From disco dance hall parties for under-fives to adults-only late-night cabaret shows, there truly is something for everyone at the Edinburgh Fringe, the world’s biggest arts festival. John Scott shares his 2025 highlights.
Jonah Non Grata
Simon Kane’s one-man play is a surreal take on a medieval mystery play, or is it? The piece is performed in a converted portacabin in a closed-off section of one of Edinburgh’s busiest streets, which adds a sense of disorientation to an already baffling experience. Attempting to follow and dissect the plot proved to be a bit of a head-scratcher, so it’s best just to go with the flow, absorb it all, and think about it later. Adience reviews range from “The best show I’ve seen in AGES” to “Absolute drivel…under no circumstance waste your hard-earned money on this crap.” So, which was it? While inside Schrodinger’s Portacabin, Jonah Non Grata may well be both things at once. It’s not until you emerge, blinking back into the street and recondition yourself to the “normality” of everyday Edinburgh existence that you can begin to decide for yourself.
Pub Grub
Is there any deep meaning behind the title of this lunchtime show from comedy poet Luke Wright? Apparently, he just likes the sound of the two words together, like the double tap of a bass drum. John Cooper Clarke, whom Wright has toured with, is an obvious comparison. Cooper Clarke and Wright both clearly relish the English language and love to mine it for its comedic potential, but Wright isn’t afraid to take a more experimental approach. The alliterative Donald Dewsbury’s Date leans heavily on the letter D to tell the tale of an old man choking to death. Another poem employs O as its only vowel. This technical trickery stays on the right side of self-indulgence, making Pub Grub an entertaining way to spend an hour in the middle of the day.
Trust Me I’m From Essex
Lindsay Lucas-Bartlett’s autobiographically based one-woman comedy musical explores and explodes the myths around the stereotypical Essex Girl. Lindsay’s dreams of escaping her life with her abusive, bipolar dad and drug addict brother revolve around either marrying Prince William or relocating to Los Angeles. Branded as stupid at school (she’s not thick, she’s dyslexic), she battles her way to university and eventually makes one of her dreams come true. Her journey there and back home again is funny, touching, and, at times, harrowing and is told with an endearing honesty. Never underestimate an Essex Girl.
Monsky Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall / Monsky Mouse’s Baby Cabaret
First of all, let me put on record my complete admiration for any parents who can get their under-fives up, dressed, fed, and out into the middle of town by 10:00 am on a Saturday morning while retaining the energy to boogie with their beloved offspring for an hour. Even a hard-hearted cynic like me has to admit that there is no more heart-warming sight than seeing both toddlers and parents having a whale of a time while DJ Monski spins the Dance Hall decks as her dance crew leads everyone through the moves. Not only fun, the show is also educational and inspirational; The Wheels On The Bus combines basic mechanical engineering with public transport etiquette, while Nelly The Elephant sees our eponymous heroine overthrow the Big Top pachyderm patriarchy to set off on a journey of self-discovery as an independent traveller. Monsky’s Baby Cabaret follows pretty much the same formula but with live music in place of the DJ set. In a show full of fun, the highlight was a mass recreation of THAT lift to Dirty Dancing’s (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life. At a Monsky Mouse show, everyone puts the baby in the corner.
Massaoke: Sing The Musicals
If you had asked me if I wanted to go to a sing-along musical show, I would have almost certainly politely, or not so politely, declined. That was before I saw Massaoke: Sing The Musicals, though. Massaoke (it’s short for Mass Karaoke) bring such energy and enthusiasm to their performance that it is impossible not to get caught up in the spirit of the show. The young band (Nicholette Chew, Josh Taylor, Klaus White, Io Kaloudi, and Ben Cullingworth) are all highly skilled musicians and singers who quite obviously love what they do. Audience participation is a key part of the show, with song lyrics projected behind the band and everyone encouraged to sing along – encouragement was not required, the audience evidently knew the score and were good to go from the outset. Sing The Musicals is a family-friendly show, and it was good to see kids, mums & dads, and grandparents all having fun together, singing along to songs from musicals ranging from Singing In The Rain to Hamilton and culminating in a rousing rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody. Call me converted.
Burlesque!
