With so much happening at the Edinburgh Fringe, it is hard to know what to see, so here are a few more comedy shows that you won’t want to miss.
ANDY PARSONS: BAFFLINGLY OPTIMISTIC
Pleasance Courtyard, Cabaret Bar 14th-27th at 7pm
We’ve been visited by the Four Horsemen in the form of Disease, Death, War and overpriced Ketchup, so what hope can there be? Andy is Bafflingly Optimistic.
Having done 17 full-run Edinburgh shows, Andy hasn’t done one for 17 years, so he thought it was time he went back – but he has now got parental responsibilities, so juggling children and Edinburgh is going to be an exciting challenge.
Andy started his career writing non-commissioned for Radio 4’s Weekending and went on to become one of the main writers of the original Spitting Image on ITV. Having had his own Radio 2 series for 6 years, he became a regular panellist on Mock The Week and has made numerous TV appearances on the likes of Live At The Apollo, The Comedy Store and QI.
BRIDGET CHRISTIE: WHO AM I?
THE STAND, NEW TOWN THEATRE. 2-10 August at 1.50pm
The Edinburgh Comedy Award, Rose d’Or and South Bank Sky Arts Award winner will be taking her highly acclaimed show Who Am I? on tour this Autumn, including a run at The New Town Theatre in August at The Edinburgh Fringe.
Bridget Christie is hot, but not in a good way. She leaks blood, sweats, and thinks that ‘Chris Rock’ is the same person as ‘The Rock’. She cannot ride the motorbike she bought to combat her mid-life crisis because of early osteoarthritis in her hips and RSI in her wrist, and she wonders why there are so many films, made by men, about young women discovering their sexuality – but none about middle-aged women forgetting theirs. It’s a menopause laugh-a-minute with a confused, furious, sweaty lady who is annoyed by everything.
Christopher Macarthur-Boyd: Scary Times
Monkey Barrel Comedy, The Tron 1st – 27th (not 14th) August at 7.15pm
The world is a scary place, so here’s some normal good observational comedy for people who wake up screaming sometimes. Christopher Macarthur-Boyd has jokes on everything: zoos, going for a walk, and the collapse of the British state. Everything’s more expensive, everything’s slightly worse, the future is not bright – we are living in scary times.
Christopher made his national television debut this calendar year, appearing as a panelist on Frankie Boyle’s New World Order on BBC Two. He was also the host of an episode of the BBC New Comedy Award 2022 alongside Josie Long and Fern Brady, and wrote for Channel 4’s 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, and Dave’s Late Night Mash. He is a constant presence on BBC Scotland according to people who approach him in the street, featuring on Edinburgh Unlocked, Breaking The News, and Ooh The Banter! as part of the channel’s Hogmanay coverage. Most recently he was featured as part of Channel 4’s digital comedy series Jokes Only A… Can Tell.
DANIEL FOXX: Villain
Pleasance, Baby Grand. 2-27 August (not 14) at 7.05pm. NEWCOMER!
Daniel Foxx is one of the most exciting new voices in comedy right now.
The people’s princess and TikTok starlet will deliver his stand-up hour debut with a show about childhood, Tilda Swinton, and bullying (but in a chic way). With his trademark wit and grandmother’s pearls, he’s taking us back to the 2000s, when the Special K diet was all the rage and the only queer representation was Aladdin’s Jafar.
Daniel is an award-winning comedian and writer. His easy-going delivery and sharp jokes have quickly established him as one of the most exciting new acts on the UK comedy circuit, whilst his comedy sketch videos have earned him a huge online following and millions of views. On screen, Daniel has performed on BBC One and BBC Three as part of the BBC New Comedy Awards and he can soon be seen performing stand-up on Comedy Central Live. He also has a pilot script in development with Greenacre Films based on his Supervillain’s Gay Assistant hit sketch series.
ELLIOT STEEL: Love And Hate Speech
Underbelly, Cowgate. 3-27 August at 9.55pm
Love and Hate Speech sees comedy’s most talented Nepo Baby make light of the darkest and most taboo subjects from his own life and experience. Only 26 but a young veteran of the British scene, Steel is finding success with his hilarious takes on mental health, being raised in comedy and the pressures that come with it in a world that hates nepo children.
From near life-altering injuries sustained at Jiu Jitsu to everyday Gen Z life, this is Elliot’s best show yet. After gaining huge success online, he is a regular at Britain’s top comedy clubs despite being in his mid-twenties.
Marked as ‘One to Watch’ by the Independent, Elliot Steel is a rising talent on the UK’s comedy circuit. Receiving critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with his show about toxic masculinity, Merked in 2019.
