Edinburgh fringe 2025: the best theatre and comedy we’ve already reviewed

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"Highlights from Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025: A Review of Notable Theatre and Comedy Performances"

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The Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 is showcasing a diverse array of theatrical and comedic talent, with numerous performances already generating buzz among audiences and critics alike. One highlight includes the cult clown duo Xhloe and Natasha, who engage in a whimsical exploration of childhood adventures, portraying boy scouts against a vibrant backdrop of nature. Their clever use of minimal props, particularly a single tyre, allows them to craft a narrative filled with nostalgia and emotional resonance. Directed by Lara Ricote, Abby Wambaugh's show stands out as a poignant anthology that tackles the themes of loss and the potential of unfulfilled beginnings, bringing depth to the comedic experience. Critics praise the craftsmanship involved in the performance, which artfully intertwines humor with heartfelt storytelling, making it a must-see at the festival.

In addition to these performances, the festival features an array of innovative shows that push the boundaries of traditional comedy. For instance, Conti’s unique approach to ventriloquism transforms audience volunteers into comedic puppets, showcasing her improvisational skills in a dynamic and entertaining manner. Similarly, Sam Kissajukian’s self-directed show delves into the intersection of mental health and creativity, offering a humorous yet insightful commentary on his artistic journey. Khalid Abdalla's avant-garde solo performance raises profound questions about belonging and identity amidst personal and societal challenges, while Mohammed's character-driven comedy reveals a more personal side of the comedian. Other notable acts include Stevie Martin's exploration of the nuances between live and online comedy and a collaboration between Ramesh Meyyappan and George Mann that intertwines personal grief with broader political themes. Each act contributes to a rich tapestry of experiences at this year's festival, reflecting the vibrant spirit of the Edinburgh Fringe.

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In cult clown duoXhloe and Natasha’s two-hander, we are swiftly in the US of LBJ, Beatlemania and Tom Sawyer-style outdoor adventuring. The pair portray muddy-kneed boy scouts who, against a backdrop of chirping insects and with the sole prop of a tyre, recount their hijinks with an emotional impact that sneaks up on you.Read the review.Chris WiegandtheSpace @ Niddry St, 2-23 August

As directed by Lara Ricote, Abby Wambaugh’s show is a masterpiece of construction, an anthology of dotty creative ideas that resolves into an affecting story of the comic’s miscarriage and of the value of beginnings that never reach a middle and an end.Read the review.Brian LoganPleasance Courtyard, 12-25 August

Conti’s signature trick isturning volunteers into human ventriloquist’s dummiesand animating them in improvised scenes on stage. Her touring show reveals a master at work, elevating her brand of off-the-cuff voice-throwing and organised havoc to a state of near comedy grace.Read the review.BLUnderbelly, Bristo Square, 7-15 August

The title of Sam Kissajukian’s show alludes to the surfeit of artwork that the former standup produced during his mental-health crisis. In a self-directed production, he talks us through his output with a slideshow. It’s a funny and fascinating study of the mysteries of the mind.Read the review.Mark FisherSummerhall, 31 July to 25 August

In an audacious avant garde solo show, with its multimedia depths of images, audio voiceovers, personal stories, song and dance,Khalid Abdallaasks where you belong when the country in which you were born or raised does not want you or has become too dangerous for you to stay. How does it feel to belong in Nowhere-land?Read the review.Arifa AkbarTraverse, 12-24 August

A deliriously enjoyable hour of comedy meets magic meets more of the real Mohammed than we’ve ever before seen on stage. He’s in character as his alter ego, the camp and bumptious northern know-it-all Mr Swallow, but it’s as if this were a coming out party for a comedian who has remained incognito until now.Read the review.BLPlayhouse, 22 August

An extension of the Baby Wants Candy! improvisation franchise, this show inspired by audience suggestions has a cast breezily adept not only at making up lyrics on the fly (naturally, there is a rap battle) but also at ad-libbing harmonies, backing vocals and basic choreography.Read the review.MFAssembly George Square Studios, 30 July to 24 August

Stevie Martin’s show weighs up the differences between live and online comedy. It’s a tricksy and silly hour buoyed by arch good humour and high-quality gags tightly packed inside other gags, ready to jack-in-the-box out and multiply the surprise.Read the review.BLMonkey Barrel, 1-8 August

He is the pre-eminent comic polemicist of our age, the joker to whom lefties turn, and others revile, for his righteous tirades against racism, neoliberalism and the Tories. But what drove Kumar to this, where has it left him – and what good does it do? This state of the nation comedy explores the state of Nish too.Read the review.BLAssembly George Square, 1-10 August

This collaboration between performer Ramesh Meyyappan and director George Mann describes a man’s final parting with his late father. That could have been sentimental but it is invested with rage, making a knotty mix of love and recrimination in which the personal and the political collide.Read the review.MFPleasance Courtyard, 18-24 August

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Source: The Guardian