aftermath of The Great Sucking, when the only people left on Earth are the fanatical Nebraskans - and anyone else who happened to be doing butt stuff at the time.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 8:20 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

A woman leaning against a kids toy car, she is wearing long black boots and has brown curly hair.

Comedy

Holly Spillar: Tall Child

Tall Child is an hour on the impossibilities of being alive right now. In this age of insecurity, in a cost-of-living crisis, we're all stuck in the shit so let's wade through it together. Armed with nothing but a little red loop pedal and her ever-growing rage, Holly Spillar is looking for the catharsis only art (made by low-income people, working two bad jobs on minimum wage) can provide. 

30 July - 24 August 2025, 5:45 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Two white men face the camera in a mysterious way. One holds a rolled up paper tied with an orange bow while the other holds an empty jar with its cap on the other hand.

Cabaret and Variety

Honest Fraud

Ricardo Malerbi and Rudi Solon present a unique kind of game in which every player expects to be deceived and finds joy in it. If you accept the challenge and embrace the deception, you will leave more exhilarated than when you arrived. This show explores the fine line between what is real and what merely appears to be, turning illusion into an act of pure honesty and celebrating the paradox at its core. A decision will feel entirely yours – until you realise it never was. Telepathy, after all, is not about reading minds, but about guiding them.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 4:40 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

How to win

Musicals and Opera

How To Win Against History

Henry Cyril Paget was one of the world's wealthiest men, until he lost it all by being too damn fabulous. This fierce and tragi-gorgeous comedy musical is a true story about expectations, masculinity, privilege and failure on an epic scale. It's about feeling desperately weird and alone but knowing that to fit in would cost you everything. Bristol Old Vic and The Olivier Award-winning Producers of Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! present the Edinburgh Fringe smash-hit in a new production for 2025, marking the 150th anniversary of Paget’s birth.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 7:15 pm

Underbelly George Square

A dark skinned woman (the creator Lula Mebrahtu) wears a sheer white wrap around her head and shoulders. Behind her is an orange and red headpiece in a halo effect, framing the woman's head and shoulders.

Theatre

I AM – A Walking Universe

From the creator of Most Memorable Show (Lustrum Award Winner, 2023). Part of the modular series I AM. Enter the studio of LULA.XYZ, where words come to life. As she attempts to pen the next chapter to her namesake character, the girl next door who just happens to be Eritrean/Ethiopian, life intervenes. It’s the black woman curse. A poetic reflection of overt medical racism happening now in the UK, using wearable technology MiMu gloves (as used by Imogen Heap). Neither a musical, nor drama: a new kind of storytelling.

1 - 24 August 2025, 5:10 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

A dark skinned woman (the creator Lula Mebrahtu) is wearing MiMu gloves in one hand and gold jewellery in the other. She is looking directly into the camera as she holds both hands up just under her chin

Theatre

I AM – One of many, many of One

Winner of the Most Memorable Show, Lustrum Award 2023. Part of the modular series I AM. A first-generation immigrant straddles her Habesha (Eritrean/Ethiopian) heritage and British identity only to realise, when you leave everything behind for the promise of something better, it’s not "better". A poetic reflection on memory loss, displacement, tradition and survival, interwoven with language, customs, music and wearable tech MiMu gloves (as used by Imogen Heap). Neither a musical, nor drama: a new kind of storytelling. Outstanding Performance nominee Filipa Bragança Award, 2023.

31 July - 23 August 2025, 5:10 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

A young woman sitting looking into the distance with warm light falling onto her face., against a dark background.

Theatre

I Dream in Colour

Sophie has a choice: surgically remove her one remaining eye containing a tumour, or risk eye cancer. Again. No brainer, right? But her parents have done everything to save this one eye in the hope she might see again. Can she do what she wants this time? ‘I Dream In Colour’ is a semi-autobiographical one-woman show from Jasmine Thien; a fully blind writer, poet and comedian. It explores how we experience the intersections between disability, race, gender when we straddle the margins of multiple minority groups. Weaving storytelling, comedy and spoken word, it seeks to ask the question: how do we navigate a world that reminds us every day we should not even exist? Shortlisted for the Charlie Hartill Award 2025. Written & Performed by Jasmine Thien Directed by Max Percy (Baklâ) Produced by The Project People

30 July - 24 August 2025, 2:20 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Holly Redford Jones, a white woman with short blonde hair wearing a teal green velvet suit and a white t-shirt, looking straight forward with a smile, and holding in her right hand a gold bar tray with three drinks - a whiskey glass, a martini glass and

Comedy

I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar

Step inside Holly Redford-Jones' award-winning Lesbian Bar! This bold new show is a dance through tales of unsung, unsanitised lesbian debauchery. A sonic love letter to sapphic institutions of a bygone era, the show celebrates queer women of the past, present and future. Taking a cue from the iconic Jonathan Richman song, Redford-Jones asks the biggest questions: where have all the lesbian bars gone? How do you know when you're in one? And how did Chesterfield's Crooked Spire become so... crooked? 

31 July - 24 August 2025, 7:25 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

A group of 5 performers holding various musical objects and wearing red and black are laughing and smiling.

Comedy

Impromptunes – The Completely Improvised Musical

Musical mayhem abounds in a show that has to be seen to be believed. You suggest a title and seconds later the curtains open on a brand-new musical for the first, last and only time. Everything is made up on the spot. You'll be on the edge of your seat throughout as Australia's finest improvisers create a musical full of hijinks, harmonies and hilarity. It's unrehearsed. It's unpredictable. It's Impromptunes.

30 July - 24 August 2025, 6:40 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A woman with windswept red hair and black-framed glasses wears a bright pink ruffled dress and holds a daffodil-yellow shoe.

Cabaret and Variety

In These Shoes

Glynis Traill-Nash lives a double life: fashion writer by day, jazz singer by night. Now the two collide in this soirée of chic! Dressed to thrill and accessorised with a set list of stylish chansons, Glynis will take you from the suburbs of Perth to the front rows of Paris to unpick the world of fashion in alarmingly relatable fashion. Adelaide Fringe Weekly Award Winner 2025.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 7:45 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Comedy

Jain Edwards: She-Devil

Jain isn't like other girls. She's worse. But she's finally ready to Lean In (and receive a little forehead kiss from hubby). She-Devil is a show about conspiracy theories, autism and men turning on you. Expect silly, subversive comedy from literally the best comedian.  

30 July - 25 August 2025, 4:15 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A young dishevelled man with dark shades on

Comedy

Jake Roche: Neporrhoids!

A musical. Stay with me. Written by me, Jake Roche. About me, Jake Roche, and the previous versions of me. Autobiographical and confessional. You love that, though, right? Let me make a song and dance and spill my guts for you.  It's really nice to be back. Returning for two weeks only after a critically acclaimed run in 2024. Neporrhoids! is Jake's story from Universal Music to Universal Credit. 

11 - 24 August 2025, 8:55 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Comedian James Barr in a blue cardigan, close up and looking hopeful, with a slightly shaded face and a light ish blue background.

Comedy

James Barr: Sorry I Hurt Your Son (Said My Ex to My Mum)

Domestic abuse isn't funny, but this show is. Trailblazing comedian James Barr returns to Edinburgh with a bold, 'genre-defying' (ArtsHub.com.au) stand-up hour about the things his ex-boyfriend did to him, including a pushy-wushy down the stairsy-wairsy. Shortlisted at The British LGBT Awards.  As seen on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Hits Radio UK and the British Podcast Award winning A Gay and A NonGay.

30 July - 24 August 2025, 8:15 pm

Underbelly George Square

A man is on a cobbled street, he is smiling and holding onto a lamppost in one hand and an umbrella in the other hand. Playing cards are spiralling out of the umbrella. There is a newspaper on the floor.

Cabaret and Variety

James Phelan – The Man Who Was Magic

Dare to believe in magic as the UK’s #1 magic show returns a brand-new production for 2025. Presented by award-winning magician James Phelan – most infamous for jamming the BBC switchboard after predicting the lottery. Following an unprecedented 5 years of sold out shows around the world - The Man Who Was Magic is a dazzling, new, five star rated magic show where secrets unravel and you're left aching with laughter and dizzy in disbelief.

31 July - 13 August 2025, 5:30 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Two men dressed as Jesus hold each other in a field

Theatre

JEEZUS!

