By Grace Hatchell, 2nd Act Couriers
There are two types of people at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Those who say, “I don’t really get Dungeons & Dragons.”
And those who already have a character sheet prepared.
The return of Tartan Tabletop: A Dungeons & Dragons Comedy as part of Gilded Balloon’s first 2026 shows on sale has Grace reaching for a twenty-sided die and whispering, “Roll for joy.”
Because this is the Fringe at its most delightfully unhinged.
Welcoming both tabletop veterans and complete beginners, Tartan Tabletop transforms the world of D&D into a live comedy adventure — improv chaos, fantasy mayhem and audience-inclusive storytelling. It’s the kind of show where anything can happen. A dragon might appear. A bard might break into song. A dungeon master might quietly lose control of the narrative.
As someone who once tried to organise a “serious” board game night and accidentally turned it into a full-blown theatrical melodrama about a missing Monopoly thimble, I can confirm: structured chaos is my favourite genre.
But what makes Tartan Tabletop special is its accessibility. You don’t need to know your armour class from your elbow. It’s fantasy storytelling at its most communal — and Fringe audiences love nothing more than a shared ridiculous journey.
And yet — this is only one spell in Gilded Balloon’s opening wave of 17 productions now on sale across comedy, theatre, musicals, cabaret, magic and improv.
Because when Gilded Balloon announce, they do not whisper. They fanfare.
The much-loved co-production Doris, Dolly and the Dressing Room Divas returns to Patter House after a five-star run, bringing razor-sharp wit, backstage gossip and glorious harmonies to audiences once again. Featuring Doris Day, Dolly Parton, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli and — brace yourselves — “the filthiest Julie Andrews ever to grace the boards,” this all-female powerhouse cast promises music, mischief and emotional punch. Frankly, if someone hands me a feather boa and a backstage anecdote, I am seated.
There’s nostalgia, too, as Gilded Balloon make their towering return to Teviot Row House in Bristo Square — their beloved home of 25 years — reopening with upgraded performance spaces while keeping all the Fringe magic that made it legendary. Alongside Patter House and the National Museum of Scotland venue, a brand new addition joins the fold: the Gilded Saloon, their year-round pub venue. Which means more atmosphere, more late-night chatter, and probably more spontaneous standing ovations.
Comedy fans are spoilt. Christopher Hall returns with Pizazz, promising stand-up sparkle and possible outbreaks of dancing. Sketch devotees can catch Biscuit Barrel: The 69-Sketch Show — sixty-nine sketches in one hour, which feels both ambitious and slightly alarming. And improv chaos continues with John Robertson’s cult favourite The Dark Room, back with new death traps for 2026.
For those who prefer their chaos theatrical, theatre highlights include CADEL: Lungs on Legs, telling the extraordinary true story of Tour de France winner Cadel Evans, and Wiesenthal, the five-star play based on the life of Holocaust survivor and Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal.
Musical lovers can revel in Arthur Hull’s FLOP! The Best Songs from the Worst Musicals (a concept I deeply support — I have strong feelings about underrated chorus numbers), while British musical GIRLZ returns bigger and brighter following its Best Musical nomination last year.
Magic and spectacle arrive in force with 1 Hour of Insane Magic, promising jaw-dropping new illusions in a larger Teviot space, alongside the circus-comedy whirlwind 1 Hour of Insanity, likened to a family-friendly version of La Clique. Elliot Bibby’s Abracadada blends parenting chaos with impossible illusions, and Matt Hale’s Funbelievable! 90s Rewind delivers a nostalgia-packed hypnoshow.
And let’s not overlook the delicious unpredictability of Best of the Queer Fringe, rotating LGBTQ+ stand-up stars nightly, or the audience-driven mischief of Married at Fringe Sight, where the crowd decides who gets married by curtain call. I once trusted an audience to clap in time. It did not go well. So this feels bold.
If this first announcement is anything to go by, Gilded Balloon are leaning fully into variety, spectacle and communal energy for 2026.
But I’ll say it quietly, just between us:
Dragons. Dice. Improvised heroics.
Tartan Tabletop feels like the kind of show that reminds you the Fringe isn’t just watched — it’s played.
Tickets for Gilded Balloon’s first wave of 2026 shows are now on sale at tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk, with further programme announcements to follow in the coming months.
Grace will be rolling for initiative.
And possibly insisting on being a chaotic good bard. Tartan Tabletop returns.
Tartan Tabletop: A Dungeons & Dragons Comedy | Edinburgh Festival Fringe
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