It’s very nearly August, which means it’s time to scour the Edinbugh Festival Fringe programme for the best shows to see.
The physical programme has over 3,350 shows across 265 venues, meaning it can be a daunting task to work out what exactly you are going to see.
While it’s fun to take a punt and hope for the best, it’s sometimes nice to go for a known quantity - a performer who has delivered acclaimed shows in the past.
At The Scotsman we review hundreds of shows every year, with the best receiving a sought-after four or five star rating.
While previous success is no guarantee that they will deliver the goods again, it’s as good an indicator as any - particularly since many of the shows in Edinburgh have never been performed before.
So, here are all 31 returning comedians who earned a four or five review from us in 2024 - and what we said about their shows.
1. Amy Gledhill: Make Me Look Fit On The Poster
Amy Gledhill is returning this year for two performances only of last year's Edinburgh Comedy Award-winning show. What we said: "Amy Gledhill is a woman in possession of a treasure trove of funny stories from her life – and boy, does she know how to animate them." (Four stars). | Contributed
2. Amy Mason: Behold!
What we said about last year's show: "A wonderful example of belated, begrudging self-acceptance channelled into a consistently very funny performance." (Four Stars) | Contributed
3. Ania Magliano: Work in Progress
What we said last year: "Ania Magliano has taken a huge step. She’s moved in with her lovely boyfriend - the first time she’s lived with someone. And it’s going quite well. But this being an Ania Magliano show, there is more to this." (Four Stars) | Contributed
4. Chloe Petts
Chloe Petts has two shows at this year's Fringe - 'Big Naturals' and 'Miscellaneous'. What we said about lasat year's show: "The charismatic comic demonstrates her wide appeal with a range of great material, from her woeful school education about sapphic relationships to this being the golden age of the butch lesbian." (Four Stars) | Contributed