Falling for Jesus is a mortal sin. But damn, it feels good! Good South American altar boy Jesús is preparing for his first communion but when he looks at the hot man on the cross, he feels something... unholy. Catholic guilt collides with unrepentant queerness in this sinful, heart-pounding mix of live music, dark humour and Latin heat. JEEZUS! is a musical as irreverent as it is irresistible, tackling colonialism, religion and queer awakening. If Bo Burnham, Brecht and Bad Bunny had a baby, this would be it. Let's burn in hell! Winner of The Untapped Award 2025.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 6:50 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Jeromaia Detto is a baby sat in front of a wall of portraits depicting other babies doing grown up jobs.

Comedy

Jeromaia Detto: When I Grow Up...

Full of absurd characters, wild whimsy and a healthy sprinkle of silliness, Australian clown goofball returns to Edinburgh with a fringe experience like none other. What did you want to be when you grew up? A doctor? A florist? Maybe a professional jumper, who jumps up and down really well? Maybe you wanted to be a horse! Whatever it is, whatever the dream, Jeromaia will bring it to life with a stage full of costumes & a heart full of imagination, creating a brand new show each night based on your childhood dreams. Judges Pick (Comedy) - Melbourne Fringe 2024 Winner Best Comedy Weekly Award - Adelaide Fringe 2024

30 July - 24 August 2025, 4:20 pm

Underbelly George Square

Jessica Durand is dressed in a historical World War 1 soldier's uniform covered in dirt. She leans forward with her hands, shouting with an intense expression. She has curly red hair partially covered by a helmet. The background is a deep burgundy colour

Comedy

Jessica Durand: Over The Top

It's 1914. The Great War is destroying Europe. Except it's actually 2025 and Jessica Durand is (very bravely) staging her very own self-insert Downton Abbey fanfiction for a live audience. An absurd one-woman love letter to fandom, queer villainy and trench warfare. No prior knowledge of Downton Abbey (or WWI) is required.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 6:55 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Comedy

Joe Sutherland: Miss World

As he embarks on his first international tour, Joe 'could have been a dancer' Sutherland is bravely talking about something that, until recently, he's suffered with in silence: being a total hunk. Now that being really sexy is finally accepted in society, Joe is ready to share his story. Groundbreaking stuff from one of the most in-demand comedians in the UK. 

30 July - 24 August 2025, 8:30 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Joe Tracini is sat in a field of wildflowers wearing a white t shirt looking unnecessarily pensive.

Comedy

Joe Tracini: Ten Things I Hate About Me

Hi, hope you're ok. My show is about hope. It's also about mental illness, good liars, bad ideas, Lorraine Kelly and a gang lord forcing me to hold a raw chicken. But it's mostly about hope. I live with a complex mental illness called borderline personality disorder (BPD) and I started writing this, about that, in January 2020. It's been a long 5 years, but I'm finally here. Please come. I wrote it for you.  

30 July - 24 August 2025, 8:25 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Karen, dressed up in white feathers, yawns. Crash of the expectations of a

Theatre

Karen Houge: DREAMGIRL

Do you trust strangers? Together with Karen Houge – our DREAMGIRL – we’re going to find out. Through personal stories from following Syrian refugees across Europe, a few vegetables and a pile of LEGO, Karen invites us to explore what it means to trust – especially now, when it matters most. This isn’t just a show – it’s a conversation about humanity and the world we live in. Thanks to award-winning comedian Elf Lyons for helping develop the show.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 8:10 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Kathryn has big blonde hair and is wearing a pink dress and a yellow apron. She is using a blender.

Comedy

Kate Owens: Cooking with Kathryn

Award-winning comedian Kate Owens presents her smash hit, critically acclaimed comedy show. Meet Kathryn: the "star" of her own community cookin' show, wannabe Nigella Lawson, and down-home southern belle with more wine in her veins than Jesus. She's serving up a wacked-out fricassee of absurd recipes, but the main course will be a reckoning with her troubled past and a chaotic encounter with a member of the congregation (maybe it'll be you!). Arin Sang-urai @photojuice

31 July - 24 August 2025, 5:10 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Killian Sundermann stands posing over a fence.

Comedy

Killian Sundermann: This Boy is Cracking Up

Killian Sundermann always dreamed of being a rock star. Though his shower renditions of Bohemian Rhapsody haven't quite catapulted him to fame, his comedic talent certainly has. Join him as he takes his sold-out Irish tour show to the Fringe. With rave reviews, Sundermann has gained recognition across platforms, including appearances on RTÉ, Virgin Media Ireland and the Young Hot Guys Podcast. He also boasts a massive following of over half a million online fans.

30 July - 21 August 2025, 5:30 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A drag artist in white clown make up stands in front of a mirror that has been adorned with many little photographs and images.

Theatre

KINDER

An unexpected call from a library derails a performance planned by newly arrived drag artist Goody Prostate, booked to headline a local reading hour. Forced to scramble together a new act in real time for a crowd of unruly children and their parents, Goody spirals into a chaotic exploration of childhood, memory, stories and what it means to truly grow up. The library is open – sit down, be quiet and listen. Because sometimes, reading is what? Fundamentalist.  

31 July - 24 August 2025, 6:40 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

A person dressed in chainmail in front of a light blue background. They are looking off in the distance as a crown is placed on their head from above.

Comedy

Knight, Knight

A knight pulls a sword from a stone and, as the prophecy foretold – becomes king. No, not that king. Another one. Totally different one. This one is in love with his horse. A clown tale of courage, duty, determination, brotherhood (shoutout to the round table!), grief, and most of all, horses. A wild romp through a medieval world you thought you knew. A ye olde show brought to you by Madeleine Rowe. Madeleine Rowe (they/them) is a clown, artist, and teacher from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Madeleine recently sold out a run of their clown solo show Honey, I’m Home at Open Eye Theatre. Other theatrical credits include clown opera, Orpheus in the Underworld -a Spymonkey co-production at the Vienna Volksoper- as well as shows with Four Humors, Clarence Brown Theater, and Yellow Tree Theater. Madeleine’s training includes renowned clown teacher Philippe Gaulier, acclaimed British comedy troupe Spymonkey, MFA Actor training from the University of TN, and a BA in performance from Augsburg University.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 7:20 pm

Underbelly George Square

Two twins stand shoulder to shoulder wearing green suits against a similarly green background, a pear rests on their shoulder between them.

Comedy

Late with Pear

Pear are 6 foot 7 identical twin comedians Hugo and Patrick McPherson. In 2024, their show was named in the Top Ten Best Reviewed Shows of the Edinburgh Fringe, garnering ten five-star reviews while selling out a third consecutive year at the festival. Now, they add Late With Pear: a riotous, out-of-control, late-night extravaganza which promises mayhem, comedy guests and all the jokes they can only tell under the cover of night. 

1 - 23 August 2025, 11:30 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Laura Benanti

Theatre

Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares

Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares is a one-woman comedy show from the mind of Tony Award winner Laura Benanti. With her razor-sharp wit, the star of stage and screen blends side-splitting storytelling with original songs co-written with Todd Almond. The New York Times Critic's Pick Nobody Cares is a hilarious, heartfelt and sometimes brutally honest tribute to recovering ingenues, mothers, and anybody working on themselves. 

30 July - 24 August 2025, 4:55 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Lulu holds bouquet of roses, mascara tear stains down her cheeks, in all white.

Comedy

Lulu Popplewell: Love Love

Returning from her sell-out debut show, Lulu brings you a new hour of jokes about love, obsession and raccoons, as she tries to answer the question 'is love just a form of mental illness?'  

30 July - 24 August 2025, 6:45 pm

Underbelly George Square

Mario the Maker Magician throws red clown noses and large balloons from stage to the kids in the audience.

Children's Shows

Mario the Maker Magician

Mario the Maker Magician returns for a limited season only! Bringing his robot magic live from New York, Mario returns to Edinburgh with a show full of original magic, handmade robots and modern slapstick. Fast-paced, interactive and full of heart, Mario leads you through a romping explosion of contagious energy and belly laughs. For kids, adults, families, everyone! As seen on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Sesame Street, Universal Kids and live on tour with David Blaine.

30 July - 17 August 2025, 10:30 am

Underbelly George Square

Mhairi MaCall as 'Mary' surrounded by the cast of 'Mary Queen of Rock!'

Musicals and Opera

Mary, Queen of Rock!