IVO GRAHAM: Organised Fun
Ten Fringes in, and keen to get the most he can out of the month (creatively speaking, that is: two of these shows will almost certainly lose money), Ivo Graham has decided to spread his three creative passions – crowdwork, oversharing, and music snobbery – across three separate shows.
His main gig, Organised Fun (in his biggest Edinburgh venue yet, with four hubris-laden extra shows in the Grand, and a national tour awaiting in the autumn), will inevitably feature a bit of all the above, but is intently focused on the first: his audience. (“His best crowd-work magically weaves gold from straw; I could watch him natter all day” – Telegraph). Having spent most of the last few years doing shows about his personal life – virginity loss (2013), girlfriend (2015), engagement (2018), parenthood (2019), break-up (2022), and of course, how all of that links back to his time at boarding school (2013, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2022) – and with said personal life now in a state that can best be described as “TBC”, Ivo’s decided to focus his frantic, stressful energy on the thing that he’s brought to Taskmaster, Off Menu, and various TV quiz formats: chaos.
GRAHAM IN THE GREEN – Pleasance Courtyard, The Green 17-27 (not 26) August at 2.30-3.30pm
COMEDIANS DJ BATTLES – Assembly George Square Studios, Underground Friday 4, Friday 11, Sunday 20 & Sunday 27 August at 11.30pm (til late)
JOSH JONES: GOBSMACKED
Pleasance, BabyGrand 2-27 August (not 14) at 8.20pm
Following a highly acclaimed, sold-out run at the Fringe last year, a debut tour and a Dave Edinburgh Comedy Award, Best Newcomer Award nomination, Josh Jones will be returning to Edinburgh with his new show Gobsmacked.
Josh is Gobsmacked at turning thirty, so this is his ‘coming of age’ show. He has taken up boxing (for self defence reasons), canoeing and he knows that he definitely wants his own family. He’s got a massive problem with Geese and his Mum’s physic is helping him work it all out. Come and see how our Mancunian ray of sunshine is getting on.
After his hilarious debut TV appearances on E4’s 8 Out of 10 Cats and ITV’s Jonathan Ross’ Comedy Club, Josh has gone on to host BBC Three’s Fast Food Face-Off and make guest appearances on Channel 4’s 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, ITV2’s Iain Stirling’s CelebAbility, E4’s Reality News, Sky Max’s Dating No Filter, Dave’s As Yet Untitled and Late Night Mash, and Comedy Central’s Undeniable, Guessable, Rhod Gilbert’s Growing Pains and Comedy Central Live.
LINDSEY SANTORO: PINK TINGE
Pleasance Courtyard, The Attic. 2nd -27th (not 14th) August at 6pm. NEWCOMER!
Naturally effusive and full of giddy joy, the people’s Princess of Birmingham, Lindsey Santoro has emerged as one of the most original female voices to come out of the West Midlands and is one of the hidden gems on the comedy circuit.
In her debut show, Lindsey will take you on a haphazard journey through her life in Brum, taking a very matter-of-fact outlook on things whilst trying to balance family life, attempting to be a confident woman and dealing with completely absurd circumstances. Guttural and in the gutter.
Lindsey’s last appearance at the Fringe came in 2018, where she performed as part of the Best in Class showcase – a crowdfunded, profit sharing initiative that champions the talent of working class stand-ups.
Lindsey was finalist in the 2021 British Comedian of the Year competition, as well as Semi Finalist at the BBC New Comedy Awards, Funny Women Regional Finalist, Leicester Square New Comedian of the Year Semi Finalist and Leicester Comedy Festival Best Podcast Award Nominee for ‘Biggest Idiot’.
Tickets: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/lindsey-santoro-pink-tinge
LOUISE YOUNG: FERAL
Pleasance Courtyard, Bunker One 2nd-27th (not 14th) August at 7.25pm. NEWCOMER!
Newcomer Louise Young is a rapidly rising star; her show Feral is about class, chaos and coming out. Through a number of chaotic life experiences the show delves into what it means to be an unpalatable type of working class, navigating the edges of poverty, mental illness and how easy it is to fall through the cracks. Whilst vulnerable, it’s equally warm and joyful, turning her Geordie lens on lesbian culture and her relationship with her Turkish side. It is an upbeat look at dysfunction, haphazard living and feeling out of place in the arts.
Louise has quickly become one of the brightest new names on the comedy circuit. Her debut work in progress show was nominated for Best Debut Show Leicester Comedy Festival 2023. She has supported the likes of Alan Carr, Tom Allen and Jason Manford on their nationwide tours around the UK and Ireland.
Louise has appeared on Comedy Central Live! as well as writing and acting in Channel 4’s Original Comedy Shorts on three sketches, one of which went on to receive over 5 million views. She also appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Fred at The Stand.
