The Uncrackable Case, Photo by David Lindsay
The Pleasance Theatre Trust is launching its Edinburgh Fringe 2025 programme with a bang, announcing a dazzling first wave of 33 shows that promise to tickle your fancy and maybe even your funny bone. Get ready for an eclectic mix of solo acts, satire sharp enough to cut through the morning fog, political dramas that might just make you question your life choices, bold new writing that could have been penned by Shakespeare’s rebellious cousin, and contemporary circus acts so captivating you’ll wonder if gravity took the day off. This year’s line-up isn’t just here to entertain—it’s set to challenge you, provoke deep thoughts (or at least a raised eyebrow), and linger in your mind long after the final bow!
( Featured Image: The Uncrackable Case, photo by David Lindsay)
Book your tickets here: Edinburgh Festival Fringe
All Fired Up: an 80’s Mixtape Musical
Midlife crises, mixtapes and 80s bangers… All Fired Up is a wild ride through time, tights and Tina Turner. Following a sell-out Australian tour and a critically acclaimed season at Brisbane Powerhouse, join Tammy Tooth as a forgotten mixtape catapults her back to 1987, where she faces her teenage self and rediscovers her spark. With 15 live songs, a spandex-loving DJ and women 40+ dancing their way into the spotlight, it is a joyous, glitter-drenched celebration of second chances. Assembly George Square Studios (Studio One) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 12th, 19th) at 17:55. MUSICAL
Basically Nocturnal
Fresh from a sell-out run in Australia, award-winning performer Thomas Currie brings his late-night cabaret show Basically Nocturnal to Edinburgh. A celebration of the midnight hours, Currie reimagines classics and performs original songs, sharing gripping stories from ghostly tales to unforgettable dates. With a piano, a cellist, and live audience interaction, this offbeat, sleepless journey of musical storytelling ensures no two performances are the same. Gilded Balloon Patter House (Blether), from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 at 21:40. THEATRE/MUSICAL
Beth Wants the D
Presenting a comedic insight into intrusive thoughts, Beth Wants the D is an autobiographical one woman show that confronts death and delusion. Using writer and performer Beth May’s own struggle with bipolar disorder, audiences will journey through the extreme highs and lows to the scariest thing of all – a future full of hope. This profound production is a brutally honest, deeply personal and unexpectedly hilarious story of strength, survival and finding humour in the darkest of places. Pleasance Courtyard (Baby Grand) from Wednesday 30th July – Sunday 24th August 2025 (not 6th, 13th, 20th) at 13:45. THEATRE
Brainsluts
Quick-witted new comedy play Brainsluts is a sharp and hilarious look at the gig economy, drug trials and desperate times from revered comic Dan Bishop. Following five strangers participating in clinical trials for quick cash, the show reveals their desperate search for stability amidst side effects, personal secrets, and humor. Using humour, Brainsluts shows how even the most conflicting characters can connect through shared lived experiences. Pleasance Dome (10 Dome) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 13th) at 14:45. THEATRE
Bury the Hatchet
Bury The Hatchet is a razor-sharp true crime retelling of the Lizzie Borden case by award-winning Out Of The Forest Theatre. Blending dark humour, murder ballads, and biting social commentary, this satirical ensemble show explores media sensationalism, gender bias and the truth behind America’s most infamous unsolved murder. Did she do it—or did we just want her to? Pleasance Dome (Queen Dome) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 12th) at 15:50. THEATRE / FOLK MUSIC
BUZZ
One-woman stand-up tragedy BUZZ follows Trish Lyons’ turbulent journey from living in fear to reclaiming her life. Using dark humour and poetic storytelling, she unpacks a stalking in Toronto, a suicide in London, a breakdown and time in a mental hospital. Drawing on her past as a Fine Art lecturer and post-punk frontwoman, Lyons expertly moves between past and present as she uses art to uncover a deeper understanding of seeing and being seen. Assembly Rooms (Front Room) from Thursday 31st July – Sunday 24th August 2025 (not 11th, 18th) at 15:30. THEATRE