The year is 1561. The Scottish Reformation has enforced an outright ban on rock'n'roll. Cue the arrival of Mary Stuart, one of the world's biggest and most iconic musical artists... who happens to be the undisputed Queen of Rock! With the Scottish nobles and her cousin in England against her, can Mary get the country rocking? Or will heads roll?  

31 July - 24 August 2025, 7:45 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A band of 5 spandex-clad rockstars stand against a backdrop of brightly coloured stadium lights and smoke

Music

MASSAOKE: 90s Live

Tonight we’re gonna party like it’s 1999. Join the greatest party band of all time for an epic 90s sing-along in McEwan Hall – 2 weekends only! Expect everything from rock to rave, girl power to grunge and Britpop to boybands.

1 - 17 August 2025, 11:30 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

The show title is the focus of this image... MASSAOKE: SING THE MUSICALS, the live band sing-along spectacular. It is 3D-rendered logo decorated with theatrical lights and rainbow colours. Around the logo is a montage of energetic musicians and audience

Music

MASSAOKE: Sing The Musicals

This lunchtime sing-along show is a dream come true for musicals fans of all ages, raising the curtain on all your favourite hits from stage and screen. Featuring songs from Mamma Mia, Hamilton, Frozen, The Greatest Showman, Dirty Dancing, Les Mis, Jungle Book, We Will Rock You, Phantom, Mary Poppins and many more... The entire crowd is the real star of this show, singing together guided by lyrics on a giant screen, accompanied by a brilliant live band. Bring the sing!

1 - 24 August 2025, 1:40 pm

Underbelly George Square

Text that reads Medusa Uncut - A New Musical. On a black background

Musicals and Opera

Medusa Uncut: A New Musical

With a pistol in her belt and the god of death in the passenger seat, Medusa's on the road for revenge. But in a world where gods play dice with the lives of men, who can you trust to have your back? From the creators of Unfortunate comes a mythical new musical with a wild western twist. With a dark country soundtrack, Medusa: Uncut is a fast-paced, adrenaline-fuelled car chase loaded with sex, violence and topless minotaurs. Look out, here she comes.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 5:15 pm

Underbelly George Square

A flamboyant MC in front of a row of four misses. The misses stand like dolls and the MC holds an intriguing pose.

Musicals and Opera

Miss Brexit

Extravagant musical satire about young migrants surviving in a place that no longer welcomes them. Meet real people facing the consequences of Brexit and how it's affected their future. What does it take to become Miss Brexit? Who is capable of erasing their identity in order to talk, think and live like a Brit? Who is willing to exchange their national cuisine for mashed potato? Danail Chirpansky New Work Award Winner.

30 July - 24 August 2025, 1:25 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Cartoon featuring an old fashioned mic, piano with a picture of Tom Lehrer on it and Mitch Benn playing guitar

Comedy

Mitch Benn: The Lehrer Effect

When, years ago, a teenage Mitch discovered American comic songwriting legend Tom Lehrer, the course of his life was changed forever. Mitch looks at the legacy of the elusive Lehrer, the creative debt owed to him by all those who mix humour and melody, and performs some of the more Lehreresque of his own songs. Since Mr Lehrer (at time of writing, still slogging obstinately along at the age of 97) recently placed his entire catalogue in public domain, expect a few Mitch Benn-ified covers of some of Tom's most famous creations as well.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 4:00 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Mr. Cardboard and Huxley fly through the sky.

Comedy

Mr Cardboard

On his loneliest birthday yet, rotten little Huxley is whisked away by the timeless Mr Cardboard! This disturbingly delightful 'unhinged Pixar film' (Audience review) folds the grotesque into the beautiful. It warms the heart and rips it along its perforated edge. Take his hand and think cardboard thoughts! Miles and Levi are two award-winning Philippe Gaulier trained clowns and theatre makers from opposite sides of the world who share a love for the absurdly humorous and unexpectedly affecting.  

31 July - 10 August 2025, 4:15 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Norse Gods wrestling.

Theatre

Mythos: Ragnarök

Hilarious Viking storytelling meets high-octane wrestling in 'the maddest, baddest show on the Fringe' (Daily Mail). Join the adventures of Loki, Thor and legendary gods and monsters in this spectacular adaptation of Norse mythology. Returning from their world tour to make a fourth appearance at the Fringe, this piece of 'genre-bending awesomeness' (HiFiWay.live) is 'so much fun' (List, Pick of the Fringe 2023) and 'the perfect way to tell this story' (Telegraph, Best Shows of 2024). No trip to the Fringe is complete without this 'unmissable blockbuster' (LondonTheatre.co.uk).

1 - 23 August 2025, 8:40 pm

Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows

Two women hugging each other. One dressed in a curly wig with a bow and corset. The other dressed in a leotard and ponytails.

Comedy

Naughty Cabaret

Naughty Cabaret is back after a sold-out run at Edinburgh Fringe in 2024. A queer feminist extravaganza full of energy, absurdity and ridiculousness with an ever-changing line up of clown, character comedy, boyband, burlesque, music and more. Previous guest performers include Sophie Zucker, Josephine Lacey, Siblings, Lara Ricote, Madeleine Rowe, Amando Houser, Frankie Thompson, Elf Lyons, Lucy Hopkins and Gogo Bumhole. Hosted by 'queens of the ridiculous' Anna Marie Simonsen and Marie Kallevik, Naughty Cabaret has been performed in Australia, Edinburgh, London and Norway. 

1 - 23 August 2025, 11:20 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

White door in the middle of a plain dark wall with white skirting running along bottom of the wall. The door has four panels with performer Neil Frost in four different costumes. Top left door panel - white shirt and black bowtie costume, Top right door

Theatre

Neil Frost: The Door

It's 1985. I'm dressed as Peter Pan. All I have to worry about is remembering my Nan's landline number. Award-winning performer Neil Frost brings old photos taken in front of his Nan's kitchen door to life, unravelling the stories behind them with masterful silliness. A nostalgic, poignant comedy about living with your grandparents in 80's Britain, childhood dreams and the power of fancy dress. Direction – Lucy Hopkins and Dan Lees. Producing consultants – The Project People.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 2:25 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

A yellow background with two cropped black and white images of two men on the front. small icons of a laptop, light savers, money signs and old photos swarm around them.

Musicals and Opera

Nerds

This new musical comedy dives into the deeper connection (and no, not just the Bluetooth kind) between two of the most iconic inventors of the digital age. Witness the geniuses behind the tech revolution like never before, as Bill Gates, the mastermind behind Microsoft, meets Steve Jobs, the innovator of the smartphone. The show chronicles their journeys from humble garage beginnings to shaping the world as we know it. Watch as these two trailblazers clash, create and rise to greatness.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 12:30 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A man wearing glasses in the middle of the screen. Popcorn is being poured onto his head and he is looking worryingly at the camera.

Comedy

Nick Hornedo: Watch This When You Get Home

Nick made his high school girlfriend a breakup movie because he didn't know how to distinguish life from art. A decade later, Nick and his ex reunite to find some closure. Will they succeed? Or will Nick make this just another performance? Find out (and see the video for yourself) in this debut stand-up hour about love, art, and the perils of chasing the impossible plotlines we write for ourselves.Nick Hornedo is a New York stand-up and former political appointee in the Joe Biden Administration. His comedy has been featured on PBS, Vulture, and Pod Save America.

30 July - 24 August 2025, 2:25 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Nina Conti smiles and holds a face mask.

Comedy

Nina Conti: Whose Face Is It Anyway?

The virtuoso ventriloquist, BAFTA nominee and British Comedy Award winner presents an unparalleled, unscripted show that delves deep into who we are, hijacking faces to spark a bold, hysterical reality warp. Fresh from sell-out runs in the West End and New York, and a sold out national tour.

7 - 15 August 2025, 7:20 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Darryl is crampped into a large pink box, he is holding a small dog. surrounding darryl, who is a smily white male with a pink suit on and a bright orange wooly hat is a selection of objects that have cascaded out of the box, including toothbrushes, a ru

Children's Shows

Out of the Box

This family-friendly comedy show is packed with surprises as Darryl and his mysterious box take you on a whirlwind of wonder. Every time the box opens, it's a new adventure: trick shots, circus performances and laugh-out-loud moments that invite everyone to join in the fun. Darryl's mission is to make you the star of the show (no embarrassing moments here, just pure joy!). With Darryl's gentle, non-verbal clowning, everyday objects transform into the extraordinary. This show is a joyous celebration of play throughout your life, whatever your age, bringing generations together through seriously skillful silliness.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 11:30 am

Underbelly Bristo Square

A starry night sky with the title Outback Comedy

Comedy

Outback Comedy

Don't miss out on all Aussie late-night laughs at Outback Comedy! Catch the best and brightest stand-up comedians on the Australian circuit in one place. With a new line-up each night, you're guaranteed a dose of our famous laid-back, self-deprecating humour. Who doesn't love a laugh with a room full of Aussies? Grab your tickets now as they're sure to sell out and join us for a ripper night! For line-up announcements follow @brightsidepresents.

