Edinburgh Fringe Round-Up: Recommendations for Shows, Shopping, and Snacking

The biggest arts festival in the world is almost here

Hello friends! 

With only a few days before August is with us, I wanted to share recommendations for Fringe, kindly provided by local friends and artists. Without trying to boil the ocean, I will preface that with some estimated 60,000+ performances over the next 30 days, there is A LOT going on and this is by no means a comprehensive guide. 

To anyone who might not know (horrifyingly me before moving to Edinburgh), Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world. Spanning the month of August, upwards of 3 million people will arrive to the city. Among many other stars, Phoebe Waller-Bridge was discovered at Fringe (she performed her one-woman show Fleabag in 2013).

As this might sound overwhelming (it can be!), I wanted to share the recommendations of those wiser than me who have helped sift through some of what’s on this year. 

What I’ve Booked:

• Catherine Cohen: Come For Me: I’ve loved watching clips from Catherine Cohen’s critically acclaimed Netflix special “The Twist... ? She's Gorgeous” on Instagram and I’m so excited to catch her this year. As the Fringe website says, Cat explores “what it means to enter your thirties as a woman online, in love, and freezing your eggs.”

• The Front List: Dolly Alderton in conversation with Yomi Adegokeolly: I am a Dolly Alderton stan and I’m so excited to see her for the second time in the past 12 months because you can never have enough Dolly Alderton!!!!

• Alexis Gay: Unprofessional: I saw Alexis Gay last year as part of a group show and I’m so excited that she’s on for a solo show this year. She is so hilarious to me, as her jokes feel perfectly tailored to the part of me that is an American workaholic who works at a venture-backed start-up. 

• Coop by Skua: You might know that I am obsessed with Stockbridge-based Skua (I think about their fried chicken all the time) and they’re having a pop-up with said fried chicken and lobster rolls, among other things, so you can COUNT ME IN!!!

• Under One Roof: Technically not a Fringe event, nor in Edinburgh, but ‘Under One Roof’ is Slancha’s inaugural furniture and homeware exhibition in Glasgow, featuring the work of 14 designers from across Scotland. The showcase celebrates the emerging contemporary design scene within Scotland, with an eclectic mix of sculptural objects and furniture pieces. Deets here!

• Broma x FHIOR Cocktail Party: I am so keen to try FHIOR and when my friend Chloe mentioned that her incredibly talented sister will be making kombucha at the Broma X FHIOR pop-up cocktail party, I blocked my calendar. I’ve tried her kombucha before and it’s truly extraordinary. Event deets are here!!!

  • Broma is a little collective of drinkmakers based in Edinburgh and this summer we are turning Fhior’s Private Dining Room into a pop-up cocktail bar. We will feature drinks based on seasonality with unusual crafting techniques and ingredients, and Fhior will make bar snacks and sharing plates. The dates are the 19th, 26th of August, and the 2nd and 10th of September. From 17:30 until 23:00 (ish). No ticketing, no bookings, you just show up at the Barony Street door. 

What I’ve Been Recommended: Guest Recommendations by McKenzie Millican

I met

McKenzie

Millican when she signed up for dinner with strangers at my apartment last year when she was in town for Fringe. Wisely, I have called upon her brilliance to give guest recommendations this year.

McKenzie is a full-time software developer, part-time writer, and life-long fan of any art you put in front of her. Last year she saw 42 shows in 24 days at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and is a self-proclaimed fan of immersive art, sitting in the front row, and "weird stuff". You can find her personal writing at One Fine Day and on Instagram at @mckmillican where she will recommend any show to any person at any time.