Over the last few years, burlesque has grown in popularity as a part of the Fringe, and there are a large number of burlesque shows on offer this year. The Voodoo Rooms styles itself as “The Home Of Burlesque”, having hosted shows long before the burlesque boom, throughout the year, not just during the Fringe. This year’s lineup included both old favourites and new faces and, sadly featured the final Fringe performance of Missy Malone who has decided to hang up her fans (the feather ones she uses in performance, not the ones who come to see her perform) to the disappointment of her fans (the ones who come to see her perform, not the feather ones she uses in performance) to pursue an acting career. Burlesque! Is a fun-filled, inclusive show with an emphasis on the tease element of striptease and a great deal of humour from the performers. Have we really seen the last of Missy Malone? I hope not.
Marble Cake
Co-written by Olivia Penhallow and Nathanial Allen, who also perform the lead roles of siblings, Keisha and Kumi, Marble Cake explores issues of mixed-race identity and sibling rivalry. Keisha has left home and has a successful career. Kumi lives at home with their mother. When Keisha comes home to visit, she accuses Kumi of a lack of ambition and criticises his drinking. Kumi is caring for their mother, who has MS, but he has not told Keisha this, and it is not revealed until near the end of the play. Keisha feels disconnected from both her father’s Nigerian Heritage and her mother’s Irish roots. Kumi does not share her feelings and seems happier with his own identity, which angers Keisha. The pair bond when Kumi puts on an LP and they dance together, but the friction bubbles up again throughout their conversations until Kumi blurts out the truth about their mother’s health, resulting in them putting aside their issues. Marble Cake is a thoughtful, well-written, and acted piece. While I wasn’t able to relate properly to the mixed-race issues that the play presents, not being of mixed race myself, I was able to empathise with both Keisha and Kemi’s point of view, and their familial tensions were very relatable. I imagine this would be the case for many of the audience members as well. Seeing the play was a worthwhile experience and I hope it goes on to do well after the Fringe.
Two Guys and Three Drams
Maybe the only thing better than enjoying three drams of quality malt whisky is enjoying three drams of quality malt whisky while listening to some excellent blues music. Styling themselves as The Rhythm and Booze Project, Filipe (slide guitar and vocals) and Paul (drums and washboard) are whisky and blues enthusiasts, keen to share both of their passions. Their tutored tastings of three different styles of whisky are healthily irreverent and tongue in cheek, with prizes being awarded for the most pretentious tasting note suggestions from the audience. Hint: Mentioning oak and vanilla is a safe bet for any aspiring whisky bluffer. As we taste, Paul and Felipe treat us to some down and dirty blues songs. Banter and blues are a great combination; sixty-five minutes just flew by. Can we have Two Guys and Six Drams next year, please.
King Arthur’s Body
This comedic, queer retelling of the Arthurian legend contains a familiar tale. Young Arthur is confused by his adolescent feelings and is mentored in affairs of the heart by Merlin. Merlin, in turn, is counselled by his overfamiliar familiar, Archimedes the owl. Arthur has feelings for Guiniver,e but when Lancelot arrives on the scene, Arthur finds himself drawn to him. As does Guinivere. Confusion reigns until polyamory conquers all and everyone lives happily ever after. This tightly written romp fizzes with energy, with Merlin’s alliterative asides deserving particularly praiseworthy plaudits. Gen Z slang is artfully combined with medieval forsooths and mayhaps to give the story a knowing nod to the 21st century. Camp as Camelot and a whole lot of fun.
Born Blue
Canadian Wes McClintock somehow swallowed amniotic fluid while in the womb and was born blue. Not metaphorically, as in having immediate post-natal depression, but literally, as in the colour blue. This, it transpires, was simultaneously the first and the least of his problems. Born into a dysfunctional family, our Wes has a tumultuous upbringing ahead of him. Dad is a serial cheater with a nasty, cruel streak. Mum confuses liberalism with lackadaisical parenting. Hilarity ensues, but only thanks to Wes’s refreshing perspective. Highlights include Wes being taken by his mum to the Adult store on his 18th birthday to pick out the porn video of his choice and his time as part of The Wilderness Of Manitoba – “The most Canadian band name ever” whose claim to fame is having Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson play a solo on one of their albums. Wes intersperses his tales of woe with wryly witty and sometimes poignant songs in what is a highly engaging show. Oh, and in case you were wondering, Wes isn’t blue anymore.
