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Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Wonderfully weird': 7 of the best Edinburgh Fringe shows to book now
City AM's theatre writers have been catching the very best of the shows at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. We're only reviewing productions with London transfers in the autumn, so if you can't make it to Edinburgh this August, everything you read here is coming to the capital at a later date. From Fleabag to Flight of the Concords and The Mighty Boosh, some of the most famous shows originated at the Edinburgh Fringe, the world's biggest arts festival and a hotbed for new creative ideas. Here are the best shows our team has seen so far at this year's event. THE FIT PRINCE A thousand other Edinburgh Fringe performers attempt to put on shows like Linus Karp's, but few pull them off. His shows are essentially excellent lessons in the very trendy topic of adult play – how more of us should channel our childhood playfulness more often, you know, to protect our mental health and stuff – involving lots of incredibly silly puppetry, roleplay and audience participation. It could be so average, but it's just so good. In his latest, The Fit Prince, Karp plays a young queer prince from Swedonia, a made-up country with loads in common with Sweden. He must find a husband in 48 hours or face losing his ascendancy to the crown. There are some absolutely bonkers ideas here, including a monstrous orphanage founder who presents as some terrifying vulgar monster but who has a hilariously soft side; it's the sort of characterisation that shows off Karp's killer eye for surrealist dark humour. His bone dry script is one hour-long gag reel, all self-knowing references that sew together this tall tale of unlikely love across social and cultural divides. If you can't quite picture how ridiculous this is yet, fairly famous singer Tove Lo and fairly famous actor Sebastian Croft from Heartstopper both have cameos; she as the Prime Minster of Swedonia and he as a love prospect. The Fit Prince distils everything you'd hope for from a Fringe show: it's an absolute riot, with a sweet and heart-felt message threaded through that never bangs you around the head with worthiness. I can't wait to see his other productions, something silly and no doubt heartfelt about Princess Diana and another show about Gwyneth Paltrow's skiing accident. You get the AUTON: CAN (AN HOUR-LONG STORY) It's commendably brave to write a comedy show that is expressly about hope – we feel less comfortable laughing at that than misery: where are the parameters? Should we laugh, perhaps nervously, at the idea of a better future, or just find it inspiring rather than funny? In any case, it's easier to moan. Auton, an Edinburgh Fringe veteran who has earned this near sellout audience, stirs the hope in all of us in this show about putting down our phones, acknowledging one another on the bus and being all in it together. Confronting dark themes non-judgmentally and finding sweet metaphors about the joys in life that we're programmed to overlook, Auton is gentle but commanding, rarely moving from his mic but occasionally raising his arms like the messiah to bring us all in. You believe that this show is simply a collection of gratitudes Auton thinks, practices and believes. He has a wonderfully addictive, uplifting honesty about him, and against occasional backing tracks of inspirational music, he delivers monologues about such things as the miracle of us being born on liveable planet Earth rather than all the thousands of barren planets we could have ended up on. Amid the trauma monologues, the Edinburgh Fringe needs more of Auton's refreshing GIRLS DO IT TOO: MAMA TOLD ME NOT TO COME Female body hair, the promiscuity that follows divorce as a late-thirty-something and masturbation are some of the stigma-breaking topics tackled in Brown Girls Do It Too, the live stage version of the podcast of the same name. Just don't expect worthiness for the sake of it: everything in this female two-hander is mostly solid gold lols, incorporating the girls' own personal stories alongside imagined fictitious scenarios in which the pair act out instances from their past, often with one of them playing a maternal Asian mother figure. Poppy Jay and Rubina Pabani, two brown women brought up by socially conservative Asian families, naturally skit between the performance styles, veering convincingly into the dramatic elements; there's a neat balance between the conversational parts and the skits, which typically build on the unscripted topics. No spoilers here, but in the final moments, the duo deliver the most emotional moment I had at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025. Raw and incredibly funny, the women rightfully point out that only 300 out of 4,000 shows programmed this year are fronted by black and brown people: of course, more of their stories are needed – Jay and Pabani's radical openness will stick with from this year's Edinburgh Fringe OLIVIA RAINE ATWOOD: FAKING IT Not the Olivia Attwood out of Love Island, we're reminded early on – but something far better. This Olivia Atwood only has one 't' in her surname, and is from America, but does a good bit about how shocking it can be when her Google Alerts send her updates about the Love Island Attwood 'canoodling' mystery men behind bins. Being able to poke fun at herself has always been this Atwood's strength, which is the theme of this show, which celebrates hustle culture. Across Faking It, she hilariously and brilliantly extrapolates one real-life story about how she was hired by US hospitals to act as fake patients, likening her unlikely rise to a story from her childhood about how a hamster survived being fed to her pet snake (stick with it). The hamster kicked its hind legs and fought off being snake lunch, and Atwood has bucked the out-of-work actor trope to be playing to nearly full houses this Edinburgh Fringe. Yes, it's a bit bonkers, but Atwood, who is a wildly energetic storyteller, carries it off. Funny in her delivery, you'll leave