Comedy for the girlies: Cat Cohen has a new show called Come For Me. She’s brilliant, talented, weird, uncomfortable, and dramatic. Her Netflix special “The Twist? She’s Gorgeous” is a must-watch. She’s weird enough that you don’t feel like you’re watching your average stand-up comic monologue onstage, but normal enough that you can bring all your girlfriends and not worry about scaring anyone out of the theater. (More comedy of note: Patti Harrison’s My Huge Tits Huge Because They Are Infected NOT FAKE, and Ania Magliano’s Forgive Me, Father)

See what everyone’s talking about: the most buzz around any show so far has been the TWO different musicals that have been developed about the Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial. “Gwyneth Goes Skiing” and “I Wish You Well” are both running at Fringe this year, and my friends and I plan to have a raucous double-header Sunday seeing one of them at Pleasance and the other at the Udderbelly. (Also add to your list: Willy’s Candy Spectacular, a musical based on that bizarre Willy Wonka AI based exhibit earlier this year).

Expand your horizons: I personally am a circus skeptic, but I would take anyone and their mother to see Sophie’s Surprise 29th, a nightly birthday party/circus extravaganza that was genuinely a blast to watch. As cheesy as it sounds, I spent most of the show gasping and/or laughing out loud. Exactly what you want out of a circus. (More out-of-the-box stuff: Or What’s Left Of Us by Sh!t Theatre, Show Pony from Bryony Kimmings)

Check out a real crowd-pleaser: I booked tickets to My English Persian Kitchen ASAP because 1) it’s produced by Traverse, one of the stalwarts of Edinburgh theater and producer of constant solid hits, and 2) I read that the actress cooks live while onstage. An autobiographical play about home, food, and family that’s described as “life-affirming” is automatically on my “to see” list. (More heart warming hits: June Carter Cash: The Woman, Her Music, and Me, and also Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan if you really want to cry).

See something meditative and gorgeous: The Edinburgh International Festival (technically separate from Fringe) curates a set of performances in August from around the world. “Please right back” uses hand-crafted animation to stage a series of letters from a father to his children. The company who created it, 1927, is supposed to be really astounding, and I’ve adored everything I’ve seen in the international festival. (For more international works, check out Hamlet with EIF produced by a Peruvian theater company and performed entirely by a cast with Down’s syndrome, and for more beautiful visual works, check out Bill’s 44th, a puppetry show billed as a “surreal tragicomedy”.)

— McKenzie

Thank you McKenzie!!!!

Recommended Recommendations: 

• Check out Fringe Delights (@formy__FringeDelights), a page where playwright, theatre reviewer, and PhD theatre student, Olivia Fischer, will be showcasing the shows she'd send to anyone in a text, whether they're looking for a show to see after happy hour with co-workers, or a hard-hitting drama to impress a Hinge date. Last year, she watched and reviewed over 173 shows!

• Christian Burgin has been making a Fringe spreadsheet for 10 years. Here’s how he describes it: “A guide I pull together every Fringe, a blend of mostly comedy acts I've seen before that will probably be good again (or great, or ok..) and acts that I haven't seen that could be worth a punt. A few from last year or two that went on to be nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy award, so probably some nuggets in there” Link to the spreadsheet is here! 

What I’ve Been Recommended:

• Joan shared the sketch comedy show “I Mostly Blame Myself” on behalf of her friends who are debuting their sketch comedy show at Fringe! She said, “I have been going to this group's shows for 3+ years now and they never fail to make the audience roar with laughter. They're all extremely talented individuals, and as a group they help each other shine even more. I can't recommend this enough; Edinburgh is in for a good laugh!!!”

• Haley shared 11 Lessons on Being Loud from an American Opera Singer, a show by Step DePrez, a comedian and opera singer coming to Fringe from Berlin. She will be singing opera, jazz, and musical theater in between jokes about Wagner, cave trolls and honest conversations about skincare with ten year olds. 

• Aggie shared her show “Eleanor” which follows the tragic story of Eleanor Marx, a fierce activist whose life and talents have been long eclipsed by the male figures in her life. Revolution, passion and tragedy is explored in this tragedy of a woman whose story transcends history. 

What Else is Happening? (Exhibitions, Events, & Offers!) 