Dear Annie, I Hate You
Fresh from its London debut at Riverside Studios, the award-winning Dear Annie, I Hate You tells the true story of writer and performer Sam Ipema’s diagnosis with a brain aneurysm. Brought to life by Wild Geese Productions, in association HFH Productions, with sound design from Olivier-nominated Dan Balfour, the show is a visceral multi-media exploration of coming to terms with the possibility of death at the age of 20. Dear Annie, I Hate You looks to pay homage to different types of disabilities – both seen and unseen. Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance Two) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 31st, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 12th) at 12:00. THEATRE
Falling: A Disabled Love Story
Based on writer and performer Aaron Pang’s own experience, Falling: A Disabled Love Story is a bold and provocative solo show that unravels the complexities of love, lies and life after disability. Blending uncomfortable truths with dark humour, Falling challenges the disabled narrative, offering an unflinching exploration of online dating, paying for sex and navigating intimacy when faced with an unfamiliar disabled body following a spinal cord injury. Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker Two) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 6th, 14th) at 15:00. THEATRE
Footballers’ Wives: The Musical
Based on the iconic ITV series, Footballers’ Wives is a sassy new musical comedy of waggish excess. The show follows the fall and rise of fabulously flawed team captain’s wife Tanya Turner as she schemes to save her marriage and the career of her cheating husband – against a backdrop of disastrous hen and stag nights, a fairy tale wedding and some highly irregular nursing care. With book by Maureen Chadwick (original creator of Footballers’ Wives, ITV; Bad Girls, ITV; Waterloo Road, BBC), this brazenly British musical is directed by Anthony Banks (The Girl on the Train, Steel Magnolias) and is primed for kick-off. Assembly Rooms (Music Hall) from Wednesday 30th July – Sunday 24th August 2025 (not 13th) at 18:35. MUSICAL
I Was A German
I Was A German is an autobiographical journey by writer and performer Clare Fraenkel, exploring her quest to reclaim her grandfather’s lost citizenship. Through innovative visuals, original music and storytelling, Fraenkel blends personal history with broader themes of migration, identity and antisemitism. This poignant piece intertwines her grandfather’s escape from Nazi Germany with her own search for roots, highlighting striking parallels with today’s anti-immigration climate. ZOO Southside (Studio) from Friday 1st – Sunday 24th August 2025 (not 12th) at 13:50. THEATRE
JACKIE!!!
New musical JACKIE!!! tells the glamorous and scandalous life story of the legendary Jacqueline Kennedy. Combining sharp political exploits with vibrant musical numbers to unpick the complexities of one of the 20th century’s most influential women entangled in the ‘Kennedy curse’. Produced by Blair Russell Productions (Pop Off, Michelangelo!; DIVA: Live From Hell!; Lizard Boy), this wildly irreverent and sharp-witted show takes a no-holds-barred look at the darker side of the Kennedy dynasty. Gilded Balloon Patter House (Big Yin) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 11th) at 18:30. MUSICAL
Kanpur: 1857
Winner of the Charlie Hartill Fund 2025, Kanpur:1857 is a darkly comic new play by Niall Moorjani, offering a satirical interrogation of colonial history. Set during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, it challenges the narrative of heroism and villainy, examining contemporary conflicts around gender, colonial violence and making art in times of crisis. With an electrifying live soundtrack, this bold play is an audacious and comedic gut-punch that demands audiences confront the past with wit, acknowledgement and laughter. Pleasance Courtyard (Beneath) from Wednesday 30th July – Sunday 24th August 2025 (not 12th, 13th) at 15:40. THEATRE
KINDER