feeling exhausted, but in the best possible way. Her final gambit? She has another show on 25 minutes after this one finishes. Do the double if you find highly energetic people rub off on Nerds was slated for a Broadway run in 2016 but a $6 million lawsuit earned the show the nickname of the 'Fyre festival of Broadway.' Nine years later, a slightly lower-key premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe. It's easy to see why producers saw dollar signs: Nerds has a decent playlist of new music, tight choreography and a juicy story about the well-documented rivalry between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates as their Microsoft and Apple empires formed in the 1970s. It is all good fun if not totally commanding: a fairly conventional musical that could do well to take inspiration from its subjects and break the formula a little more. Only one song, Down And Out in Seattle, became an ear worm, and the plot feels paint-by-numbers in a way that makes it hard to get truly invested. Still, the actors are great, particularly Dan Buckley's gloriously zany, mildly unhinged Bill Gates. Kane Oliver Parry's oily Steve Jobs is also immensely watchable. This is a full throttle production, including Jobs x Gates rap ROBINSON: YOUR SONG Here's an idea: Jess Robinson sings different Elton John songs (who doesn't love that?) but she impersonates a different female icon for every tune. So you might hear Billie Eilish sing Tiny Dancer or Britney Spears break out Crocodile Rock or Christina Aquilera belt Rocket Man. Robinson has incredible vocal dexterity, summed up the best during one hilarious segment where she puts up images of 16 female celebrities on a blackboard and impersonates all of them (from Sharon Osbourne to Tess Daly) during Don't Go Breaking My Heart. It takes a lot to pitch 16 different vocals in three minutes while holding court on stage alone, but Robinson's cheery confidence makes it look like a doddle. The show is threaded with her own personal homage to the legend, too. Singing along ROSE TREEN: 24 HOUR DINER PEOPLE Rose Treen won Dave's funniest joke of the Fringe in 2023 with her one liner: 'I started dating a zookeeper, but it turned out he was a cheetah.' Her 2025 effort, 24 Hour Diner People, is surely one of the most surprising and oddball shows at the Edinburgh Fringe this year. Set in a classic American diner, Rose Treen introduces a cavalcade of different guests, impersonating truck drivers with long arms and a teenager getting prepared for prom, and plenty more in-between. The sheer frenetic nature of the skits induces comedy in itself, as she runs from one character to the next without taking a breath: it's amazing simply watching her running around and somehow pulling all this off, sometimes behind a hastily-made diner kiosk and at other points breaking the fourth wall in front of it. She's made all the props and the set too. The characters move a little too quickly from one to the next for the narrative lines to feel as conclusive as I'd have liked, but the sheer energy and one-liners are a hugely worthy entertainment forms in themselves. It's all wonderfully more: Sign in to access your portfolio
Metro
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
'We are getting married on stage at the Edinburgh Fringe - please buy a ticket'
When Joseph Martin and Linus Karp met in 2014 while working in retail, they might not have believed that 11 years later they would be getting married. On stage. At the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Life is a funny thing – but in this instance, it just makes sense. The duo behind Awkward Productions and their many Fringe hits – including Gwyneth Goes Skiing and Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story – live and breathe the arts festival. This year they are armed with a brand new play, The Fit Prince, in which they subvert and lovingly poke fun at the heteronormative festive romantic comedy genre. (While the status quo is brilliantly camp, they are making it queer.) But never mind that! The couple are also living their own real-life romantic comedy this year. 'Edinburgh is a pretty special place for us,' Linus explains to Metro. 'We were first just looking at getting married where we live in London, but the cheaper places were saying we could only do it in the office every third Wednesday at like 9am and it's booked up for like 12 years, basically. It was ridiculous.' The pair then thought why not do it in Edinburgh – a city which holds so much meaning for their relationship. Naturally, that thought progressed, like a good improv group, into another, 'Why not?' – which brings us to their current situation. 'In England, you have to be in a registered venue. In Scotland you don't. Provided that the owner of the premises says yes, you can get married wherever you like,' Joseph explains. So now Joseph and Linus are counting down the days until their August 16 wedding, which will take place at Pleasance Courtyard Grand venue… in front of 750 people. They are believed to be the first Fringe performers to get legally married on stage as part of a show. Nervous…? 'Obviously there will be people there that we don't know, but there are also going to be people there who are friends and family,' Linus explains. 'I think it's just going to be really fun and exciting, and also just reflect this ridiculous, queer, joyful, performative side of us and our relationship as well.' For Joseph, putting on The Fit Prince is more daunting than tying the knot in front of hundreds of strangers. 'In the show, it's entirely down to us. Whereas with the wedding, the legal bit is handled by the officiant, so we've just got to be there. It's not like if I mess up something completely, then we're not married,' he says. 