31 July - 23 August 2025, 10:55 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Two men stand in the centre of the screen wearing green suits. They are both looking worried, gazing out in front of them. There are hands behind and around them holding bananas.

Comedy

Pear: Phobia

"An effortlessly funny hour" The Independent. 6 foot 7 identical twin comedians Patrick and Hugo McPherson return to the Edinburgh Fringe with a blisteringly hilarious new show, Phobia. After sell-outs in 2022, 2023 and 2024, as well as double sell-out runs at London's Soho Theatre, Pear have cooked up their most ambitious, chaotic hour yet. "They are destined for greatness" The List.  WINNER – Critics’ Choice Award - Fringe World.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 7:20 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

a poster for pigs fly easy ryan with a person wearing a clown make up in an airhost uniform on a pink background

Theatre

Pigs Fly Easy Ryan

An aviation bimbofication transubstantiation ritual for big-boy audiences 18 and over. Two flamin’ hot crash fetishists illegally impersonate flight attendants to sneaky-weeky onto a plane and live their ultimate fantasy – total destruction. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll attempt to feel something, anything, as we erotically cute-ify freedom in the face of climate collapse and rising global fascism.  Rip off your own oxygen mask before furiously making out with the person next to you, and brace for landing; Pigs Fly Easy Ryan is checking you out. It’s time to check in.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 8:10 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

A young man sits cross-legged against a red background, cradling an old-fashioned iMac. The iMac screen displays an image of his younger self, smiling brightly.

Theatre

Playback

11-year old Euan dreams of becoming a YouTube star... But as his fledgling channel begins to skyrocket in popularity, he quickly finds that fame isn’t as fun as it looks.  Shortlisted for the 2024 David MacLennan Award, Playback combines live performance with Euan Munro's real childhood YouTube videos to tell a deeply personal, darkly comic story about growing up online.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 3:55 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

A woman wearing sunglasses sits cross-legged in front of a bright blue background. Behind her are images of sunshine, clouds, flowers and a hummingbird.

Comedy

Prashasti Singh: Divine Feminine

Inching towards 40, but pretending to be 30, Prashasti can finally mark this dream complete. But instead of happiness, she finds herself pondering: was the ascent worth the price? Spend an hour with Prashasti as she questions all her life choices and meticulously assigns blame to the women and men who shaped her into this being. As seen on Netflix's Ladies Up, Comedy Premium League and Amazon Prime's Comicstaan. 

30 July - 24 August 2025, 8:45 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Sara, an Iranian women with light olive skin is dressed in a dark blue Iranian girls school uniform (blazer, trousers & headscarf). She smiles like a cheshire cat, dancing, with her arms out to her side. The image is edited with a bright Yellow filter.

Theatre

Saria Callas

This sexy, camp, pop-filled tragicomedy unpacks aspirations of becoming a singer while growing up where it is forbidden for women to sing. Already a bottle of red in, Sara reminisces about her experiences from childhood to womanhood. Tehran, the school bus parties, the wannabe prayer-caller and the secret w**ks at the all-girls' school. Did I get used to repression or is music my way of fighting? How does a woman who has experienced firsthand repression of her body and voice react as her child struggles with their own gender identity?

12 - 24 August 2025, 2:10 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

man wearing an  open white shirt with a white tshirt on underneath stares at the lighter he is holding in his hand. the background is black and he is been lit with an orange light

Theatre

Scatter: A Horror Play

Scatter is a new horror play from Patrick McPherson, the award-winning writer of sell-out Edinburgh and Soho Theatre hits The Man and Colossal.  When a man travels to a remote Welsh village to scatter his father's ashes, a horrifying legacy awaits him. Directed by Jonny Harvey. McPherson's previous acclaim:  WINNER - Best Show of the Edinburgh Fringe (Theatre Weekly) WINNER - Best Theatre Show Fringe World 2023 WINNER - Best Theatre Show Fringe World 2024

31 July - 24 August 2025, 3:40 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

4 Athenian well dressed nobles are looking on terrified/worried to the centre of the image where Puck, the Fairy, from Shakespeare's a Midsummer Nights Dream, is holding the long ears of a half donkey, half man. This is the character Bottom, from Shakesp

Comedy

Sh!t-faced Shakespeare®: A Midsummer Night's Dream

The five-star, multi sell-out, Fringe phenomenon is back! With its hilarious combination of an entirely serious adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and an absolutely sh!t-faced actor! It just wouldn't be the Fringe without it. With a genuinely inebriated cast member each night, no two shows are ever the same in this raucous, riotous rampage through one of Shakespeare's most mischievous plays. Featuring a rotating cast of the finest classically trained actors, partial nudity, foul language, acts of a sexual nature, and actual Shakespeare. Please remember to always #EnjoyShakespeareResponsibly.

30 July - 24 August 2025, 9:15 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Comedy

Shane Daniel Byrne: Who's a Big Boy?

Dublin darling Shane Daniel Byrne is back, just about. The award-winning stand-up has become a leading act in Ireland at breakneck speed. Shane is the boy from school who was capable of more, the kid who could do better. Just try catching him now. Expect rapid-fire craic and big-hearted feelings in his brand-new show about bellies and bullies. 

30 July - 24 August 2025, 7:00 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

An man in a naked body suit is being soaped-up by giant pair of hands. The soap bubbles are illustrated in a Japanese Ukiyoe style painting and projected onto a screen behind the man to create the illusion that he is interacting with the painting.

Theatre

SHUNGA ALERT

Warning: adults only! An X-rated documentary-comedy about the sexual culture of Japan.  The story of an artist, a sex doll and a virtual idol trying to create the sexiest shunga of all time, told with clowning, puppetry and live projection. Learn everything you wanted to know about sex in Japan but were too afraid to Google. Filthy, offensive and visually stunning! Don't say we didn't warn you! Winner of Best of the Fest at the San Diego Fringe Festival.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 9:40 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

A woman is tied up with a tape measure longingly looking into the camera

Cabaret and Variety

Skinny

A lifelong battle with scales, shapewear and shifty surgeons. But there's an alternative! Backed by a powerhouse band, multi-award-winning vocalist and cabaret performer Michelle Pearson dishes up a stunning blend of pop anthems, soaring ballads and raw, real storytelling. With stunning vocals and eye-opening interviews, this inspiring work unpacks society's toxic obsession with diet culture urging us to rethink what beauty truly means. Heartfelt, relatable and uplifting, it's a celebration of every shape, every size and every person who's ever looked in the mirror and wondered: is this slimming?

30 July - 10 August 2025, 6:50 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A pixellated image of two playable characters in a video game. The woman on the left is dressed as an 'e-girl' with black hair, catgirl headphones and holds a GameCube controller while posing seductively. The woman on the right is dressed in bright pink,

Theatre

Sluts With Consoles

Is that a joystick in your pocket or are you pleased to see us? Armed with plasmids, melee weapons and enough energy drinks to kill a small dog, Player One and Player Two are on a mission to uncover the truth about women in the gaming industry. Join them for an anarchic, high energy, dark comedy created to heal the edgy teenage not-like-other-girls girl inside us all. This is a show about video games, the women that love them and the community we wish would love us back.

31 July - 10 August 2025, 11:25 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

balck and white image of a women looking to the right wearing a dress agagint a blue background

Musicals and Opera

Song Society

Deep in the heart of the mysterious Song Society, memories and feelings are filed away to make room for new ones. But when a stubborn case resists being archived, the Songkeeper is pulled into a journey that challenges everything she knows about the stories that make us whole. A one-person musical by award-winning writer/performer Florencia Iriondo, woven with an original acoustic folk-pop score that echoes long after the final note. 

30 July - 25 August 2025, 1:15 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

One man stands legs akimbo, arms open, he stares into the darkness. Above him a woman is suspended in the air. Separately they are just 2 people in funny positions, together they are circus.