A drag artist, a library and a catastrophic misunderstanding of a ‘reading hour’. Fresh from its award-winning, critically acclaimed run at Adelaide Fringe, KINDER comes to the Edinburgh Fringe. Finding poetry in panic and comedy in chaos, the show blends drag, theatre and storytelling to examine censorship and queer joy. Using drag as both a disguise and a magnifying glass, it asks; what does it mean to grow up? Underbelly Cowgate (Big Belly) from Thursday 31st July – Sunday 24th August 2025 (not 6th, 13th, 20th) at 18:30. THEATRE
Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence
Fresh from an award-winning run at Adelaide Fringe, Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence powers onto the Edinburgh stage with a high-energy original musical from CRASH Theatre Co. In the fiercely competitive world of high school netball, ambition, betrayal and girl power collide. With a sharp script, electric pop-synth score and all-female creative team, this bold reimagining of Shakespeare’s classic is funny, fiery and unforgettable.The show is part of the House of Oz Edinburgh 2025 season. Assembly George Square (Studio One) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 6th, 13th, 20th) at 16:15. MUSICAL
LOLA: A Flamenco Love Story
LOLA: A Flamenco Love Story is an electrifying fusion of contemporary flamenco, Latin pop, and jazz that tells a powerful story of resilience, love, and hope. Based on the personal experiences of dancer and director María Garcia, this moving dance musical follows Lola, a migrant from 1960s Spain, as she navigates life in London after the death of her husband. With a large ensemble of flamenco artists, LOLA takes audiences on a captivating journey of courage and connection. Pleasance at EICC (Lennox Theatre) from Wednesday 30th July – Sunday 24th August 2025 (not 6th, 12th, 20th) at 20:45. DANCE/MUSICAL
Lunchbox
Following Tickbox and Chatterbox, Lubna Kerr returns with Lunchbox – the final chapter of her powerful trilogy inspired by her upbringing. Set in a Glasgow secondary school, this solo show explores identity, race, bullying and belonging through two teenagers from the same street but different worlds. This compelling and timely piece confronts the age-old question of nature versus nurture, presenting a deeply personal exploration of cultural identity, adolescence and the lasting impact of childhood encounters. Pleasance Courtyard (The Green) from Wednesday 30th July – Sunday 24th August 2025 (not 12th, 19th) at 16:45. THEATRE
Madonna on the Rocks
Groundbreaking theatre-maker Marie Hamilton’s wild, neon-lit musical Madonna On The Rocks offers a darkly funny and fiercely honest insight into motherhood. Combining pop, punk, and fierce honesty, it dives into postnatal depression, ambition, and identity. With music by Ben Osborn and direction from a Fringe First-winning team, this bold show celebrates the messy beauty of parenting without losing yourself in the process. Assembly (Roxy Boxy) from Thursday 31st July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 11th, 18th) at 11:55. THEATRE/MUSICAL
Medusa: Uncut
Medusa:Uncut is a fiery Wild Western retelling of the classic Greek myth, reimagining Medusa as a modern, sports car-driving, gun-wielding woman with a score to settle. After surviving an attack by Athena, Medusa embarks on a journey of vengeance, accompanied by the god of death. With spaghetti western tropes, a live dark country soundtrack and a fast-paced, wild ride, this show channels unapologetic female strength. Underbelly George Square (Udderbelly) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 at 17:15. MUSICAL
Midnight at the Palace
Midnight at the Palace is a rebellious new musical that dismantles the lines between art and showbiz, politics and performance. Audiences are invited to join the original ‘F*ck You Counterculture’ troupe for a night of radical joy and glitter-encrusted anarchy, inspired by the iconic drag ensemble The Cockettes. Packed full of on-your-feet numbers and raucous hilarity, this musical celebrates the gender-bending hippies, freaks and drag queens who defined 1970s San Francisco. Gilded Balloon Patter House (Big Yin) from Wednesday 30th July – Sunday 24th August 2025 (not 12th, 19th) at 21:30. MUSICAL/THEATRE
Mind How You Go
