Oi oi! While Grace is off powdering her nose and waxing lyrical about haunted bathrooms and Beyoncé ballads, I’m in the booth scanning cue sheets, dodging tangled cables, and getting properly overexcited about this year’s CNC Emerging Edinburgh Roster — now in its glorious third year.
Let me tell you, this lot aren’t just plugging in a few spotlights and hoping for the best. We’re talking 24 companies bursting through the Fringe fog with electric talent, rewired perspectives, and theatrical voltage you can practically feel buzzing through your seat.
From drag-soaked grief musicals to monologues about mop buckets and class war, this year’s line-up has more layers than my cue stack. Think ghost stories, Shakespeare strumming bluegrass, and existential fish trying to walk upright. (Yes, you read that right.)
It’s bold. It’s bonkers. It’s brilliant. And I’ll be right here — side stage, headset on, cuing the dry ice — while the future of theatre grabs the mic.
So without further ado, dim the houselights, prep the tabs, and scroll on for the full lowdown.
Catch you in the blackout,
CNC’s Emerging Edinburgh Roster
A STAN IS BORN!
Pop divas, queer nostalgia and one hell of a vocal range… A STAN IS BORN! is a solo musical comedy bursting with big laughs, bigger notes and a heartfelt tribute to childhood stanning. After a five-star Fringe debut, Alexis Sakellaris returns with ten original songs, fierce keyboard skills and a hilariously touching tale of growing up gay, glued to Beyoncé, Céline and Mariah. From NYC to rural Germany, Alexis charts his journey to self-love via the ultimate icons. A queer coming-of-age celebration with slayer vocals, glittering pop culture references and diva-sized heart. Gilded Balloon Patter House (Blether) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 11th) at 15:00 THEATRE
An Ode to the Casting Director
Soul-sapping auditions, toe-sucking hostage scenes and one very lost contact lens… An Ode to the Casting Director is a razor-sharp solo comedy lifting the lid on the chaos of chasing an acting dream. From former high-fashion model turned screen actor Sophie Fisher (Netflix’s Project Rabbit), this cinematic one-woman show fuses stage and screen to reveal the raw, ridiculous reality behind the scenes. With live-feed auditions, gut-punch honesty and laugh-out-loud lows, it’s a love letter to every performer who’s ever been ghosted by a casting call. Gilded Balloon Patter House (The Penny) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 12th) at 11:40 THEATRE
BAIRNS
Sisterhood, surrogacy and a hot mess called Lottie… BAIRNS is a whip-smart, stretch-marked one-woman dramedy from Annie Davison (Anything with a Pulse), exploring how far you’d really go for the people you love. When Lottie agrees to be a surrogate for her sister, she’s forced to confront adulthood, maternal instincts and the chaotic realities of modern womanhood. With fifteen characters, dark laughs and a tender heart, it’s a fearless deep dive into growing up, giving birth and giving way. Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker 3) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 12th) at 14:05 THEATRE
Cara and Kelly are Best Friends Forever For Life
Selfies, sleepovers and silent complicity… Cara and Kelly are Best Friends Forever For Life is a darkly comic, razor-sharp two-hander from Bruntwood-longlisted writer Mojola Akinyemi. It’s 2013 and Cara and Kelly are 14—inseparable, unstoppable, and certain nothing can come between them. But when a new girl arrives, cracks form, loyalties shift, and the unspoken becomes impossible to ignore. Told from the viewpoint of the perpetrators, this gripping play explores girlhood, privilege, and the quiet rise of far-right ideologies in modern Britain. Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker 3) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 18th) at 15:20 THEATRE
Don’t Tell Dad About Diana
Drag, Diana and Dublin in the 90s… Don’t Tell Dad About Diana is a glitter-soaked, high-camp coming-of-age comedy from real-life best mates Hannah Power and Conor Murray. It’s 1997 and two teens are secretly prepping a Princess Di drag act for ‘Alternative Miss Ireland’—all under the nose of their nationalist families. But as tragedy strikes and secrets unravel, friendship, identity and grief collide. Set to a soundtrack of Boyzone and Now 38, this riotous, heartfelt homage to chosen family and cultural icons captures a generation on the cusp of change. Underbelly Cowgate (Belly Dancer) from Thursday 31st July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 12th) at 12:50 THEATRE
