Everything I saw at Fringe (that you should too)…

Journalist and theatre critic Tom Wrath has been out across Edinburgh to find out about the offerings on stage during The Fringe Festival 2023.

Fringe is incredible. A month-long beer-fuelled, culturally significant celebration of theatre, comedy,  music, and any other performance art. It is a fusing of genre, diversity, and experiences, as 20- something Glaswegians pour their hearts out in one-woman shows, big-name comedians trial new material, and tribute acts serenade crowds sipping pints on hot Summer afternoons.

But Fringe is also bewilderingly large. With thousands of shows across hundreds of venues, it can be hard to find exactly what you’re looking for, or worse, miss out on the performances you want to catch because you couldn’t fit them into your schedule.

I’ve rounded up everything worthy of a coveted spot in your shortlist that I saw last weekend, to provide your one-stop guide to the must-see’s at this year’s festival…

Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story – Awkward Productions:
Camp as Christmas and tasteless as Turkey, what better note to start on than Linus Karp and Joseph Martin’s glorious and wacky retelling of Lady Di’s story?

Diana’s narrative runs chronologically, beginning with her birth as Lady Spencer, running through her ill-fated marriage to Charles, and ending with…her entertaining the crowds at the Pleasance Dome having not died in a car crash in Paris.

In this hour-and-a-bit joyride, Awkward Productions throw sensibility out the window to imagine what life could have looked like had Diana survived – with tremendous wit and utter bizarreness. Expect Camilla, portrayed by a giant, gurgling, promiscuous monster of a puppet. Expect Charles, as
a solitary cardboard cutout paraded around the stage as if to imitate a man with very little self-awareness. And expect complete and utter Queer joy – for Karp’s comic creation is a celebration of Diana’s humanity and humility, as much as it is a tongue-in-cheek look inspection of today’s
monarchy.

Combining drag, vivacious musical numbers, audience interaction, and puppetry, Diana’s slightly truer and more told story lives on in this ultimate love letter to the people’s princess.
Showing at Pleasance Dome, Kingdome until 28th August and heading out on a UK-wide tour later this year.

Inside Everyone – Adrian Bliss:
Those already familiar with Bliss will know that his brand of comedy is not lewd or foul-mouthed or bawdy in the slightest (looking at you Jerry Sadowtiz…). Inside Everyone is just downright silly, taking the audience on a journey from the birth of our great planet, giving Bliss’ take on some of humanities greatest moments. Think Cleopatra being bitten by the snake, dinosaurs being wiped off the face of the earth…and Julius Caesar eating his lunch.

Terry Deary eat your heart out – Bliss’ brand is perfect for (now) grown-up Horrible Histories fans, sitcom lovers, and sci-fi supporters alike. And even if the skits were slightly predictable, then Bliss carried them off knowingly, with a nudge, wink, and enough daft costumes to get even the hardiest of viewers on side.

From TikTok to Pleasance, Inside Everyone’s endless cast of quirky takes on historical figures is a wholesome and hilarious way to kick start any afternoon.
Showing at Pleasance Dome, Acedome until 27th August

Hubba Hubba – Tom Lawrinson:
Another TikTok comedian was next on the bill. Just across the way in the Underbelly, Lawrinson had skin crawling, hairs standing on end, and nervous laughter flowing from every seat in the intimate ‘Clover’ space.

From Harry Potter to Wallace and Gromit (to your nan), nothing is off limits in Lawrinson’s violently unpredictable show – which takes aim at pillars of pop culture, audience latecomers and those stale office conversations that you can never quite evade.

At times, Lawrinson’s spiel threatened tomoutrun even him, as he paused to make a sarcastic comment or eyeball audience members for
slightly too long, but the menacing smirk across his face said he always had another big gag up his big pink sleeves.*Twit Twoo*
Showing at Underbelly Bristo Square – Clover, until 28th August

The Wonderful Everyday – Student Theatre at Glasgow:
Ever wanted to live in Ikea? Play hide and seek in the locked-up store at night, sit on the couch drenched in infinite blankets, or cranking music loudly through the stereo systems?

The Wonderful Everyday, performed with immaculate comic timing, piercing vulnerability, and lashings of dystopia, allows you to (vicariously) do just that.

Laura Milton and Emma Gribbon are a tour-de-force as the bickering, loveable couple front-and-center of Bailey Camack’s unnerving
gameshow – seeking the reward of a house for living in the homeware store for a year. But will they manage it without their relationship deteriorating?
Although they’ve now finished their short run at the Fringe, Student Theatre at Glasgow is sure to
return for more shenanigans next year – catch them if you can!

How to become ridiculously well-read (in 50 minutes or so) – Leo Kitay:
Written and performed by Leo Kitay, “How to become ridiculously well read” is a tender portrait of neurodivergence in musical form.

Using an extraordinary breadth of instruments, songs, and acting, this one-man production considers the feverous excitement and opportunity of being locked inside the school library overnight as a six-year-old, and the endless possibilities for discovery that such space provides.

As the said six-year-old, Kitay maintains a harmonious balance of excitability and innocence – questioning his lack of relationships with other children, becoming giddy at the prospect of breaking the rules, and worrying about the impact of an all-seeing, all-hearing ‘demon’ that has challenged him to read all 300 books in the library before it burns to the ground.

Kitay and co-writer Sam Plumb have created something so much more than just a simple celebration of literature. They’ve created something that will wriggle deep into the bookish hearts of many and linger for a while.
Showing at Greenside – Nicolson Square until 26th August

I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical
If cheesy, wholesome musical fun isn’t your cup of tea, perhaps avoid this one. But if you’re down for a hilariously introspective look at the theatre industry, I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical’ is a must see.

From the mind of A.S. Bermange, musical theatre's most self-deprecating look at itself features an all-star cast of West End performers that multi-role spectacularly. Whether it be ex-Six Queen Jennifer Caldwell slipping into Glenn Close-esque diva-ism, former Phantom of the Opera and Les
Mis man Rhidian Marc delivers some glorious interplay with the onstage piano, or Rocky Horror’s Sev Keoshgerian rousing the crowd in a number framed around the not-so-subtle-art of the on-stage kiss – for musical theatre lovers and haters alike there’s something to take away from the Gilded
Balloon.

Musical theatre is unique, it is joyous – but it can also be a massive pain in the behind for it’s fans, it’s cast, and it’s crew. Bermange and his ensemble celebrate just that.
Showing at Gilded Balloon at the Museum until 27th August

Thanks, Tom for sharing your trip to The Fringe with Edge Radio!