MIDLANDS SHOWS @ THE EDINBURGH FRINGE
- ingoodcompanymids
- Jun 5
- 6 min read
Updated: 7 hours ago
In Good Company is all about shouting out and championing Midlands made work, so below is a list of shows that are made by Midlands folks or made in the Midlands that are at Edinburgh Fringe this year. This is a working document, so if you know or have a show made in the Midlands - drop us an email at igc@derby.ac.uk and we'll add it to our list!
AS SEEN AT DEPARTURE LOUNGE FESTIVAL
A FOOT IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE PRIZE FOR THE TOMBOLA - DANIEL MCVEY
WED 5TH - MONDAY 31ST AUGUST
33, Attic at Pleasance Courtyard
After a severed foot is found in one of the tombola prizes, Lydia is determined not to let it ruin the village fete. But as the revelations get more bizarre, and Lydia attempts to work out "whodunnit", it appears there might be a more horrific truth to the village than anyone realised. A camp and comedic interactive murder mystery inspired by the worlds of cosy crime and cosmic horror, performed by vibrant storyteller Daniel McVey. Prepare to be intrigued, entertained and leave questioning the wild world we live in.
PUSS IN BOOTS: A WORKING CLASS FAIRYTALE - SELINA MOSINSKI
WED 5TH - SUNDAY 30TH AUGUST
King Dome - Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh
Determined to be a star – and egged on by her guardian angel, Sylvia –Randy hitchhikes to London, ready to take almost any chance she can get for a stab at fame. But her plans are quickly derailed by an audition at a working men’s club off the A52, where “showbiz” looks a lot like a baroque, human-sized birdcage, stag parties dressed as Papa Smurf, and Garry: a sleazy casting agent who swears he can make her famous. She lands the gig, and with it her first real taste of show business: sticky floors, feral crowds, and dreams held together with body glitter and tampons.
Part confessional memoir, part riotous surreal character comedy, the show dives into a decade when celebrity culture was gloriously unfiltered – when Jodie Marsh turned underwear into headlines, Gail Porter was projected onto Big Ben, and Monica Lewinsky became global news thanks to Bill Clinton. It was also the boom era of Britain’s strip-club circuit – and Randy was right in the thick of it at Terry and Barbara’s Midlands “titty bar,” a gloriously shoddy knock-off of Stringfellows.
A darkly funny, glitter-stained confession about how far we’ll go – and how low we’ll sink – in the name of fame and fortune.
MIDLANDS MADE
HORROSHOW - CHRONIC INSANITY
TUES 25 - MONDAY 31 AUGUST
29, Anatomy Lecture Theatre at Summerhall
Dan's got a rucksack full of stolen weed and a plan that'll definitely work. Ollie's got his A-level reading list and serious reservations. They've been mates their whole lives. They're also becoming strangers. Set against the 00s music festival that swallows their town every summer, this gig theatre show tears into class, nostalgia and masculinity, backed by a live band playing original songs that hit like a headline set. Messy, honest and completely on your side, from multi award-winning theatre company Chronic Insanity.
HOUSE OF LIFE - SHEEP SOUP
WED 5TH - SUNDAY 30TH AUGUST
300, Udderbelly at Underbelly, George Square
House of Life is back. One part sermon. One part purge. Three parts party. 'The show that turns strangers into friends' (Lyn Gardner) is ready to cure your existential dread with a glittering blast of collective joy. This five-star, feel-good sensation is the most fun you'll ever have in a theatre. Led by the glitter-clad, beat-dropping RaveRend, this genre-defying night of music, movement and communal healing has been scientifically proven to make you feel 100% never sad again. **** (Guardian). ***** (PlayBill.com). ***** (Telegraph).
JAMES ROWLAND: TEAM VIKING - SALAM AND HOLOHAN
WED 5TH - MONDAY 31ST AUGUST
33, Beside at Pleasance Courtyard
Ten years after premiering at the Edinburgh Fringe, Team Viking returns for another send-off. The remarkable, hilarious and heart-lifting story of how James managed to give his best mate the send-off he wanted. A comic ode to death, friendship and the beautiful absurdity of life. 'Joyous – heart lifting and incredibly moving' ***** (Stage). 'Sometimes stories are better than real life' ***** (TheWeeReview.com). 'A reminder that life really is for the living' **** (Fest). 'The best theatre I saw was Team Viking by James Rowland' (Stewart Lee).
