The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has been going strong since 1947 and has hosted thousands and thousands of acts over the years. This year’s fringe features over three thousand total shows, many of which would delight STARBURST readers. We dived deep to pick out ten shows that we keenly anticipate.
John Robertson: Plays with the Audience
John is best known for his internationally renowned live-action video game The Dark Room, and we really liked his crowd-work powered show Human Hurricane. His new show will include songs, comedy, a bit of crowd work, improv and, most of all, fun.
How to Win Against History
An utterly fabulous retelling of the tale of Henry Cyril Paget, the late 19th century’s wealthiest man, who lost it all by being his fabulous self. It’s a musical about trying to be true to yourself when the world is truly against you.
Woody Fu: One Man John Wick
Woody has seen all of the John Wick movies (though maybe not the terrible TV series). And now he wants to re-create them for your delight. With a little bit of help from the audience, Woody will embody the power of Keanu Reeves. Car chases, explosions and dubious motivations, this show may well have it all.
Broken Bard
Louis King is best known for his work as a retro-video games journalist and writer, which features a sharp wit mixed with biting observational humour. Their exciting new show will tackle topics such as PTSD, depression, anxiety and gender dysphoria with passion, knowledge and comic timing. A must-see.
Space Hippo
Award-winning puppet show about launching a hippo into space in order to save the planet Earth. All the hippo wants to do is get home to their children, but instead, they find themselves in the middle of an intergalactic war. Surreal puppet fun from masters of the art.
Gladiatrix
In 200 AD, doomed Roman Emperor Septimius Severus banned any female from the arena. Part stage-combat show, part historical drama and part social commentary, Gladiatrix explores what happens when the state tries to control what women do with their bodies.
Parody of the Rings
Sweding is the practice of re-enacting a movie in a low-budget way. Parody of the Rings is a bold attempt at re-enacting Peter Jackson’s iconic fantasy trilogy in only an hour with two very funny guys.
Lesbian Space Crime
Science fiction has always been a way to explore real-world concerns and issues through metaphor, elevating the conversation in a way that is accessible to many more. This musical comedy about intergalactic dirtbags has vital things to say from deep within its queer heart. Sounds like a recipe for great sci-fi to us.
It’s always exciting to see new musicals at the fringe because every once in a while, they turn out to be something utterly spectacular. Written to appeal to fans of shows such as Ghosts, The Rocky Horror Show and Beetlejuice, this tale of supernatural silliness could turn out to be something truly special.
Also, an honourable mention to The Britpop Hour with Marc Burrows, – not exactly our sort of thing, but Marc is amazing, and his previous show about Terry Pratchett was very good.
Our list of returning shows coming to 2025’s Edinburgh Fringe can be found here.
You may want to check out our previous guides from 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024. You may even want to check out our picks for 2025 in other parts of the world, such as New York, Hollywood, Durham, Camden, Greater Manchester, Buxton and Brighton.
You can book for the Edinburgh Fringe via the EdFringe website.
This article has been edited to remove dead links.