• Laura Bond (the female-founded, independent jewelry store!) is offering free piercings at their Thistle Street store all of the Fringe - 31 July to 25 August. Piercings are usually £30 each (plus cost of jewelry) but they’ll be waiving the service cost to celebrate being open for their first Fringe!

• Artist Shân Monteith-Mann is exhibiting her work and several fabulous events are happening at Human Experience Art Exhibition taking place at the Dundas Street Gallery 

• Mariam Dobbin-Shirvani shared that contemporary Scottish Artist Hannah Gulland is showing her works at 20-22 Torpichen Street from the 1st of August. Hannah’s iconic mix media paintings are truly ethereal and captivating, please join us for the opening night on the 1st of August!

• UPENDED at Bard: Bard is my favorite gallery and interior shop in Edinburgh and they’re hosting the debut exhibition of Matthew Hyndman’s photography, which will be on show at Bard during the 20th edition of the Edinburgh Art Festival in August.

• Celebrate Scottish jewlery at ætla: The beautiful jewelry store in Stockbridge is hosting an exhibition during Fringe titled “A Celebration of Scottish Jewellery”. Details here!

• For Joni Mitchell Fans: Musician Brian Kennedy toured with Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Van Morrison across the USA in 1998. He recorded his second volume of favorite songs as a tribute to Joni MItchell and is performing them at his show “A Love Letter To Joni Volume 2”

I was invited to try Avery last week and it was lovely!

Where to Grab a Bite: 

• Coop by Skua: The team behind one of Stockbridge’s hottest bars, Skua, will host a street food pop-up, Coop on Potterrow in Fettle Cafe for the whole of August to coincide with the Edinburgh Festivals. Taking inspiration from its popular signature dishes at Skua, the menu will include Skua’s fried chicken, smoked East Coast lobster rolls, Maneesh zaatar and olive oil, braised Free Company roast lamb, and nabulsi cheese flatbreads with togarashi or seaweed flake fries!

• New à la carte menu at Cardinal. Cardinal, the first solo restaurant from Tomás Gormley, will be offering an à la carte menu from the 10th of July. Diners will be able to opt for three courses for £69, ideal for those who want an elevated dining experience but may be too tight on time to enjoy Cardinal's full tasting menu. Booking times will also be extended until 9pm for the à la carte offering. The menu will include dishes such as Free Co. beef tartare, wild garlic, black pepper and pepper dulse, St Brides duck, celeriac and preserved cherry, and Hokkaido milk bun, grilled cheese and wild garlic compote.

• Matinée menu at Avery: Exclusively for the Fringe, American chef Rodney Wages' restaurant will offer a curated 5-course matinée menu. Available from 3-5pm Thursday-Saturday during August, the menu celebrates the best of Avery, and is priced at £89pp.

• Negroni fans rejoice! Edinburgh distillery Electric Spirit Co and B-Corp speciality coffee roasters Origin Coffee will join forces to launch the Electric x Origin Negroni Bar, located at Origin’s coffee shop on South College Street. Open from 6pm daily throughout August, just minutes’ walk from the heart of the Fringe, the Electric x Origin Negroni Bar will offer Electric Spirit Co’s new Kegroni, bringing quality negronis-on-tap to Origin for one month only.

• Under The Table is run by a friend of a friend and according to said friend, it is THE most gorgeous bistro with a stunning menu and perfect portions all with a relaxed and sophisticated setting.

• Pre-theatre menu at The Commons Club: An exquisite culinary experience designed to set the stage for an unforgettable night of culture and cuisine in Edinburgh. Virgin Hotels Edinburgh's carefully curated 2 to 3 course pre-theatre menu, has been meticulously crafted to delight the senses and tantalise the palate. Two course for £30, Three courses £35.

Thank you to the many people who made this round-up possible. If you have something you’d like to share, add your recommendations in the comments!!!

Happy Fringe!

Sarah