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.
5. Chris Cantrill: Rewilding (WIP)
What we said about last year's show: "Four years ago, during the “great blight”, Cantrill moved from the city to a rural spot near Hadrian’s Wall with his wife and son. Easily Swayed, then, is about the importance of human connection, the receding of youth and the embracing of funny habits." (Four Stars) | Contributed
6. Dan Lees: The Vinyl Countdown, Greatest Bits!
What we said about last year's show: "This is a masterclass in audience control, with perfectly intelligent people flapping their arms and waving their legs around on Lees' command." (Four Stars) | Contributed
7. Dan Rath: Tropical Depression
What we said about last year's show: "Rath has a list of pathologies as long as his arm, and uses it as a kind of psychological theme park through which he takes his audience on a trip." (Four Stars) | Contributed
8. Dan Tiernan: All In
What we said about last year's show: "In this high-energy show, Tiernan talks about having gout, experiencing drug-induced psychosis and some other self-destructive behaviour that started when he was quite young." (Four Stars) | Contributed