2023 Edinburgh Fringe

Love letter to Sir Billy Connolly to be staged at Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Theatre maker Gary McNair has been collecting stories of Sir Billy for years. The production, Dear Billy, will tour in May 2024. It will open at His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen before touring to Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow and Eden Court in Inverness with a two-week run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society publishes its review of the year 2023

Some 840 media from within the UK and abroad, accredited to cover the Fringe, from over 400 outlets, and Fringe Central, the home from home for artists during the festival, saw nearly 2,000 artists through its doors.

Edinburgh Fringe, like other festivals, is immensely fragile. When will politicians wake up?

If the long-term sustainability of Edinburgh's Festivals is to be protected, they need greater support from government.

Henning Wehn 'done' with Fringe

German comedian Henning Wehn has said he is "done" with the Edinburgh Fringe as he expressed his disappointment at the price of accommodation.

Fringe: The Stand pulls plug on biggest venue after acts and crowds stay away

Comedy club operator The Stand will go 'back to basics' after axing shows at the New Town Theatre.

Sara Pascoe on why she'll never do the Edinburgh Fringe again

And how she cried when her ex's show was a success.

Comedians stand up to cancer at the Edinburgh Fringe

Each person copes with their cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery in a different way. For stand-up comedians, a natural method used to process their experiences is to incorporate their cancer into their on-stage routine, exploring both the funny and serious sides of the disease.

Will the Edinburgh fringe ever return to its pre-pandemic self? I hope not

Fresh from this year's jubilant festival, I'm not the only one hoping that it has given up its addiction to growth.

AI took the stage. Here's what happened

A clown, a comic and a computer scientist walk into the Edinburgh Fringe festival. Can AI deliver a satisfying punchline?

The price to perform at Edinburgh Fringe Festival

"Hope for the best but prepare for the worst" is a good approach for Australian comedians performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, especially in the current economic climate.

Comedian tribute raises thousands

A heart-warming Edinburgh Fringe show organised by comedians to raise money for the young family of a fellow stand-up who died after a car crash earlier this year, has raised almost £23,000, it was announced Wednesday.

Famous comedians' agent sparks anti-Semitism scandal at Edinburgh Fringe after berating Jewish performer in bar bust-up

BAFTA-nominated funnyman Bennett Arron, who has been likened to a 'Welsh Seinfeld', announced that he had been verbally assaulted by the unnamed agent in front of his family after a performance of his new show entitled Loser.

Edinburgh comedy award-winners reveal what's next

For the first time ever, both the 'Oscars of comedy' have gone to stand-ups with South Asian heritage. So what do the two performers who set the fringe alight have planned? Lots of boasting, finds our writer.

Was it worth it? Edinburgh fringe acts give their verdict on the festival

As the curtain falls on this year's fringe, we ask performers and producers how it was for them.

The Edinburgh Fringe is just another choking canary in the toxic national mine

But if I'm going to watch the Britain I loved expire slowly, I'd rather do it from the top of the Royal Mile in August.

I'm a comedian at the Edinburgh Fringe - this is the inside story

As the UK's premier comedy festival comes to a close, comedian Vix Leyton gives us the inside scoop on bad reviews, empty theatres, and the real cost of showbusiness.

Australian comedian slams Fringe coverage of Graham Linehan

A trans comedian has said she and other trans performers have suffered from less coverage and had fewer reviewers come to their shows.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe: New 'alliance' formed to fight for more financial support for event

Fringe Society chief says festival is 'undervalued'.

Edinburgh Fringe 2023 comes to a close: Here are our favourite shows of the festival

As the world's biggest theatre festival comes to a close for another year, we take a look back at the Fringe and our favourite shows of 2023.

Anuvab Pal and the department of clever comedy

The latest offering from the Indian stand-up comedian Anuvab Pal The Department of Britishness is a laughter-filled look at embracing Britishness.

Extortionate prices are pushing comedians away from the Edinburgh Fringe

Artists are struggling to find anywhere to stay. Tales have emerged of a 'high-profile comedian sleeping on the floor' and eight people sleeping in one room for the whole month of August. One three-bedroom flat in the Old Town - the heart of the Fringe - was listed for £34,000 for the month, according to Edinburgh Evening News.

John Robins' uplifting speech at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards

'Unimaginable opportunities will arise because you decided to create something'

Jordan Gray interview: 'I'm more useful as a woman than as a man'

The trans comedian's TV striptease shocked viewers - but there's wisdom (and common sense) behind her X-rated wit.

Ahir Shah arrived at Edinburgh with a work-in-progress but leaves as comedy champ

The Edinburgh Comedy Award-winning show Ends is a superb set about Shah's grandfather, the stand-up's imminent wedding and multicultural Britain.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe chiefs say 'difficult and challenging' shows must be allowed on its stages

Senior figures have spoken out in the wake of controversies over venues pulling the plug on several shows this year and last year.

