August is fast approaching 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.
It can be an expensive business too, with many shows at the bigger venues now costing over £20 for the first time.
Luckily, there’s a Fringe experience for all budgets, including hundred of free shows that just ask you to turn up early and queue to be sure of a seat.
Of course, they’re not necessarily entirely free - you’ll be asked to check some money into a bucket (or increasingly make a contactless payment) on the way out, with £5-£10 being a ballpark figure for a show that you have enjoyed.
Some shows also give you the opportunity to ‘pay what you want’ in advance to secure a seat.
There are two main sources of free shows - the Free Festival and PBH’s Free Fringe - both of which operated in similar ways and tend to take place in pubs around the Scottish Capital.
The likes of Richard Gadd, Ahir Shah and Austentatious have performed for free in recent years, so there’s plenty of quality on offer - you might just see the next big thing.
Here are 11 that caught our eye. You can check out the programmes at the Free Festival’s website here and PBH’s Free Fringe here. Remember not all shows are included in the Fringe official programme.
Here are 11 that caught our eye.
1. Mark Simmons: His Latest Jokes
Last year's winner of the Funniest Joke of the Fringe Award (I was going to sail around the globe in the world’s smallest ship but I bottled it), Mark Simmons is back with more of the same. There's likely to be much in the way of structure of narrative arc here, but the laughs are all but guaranteed. He's on at the Liquid Room at 1.45pm from August 2-23. | Contributed
2. Sooz Kempner is Ugly
Known to many as the title character in multimedia scifi spinoff 'Doctor Who's Doom's Day', Sooz Kempner is back in Edinburgh with a show about "beauty, ageing, trolling and Barbra Streisand". Catch her at the Counting House at 4.15pm from July 31-August 24. | Contribited
3. Tevor Lock
Trevor Lock's shows merging the line between comedy and interactive performance art have been making the Fringe a more interesting place for years - and are a must for any visit to Edinburgh in August. This year he has a scripted show in the paid-for programme, along with two of his more esoteric shows at the PBH Free Fringe. 'Trevor Lock, an audience with', promises to "turn a bunch of strangers into an extended family" at Bannermans at 2.45pm from August 2-24. Meanwhile 'Trevor Lock - Let's Start Another Cult' sets out to do exactly what it says on the tin at 5.55pm in the Voodoo Rooms from August 2024. The Scotsman called it "funny moving and clever". | Contributed
4. John Robertson: Plays With The Audience
Aussie comedian John Robertson is a real Fringe favourite for his improv game show 'The Dark Room'. That's back this year, but he's also trying a new show at the Free Festival, offering "improv, mayhem, gaming comedy, crowd work and songs". Sounds like an action-palced hour at the Counting House at 7pm from July 31-August 24. | Contributed