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.
9. Peter Buckley Hill and Some Comedians
The fact that there are so many free shows at the Fringe is largely thank to Peter Buckley Hill - he's the 'PBH' in the PBH Free Fringe. He's also an accomplished standup and, as ever, will be compering a string of mixed-bill shows throughout August. He's playing a bewildering number of different times and venues during the month - check out the PBH Free Fringe website for the latest (it's not in the official Fringe programme). | Contributed
10. FAKE
Another real Fringe favourite, magician Chris Cook's new show is an intriguing prospect. He's telling "a true tale of deception through the lives of an artist, an art forger and a magician. Three men, centuries apart, connected by illusion. A story only a magician could tell about beauty, belief and the fine line between talent and trickery." There will also be tricks. He's casting a spell on the Voodoo Rooms at 6.15pm from August 2-24. | Contributed
11. Attila the Stockbroker
John Baine - better known by stage name Attila the Stockbroker - has had a career spanning over 40 years in punk music (as part of band 'Barnstormer 1649') and poetry - performing thousands of concerts and publishing eight books of poems. He has two hours in Edinburgh this year - poetry show 'Fiery Words for Hellish Times' at Bannermans at various times, then will be playing various unusual instruments (the rauschpfeife?) at St Cecilia's Hall at 2pm on August 12 and 22. A true Fringe experience. | Contributed