Scotsman opinion: The importance of a Fringe free to offend

​It is shocking the Chief Executive of the Fringe Society needs to defend free expression, but her intervention was vital.

Bonnie He: How it started, how it's going

American comedian gives us a status report on her first Fringe.

The Graham Linehan episode has proved that Comedy Unleashed are just as mediocre as the stand-up mainstream

Will Franken yearns for a real alternative to the careerists.

Jerry Sadowitz returns to warn that stand-up comedy is 'last bastion of free speech'

Tackling cancel culture, Sadowitz told his Queen's Hall audience: "Graham Linehan has been cancelled, of course. He should be cancelled for Father Ted, which was the most unfunny thing to emerge since the Carry On movies."

'I used to get in role by harassing my girlfriend': the risky brilliance of playing anti-woke characters

Edinburgh Fringe comics portraying cancelled stand-ups and right-wing politicians talk about the dangers and successes of their satire.

Edinburgh Fringe: Musical set in gender neutral toilet becomes hot ticket

It might not sound like the most obvious premise for a hit show, but a musical set in a gender neutral public toilet has become one of the hottest tickets at this year's Edinburgh Fringe.

How we picked the Edinburgh Comedy Awards shortlist

The Times comedy critic and awards judge Dominic Maxwell on this year's nominations.

We went to see Jerry Sadowitz and found it awkward

I had never seen Sadowitz live before, but I had a pretty good idea of what the show would be like before his first joke was cracked.

It's 1:30 a.m., and a clown wants to fix you

The breakout star of this year's Edinburgh Fringe is Julia Masli, a performer with a graveyard time slot who sets out to solve her audience's problems.

Edinburgh Fringe: Can TikTok comedy stars cut it on stage?

They have millions of followers for their TikTok sketches. But how will four hugely successful creators fare in a live stand-up show at Britain's biggest comedy festival, the Edinburgh Fringe?

Jenan Younis: 'There are certain roles you are expected to play'

The British-Assyrian stand-up is challenging stereotypes as she tackles the Iraq war in her set.

Stuart Goldsmith on why the eco crisis is a hard gig

'I'm a good comic. I'm not used to having audiences walk out'

Guido Garcia Lueches interview

Recently, I had the chance to speak with Guido Garcia Lueches, a performer in The Importance of Being... Earnest?.

Benjamin Bello: 'Edinburgh is getting more racist'

Benjamin Bello, who performs in the guise of comedy dictator President Obonjo, said he experienced three racial incidents during his ten-day run - something he never experienced previously.

Cerys Bradley on the best and worst of Edinburgh

The post-Fringe jetlag is going to be brutal.

Edinburgh Fringe's 'best joke' is proof the once edgy festival has become byword for witless, self-indulgent rubbish

Brace yourselves comedy fans.

The funniest joke of the Edinburgh Fringe has just been revealed by the Dave TV channel, and if it appeared in our Christmas crackers there'd be a mass conversion to the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Edinburgh 2023: A Pirate's Life For Me Q&A

BWW catches up with Max Norman to chat about bringing A Pirate's Life For Me to the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tim Vine on how the Edinburgh Fringe changed his life

Tim Vine remembers the exact moment that his journey into comedy started.

The endless hypocrisy of the comedy class

Dara Ó Briain has been quite the empty space to his former friend Graham Linehan in this regard.

A real audience member's view of comedy at this year's Edinburgh Fringe

Last Friday afternoon I flew up from London to the Edinburgh Fringe and last Saturday evening I flew back. It was the cheapest way except for a National Express coach and I had buggered my back a few days before so did not fancy spending hour upon hour in one position in a cramped seat.

Fringe Dog meets Lucas O'Neil

The canine journalist gets emotional with the American stand-up star.

Mark Watson says three-year affair was way of avoiding 'the fact I wasn't special'

The stand-up's three-year affair led to the end of his marriage.

Drew Michael: How it started, how it's going

American comedian gives us a status report on his first Fringe.

Liam Withnail on the ups and downs of the Fringe

"Naked for no reason".

Graham Linehan's hatred won't be welcome in an independent Scotland

The Gender Reform Act and its subsequent blocking by Westminster is one of the most hotly debated subjects in Scottish politics. I'm now of the opinion that the decision to deplatform anti-trans activist Graham Lineman, better known as Glinner, from this year's Edinburgh Festival is proof that Scottish culture is already positively independent when it comes to the protection and celebration of trans identities.

Mark Watson: I hurt my wife - and the person I had an affair with

The comedian tells Michael Odell how he sabotaged his life and destroyed his marriage.

Eleanor Conway picks her comedy favourites

"Chelsea Handler's everything I aspire to be..."