'Any bad reviews, we'll just blame it on her,' Linus jokes. Direct family members will not have to pay for tickets, Linus and Joseph assure me. But for everyone else? That'll be £12. The officiant will be someone from Edinburgh City Council, who is indeed fully briefed that they will be part of a Fringe show on top of the nuptials. In their hour slot, from 11.15am until 12.15pm, the duo will cram in everything from a grand entrance to special guests, speeches, vows and performances. They are not asking for presents, and the dress code is optional: both are equally happy for festival-goers to dress up for the moment, or to grab a ticket five minutes before and rock up in shorts and a T-shirt. Children are welcome (and infants don't have to pay). However: the wedding will contain strong language. There will also be audience interaction… More Trending 'Anyone who's seen an Awkward Prod show knows that you never just sit back and watch – and the wedding will be no different,' Joseph teases. Will the happy couple be jetting off somewhere nice on their honeymoon after their big day? 'God no! We can't afford that, we're at the Fringe!' Joseph barks. Joseph and Linus' wedding is taking place at 11.15am on August 16 at Pleasance Grand. Tickets here . The Fit Prince is showing throughout August at Pleasance Courtyard Beyond at 16.40. Tickets here. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: Netflix fans rush to binge 'funniest British TV comedy ever made' MORE: Brian Cox, 79, cancels national tour after being 'very busy and tired' MORE: 'A random woman slid into my DMs – turns out she was my mum'
The National
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Five of the best things I've seen at the Edinburgh Fringe so far
The Fringe is incredible for taking you on a journey through the full spectrum of the human experience, from cringe-inducing low to euphoric highs. These five picks can be placed in the latter category. Cat Cohen: Broad Strokes Catherine Cohen is performing at the Fringe (Image: Dev Bowman) Cat Cohen is an absolute whirlwind of a woman. She comes on stage in silhouette, before the lights reveal a fantastically glamorous sequinned get-up and she bursts into song. The diva energy is palpable from the outset. Cohen's hour-long show focuses on her experience of having a stroke in her early 30s – combining themes of self-doubt, millennial self-interest and showbiz ambitions with her health journey. Her ability to coin a phrase is incredible (I can't stop thinking about describing hospital lighting as "giving cellulite), and almost as impressive as her extremely catchy cabaret songs (which I hummed on the train all the way home). This is an incredibly tight hour of comedy and music from a young woman absolutely bursting with talent. The future is incredibly bright for Miss Cohen. Rating: 5/5 Find out more here Kieran Hodgson: Voice of America Kieran Hodgson is probably most recognisable to Scottish audiences from his role as Gordon in Two Doors Down. What you might not know is that Kieran had a minor role as "Sandwich Guy" in DC film The Flash. The team behind the film required that he perform with an American accent – prompting the English-born, Glasgow-based comedian to reckon with his understanding of what it really means to be American in 2025. This is a seriously smart hour of stand-up, which also manages to showcase Hodgson's exceptional impression skills. He is also just a seriously likeable guy. Note: I am slightly cheating here, as I saw a preview of this show in Glasgow rather than at its actual Edinburgh run. Rating: 4/5 Find out more here The Fit Prince (who gets switched on the square in the frosty castle the night before (insert public holiday here)) The Fit Prince has maybe the longest title of any Fringe show this year (Image: Awkward Productions) Having already seen Awkward Productions' brilliant Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story, this was one of my must-sees going into Fringe 2025. It more than lived up to expectation. The Fit Prince is an extremely funny, extremely silly take on the sorts of cookie-cutter Netflix Christmas films and Hallmark movies that get pumped out of the Content Factory every year and inexplicably make massive amounts of money. With low-budget props and clever use of pre-filmed segments from LGBT+ cult favourites, the talented team behind the show create a lot out of a little. The highlight is the mini-concert from Swedonian favourites BAAB (obviously a play on ABBA), with creators Linus Karp and Joseph Martin donning their sparkly dresses for renditions of everyone's favourite pop hits – including Movement King. As ever, the latest production from this team includes lots of hilarious audience interaction ... so be prepared to take to the stage and become a part of the cast if you head to this one. Rating: 4/5 Find out more here Mark Jennings: Bread and Circuses Marc Jennings is seriously funny. I first came across him years ago online as he was doing a pitch-perfect impression of former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross. I've followed his career ever since. The stand-up comedian and podcaster is an underrated talent who deserves a lot more attention. Maybe this latest show will do the trick. Discussing everything from modern dating to the mess of UK and Scottish politics, Jennings darts easily from one topic to another with the ease of your mate at the pub. This one has some seriously quotable punchlines too. Rating: 4/5 Find out more here Body Count Issy Knowles is the writer and performer behind Body Count (Image: Body Count) Body Count, a new one-woman show from Issy Knowles, explores the horrifying world of competitive sex. Based loosely on the infamous escapades of women like Bonnie Blue and Lily Phillips, this show imagines the inner life of those who participate in increasingly extreme sexual activities. With only a smartphone, a bed and a whole lot of condoms, Knowles brings together a thought-provoking, well-structured performance. I would have liked more exploration of how social media led us here, rather than some of the more cliched and one-dimensional depictions of the men in the story, but overall this show is a real talker. Go with your friends, and discuss it over a pint afterwards. Is the line between empowerment and degradation really so thin? Rating: 3.5/5 Find out more here Let us know what your favourite shows have been in the comments.