Eat The Rich (but maybe not me mates x)
She’s mopping floors by day, smashing deadlines by night… Eat The Rich (but maybe not me mates x) is a bold, funny and fiercely sharp debut from Jade Franks, former Cambridge Footlights President turned undercover cleaner. When a working-class Scouser bags a spot at Cambridge, she hides her job scrubbing toilets from the very people she studies with. Inspired by Jade’s own experience, this gutsy solo show takes on class, privilege and the myth of meritocracy with wit, warmth and a side-eye to the Oxbridge elite. Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker 1) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 12th, 19th) at 14:15 THEATRE
FISH
An existential clown show for the end of the world… FISH is a whip-smart, whimsical solo performance from NYC-born Funmi Adejobi, following one fish’s desperate bid to become human. Thrust from the safety of her tank into a world of chaos, capitalism and climate anxiety, Fish must learn how to walk, talk – and worry like a person. Combining physical comedy, clowning, storytelling and audience interaction, FISH is a joyful, sharp-witted exploration of finding meaning and connection when the world’s falling apart. Greenside (Jade Studio) from Friday 1st – Sunday 23rd August 2025 (not 10th, 17th) at 19:35 THEATRE
FLUSH
Set entirely in a women’s bathroom in a Shoreditch club, FLUSH is a sharp, moving comedy-drama exploring female solidarity and survival. Following Hope as she navigates trauma and connection, the play reveals how moments of vulnerability can unite strangers. Shortlisted for the Charlie Hartill Award 2025, FLUSH partners with Ask For Angela, a national initiative supporting those in vulnerable situations in nightlife venues. Written and performed by April Hope Miller with an all-women team, it’s a powerful, honest story about sisterhood, safety, and resilience. Pleasance Courtyard (Upstairs) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 11th, 18th) at 12:15 THEATRE
Funny Though
From Mischief Theatre’s beloved comic fall specialist, Clare Noy comes Funny Though, a raw and revealing solo show about the true cost of being funny. This 60-minute confessional dramedy exposes the burnout, anxiety, and personal toll behind the laughs, as Noy navigates the pressures of making comedy her survival — and the struggle to stay relevant in a world obsessed with constant content. Directed by Lauren Lambert Moore, Funny Though is a fearless exploration of what performers sacrifice when the spotlight fades, and the pain that fuels the punchlines. Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker 1) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 13th, 20th) at 15:30 THEATRE
Gimme a Sign!
Comedian Bailey Swilley’s Gimme a Sign! is a hilarious, heartfelt solo show blending ghost stories, haunted tampons, and soul-searching at Costco. After losing her father, Bailey obsessively looks for signs from beyond while grappling with family expectations and her mixed-race identity. With sharp wit and raw emotion, this joyfully honest show mixes the supernatural and the deeply personal. Directed by Timothy Dunn, it’s a quirky, cathartic journey through grief, identity, and finding meaning in the messiness of life. Greenside (Fern Studio) from Friday 1st – Saturday 23rd August 2025 (not 10th, 17th) at 15:05 THEATRE
Golden Time (and Other Behavioural Management Strategies)
Scottish performer and viral poet Kate Ireland makes her theatrical debut with Golden Time (and Other Behavioural Management Strategies), a sharp, heartfelt exploration of ADHD, education, and adult life. Inspired by the school reward system “Golden Time,” Kate uses spoken word, storytelling, and audience interaction to unpack time management struggles and neurodivergent experiences. The show blends humour and honesty, questioning societal definitions of success and celebrating joyful defiance. Directed by Giulia Grillo, this vibrant solo show invites audiences to rethink productivity and self-worth with warmth and wit. Pleasance Dome (Ace Dome) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 11th, 18th) at 13:30 THEATRE
House Party
Why don’t people throw house parties anymore? Writer-performer Chakira Alin’s bold one-woman show fuses comedy, dance, and social commentary to explore the housing crisis, gentrification, and class inequality. Set to a killer playlist of Charli XCX, Miley Cyrus, and Cameo, House Party captures the magic of cramped kitchens, sticky floors, and fleeting community, while confronting who can actually afford to host. Drawing from her own experience of homelessness and East London gentrification, Alin offers a politically charged, heartfelt celebration of joy, struggle, and resistance through music and movement. Pleasance Courtyard (Attic) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 12th, 21st) at 15:20 THEATRE