Debuting her new music-theatre show, folk singer-songwriter and theatre-maker Michelle Burke Michelle Burke deep-dives into her surreal family history in Mind How You Go. Directed by BAFTA-winning Gerda Stevenson, this folk-infused performance blends storytelling and original music to explore themes of identity, migration and the powerful call of home. Through tales of Irish independence, family folklore, and humorous reflections, Burke unravels the complex ties between heritage, religion and personal growth in a deeply resonant, lyrical journey. ZOO (Playground 1) from Friday 1st – Sunday 24th August 2025 at 12:45. THEATRE/MUSICAL
Murder She Didn’t Write
Fresh from a sell-out UK tour, Fringe favourite Murder, She Didn’t Write returns for its eleventh year with a brand-new improvised mystery every day. Created by improv legends Degrees of Error, this witty, Agatha Christie-style whodunnit puts the audience in charge — from the setting to the suspect. No two shows are the same, as a sharp cast spins absurd suggestions into hilarious, high-stakes sleuthing. Assembly George Square (Gordon Aikman Theatre) from Wednesday 30th July – Sunday 24th August 2025 at 15:25. THEATRE/COMEDY
NewsRevue
In a world where politics dominates the headlines, Guinness World Record-holder NewsRevue aims to shine a light in the darkness. Delivering razor-sharp satire since 1979, the fast-paced mix of sketches and parody songs tackle current events with 100% new material every year. The news may be dismal, but this unmissable Fringe show brings to life the joys and horrors of the year reminding us there’s always something in the headlines to laugh about. Assembly (Ballroom) from Thursday 31st July – Sunday 24th August 2025 at 21:30. COMEDY
No Good Drunk
American writer and performer Stacie Burrows’ hauntingly lyrical solo show, No Good Drunk, unearths the generational impact of alcoholism and domestic abuse —with compassion, humour and a deep love for the women who survived it. This intensely personal and harmonious solo show is set against a backdrop of West Texas and powerfully blends southern gothic storytelling, original music, and multimedia. Burrows explores the cyclical nature of addiction and her fierce determination to end it with her generation. Pleasance Courtyard (The Attic) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 6th, 13th, 20th) at 12:50. MUSICAL/THEATRE
Odds Are – TW: Child loss
Fresh from winning the Grand Prize at New York’s United Solo Festival, Smita Russell brings her powerful one-woman show Odds Are to Edinburgh Fringe. With dark humour and raw honesty, Russell explores love, loss and the search for meaning in the face of impossible odds. Based on extraordinary true events, including a rare diagnosis of ‘bad luck’, this gripping story reveals the healing power of storytelling. Assembly Roxy (Roxy Boxy) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 11th) at 14:55. THEATRE
The Black Blues Brothers: Lets Twist Again!
The Black Blues Brothers debut their brand-new circus show at McEwan Hall after thrilling over 50,000 spectators. In a smoky train station, five performers listen to rock’n’roll on a vintage jukebox, unleashing acrobatic stunts, human pyramids and more. Featuring a soundtrack from Glenn Miller, Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, this high-energy performance blends breathtaking tricks with physical comedy. It’s a celebration of passion, laughter and the joy of letting go. Underbelly (McEwan Hall) from Thursday 31st July – Monday 25th August 2025 at 15:30. CIRCUS
The City for Incurable Women
It’s 1880s Paris and Dr Jean-Martin Charcot is studying hysteria at the Salpêtrière Hospital. Here, the doctors go to extraordinary lengths to prove their theories about the four stages of madness, having female patients perform ‘hysteria’ to the public. Discovering the hilarious absurdity and disturbing darkness of this story, theatre collective, fish in a dress offers a queer perspective on a feminist history, exploring the repercussions for all genders. Pleasance Courtyard (Upstairs) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 12th) at 13:35. THEATRE
The Listies: Make Some Noise