Dance Physical Theatre and Circus

Sophie's Surprise 29th

Get in, losers. This is award-winning circus, comedy and chaos disguised as a house party, featuring world-leading performers from Cirque du Soleil, La Clique, The 7 Fingers and more. Sophie’s Surprise 29th is stumbling back to Circus Hub after a smash-hit season in 2024. Expect Twilight fan fiction, death-defying circus feats and a pumping soundtrack at the craziest party of your life. Get your Walkmans, scrunchies and halter tops ready, and remember... don’t tell Sophie. 

1 - 23 August 2025, 9:45 pm

Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows

A shadow puppetry scene where a hippo walks through a mysterious crystal cave.

Theatre

Space Hippo

Earth is dying. Nothing can be done. Our only hope is to launch a hippo into space. Along the way she will encounter new worlds, strange alien creatures and end up at the centre of an intergalactic war. Hilarious, weird and epic science fiction from Japan, experienced through award-winning cinematic shadow puppetry. The performers project over two hundred handmade puppets onto a large screen to create a live analogue motion picture before your very eyes.  

31 July - 24 August 2025, 12:30 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Kat McGarr dressed all in gold, skin and all, holds up a gold telephone.

Cabaret and Variety

STARDUST Starring Star Dust (In Person)

A gloriously unhinged,  glitter-soaked cabaret meltdown from a fallen icon who’s lost it all but won’t stop singing. Through tales, songs and cabin approved carry-on, Star Dust unpacks life’s big questions: What happens when the lights go out? How do you survive a broken heart? And why is she so dusty? Join Star Dust in her living room as she rises like a gold-sprayed phoenix, to reclaim her legacy one power ballad, emotional spiral and audience singalong at a time. This fringe debut from Punchdrunk’s Kat McGarr ('she's witty, mad, hilarious' - Time Out) is a gloriously silly and savagely honest transformation of grief into a tragicomic tour de force; absurd, funny and profound. Expect glamour, chaos, clowning, a confetti of catharsis, and a show-stopping finale of hope. Think: Gloria Swanson meets Fleabag at a wake. Sprayed gold. With snacks. Kat McGarr is an actor, writer, director, cabaret performer & clown with a 20-year career across theatre, screen, and immersive experiences. Robyn Herfellow (they/them) - on musical collaboration & keys - also collaborates with Séayoncé, drag unroyalty Jonny Woo, and Mawaan Rizwan & The Tracksuits.

30 July - 24 August 2025, 5:25 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A brunette Italian lady wearing make up and circular earrings, and a stripes-patterned white and blue top and a dark haired Italian man wearing dark sungasses and a plain grey long sleeve shirt ride a blue vespa motorbike . In the background: houses, lau

Comedy

Stefania Licari: I Can Make You Italian in 55 Minutes

Award-winning Stefania Licari, expat and medic-turned-comic, promises to make the audience a little bit more Italian, 10% sexier and 100% happier in her new show. After sell-out runs of her previous work at Edinburgh Fringe 2022, 2023 and 2024, Stefania has established herself as a rising star and one of the most exciting international acts in the circuit. This is your unique chance for comedy, pizza and endless love all rolled into an authentic Italian drama. 

30 July - 24 August 2025, 4:15 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A person in white face make-up wearing a bright orange spiked wig, bright red lipstick and a black-and-white checkered-pattern morphsuit snarls and sticks their tongue out in front of a black background.

Comedy

Su Mi: THISMOTHERPHUCKER

THISMOTHERPHUCKER is a public nuisance. A dysfunctional anti-clown whose only mission is to destroy ego. Award-winning stand-up and drag performance artist Su Mi presents their debut show: an immersive surreal experience resurrecting every nostalgic moment left forgotten, healing the inner child and seeking to destroy archaic stereotypes and challenge the narrative of comedy whilst navigating a predominantly white cis space. BBC New Comedian of the Year nominee, finalist of Funny Women Awards and Musical Comedy Awards, and Top of the Slops drag superstar.  

31 July - 24 August 2025, 6:40 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

A ballerina with blue hair in a blue dress smoking a cigarette

Theatre

SWAN?

The dark and ugly sister to the movie Black Swan. A chain-smoking, half-swan, half-ballerina turns the tragic story of Swan Lake into a dark and raunchy rom com. And who knows... you may even get to open her box. Could you be the hero that helps her escape this living hell?! Adelaide Fringe Best Theatre and Physical Theatre Weekly Award 2025. Edmonton Fringe Holdover Award 2024. Performed and created by Canadian treasure Lauren Brady. Directed by Nicole Maloney. Coached by Karen Hines.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 2:10 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Dazed and confused Stage photo/Photographer: Wong de. A man staring at a variety of playing cards floating through the air.

Theatre

Taiwan Season: Dazed and Confused

Magic seamlessly meets theatre in Lin Lu-Chieh's engaging autobiographical solo show. Confident and captivating, this young, self-taught master of prestidigitation offers up a true and touching coming-of-age story that couples delightful 'How did he do that?' sleight-of-hand with warm-hearted observations on the sometimes painful yet often humorous process of growing up. His sincerity and skill shine through. Gently laced with audience participation, this entertaining and universally relatable performance is about finding yourself by doing what you love.  Dazed and Confused tells the story of a child growing up in rural Taiwan, discovering their unique talents amidst the trials of life. While it may appear to reflect a typical Asian childhood, the journey unfolds with youthful confusion, experimentation, pain, and failure. These raw experiences resonate unexpectedly with anyone who has ever navigated the path to adulthood. See it and understand just how wondrous and transformative magic can be. European premiere.  Creator/ Performer|Lin Lu Chieh Director|Lee Cheng Chun  Executive Producer|Chang Huei Ting English Marketing Manager |Huang Yu Ting Lighting Designer|Chen Chung Wen Stage Technician|Chen Xian Da, Lee Cheng Jui

30 July - 25 August 2025, 12:55 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

a picture of the comedian Ted Hill pointing at himself

Comedy

Ted Hill: Weird in Progress

Ted Hill is a multimedia comedian who has just found out that he is weird. Come and watch him work out some new material about what sort of weirdo he wants to be. Nominated for Best Show – 2024 ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards. British Comedy Guide Recommended Show 2022 and 2024.  

16 - 24 August 2025, 11:25 am

Underbelly Bristo Square

To the right of the image a man in jeans and a waistcoat holds a large gold letter A, and a woman in a rainbow striped dress holds an orange and blue zig-zag patterned letter Z To the left of this image, the same two people conduct a series of science de

Children's Shows

The Alphabet of Awesome Science

Join Aussie Professors Lexi Con and Noel Edge (the Word Nerd and the Science Freak) for thrilling voyage through the alphabet – where fascinating words inspire spectacular science! It's a tongue-twisting race from A to Z that's equal parts explosive, messy, hilarious, fascinating and gross. Brace yourself for an hour of carefully crafted alphabetical, scientifical (multi award-winning!) chaos.

30 July - 24 August 2025, 12:00 pm

Underbelly George Square

Black and white cut out images of British musicians including Oasis are scattered across the background. In the middle there is a drawing of a man with dark brown hair and glasses wearing a red t-shirt.

Comedy

The Britpop Hour with Marc Burrows

Join award-winning writer-comedian Marc Burrows for a multi-media stand up celebration of one of British music's most iconic and enduring moments, marking 30 years since the Blur vs Oasis chart war. Music journalist Marc (Guardian, The Quietus, Big Issue) dives into the stories, rivalries, OTT personalities and some of the finest music the UK has ever produced. Part nostalgic love letter, part send-up, part rock'n'roll party. DoyaknowwhatImean?.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 6:10 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Black background with yellow Durham Revue logo showing the silhouette of a group of students

Comedy

The Durham Revue: Sketch Marks the Spot

The Durham Revue are marooned on a desert island! How will they get out of this sketchy situation? The group that brought you Ed Gamble, Stevie Martin, Nish Kumar, Ambika Mod and more return with a new troupe and 100% new material. Join the award-winning Durham Revue, one of the UK's top student comedy groups, for an hour of hilarious, cutting-edge sketches and laughs for everyone!  

31 July - 24 August 2025, 2:30 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Actor Alex Medland, dressed as the devil with red horns and a grin to match, takes a lit match to a contract signed by 'Faustus.'