Tickets: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/louise-young-feral
MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE: CHEESE AND WHINE
Pleasance Courtyard, Cabaret Bar. 2nd -13th August at 7pm
There are no problems that cannot be solved by eating cheese. Fact. So, award-winning comedian and International Cheese Judge Marcus Brigstocke will guide you through the subtle art of pairing the best cheeses with a fine whine of your choosing in his new comedy show Cheese and Whine – like you’ve never tasted before.
Armed with an assortment of exceptional local cheeses, a discerning palate for a really good whine and his certified qualification as a Level 1 Master of Cheese (Academy Of Cheese) Marcus will be able to tackle all manor of gripes and moans the audience may care to share and pair them with just the right cheese in this hilarious new hour of gourmet comedy.
Marcus Brigstocke is a major comedy, writing, and acting talent, performing stand up to sell-out audiences on tour nationally. He has been on Live At The Apollo twice. His Devil May Care show was filmed at Wilton’s Music Hall and is now available to watch on Amazon Prime.
Last year he appeared in the new Magic Mike movie with Channing Tatum and Selma Hayak and (quite briefly) in The Crown.
Tickets: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/marcus-brigstocke-cheese-and-whine
SUSIE MCCABE: Femme Fatality
Assembly, George Square, Studio Two 2-27 August (not 14) at 8.35pm
Following a hugely successful tour of Scotland, ’Scottish national treasure’ (Metro) Susie McCabe brings her show Femme Fataiity to Edinburgh for this year’s Fringe.
With her remarkable and relatable story telling, Susie explores womanhood and how she feels like a disappointment. She grew up surrounded by girls that didn’t look or behave at all like her and she has made countless, often hilarious attempts to fit in.
Susie’s rise through the ranks of stand-up has been nothing short of meteoric. Her storytelling, acute observations and killer punchlines have made her one of the most sought-after performers in the UK. She has supported the likes of Kevin Bridges, Frankie Boyle, John Bishop and Jason Manford on their national tours.
Susie is a regular on BBC’s topical telly and radio, appearing on Have I Got News For You, Breaking The News, News Quiz and Times Radio as well as making several appearances on Frankie Boyle’s New World Order. She can also hold her own on the sports coverage, appearing regularly on Off The Ball and Six Nations Breakfast Show.
More information: https://susiemccabe.com
SIMON EVANS: Have We Met?
Assembly Rooms, Bijou: 3rd – 27th (not 14th) August at 7pm
This may not be the world’s greatest press release but let’s be honest, it’s a wonder it’s getting written at all.
The fragmentation and disintegration of memory is inevitable as one gets ever deeper into middle age. Simon Evans, 58 by the time he emerges into the (Spiegel) tent of mirrors this year, and determined never to emerge into what lies beyond, has been mining that seam for some years now. His endless migrations up and down the stairs and through the caverns of his own mind in pursuit of elusive quarries have defined his recent work as much as his anthropological analysis of the Geordies and the Welsh did twenty years ago.
And a failing memory can be a blessing when we have so much we’d like to quietly forget.
But when that collapsing memory encounters a life-long dedication to procrastination and industry standard levels of ADD coming the other way up the pavement of life, they can easily spend the rest of the day politely unable to get past one another.
Tickets: http://www.assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/Simon-Evans-Have-We-Met
ASHLEY BLAKER
NORMAL SCHMORMAL: My occasionally helpful guide to parenting kids with special needs Book (HarperCollins) out 20th July
ASHLEY BLAKER: 6.5 Children BBC Radio 4: Series 2 starts 4th August, Fridays at 11.30am
NORMAL SCHMORMAL: The live show
Edinburgh Fringe and UK tour, starts 2nd August Mark Watson’s Impatient Productions
This summer comedian Ashley Blaker will completely change how people talk about parenting children with special needs, when his book is published and his Radio 4 series, Edinburgh Fringe run and UK tour commence.
Ashley Blaker has six children, three of whom have a Special Education Needs (SEN) diagnosis. Between the children there is autism, Down syndrome, ADHD, speech and language disorders, heart defects, hearing loss, mobility issues, sensory needs and gastroenterological problems. As Ashley says, ‘You know you’ve got a lot going on when Great Ormond Street Hospital give you your own parking space.’ It’s certainly not what anyone would call a ‘normal’ household, but Ashley wouldn’t want it any other way.
Ashley’s story is one which parents, carers and teachers of children with SEN will particularly relate to, but his heartwarming book, show and radio series will appeal to any parent who believes love and acceptance are the most important building blocks of a happy family.
Ashley Blaker said: ‘Being a parent is tough and raising kids with special needs is even tougher. That’s why I am delighted to share our story with people and hopefully provide some much-needed light relief. Thankfully our kids provide so much comic material this has all taken much less time to write than you might imagine.’
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