Back by POOPular demand, award-winning Aussie duo The Listies return to Edinburgh Fringe with their hit show Make Some Noise as part of the House of Oz 2025 season. Expect a riotous mix of silly songs, chaotic sketches and laugh-out-loud antics in this comedy concert for all ages. Matt Kelly and Richard Higgins bring their trademark ‘kidult’ humour in a high-energy performance packed with puns, inflatable tube people and musical mayhem. The show is part of the House of Oz Edinburgh 2025 season. Assembly George Square (Studio One) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 6th, 13th, 18th –22nd) at 11:30. FAMILY
The Nature of Forgetting
As one of the UK’s leading theatre groups, Theatre Re returns to Edinburgh Fringe bringing their explosive and joyous five-star sell-out international hit show. 55-year-old Tom is living with early-onset dementia; as he gets ready for his birthday party, he is swept away by his memories. From first kisses to wedding days, the production explores the fragility of memory and the importance of the moments that define us. Pleasance Courtyard (Grand) from Saturday 9th – Wednesday 23rd August 2025 (not 13th, 20th) at 13:15. THEATRE
The Uncrackable Case
Front Room Productions and Lawrence Batley Theatre bring a bold new musical comedy to Edinburgh Fringe with The Uncrackable Case. When egg-fluencer Humpty Dumpty takes a great fall, budding filmmaker Jill stands trial for eggicide. With B.B. Wolf defending, Little Red Riding Hood prosecuting and a courtroom in chaos, the kingdom is cracking wide open. Packed with toe-tapping tunes and fairy-tale satire, this high-camp whodunnit takes on cancel culture, conspiracy theories and the dark side of fame. Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance Two) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 11th) at 13:30. MUSICAL/COMEDY
The Unstoppable Rise of Ben Manager
Winner of the Charlie Hartill Theatre Fund 2025, The Unstoppable Rise of Ben Manager is an absurdist dark satire around office culture. Created by Bunkum Ensemble, the show blends physical comedy, live music and pointless jalore the psychological toll of corporate culture and our search for meaning through work. Through a series of live-scored musical PowerPoint presentations, this is a show for those who question what they are doing at work and want to laugh along the way. Pleasance Courtyard (Above) from Thursday 31st July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 11th, 12th, 13th) at 17:20. THEATRE/COMEDY
Three Chickens Confront Existence
Following a critically acclaimed run, Three Chickens Confront Existence returns with its eggs-traordinary blend of comedy, tragedy, and surreal existential musings. Set in a factory farm, this hilariously profound show channels Waiting for Godot, but with chickens, as it tackles mortality, power and purpose. With cluck-worthy humour, emotional twists and a feathered cast that’ll have audiences laughing, crying, and questioning everything. Underbelly Cowgate (Belly Button) from Thursday 31st July – Sunday 24th August 2025 (not 7th, 12th, 19th) at 17:20. THEATRE/COMEDY
Trouble, Struggle, Bubble and Squeak
Award-winning theatre-maker Victoria Melody returns to the Fringe with Trouble, Struggle, Bubble and Squeak, directed by political comedy icon Mark Thomas. Blending storytelling and stand-up, this bold new show follows Victoria’s journey from historical re-enactment to real-life activism, inspired by the 17th-century Diggers and today’s community heroes still fighting for change. A playful, powerful celebration of ordinary people shaping history. Pleasance Courtyard (Above) from Thursday 31st July – Sunday 24th August 2025 (not 4th, 11th, 18th) at 14:15. THEATRE
Yes, We’re Related
Award-winning dark comedy Yes, We’re Related is a hilariously honest examination of the different ways we deal with grief. Following their mother’s death, this heartfelt play focuses on the tense dynamic between two dysfunctional sisters, and the unlikely relationship with a red squirrel called Gerald. Blending absurdity with emotional truth, this show explores loss, family tension and the strange ways that we cope with heartbreak. Underbelly Cowgate (Big Belly) from Thursday 31st July – Sunday 24th August 2025 (not 11th) at 14:00. THEATRE
Edinburgh Fringe 2025 – Chloé Nelkin Consulting
Book your tickets here: Edinburgh Festival Fringe
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