Theatre

The Faustus Project

This new version of Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus features a rotating cast of brave guest performers taking on the challenges of a devilish ensemble. One problem... they've never rehearsed with the rest of the cast. The Faustus Project is funny, a little dangerous and an actor's worst nightmare. With a fresh victim every night, this will be the ultimate theatrical torture. Funny, dangerous, devilish.  

31 July - 24 August 2025, 9:05 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Maxwell the Bubbleologist is flying in the air making millions of bubbles

Children's Shows

The Flying Bubble Show

Dive into a magical world where dreams and reality blur in a breathtaking fusion of bubble magic and aerial flight. Maxwell the Bubbleologist soars above the stage, creating millions of shimmering bubbles with every leap and twirl. This dazzling spectacle captivates children and adults alike, with interactive moments, joyous laughter and awe-inspiring visuals. It's the perfect family outing – playful, poetic and filled with wonder. After the show, the enchantment continues as children chase and pop bubbles outside, carrying the magic into the air. A heart-opening experience that will leave audiences smiling long after.

2 - 23 August 2025, 3:10 pm

Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows

Image  of a white background with two colourful shapes and text that says The Front List

Talks and Events

The Front List: Ally McCoist

Known to many simply as ‘Super Ally’, Ally McCoist is one of Scotland's best-known sportspeople – but aside from being a former star of our national football team, he’s also one of its biggest fans. In his new autobiography, Dear Scotland: On the Road with the Tartan Army, and in today’s special event, he’ll take audiences on an unforgettable journey through his sporting career, reflect on the highs (and lows) of following Scotland, and share some of his most side-splitting stories.

18 August 2025, 1:30 pm

McEwan Hall

Side by Side photos of Anne Applebaum and Edward Wong

Talks and Events

The Front List: Anne Applebaum & Edward Wong

It’s hard to overstate the extent to which the Trump administration has disrupted the past 70 years’ world order. Journalists Anne Applebaum (The Atlantic columnist and author of the award-winning Twilight of Democracy, and Autocracy Inc) and Edward Wong (Diplomatic Correspondent for the New York Times and author of At the Edge of Empire) are here to report on the seismic shifts in the rules of engagement, and whether democracy can ever truly be safeguarded.

17 August 2025, 1:30 pm

McEwan Hall

Photo of Asako Yuzuki in the irght hand corner she wears a red knitted jumper

Talks and Events

The Front List: Asako Yuzuki

Since Butter appeared in print, bookshops have been scrambling to keep Asako Suzuki’s word-of-mouth sensation in stock. About a serial killer chef who poisons her lovers deliciously, this strange, thrilling, incisive novel won Waterstones Book of the Year 2024. Author of over 20 novels (though Butter is her first English translation), Yuzuki talks today about consumption, sexism, skewed beauty standards, and her mission to elevate the status of Japan’s women through powerful storytelling.

23 August 2025, 1:30 pm

McEwan Hall

Photo of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Talks and Events

The Front List: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Half of a Yellow Sun, Americanah)’s feverishly anticipated new novel, Dream Count, has been a decade in the making, and follows the interconnected lives of four immigrant women between Nigeria and the US wrangling with the direction their lives have, and haven’t, taken. A powerful exploration of sisterhood, solidarity, and fulfilment, Adichie offers an insight into her transcendent, powerful work, and how the choices we make – or which are made for us – can cast a longer shadow than we might ever expect.

19 August 2025, 1:30 pm

McEwan Hall

A photo of Ian Mcewan against a white backdrop.

Talks and Events

The Front List: Ian McEwan

The masterful Ian McEwan is one of our greatest living writers, creating modern classics including Atonement, Enduring Love, On Chesil Beach, Amsterdam, The Children Act, and Saturday. Ahead of the highly anticipated publication of his new novel, What We Can Know, McEwan reflects on a truly remarkable career which has produced so many works which are at once timeless and yet always remain in close conversation with current affairs, and looks towards to the stories he has yet to tell.

24 August 2025, 1:30 pm

McEwan Hall

Maggie O'Farrell in the right hand corner. she has red curly hair and is wearing lots of silver rings.

Talks and Events

The Front List: Maggie O’Farrell: Celebrating 25 Captivating Years

Bursting onto the literary scene with her skilful debut, After You’d Gone, Maggie O’Farrell has remained an inimitable creative force ever since. Today’s event celebrates her 25th anniversary as a beloved writer of works encompassing her breathtaking memoir I Am, I Am, I Am; captivating The Marriage Portrait; and acclaimed Hamnet (soon to be a major new film starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley). In conversation with Frank Navasky, O'Farrell reflects on her writing life and unforgettable stories.

15 August 2025, 1:30 pm

McEwan Hall

Mark Kermode in the right corner of the screen looking out. He is wearing a black suit and tie and black framed glasses.

Talks and Events

The Front List: Mark Kermode MK3D

Join the UK’s favourite film critic, Mark Kermode, alongside very special guests – including Golden Globe-winning Succession patriarch Brian Cox – for a unique and energy-filled celebration of the silver screen. They’ll explore and dissect current and upcoming releases, revel in the vintage age of cinema, and maybe admit to a few guilty pleasures… A regularly sold-out feature of the British Film Institute’s programme, we’re delighted that this is the very first MK3D presented outside London.

13 August 2025, 1:30 pm

McEwan Hall

Nicola Sturgeon in the right hand corner of the screen is sat down looking outward.

Talks and Events

The Front List: Nicola Sturgeon

Nicola Sturgeon’s time as Scotland’s first female – and longest serving – First Minister, saw her tackle some of the most challenging events in modern history. From the Scottish Independence Referendum, Brexit, Covid, and much more, there have been moments of unfathomable pressure – and sometimes, also joy. In her warm and revealing new memoir, Frankly, and in conversation with Frank Navasky, Sturgeon pulls back the curtain on her personal evolution from a shy working-class child to one of Scotland’s most significant political leaders.

14 August 2025, 1:30 pm

McEwan Hall

Headshot of author R F Kuang she is weating a white shirt with a green top layered over the top

Talks and Events

The Front List: RF Kuang

Yellowface author and international sensation R F Kuang isn’t one to rest on her laurels, constantly evolving her style and skill across genres and ages. Join Frank Navasky today chatting with Kuang about her highly anticipated page-turning thriller, Katabasis. It tackles the ultimate rescue mission as two rival Cambridge academics unite to save the soul of their advisor from the underworld. Surviving Hell is one thing, but surviving each other is quite another…

24 August 2025, 7:30 pm

McEwan Hall

Photo of Ruth Jones wearing a light grey jumper her head is resting on her arm as she smiles at the camera

Talks and Events

The Front List: Ruth Jones

Co-creator of the beloved Welsh sitcom Gavin and Stacey, Ruth Jones knows the power of a great story. The actor, writer, and comedian has perfected the art of telling a beautiful story with complex characters and gripping plots for television audiences. But how does her writing process change when she writes a novel? Frank Navasky joins Ruth to find out as she discusses her latest book, By Your Side.

12 August 2025, 1:30 pm

McEwan Hall

Photo of Ta-Nehisi Coates on a white backdrop

Talks and Events

The Front List: Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates is an award-winning, uncompromising commentator on race relations, truth, and justice, especially in America. Author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Between the World and Me, his new book The Message unflinchingly explores race and conflict from South Carolina to Gaza at a pivotal moment. He’ll discuss the urgent need for the West, and particularly America, to free itself from the myths it tells itself, and how pushing for truth is the only way to reckon with injustice.

16 August 2025, 1:30 pm

McEwan Hall

A photo of Yulia Navalnaya. She is wearing a dark blue dress and is smiling at the camera with her hands clasped infront of her.

Talks and Events

The Front List: Yulia Navalnaya

Until his death in a Russian prison last year, Alexei Navalny offered the only meaningful opposition to Vladimir Putin’s leadership. Written by Navalny following a near-fatal poisoning attempt, Patriot is a brave memoir, telling his personal and political story, and emphasising his commitment to the principles of individual freedom, even while risking his own life. Today, Nalvalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, speaks about her late husband’s powerful book, the uniquely courageous man she loved, and her determination to keep his campaigning and story alive.