I L L B E H A V I O U R
I L L B E H A V I O U R is a visceral interdisciplinary performance exploring what it sounds like to be alive. Created by Singapore’s SCAPE Youth Organisation, lead artists Hee Suhui (Anise) and XUE combine movement, experimental music, and multimedia to turn the intimate act of listening to the body inside out. Using live sampling of heartbeats, breath, cracking joints, and vocal sounds, this 45-minute piece invites audiences to experience the body’s hidden sonic worlds and the tenderness, discomfort, and care involved in truly listening. Summerhall (Former Gent’s Locker Room) from Thursday 31st July – Sunday 10th August 2025 (not 4th, 7th) at 13:40 DANCE & PHYSICAL THEATRE
In These Shoes
Fashion writer by day, jazz singer by night, Glynis Traill-Nash brings her acclaimed cabaret to Edinburgh. This witty and stylish show blends jazz, storytelling, and sharp insights into the absurdities of fashion—from Crocs to dopamine dressing. Drawing on a 21-year career and sell-out seasons across Australia, Glynis explores the clash of outsider and insider worlds, tackling sustainability and style with warmth and sass. Featuring new costumes by Oscar-winning designer Tim Chappel, In These Shoes is a fun, musical celebration of fashion’s highs, lows, and fifty shades of beige.Underbelly Bristo Square (Dairy Room) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 6th, 13th, 20th) at 19:45 THEATRE
Lioness
A one-woman comedy drama that kicks off with football, feminism, and the unpaid hustle behind the Women’s Super League. Goalkeeper Marnie navigates periods, penalties, and the pressures of an intense season, juggling sport, relationships, and sexism on and off the pitch. Writer and performer Kate Coulson sheds light on the reality behind the rising interest in women’s football—where progress is made but inequalities remain. Lioness is a sweaty love letter to friendship, resilience, and the fight for respect in a game still fighting for its place. Greenside (Clover Studio) from Friday 1st – Saturday 23rd August 2025 (not 10th, 17th) at 12:40 THEATRE
Macbeth by The Barden Party
Something wicked this way strums… The award-winning New Zealand theatre company of wildly talented actor-musicians, The Barden Party, bring their musical flair to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the first time with a thrilling, saucy rendition of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. This immersive, gender-flipped version fuses Shakespeare’s dark tragedy with raw emotion, live bluegrass music, and razor-sharp humour, exploring ambition, guilt, and fate. Set against the Scottish backdrop where the story was born, it’s a rebellious, intimate experience that pulls the centuries-old tale into the present. With fierce energy and heartfelt humanity, this becomes a visceral folk ballad that challenges and captivates, inviting audiences to witness power and consequence in a thrilling new light. ZOO Southside (Studio) from Friday 1st – Sunday 22nd August 2025 (not 4th, 11th, 18th) at 10:40 THEATRE
medium dead
Written and performed by Eleanor Shaw, medium dead is a bold, dark comedy exploring suicide, bureaucracy, and the search for meaning. In a bleak afterlife office, Bennie writes suicide notes, but when assigned the beloved chef Anthony Bourdain’s file, everything changes. Struggling with detachment and mortality, Bennie confronts grief, purpose, and the limits of control. Directed by Ellie BW, this sharp, thought-provoking solo show challenges audiences to rethink suicide with unflinching honesty, dark humour, and heart. ZOO Playground 2 from Thursday 1st – Sunday 24th August 2025 (not 6th, 11th, 18th) at 16:50 THEATRE
Meg & Marge
A time-bending comedy weaving medieval mysticism and modern tradwife culture. Meg, a picture-perfect tradwife with thousands of followers, is haunted by the restless spirit of Margery of Kempe, a 15th-century mystic known for her ecstatic visions and rebellious spirit. As their worlds collide, Meg’s flawless façade shatters, blending faith, desire, and chaos. Written and performed by Cosima Gardey and Fiona Tarses, this darkly comic show explores the dangerous allure of performative perfection, from medieval confessions to TikTok trends. ZOO Playground 1 from Thursday 1st – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 12th) at 15:15 THEATRE