THE DISTANCE - BEN NORRIS
THURS 6TH - MONDAY 31ST AUGUST
26, Main Hall at Summerhall
He's been running his whole life. Time to catch up. When the football pitch freezes, Chris is forced into cross-country. Everyone hates it, but something in Chris ignites. A coming-of-age story set in the world of elite sport where everything is measured, every meal, every metre, every moment, asking why we push ourselves as far as we can... Then further. From former GB athlete Ben Norris, The Distance is part play, part extreme workout – a sweat-drenched exploration of ambition, identity and letting go. Directed by Julia Locascio. From the producers of SIX, Choir of Man and Playfight.
WE HAD FUN - EMMELINE HARTLEY AND JACK MULLINGS
WED 5TH - MONDAY 31ST AUGUST
26, Old Lab at Summerhall
Where did it all go wrong? Well, it depends who you ask. Close friends Oscar and Ela navigate the fallout of a drunken sexual encounter as their conflicting versions of events are replayed, rewound and re-written against the sensory medley of a wild night out. Olivier and Tony nominated Carrie-Anne Ingrouille (SIX the Musical) directs the world premiere of this distinctly un-romantic dark comedy and 'fascinating exploration' (Daniel Finkelstein, The Times) of the greyest areas of consent and sexual politics.
EVERY SINGLE SOUND IN THE WORLD - NATALIE PATUZZO
MON 24TH - SAT 29TH AUGUST
236, Ivy Studio at Greenside @ George Street
An alien arrives on Earth with a simple task: collect every single sound on the planet. Please help her! She can’t go home until she’s collected them all. In this hilarious, interactive show, Natalie Patuzzo uses voice, objects and audience interaction to construct (and dismantle) a world, one sound at a time. Described as an endearing yet wickedly funny physical performer, Natalie Patuzzo’s debut solo clown show is chaotic, playful and full of sounds you may have heard before and may never want to hear again.
2 SLUT DROPS AND A CHICKEN BURGER
THURS 6TH - SUNDAY 30TH AUGUST
151, The Snug at Laughing Horse @ Bar 50
Kirsty overshares about her sexy times, nights out, and magnificent meltdowns. 'She created an atmosphere where everyone let loose and enjoyed the wild ride. Munro's candid storytelling had everyone in stitches' ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). 'Loveable, loud and bloody hilarious' (TheFunnyFirm.co.uk). As seen on BBC Scotland's Situationships. Someantics Comedy Slam finalist 2023.
CABARET OF FILTH
THURS 6TH - SUNDAY 30TH AUGUST
272, Maggie's Front Room at Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters
Come inside the Cabaret of Filth and indulge in a night of pure debauchery, burlesque and drag in this comedy riot! Will contain nudity, adult content, anti-establishment rebellion and all the good swear words. Come and join in the revelry. 'Hysterically funny' **** (TheRealChrisparkle.com).
AAAAAAARGH! ITS THE ONE LINER SHOW
THURS 6TH - SUNDAY 30TH AUGUST
289, Main Room at Laughing Horse @ Dropkick Murphys
Enjoy an hour of the best up-and-coming one-liner comedians on the circuit in this celebration of puns, one-liners and wordplay. Hosted by UK Pun Champion and Joke of the Fringe winner 2016, 2021 and 2022 Masai Graham.
Serious Nonsense - Ben Macpherson / PBH's FREE FRINGE
SAT 8TH - SUNDAY 30TH AUGUST
605, Downstairs Room at PBH's Free Fringe @ Greek Gyros Grill
Funny, horrible and just a bit naughty, Ben Macpherson brings the perfect gateway to your Fringe afternoon back to Edinburgh, for its fourth year. Serious Nonsense is a free poetry show for all ages, packed with energetic rhymes, masterful storytelling and laugh-out-loud moments. Grab a seat and prepare to meet the awful adults, beastly brats and curious creatures from this verbal tour de force. If you liked Roald Dahl or Spike Milligan growing up, then this is the show for you. 'Full of humour and drive' (Michael Rosen). 'Ben Macpherson is a joy' (Caroline Bird).
BEN MACPHERSON DOES POEMS AT ADULTS
SAT 8TH - SUNDAY 30TH AUGUST
158, Arch Room at PBH's Free Fringe @ Whistlebinkies
Adults often have ears. Ben Macpherson has poems. It's time to put those together with you in the driving seat. You're in complete control of the show picking from 30 vibes, be that silly, sordid, sad or sweet. With poems covering everything from the world's best cheese to the intimate lives of cartoon characters, Ben Macpherson has the poem for you. Blending friendly chat with style and genre, Ben is a verbal tour de force, bound to leave you laughing, crying and so much more. 'Ben Macpherson is a joy' (Caroline Bird).
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