22 August 2025, 1:30 pm

McEwan Hall

he skyline of New York City glistens in the light of the setting sun next to the East River. Two hot, 26 year old white women that were photoshopped to be about 800 feet tall sit perfectly atop the buildings with their feet dangling over the water. One g

Theatre

The Horniest Girls in New York City

Riley Stark and Tess Lancaster are The Horniest Girls in New York City. A gift and a curse, journalists and scholars keep calling them hilarious, despite being really pretty as well. The girls have travelled to Edinburgh to tell you the tale of two bottoms, Tess and Riley, who have been letting life, boys, drugs and a cult past bend them over a table for all their lives. This is an underdog story about two girls who learn how to fuck up, and their quest for world domination.

31 July - 11 August 2025, 2:10 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

In the picture, a smiling, white-haired clown sits with his body tied under a railway track. Next to him is a colourful barrel representing a locomotive.

Children's Shows

The Mequetrefo

In this family-friendly show created by Parlapatões, a renowned Brazilian theatre and circus company, four clowns, called 'Dias' (Portuguese for 'days'), embark on a journey through the day, filled with laughter and surprises. They break the rules of everyday life, discovering endless possibilities. Inspired by Edward Lear, the poet and illustrator who coined the term 'nonsense'. This show blends pantomime and clowning, featuring a performance rich in visuals and sound effects. The Parlapatões Group is an incredibly successful and long-standing theatre group with an impressive history of 34 years. Over the years, they have produced no less than 70 shows, including plays, street theatre, circus and children's shows, always with an original and unmistakable language. The group operates from its base at Espaço Parlapatões, a significant cultural venue situated in the heart of São Paulo. Since it opening its doors in 2006, this venue has produced and hosted a huge number of annual shows, festivals and events, and has become a real icon in the city of São Paulo. It's a place where theatre and circus artists from all over the country come together. As well as premiering new shows and running seasons, the group also tours its repertoire of shows throughout Brazil, bringing its vibrant energy and originality to audiences across the country.

30 July - 10 August 2025, 11:20 am

Underbelly Bristo Square

A painting of a young man with dark hair facing away from us, toward the mountains. The man's jacket is made only of simple red outlines, revealing the mountains through him and giving him the appearance of a transparent ghost.

Theatre

The Monkeypox Gospel

NYC, Summer 2022. Ngofeen gets his first big assignment at The New Yorker. It’s about the global “monkeypox” outbreak, and he’s the ideal reporter: his family comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (the virus’s origin), and infections are spreading through sexual contact within New York’s queer community, including his own social circle. With a disorganized government response and two million people preparing to attend NYC Pride in a few weeks, getting the word out is critical. But the subject terrifies Ngofeen, having only recently left the evangelical church and broken his vow of lifelong celibacy (i.e. “you can be gay if you don’t act on it”). Now, by writing publicly about a world he rejected for so long, Ngofeen is testing the limits of the person he’s willing to become, while risking a confrontation with the community he’s abandoned.  Ngofeen breaks his silence in this personal epidemic tale, featuring behind-the-scenes reporting, real audio interviews, flights of fantasy, and nerdy tangents into theology, science, opera, and language. written by Ngofeen Mputubwele directed by Alex Hare performed by Ngofeen Mputubwele and Alex Hare Adapted from the new podcast. Artwork: @danieleldibujo

31 July - 24 August 2025, 5:50 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

On a bright yellow background. On the right hand side of the image, there is a young woman in a colourful jumpsuit jumping in a large metal ring on apparatus. There is large animated, colourful text on the left reading:

Dance Physical Theatre and Circus

The Nose Dive Assembly

In Nose Dive Assembly we meet Pierrot, the distracted mistress of ceremonies, who is meant to be running the show – but she can’t focus. The circus swirls around her, yet something’s holding her back. While the troupe take to the skies, she’s stuck on the ground. She yearns to fly. Featuring a range of large-scale contemporary circus disciplines including teeterboard, highwire and the Wheel of Death – a huge rotating apparatus described as 'hypnotic to watch... when momentum builds, it’s as if the person reaching the summit has a moment of zero gravity' (Guardian).

2 - 23 August 2025, 4:10 pm

Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows

A woman dressed in a pink top and a sparkly pink suit and heels floats in front of pink clouds. There is large animated text on the left that says

Dance Physical Theatre and Circus

The Ruckus

Nancy is hosting a party in The Beauty. And you’re invited! Just try not to arrive early – she needs time to get ready! Oh you’re here already? Well she’s sending some of her absurdly talented friends out to entertain her guests while she finalises her outfit! Starring acrobatic clown Arielle Lauzon as the fabulously chaotic Nancy, The Ruckus is an explosive, inclusive and joyful circus show which celebrates female and non-binary strength and playfulness.

2 - 23 August 2025, 1:05 pm

Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows

A purple background, in the centre a woman is holding up a cardboard blue whale on sticks. The woman has her mouth open and eyes wide with enthusiasm.

Children's Shows

The Tale of the Loneliest Whale

“I can hear someone out there. They’re singing to me.”   Whale sings his heart out into the deep blue sea... but nobody sings back. Is he the only one like him in the whole ocean? Just when he’s about to give up, a mysterious voice echoes through the waves. Determined to find the singer, Whale embarks on an unforgettable adventure—diving through glowing coral caves, dodging wibbly jellyfish, and facing wild-eyed sea monsters! But will he ever find a friend who hears his song? Join Hoglets Theatre for an exciting deep-sea adventure packed with huge, beautiful puppets, hilarious sea creatures, original songs, and lots of audience interaction! The Tale of the Loneliest Whale is a magical, interactive show that celebrates friendship, difference, and the beauty of being yourself. A beautiful new play from the makers of Wood Owl And The Box Of Wonders (Ed Fringe 2024). Hoglets Theatre creates exciting theatre and storytelling experiences for children and families. Our productions are filled with energetic performances, original songs and music, puppets and immersive storytelling techniques. They are designed to be rich and engaging, whilst being flexible enough to perform almost anywhere. www.hoglets.org.uk

31 July - 10 August 2025, 11:25 am

Underbelly Bristo Square

A sketch style illustration of three golden ducks walking up a hill, one is juggling while standing on one hand, one is balancing three balls on its beak, one is hula hooping. Behind them a grey duckling has fallen over and dropped their juggling balls.

Children's Shows

The Ugly Duckling

It was a bright and sunny day at the circus when the Ugly Duckling waddled up to their trapeze... Wait. Are we really still using the word 'ugly'? Aren't we rewriting this story to be about belonging and celebrating difference? A reimagining of the classic coming-of-age tale with an acrobatic twist! Bringing together the best of circus and storytelling to produce an energetic and hilarious yet heartwarming family-friendly experience focusing on celebrating difference and finding your tribe.

2 - 23 August 2025, 11:00 am

Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows

Theo Mason Wood lies in a neatly made bed, wearing a striped suit and loosened tie. He gazes directly at the camera with a subtle smirk, holding a single red rose in one hand. The crisp white bedding contrasts with his slightly disheveled outfit, creatin

Comedy

Theo Mason Wood: Legalise Kissing

A genre-defying mix of stand-up, surreal storytelling, and live techno anthems, Legalise Kissing is a punk-clown manifesto on love, identity, and modern chaos. Writer for Netflix’s The Gentlemen and now Apple TV, award-winning comedian Theo Mason Wood blends razor-sharp wit with absurdist theatricality, delivering a show that’s as heartfelt as it is unhinged. Fresh from a sold-out preview at Comedy Café Berlin, where audiences raved about its chaotic brilliance, Theo brings a high-energy mix of comedy, character work, and pounding beats to the stage. Winner of the Berlin New Stand-Up Award and semi-finalist in the West End New Act of the Year competition, Theo has performed across Europe, most recently at the prestigious Moth Club in London. At its core, Legalise Kissing explores the absurdity of human connection in an age of chaos—where love, rebellion, and techno collide. Theo’s unpredictable energy, biting satire, and beautifully weird storytelling keep audiences on edge in the best way possible. If you like your comedy bold, smart, and a little unhinged, this is the show for you. Come for the jokes, stay for the manifesto. And maybe, just maybe, leave ready to start a revolution. Book now—kissing optional.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 10:00 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A metallic star on a black background with one smaller metallic star above it to its right.

Theatre

This Blighted Star

During a long summer in a stifling Midlands town, local student Ivan goes missing. Questions and anxieties build, but Ivan's friend – a CCTV operator – is convinced he'll find him. Meanwhile, a skilfully crafted conspiracy surrounding the disappearance proliferates on the web. Hanging over the town is a new star, burning brighter than the rest... bringing with it a haunting sense of unease and uncertainty. Through fragmented footage and reflections on a lost friendship, our surveillance operator is forced to peer into dark places to uncover the truth about what happened to his friend.

