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.
5. John Otway
A very British type of music legend, John Otway is the very definition of cult, having built up a large an appreciative audience with his dry wit and humrous songs. He's been in Edinburgh almost every August since 1984 and is playing seven shows at the Liquid Rooms at 2.45pm from August 4-10. Expect to hear his top 10 smash hit single 'Bunsen Burner'. | Contributed
6. Olaf Falafel Asks: Orange You Glad?
Another winner of the Funniest Joke of the Fringe Award (I keep randomly shouting out "Broccoli" and "Cauliflower" – I think I might have Florets), Olaf Falafel is an expert creator of puns and jokes - expect to laugh one minute then groan (in a nice way) the next. He's at the Pear Tree at 2.30pm from July 31-August 24. | Contributed
7. Kunt and the Gang
The most unlikely of Fringe hits, Kunt and the Gang is not for everyone. Arguable, he's not really for anyone. Puerile, stupid and scatalogical in the extreme - he's also, if you are in the right frame of mind, wheeze-inducingly funny. Expect the inevitable walkouts when he plays a 'greatest hits set' at the Counting House for three nights only, from August 22-24, at 10pm. He's also presenting his fantastically-offensive new film 'Shannon Matthews: The Musical' at the same venue at 11.30pm for three screenings from August 11-13. | Contributed
8. Huge Davies
One of the biggest comedy names at the PBH Free Fringe this year is Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominated musical comedian Huge Davies. It's a work in progress so expect the unexpected - and also some terrifyingly confrontational audience work and alarmingly professional comic songs played on a wearable keybord. He's at Whistlebinkies at 2.45pm from August 2-24. | Contributed