Whisky and Witches
Remember what I said about there being nothing better than three drams and some great music? Well, that was before I had five drams with some great music. And not just five drams but five cask strength drams. And not just five cask strength drams, but, well, we will get to that. Our hostesses for the evening are Jane and Christina, both whisky enthusiasts with years of experience in the industry. Jane is a natural storyteller and raconteur (raconteuse?) with an outrageously imaginative flair for tasting notes. Spread out in front of each of us are five generous pours of whisky whose alcohol contents range from 50% to over 66%. Jane asks us to “nose” the first of these and then take a sip, which we do. At this point, the American lady sitting next to me loudly exclaims, “Well, I’m not a whisky drinker!” and shortly afterwards, she and her husband get up and leave. It seems a shame to let their whisky go to waste. Christina is a Norwegian singer and multi-instrumentalist, and in between our tasting and Jane’s storytelling, she performs some traditional Norwegian songs along with her own compositions. Her voice is spellbinding. Throughout the evening, Jane and Christina explain how the women, and they were primarily women, who brewed beer and whisky came to be regarded as witches, their “evil” but highly popular practices being demonised by the church and the patriarchy. I’d tell you more about it but the American lady’s whisky was starting to kick in, and my recollection is a bit hazy. A great evening though and while I might not remember it too clearly, I won’t forget it in a hurry.
Peter Doherty
Right now, on the other side of the city, tens of thousands of Oasis fans are singing their lungs out at Murrayfield Stadium. Here, in a considerably smaller venue, a couple of hundred Peter Doherty fans are doing the same. Oasis and Doherty share a knack for delivering a crowd-pleasing singalong song, but if Doherty has any stadium-filling ambitions, he’s keeping them well hidden. He seems perfectly happy to be here, trading amiable between-song banter with the audience. He tells us that he used to dream of performing poetry at the Edinburgh Fringe, so now that he’s here, he’s not going to pass up the opportunity and reads a couple of poems from one of his collections. It’s his songs that the crowd is here for, though, and are almost unanimously word-perfect on every song. Why be at Murrayfield when you can be here now?
Dean Friedman
From Peter Doherty to Dean Friedman in 24 Hours: you can’t say that the Fringe doesn’t offer variety. Friedman is probably best known for two songs: Ariel and Lucky Stars but his early albums were full of well-crafted songwriting, and while he may not be as well-known as he once was, tonight’s show proves that he has not lost his touch. His more recent songs are filled with a wry, mordant humour, reminiscent of Loudon Wainwright, but as Wainwright is one of our greatest observational songwriters, that is perhaps an unfair comparison. While it is the old songs: Lydia, Woman Of Mine, Rocking Chair (It’s Gonna Be Alright), Ariel, and Lucky Stars that shine most brightly, newer songs like Saturday Fathers and McDonald’s Girl show that Friedman still has the songwriting chops. Under The Weather, about visiting a sick friend in hospital, is perfectly observed and is an absolute earworm that takes days to shake off. Finally, The Baker’s Tale, Friedman’s response to Half Man Half Biscuit’s song The Bastard Son Of Dean Friedman shows he can give as good as he gets.
Moonage Rhapsody
Moonage Rhapsody is Aiden Sadler’s tribute to two of their heroes: David Bowie and Freddie Mercury. Born to a life of glitter and glam but growing up in non-glittery, unglamorous Gravesend, Bowie and Mercury were the twin icons that propelled Aiden to a shiny showbiz cabaret career. Assisted – enhanced even – by the phenomenal keyboard talents of Natasha Panas on piano, Sadler splits the evening fairly evenly between songs by both songwriters, although audience preference is also taken into consideration. Sadler’s love for the source material and their frequently self-deprecating between-song banter sells the performance despite an ongoing recovery from a chest infection resulting in Sadler struggling slightly with some of the high notes. Highlights include Life On Mars? with stunning work from Panas and I Want To Break Free, during which Sadler deploys the venue’s vacuum cleaner.
Blues and Burlesque
According to the show’s press release, this year’s show reflects on the state of the arts industry and the perils of bringing a show to the Fringe. But with jokes. Starring Pete Saunders, on his way down and Belle De Beauvoir, on her way up (can you tell who wrote the press release?), the show is part love letter and part suicide note to the arts. In reality, the show is the same mix of downbeat, deadpan world-weary humour from Pete and showgirl sparkle from Belle that we have come to love over the past few years. Pete thinks it’s his politically incisive songcraft that draws the audience. Belle thinks it’s her breasts. They may both have a point.