30 July - 24 August 2025, 3:45 pm

Underbelly George Square

A man looks shocked while a toddler's small hand covers his right eye

Comedy

Tom Skelton: VIP (Visually Impaired Papa)

After losing most of his sight, Tom thought he might never become a dad. But now he is. And he's a bit scared. From nappy changing, choking hazards and losing your toddler in the park, to not being able to read to him, see his changing face or his first goal on the football pitch, this is a hilarious, heartfelt scamper through dadhood and disability. Perth FringeWorld Weekly Award winner 2020.

30 July - 11 August 2025, 1:15 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Three performers are dressed as bin men in grey dungarees with two of them wearing hard hats. They are in front of a black and yellow striped and paint-splattered background, with two of them in wheelie bins and the other one balanced with their hand on

Children's Shows

Trash Test Dummies Circus

Everyone put your rubbish out, tonight's bin night and the Trash Test Dummies are on duty! This award-winning, side-splitting, slapstick comedy, circus routine retakes the household wheelie bin to new heights and delivers a dump truck full of hilarity! Returning after delighting audiences in 2024 and winners of the Best Children's Presentation at the Adelaide Fringe Festival 2016 and 2015, the Trash Test Dummies are as full of laughs as their bins are full of surprises.  

2 - 23 August 2025, 12:05 pm

Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows

A person dressed in a tree costume made of green felt leaves and a leafy crown poses with their face resting in their hands. They are looking at the camera with a serene expression. The background is a lush, green forest.

Children's Shows

Treeeeee

Best Show nominee – UK Kids Comedy Festival 2025. Embark on a hilarious and heartwarming journey into the life of a tree with Treeeeee, a captivating mix of physical comedy and environmental storytelling. This show spans the 500-year life of a tree in just 50 minutes. The performance brings the natural world to life through expressive movement, music and audience interaction, creating a magical experience for audiences of all ages. Performed by Christiaan Hendriksen, Sketch Off finalist 2025 and Best Debut Show nominee Leicester Comedy Festival 2023.

31 July - 12 August 2025, 11:45 am

Underbelly Bristo Square

Barnie and Trygve in a dressing room somewhere with buckets of hot chips.

Comedy

Trygve Wakenshaw and Barnie Duncan: Hot Chips

Two men who like making funny shows together have decided to use the cavernous bowels of the Underbelly to stretch and writhe and dream the impossible dream one more time. A brand new show made right in front of you. Trygve lives in Prague and Barnie lives in New Zealand, so they don’t get to hang out very often, but this August they will, and they can’t wait to see what will happen. Physical verbose mime nonsense from two masters of their craftinesses. This one goes like this / that one goes like this It says a lot, without saying much. How do you feel about Hot Chips?

2 - 24 August 2025, 11:10 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Black text on a white background with a purple border. The text says 'Underbelly's Big Brain Tumour Benefit'.

Comedy

Underbelly's Big Brain Tumour Benefit

Join a massive line-up of comedy stars for a stupendous evening to fight against brain tumours. Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer for children and adults under 40 and increased funding for research is desperately needed. All box office income will go straight to The Brain Tumour Charity and Underbelly will match this amount as a donation to the charity, doubling the amount that we can raise. Now returning for its 7th year, last year's line-up included Dara O'Briain, Rose Matafeo, Carl Donnelly, Angela Barnes and Milton Jones. Check UnderbellyEdinburgh.co.uk for this year's acts.

13 August 2025, 7:20 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Smoke drafts from a recently snuffed candle, nestled with a notebook and pen inside a dark wooden box.

Theatre

Undersigned

An invocation, a blindfold and a pointed discussion. This deeply personal, psychological thriller for one offers infinite possibilities and sharp choices. Repeat visitors are forbidden, and nothing said here ever leaves. As such, in place of summary, Management offers you a deal: after your appointment, you can reclaim a portion of your ticket price - or add what the experience was worth to you. Management bets we will exceed your estimation. After three years of sold-out runs and critical acclaim (LA Times, No Proscenium), we make our international debut with limited engagement festival appointments. Opportunity waits; come take it.

31 July - 12 August 2025, 12:55 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Vittorio Angelone, a moustached man, with his finger up his nose

Comedy

Vittorio Angelone: you can't Say Nothing any more

Vittorio Angelone has always denied any involvement in the Edinburgh Fringe.

8 - 22 August 2025, 11:00 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A close up of a woman. She is wearing orange and is staring right into the camera.

Theatre

WANTED

Two girls from opposite worlds are fated to meet on the late 00’s queer scene. After quickly forming an inseparable bond over their mutual idols, Tony Soprano and Lindsay Lohan, Erica and Jessie are on a mission to avenge a world that's only ever left them wanting. And why the hell shouldn’t they? Life’s screwed them, it’s time to screw life right back. Their code? Steal from the rich and give to the poor (that’s them by the way).  But just because Tony Soprano gets to do what he likes... can Erica and Jessie really rationalise their actions? From the creator behind the Fringe sensation, In PurSUEt, comes the hotly anticipated second show.... WANTED.

31 July - 24 August 2025, 12:40 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

Theatre

Ways of Knowing

Behold! A council of leeches, a mystic hermit, a Victorian inventor, an economics conference, a dark and dripping cave. Uncovering a mysterious series of visions and omens.  Ways of Knowing delves into the ways we predict and prophesy the future. Amidst an intricate system of choreography, found text and live sound, Emergency Chorus wield science and magic to reckon with our precarious present and enter into the unknown. Winner of the Untapped Award, Ways of Knowing follows Emergency Chorus's previous acclaimed shows Landscape (1989) and CELEBRATION. 

31 July - 24 August 2025, 3:30 pm

Underbelly Cowgate

An image of the back of a man wearing a bucket hat and holding his arms up in the air. He is wearing england pants that are straddled at his lower thigh and there is a red flare stuck in his arse.

Theatre

Why I Stuck a Flare Up My Arse for England

Back for a third and final year after sell-out runs and international acclaim, the multi award-winning bum flare play tells the story of ardent football fan Billy Kinley, who sticks a flare up his bum at Euro 2020 and goes viral. What follows is a funny, raw and honest look at identity, loyalty and belonging. Winner of Best Theatre Show at Adelaide Fringe 2025, this show has been a hit worldwide. Bold, sharp and unforgettable. Final Edinburgh Fringe run. One flare. One man. One bum... One story. Don't miss it!

30 July - 25 August 2025, 2:15 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

Will and Noah; grimacing for the camera. They (not brothers) hold a phone! :)

Comedy

Will & Noah: Too Much Time on Their Phones

Will and Noah's attention spans are so eroded, they can't even get to the end of their... huh... oh yeah we're doing a sketch show! In a world where comedy has become a thousand tiny weird videos on a never-ending feed, Will and Noah are investigating what the hell happened to good old-fashioned... whuh... huh... oh yeah we're doing a sketch show!! The Telegraph Best Jokes of the Edinburgh Fringe 2023/2024.

30 July - 25 August 2025, 3:55 pm

Underbelly Bristo Square

A woman with long brown hair, wearing a beige floral cardigan, is awkwardly smiling while a small squirrel sits on her shoulder nibbling a nut. To her right, an oval-framed portrait of another squirrel hangs on a deep red, patterned wallpaper.

Theatre

Yes, We're Related

Dysfunctional sisters Sara and Saskia are forced to confront the unpredictable stages of grief. Sara is living in denial, and Saskia is determined to celebrate the anniversary of their mother’s death with her quirky partner Mark and a party to die for. But when a jaw-dropping secret is revealed, things go from bad, to worse, to catastrophic.  Hailed as a comedy echoing the best episodes of Only Fools and Horses, and sisterhood likened to BBC's Fleabag, Lace-Evans' smash-hit dark comedy returns to Fringe. Listed within the 'Top 100 Trending Shows of the Edinburgh Fringe 2024', Yes, We're Related is 'going to be "a thing"' (City AM).  Awarded the Keep It Fringe Fund, and developed by SOHO Theatre Labs, YES, WE’RE RELATED became an immediate hit later going on to enjoy a sell-out London run at The Other Palace.   

31 July - 24 August 2025, 2:00 pm

Underbelly Cowgate