Scotsman
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Festival Fringe performers to get married live on stage in 'first legal wedding' in 78 years
The pair are believed to be the first performers to have a legal wedding with a ticketed audience at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A pair of Edinburgh Fringe performers are to get married live on stage in the 'first legal wedding' in the festival's 78-year history. Linus Karp and Joseph Martin, stars Of Gwyneth Goes Skiing and The Fit Prince, are to tie the knot on August 16 - hours before they return to the stage to perform their show. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Billed as a show on the Pleasance Grand stage, with tickets available through the usual Fringe channels, the event is dubbed 'Awkwardprods get married (but for real)'. The event will include a legal marriage ceremony conducted by a licensed officiant. Guest performers and musical elements are expected – with the final line-up to be confirmed. Linus Karp and Joseph Martin are to get married live on stage at this year's Fringe. | Linus Karp and Joseph Martin The couple, who co-founded Awkward Productions and have been together for ten years, said they believed this would be the first legal wedding with a paying audience in the Fringe's 78-year history, and likely the first LGBTQ+ wedding to be staged as part of the official programme. In a joint statement, Mr Karp and Mr Martin said: 'I do.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Their show, The Fit Prince (Who Gets Switched On The Square In The Frosty Castle The Night Before [Insert Public Holiday Here]), is a queer parody of the holiday movie genre. Their previously-run show, Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story, is meanwhile also returning to this year's Edinburgh Fringe for a short run, in which Linus plays Diana and Joseph voices Charles.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Gwyneth Goes Skiing' and ‘Diana' Team Sets Edinburgh Fringe Return With New Royal Queer Rom-Com Parody ‘The Fit Prince' (EXCLUSIVE)
After back-to-back Edinburgh Fringe hits, Awkward Productions is returning with a new queer romantic comedy parody that aims to subvert the traditional holiday movie genre. 'The Fit Prince (Who Gets Switched on the Square in the Frosty Castle the Night Before (Insert Public Holiday Here))' will premiere at Edinburgh Fringe, running July 30-Aug. 25, before transferring to London's King's Head Theatre for a Dec. 2-Jan. 3, 2026 run. More from Variety 'Fleabag' Star Phoebe Waller-Bridge Launches $120,000 Fund for Edinburgh Fringe Artists - Global Bulletin Unlicensed 'Making a Murderer' Musical to Premiere at Edinburgh Fringe, Netflix Not Involved Edinburgh Festivals Called Off Due to Coronavirus Concerns The show follows the fictional country of Swedonia, where the king has died and the prince must marry or forfeit the crown. Meanwhile in New York, a struggling baker receives a mysterious royal commission to create a wedding cake for the Swedonian prince. Written by and starring Linus Karp and Joseph Martin, the production is described as 'the chaotic queer cousin' to Netflix and Hallmark holiday films. The real-life couple (who are set to marry after the Fringe run) will play romantic leads opposite each other for the first time. Golden Globe-nominated songwriter Leland, known for his work with Troye Sivan, Kylie Minogue and 'RuPaul's Drag Race,' has composed original music for the production. The show continues Awkward Productions' signature style of interactive, fourth-wall-breaking theater that has become its trademark. The company's previous hit 'Gwyneth Goes Skiing' sold out its 2024 Edinburgh run and toured the U.S. in 2025, while 'Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story' won the Off-Fest Award for best play at the Fringe. Karp, a Swedish actor and writer who founded Awkward Productions with Martin in 2017, has developed a reputation for high-camp theatrical productions that blend pop culture commentary with queer celebration. Swedonia is described as a 'suspiciously familiar, completely fictional country' inspired by Karp's native Sweden. Audiences can expect what the company calls 'queer joy, wild silliness and camp theatrical brilliance from start to finish.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More