Why is US stand-up Mike Birbiglia still alive?

The comic, who has survived cancer and once sleep-jumped through a closed hotel window, is bringing his Broadway smash about mortality to the UK. 'I guarantee you'll laugh,' he says.

Jenny Ryan slams Graham Linehan for 'whingeing' over Edinburgh Fringe cancellation

Jenny Ryan didn't hold back when chatting about Graham Linehan's recent Edinburgh Fringe drama.

Is this really the funniest joke at the Edinburgh Fringe?

This year's winning pun does not work on any level, says Simon Evans.

Performing solo can be lonely - but at least it's all about you

A noted Fringe veteran delves into the pros, cons and history of one-person shows - and recalls what Gielgud once told him about doing them.

Can ChatGPT rival ClaudeAI improve the Edinburgh Fringe's 'ten best jokes'?

The ten 'best' jokes at the Edinburgh Fringe (according to the Dave TV channel) were announced today. So I asked Claude.AI - a rival of ChatGPT - if he/she/they/it thought the jokes were funny.

'I'll never be rich': Edinburgh fringe stand-ups consider the cost of living - and comedy

As the expense of performing and watching shows at the fringe is ever rising, three comedians ask their audiences to reassess what they place value on.

Ruby McCollister: How it started, how it's going

American comedian gives us a status report on her first Fringe.

Don Biswas on the best and the worst of the festival

There isn't enough mental health support for acts on the Edinburgh Fringe.

Alexandra Haddow shares her Perfect Playlist of comedy favourites

'When I grow up I want to be Sharon Horgan'

'We've had one Fleabag. We can't have another' - has the legendary Edinburgh hit become a curse?

Phoebe Waller-Bridge's uncouth one-woman show is seen as the epitome of festival success. But 10 years on, we speak to three fringe performers battling to escape its long shadow.

Fringe: NewsRevue offers brilliant satire on current affairs

From the cost of living to the coronation. From prime ministers coming and going to more U-turns than you can count. From TV scandals to former presidents finding themselves indicted. There is, to put it lightly, so much news right now.

Like it or not, Graham Linehan has every right to speak freely

An opinion piece about transphobic comedy writer.

Let's look at how media handled the strange case of Graham Linehan

Journalists have been falling over ­themselves to get quotes from the former Father Ted, Black Books and IT Crowd writer decrying the cancellation of his planned appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe this week.

Matt Harvey: How it started, how it's going

Australian comedian gives us a status report on his first Fringe.

Nobody's laughing as Graham Linehan stand-up row rumbles on

Another week, another Edinburgh Festival story about deplatforming, cancellation and all that jazz. Or, if you like, about opinions and beliefs deemed reasonable, offensive or acceptably contrarian, depending on where you stand.

Is it time to embrace badly behaved audiences?

There's always a lot of harrumphing about loud eating, talking, arriving late, sex and even throwing things at the stage... But isn't a bawdy audience is what a live performance is all about?

Laughing through the pain: Edinburgh comics relive true-life traumas

What's the funniest thing on the festival fringe? No, not politics, but painful introspection.

Max & Ivan pick their Perfect Playlist

Our favourite shows all have something in common...

EdFringe Talk: Asexuality!

"Identifying as an asexual man was something I had struggled with for a long time, but that identity was completely unacceptable in the heteronormative world I lived in."

EdFringe Talk: Death Suits You

"I am thrilled to be THIS overwhelmed."

EdFringe Talk: Nicole Travolta is Doing Alright

"I dreamed of coming here. It's a real pinch me moment."

EdFringe Talk: Ada Campe: Naval Gazing

"The huge challenge of Edfringe is probably a big part of what makes it such an amazing and satisfying experience overall."

Climate crisis and trans rights are talk of Edinburgh festival

Walkout by authors over fossil fuel links plus controversies about identity, racism and sexism are hot topics at politically charged event.

How a young man dressed as a gorilla sitting in a chair made my festival

Every now and then you stumble across a show at the Edinburgh festival that encapsulates the spirit of the Fringe - I'm still piecing together what this show is, but this cult comedy is certainly my festival highlight.

Frankie Boyle defends decision to keep joking about death of Holly Willoughby

Stand-up comedian Frankie Boyle has made his latest comments while appearing at the Fringe.

Sofie Hagen interview

Sofie Hagen on returning to Edinburgh Fringe, confronting their queerness and transphobia in comedy.

Rob Auton on his personal new show at Edinburgh Fringe

Euronews Culture sat down with Rob Auton to discuss how he's getting his human experience during his Edinburgh Fringe show (one of our top picks of the festival).

Are your work presentations funny? It's a slippery slope, warns comedian Rob Auton

While some comedians may go to the Edinburgh Fringe armed with a darkly comic story of their past trauma, Rob Auton had the colour yellow.