Shell
What if your sex ed class turned into a drag-clown ritual of self-reclamation? Shell is a wild solo show fusing queer sex education, surreal comedy, and spiritual spectacle. Meet Andy, a hockey bro starting a sex-ed club to break reproductive oppression, and Peanut, a powerful, otherworldly being hungry for desire. Created and performed by Ana Evans, co-directed by Linnea Scott, this bold, participatory show invites audiences to question gender, anatomy, and longing. Interactive, irreverent, and deeply heartfelt, Shell dares us to name what we want—and discover who we are beyond our skin. ZOO Southside (Studio) from Thursday 1st – Monday 24th August 2025 (not 6th, 13th, 20th) at 15:05 THEATRE
Terry’s: An American Tragedy About Cars, Customers, and Selling Cars to Customers
Welcome to Terry’s Cars & Automobiles: a 1990s Midwest dealership with one goal—sell 66 cars by Monday. Fueled by absurd satire, original music, and a deeply emotional balloon, this Lecoq-trained ensemble delivers a razor-sharp, delightfully unhinged critique of capitalism, class, and the American Dream. Inspired by real-life sales targets and a This American Life episode, Terry’s is where slapstick meets sincerity, Hollywood meets Memorial Day, and tragedy takes the wheel. It’s funny. It’s weird. It’s unsettlingly familiar. Pleasance Courtyard (Beside) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 11th, 19th) at 12:55 THEATRE
The Crawl
Two swimmers. One race. In this splash-hit physical comedy, two Lecoq-trained performers plunge into a riotous contest of ambition, rivalry, and play. Directed by Olivia Zerphy (The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much), The Crawl turns a swim meet into a fast-paced world of eccentric characters, cinematic storytelling, and joyful chaos. From lifeguards to high dives, this whirlwind captures the absurdity of competition — and the quiet triumph of choosing your own lane. For ages 5+, The Crawl is a heartwarming, hilarious dive into performance, vulnerability, and what lies beneath the surface. Pleasance Dome (10 Dome) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 13th, 20th) at 12:05 THEATRE
The Essence of Audrey
Start your morning with The Essence of Audrey, a charming one-woman tribute to Audrey Hepburn, brought to life by acclaimed stage and screen actor Helen Anker (The Sound of Music, Promises, Promises, Dear Evan Hansen). From her iconic film roles to her humanitarian work with UNICEF, the show reveals the real Audrey — the heartbreaks, hopes, and honesty behind the Hollywood legend. Blending elegance, humour and insight, Anker captures Hepburn’s spirit in this moving biographical performance. Bring a croissant, sip your coffee, and spend an hour with a true star. Pleasance Courtyard (Cellar) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August (not 13th) at 11:15 THEATRE
The Poetess
After captivating millions online with her viral typewriter poetry, Olivia Dodd brings her debut play The Poetess to the stage. Blending storytelling, poetry, and live audience interaction, the show follows Viola, a modern-day poet finding purpose through writing poems for strangers. Inspired by real requests, the play explores grief, womanhood, queer friendship, and the quiet ache of being lost. Heartfelt, hopeful and healing, each performance ends with a poem gifted to every audience member — to pass on to someone else. A beautiful, moving tribute to connection, legacy and the simple power of being seen. Pleasance Dome (Jack Dome) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August at 11:55 am THEATRE
The Strongest Girl in the World
Part campfire story, part bittersweet comedy, this award-winning solo show traces one girl’s attempt to stay strong after the death of her father. Set to summer camp songs and storytelling magic, Truly Siskind-Weiss unpacks grief with warmth, wit, and Girl Guide badges. Moving between childhood and adulthood, she brings to life a cast of vivid characters and memories in a love letter to her dad — and to the messy, magical act of remembering. A heartwarming, darkly funny exploration of loss, resilience and growing up, The Strongest Girl in the World is for anyone who’s ever missed someone they love. Gilded Balloon Patter House (The Snug) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 12th, 19th) at 14:20 THEATRE
CNC’s Emerging Edinburgh Roster
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