Even though the Fringe known for its comedy and larger-than-life performances, it also remains a platform for some of the most intriguing and important pieces of contemporary theatre.
With genre-bending performances regularly providing important social commentary and inspiring conversations on difficult issues, here are the thought-provoking and important works we know you’ll want to see:
The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return
Photo by Luce Newman-Williams and designed by Richard Scarborough
Two best mates. One huge party. Luton pinned by austerity. ‘The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return’ is an evening of noughties bangers and shots mixed with the chaos of violence, from award-winning Chalk Line. Packed with swagger, this exploration of youth hurls at a rapid pace to a backdrop of nostalgic hits through one evening at a house party, drawing on the personal experience of writer Sam Edmunds.
‘The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return’ is on at Summerhall (Demonstration Room), Thursday 1st – Monday 26th August 2024 at 19:40.
STUFFED
Photo by Jack Ehlen
‘STUFFED’ is a show about food banks. It is not a show about food. Multi-award-winning theatre makers Ugly Bucket (Untapped Award 2022) present a blazing inferno of a clowning show, delving into the wreckage of a desecrated support system. During the pandemic, Ugly Bucket volunteered at food banks and council helplines to support the distribution of emergency food parcels. This is their response, an explosion of transformative personal testimony, physicality, clowning and original music.
‘STUFFED’ is on at Pleasance Courtyard (Above) from Wednesday 31st July – Monday 26th August 2024 (not 18th) at 14:25.
LOST…FOUND
Photo by Jeremy Folmer
On the heels of a major childhood event, K. Lorrel Manning’s ‘LOST…FOUND’ takes you on a soul-searching, delightfully human roller-coaster ride through music, unlikely heroes and the Artist formerly known as Prince. An autobiographical story, ‘LOST…FOUND’ is about the catharsis of the truth and using art to heal. Through baring his soul and putting a stop to feeling ashamed of his past, Lorrel shows us the power of art.
‘LOST…FOUND’ is on at Assembly Roxy (Outside), Thursday 1st – Monday 26th August 2023 (not 13th, 20th) at 13:30.
Bill’s 44th
Photo by Tristram Kenton
The critically acclaimed puppeteering duo Andy Manjuck and Dorothy James return to Edinburgh Fringe with their tragicomedy hit ‘Bill’s 44th’. In association with Underbelly, this introspective and wordless puppet show for grown-ups is both tender and hilarious, exploring loneliness and self-acceptance through a seemingly disappointing birthday party.
‘Bill’s 44th’ is on at Underbelly (Belly Button) from Thursday 1st – Sunday 25th August (not 12th), 18:55.
BELLRINGERS
Multi-award-winning Ellie Keel Productions and Atticist return to Edinburgh Fringe in a co-production with Hampstead Theatre with ‘BELLRINGERS’, a sublime finalist for the Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2024. In a belltower at the end of the world, Clement and Aspinall are waiting for lightning to strike; superstition says that the ringing of church bells can dispel a storm. When it feels like the apocalypse is here, anything is worth a shot in this stunning debut play about love, community and being young.
‘BELLRINGERS’ is on at Summerhall (Roundabout), Thursday 1st – Monday 26th August (not 6th, 13th, 20th) at 13:15.
Duck
Photo by Isha Shah
Winner of the Pleasance’s Charlie Hartill Fund 2024, and from award-winning playwright maatin and Fringe First award-winning director Imy Wyatt Corner, ‘Duck’ is a one-man show about a teenage cricket star’s search for his place in an environment that doesn’t cater for difference. Set in 2005, amid the backdrop of the famous Ashes series and the 7/7 London bombings, ‘Duck’ follows Ismail coming to terms with what it means to be Brown and Muslim over one fateful summer.
‘Duck’ is on at Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance Beneath) from Wednesday 31st July – Monday 26th August 2024 (not 12th, 19th) at 15:40.
Crying Shame
Photo by Rona Bar Ofek Avshalom
Winner of the Pleasance Charlie Hartill Fund 2024, ‘Crying Shame’ is a cabaret show-cum-wellness journey all about loneliness. In the dusty dreamscape of Club Fragilé, you’ll encounter washed-up cabaret acts, filthy lip-syncs and a joyous celebration of queer culture, as these camp clowns try – and possibly fail – to connect with each other and the audience. You might be lonely, but you’re definitely not alone.
‘Crying Shame’ is on at Pleasance Dome (King Dome), Wednesday 31st July – Sunday 25th August 2024 (not 5th, 12th, 19th) at 21:30.
The Book of Mountains and Seas
When a grieving father discovers the last thing on his son’s phone is his Yelp page, he teams up with his son’s last boyfriend in New York to head on an impossible journey of discovery and understanding. ‘The Book of Mountains and Seas’ is a comedic and moving drama from American playwright Yilong Liu about dealing with loss, differences, and unlikely friendships as father and son’s ex-boyfriend team up to visit all 179 restaurants that their lost love reviewed.
‘The Book of Mountains and Seas’ is on at Pleasance Courtyard (Beneath), Wednesday 31st July – Sunday 25th August 2024 (not 5th, 12th, 19th) at 13:05.
THE SOUND INSIDE
Photo by Simon Kane
Delicate, provocative and bursting with wit, ‘THE SOUND INSIDE’ unravels the story of two outsiders on the threshold of breaking an indelible taboo. Nominated for six Tony Awards, ‘THE SOUND INSIDE’ sees an entanglement of relationships when a solitary Ivy League creative writing professor becomes captivated by a brilliant, rebellious freshman student.
‘THE SOUND INSIDE’ is on at Traverse Theatre (Traverse 1), Saturday 3rd – Sunday 25th August 2024 (not 5th, 12th, 19th).