The Countess Of Fife
At a time when punk rock largely consisted of angry shouting, The Rezillos wedded pop tunes to a self-aware, cartoonish sense of fun. Co-vocalist Fay Fife exchanged Top Of The Pops for a career as a clinical psychologist but can still occasionally be seen in The Rezillos or in her new band The Countess Of Fife, who are undertaking a short residence at The Voodoo Rooms. The band opens their residency with a couple of nights in a duo format of Fay on keyboard and vocals and Brian McFie on guitar, joined later in the run by Willy Molleson on drums, Al Gare on double bass, and Kirsten Adamson on guitar and vocals. The duo performances range from being darkly reflective to determinedly joyous, with Brian McFie’s shimmering guitar work taking pride of place. The full band shows reveal a more rambunctious aspect to the band, but the quality and maturity of Fay’s songwriting shine through with songs like Hard Woman To Love and Live Again. An hour in the court of The Countess Of Fife is an hour well worth your time.
Massaoke: 90s
If Massaoke: Sing The Musicals is a family-friendly daytime singalong, Massaoke: 90s expands the singalong concept into a full-blown, late-night grown-up’s party. As the band power through every 90s hit you can think of from Smells Like Teen Spirit to Barbie Girl, Peter Andre to Blink 182, the audience sing along and go comprehensively nuts. Fun turned up to 11.
Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours with The Transatlantic Ensemble
Whether you like it or not, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours album has been designated as a classic. As if to prove this, nearly 2000 people over two consecutive nights have turned up to watch The Transatlantic Ensemble play through the album along with a bunch of other Buckingham/Nicks-era hits. I have no idea who The Transatlantic Ensemble are and I’m willing to bet that 99% of the audience have no idea either. They are not here for the band; they are here for the songs. As it turns out, the band are all highly talented musicians but are somewhat characterless. I can think of at least one Fleetwood Mac tribute band that gives a better, more rounded, and engaging account of the Fleetwood Mac catalogue. Who cares what I think, though; the audience loves it. With regular outbreaks of witchy arm waving (mainly the women) and Dad dancing (mostly the men), they are temporally transported back to 1977, presumably during a golden Californian summer rather than a wet weekend in Blackpool. Rumours’ classic status remains unsullied.
Thumpasaurus
A new name to me, Thumpasaurus are an American funk rock band with a nice line in silliness and self-mythology. The show opens with a Star Wars-style projected prologue and a narrative from a cloaked singer/guitarist, Lucas Tamaren, read from The Book Of Thump. The band: Tamaren, Henry Was (drums), Logan Kane (bass), Henry Solomon (saxophone), Paul Cornish (keys), and Ben Benjamin (visuals) kick in with a relentless funk. Although new to me, it transpires that the band are no strangers to the Fringe, and they have obviously picked up a fair number of fans during previous visits. If a portal to the world of Thumpasaurus opens up near you, I’d recommend stepping through it; you may never be the same again.
Marcus Is Alive
Seven years ago, Marcus Freed was involved in a hit-and-run accident in Los Angeles. Marcus Is Alive is the story of that life-threatening accident, the subsequent operations, setbacks, both physical and psychological, and Freed’s quest to find the man who ran him over in order to satisfy his insurance company and get his medical bills paid. I’m not sure that it’s a story anyone really needs to hear, but it’s a story that Freed evidently needs to tell. This one-man play works well as a vehicle for Freed to display his acting talents, although it sometimes feels as if some scenes have been shoehorned in only for the purposes of doing that. Ultimately, Freed concludes that he is a better person for his experience (Spoiler: He doesn’t find his assailant, but he does find himself).
When Rivers Meet
Blues band When Rivers Meet, helmed by husband and wife Grace and Aaron Bond, have built up a loyal following, many of whom follow the band around the country and have made it here to the Fringe. It’s not hard to see why; the band plays gritty, blues-based rock anchored by Grace’s soulful vocals and occasionally augmented by her electric mandolin and violin. The band are showcasing their latest album, Addicted To You, although a new album is on the cards. We are treated to a preview of a few songs, and it sounds like it will be a winner. When Rivers Meet are on Tour in the UK throughout October so catch them if you can.
John Scott (Upstage Photography)
