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.
25. Stevie Martin: clout
Stevie Martin is another comedian bringing last year's show back for another spin ahead of a national tour. What we said last year: "One third of the acclaimed Massive Dad sketch trio, Martin has built a clever, knowing and, crucially, hilarious, hour about creating and consuming funny stuff on the internet." (Four Stars) | Contributed
26. Stuart Laws Does Stand-up Comedy for an Hour
What we said about last year's show: "How do you embark upon a healthy relationship when you don’t understand why you behave and react the way you do? Stuart Laws explores this with the lightest, funniest of touches in a show that approaches neurodivergence in a way you won’t have seen before." (Four Stars) | Contributed
27. Takashi Wakasugi: Comedy Samurai
What we said about last year's show: "Takashi Wakasugi's pride in his homeland and disparaging of Western culture makes a refreshing change to the instinctive self-deprecation and suspicion of patriotism felt by British acts." (Four Stars) | Contributed
28. Tom Lawrinson – WIP
What we said about last year's show: "Tom Lawrinson’s latest outing is a thrilling glimpse into a wonky childhood." (Four Stars) | Contributed