2023 Edinburgh Fringe

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Competitive anecdotes podcast The Comedy Arcade is back for Edinburgh Fringe 2023, bringing the live panel show up for a full run at The Stand 3.

The show, a live play on the chartbusting podcast, involves four personalities pitching stories and anecdotes competitively from topics drawn at random from a bingo ball, with points awarded capriciously by Welsh comic Vix Leyton supported by steers from the audience.

The Edinburgh panels will be a mix of well known names and up and coming acts, as well as entertaining storytellers from other industries, including TV personalities, adult film stars and models; names released so far include Jo Caulfield, Mark Watson, Jenny Ryan, Andrew O'Neill, Sikisa, Alison Spittle, Jack Gleadow, Leila Navabi, Robin Ince and Tadiwa Mahlunge.

The show moves to the iconic The Stand family this year, after achieving sell-out shows in 2022, including a riotous NextUp livestream as part of their Edinburgh Fringe coverage including Mark Watson, Andrew O'Neill and Scott Bennett.

The host: Vix Leyton

Vix Leyton has been making a name for herself in comedy and podcasting since she was discovered on Twitter by Mark Watson in 2019 and challenged to get over a fear of public speaking by learning stand-up as part of his Comedy Marathon 26 hour show.

Four years and over 600 shows later, she has performed around the world, appeared at and MC'ed some of London's biggest club nights, as well as becoming resident host of Cracking Comedy at Leicester Square Theatre.

The Comedy Arcade started as a lockdown twitch game at Vix's kitchen table that she acknowledges has got 'a bit out of hand'. She is also debuting her solo show Antihero at Stand 4 this year.

The Buzz around Arcade

Chortle: 4**** (2021): "Nuggets of info become in-jokes for the night, and the conversion runs thick, fast and funny. This show certainly lives up to its billing likening it to a fabulous dinner party. Punters feel they are among spontaneously funny friends rather than hearing well-rehearsed professional anecdotes. We know these stories - and this particular alchemy - will not be repeated again."