Comedy
Review
Edinburgh Fringe 2024: as it happened
We head to the world's biggest arts festival for a few days of laughs, tears, songs and Irn Bru
We’ve landed in the Scottish capital right at the mid-point of the famed Edinburgh Festival Fringe, scouring the Royal Mile and all the cobbled stone side-streets to find the best comedy, theatre, music, burlesque and whatever the 2024 edition has to throw at us.
From make-or-break opportunities for up-and-coming acts to the stalwarts trying out new material, follow all of the action alongside us below as we update this page regularly.
Josh Glanc
“Josh Glansss… Josh Glank… Josh Glanckseeeee…” It’s as if the Melbourne-born comedian was standing in the line that spilled out of Monkey Barrel waiting for him, as more joined the ranks to check they were in the right queue and butchering his name in the process. It’s pronounced Glance – something to do with his ancestors being perverts, he says – and you should get to know it; while he’s racking up awards in Australia and been performing at the Fringe since 2018, the UK buzz has been growing significantly over the last few years. He’s a London resident, now racking up parking tickets and repossession notices as we find out in Family Man, which takes a little while to acclimatise to the tone, pace and vibe that shifts from sweet, surreal and and wholesome to, well, the opposite at times. The effect is utterly bonkers, one he leaps at the opportunity to capitalise on with crowd work, jingle-like songs and meta-humour sketches. If you’re one your way up to Edinburgh, make Josh Glanc your priority. JB

Dara Ó Briain
It’s always endearing seeing the big names in comedy go through works in progress, especially when held in venues such as Assembly Rooms in the early evening, lulling you into the feeling of a fully-fledged headline show. But Dara Ó Briain’s whole life has been a work in progress, or so his, erm, work in progress show is called for now. The towering comedian doesn’t shy away from the fact his work incomplete, handing an audience member a notepad and pen to write down the good ones with the occasional, “Don’t write that down.” He flits around topics such as stealing booze, driving lessons and the pyramids chaotically, in doing so finding four poor Chicagoans who’ve just arrived in Edinburgh and are struggling to keep up. Front row is always fair game, though, so naturally he picks on them playfully (“‘Speak slower?’ 30 years too late for that, listen faster!”) The best moments, ones which should and will likely shape his new show, are the those in which we offers a more candid and personal side, dealing with topics such as the death of the panel show and the quest to find his birth father. Watch out for news of his next stand-up tour for 2025… JB
Jessie Cave
Jessie Cave is no stranger to the Fringe, nor is she to ecstatic displays. In her third show at the festival she returns with new takes on motherhood, monogamy, and couple’s therapy – with a heavy dose of social anxiety added into the mix too. The multi-hyphenate talks the audiences through the trials and tribulations of parenting and relationships, and she does so with multiple crafty mediums inspired by the relationship she has with her four children (under ten!).
Cave applies her routine as a mother in explaining the balancing act that is her life: Shadow puppetry, Shakespearean monologues, vignettes of her therapist’s office, and bedtimes stories – to name a few. The actress-turned-writer wears oh-so-many hats both in and out of her Fringe show. From parent to creative to person looking for connection, you’ll leave this show feeling seen and little less alone. SR

Rachel Fairburn
One half of successful true crime pod All Killa No Filla, Rachel Fairburn proves she’s just as good solo in a revival of this year’s tour ‘Showgirl’ in the intimate rooms of Underbelly. It’s hinged on the eye-rolling question of “how did YOU get into comedy,” and how she navigates responses based on the demographic asking – it’s usually white men, she says. It’s a smooth, fun show, and ultimately feels like you’re chatting with your best friend. She’s charming, cutting and relatable. What’s not to like?
Her new tour Side Eye promises much of the same burning wit and sharp observations, kicking off in February next year. SM
Ivo Graham
A sold-out show at Pleasance Grand feels like a big deal for Ivo Graham, who has brought shows to the Fringe for over ten years. Ever the bumbling gentleman, he acknowledges as much towards the end of this year’s show, Grand Designs. And yet his set is still as tight and slick as ever, still leaving a little room for quick crowd work and audience participation – and kindly allowing them to plug their shows – as he lists off some of his biggest fumbles, from bringing too many copies of the London Review of Books (“LRBs”) on a stag to a father-son bonding opportunity getting “pop-stopped”. Few do self-deprecation better than this comic at the moment, and though he never shies away from the Eton and Oxford privilege that has long been a part of his shtick, as Grand Designs plays out Graham becomes more and more relatable, building to the feeling of friendship that ultimately underpins the show. JB

Ladies Who Ranch
As either a performer or an audience, improv is not for the faint-hearted. It’s certainly not Ladies Who Ranch’s first rodeo, though; Caitlin Dullea, Kelly Cooper, Maya Sharma, Caroline Yost and Sophie Zucker have been performing together in New York for six or so years. This is the last show of their Fringe 2024 run, which at time you can feel as a bit runs dry and the wheel of improv fortune needs a spin, but this group of friends are incredibly fun and surreal, be it dancing to Charli XCX and drinking cans of Pimms in their old American pioneer dresses or envisioning a woman with cats for arms. JB
Flo & Joan
Are they sisters, are they not? I was genuinely confused, but nothing a quick Google can’t fix. The fact that they are sisters explains the sizzling bond they have, and why they bounce off each other in such a particular way. I personally love musical comedy, and Flo & Joan just do it so perfectly. It’s serious, light, dry, dark and hilarious all at once, touching on relatable themes that have you belly laughing. It’s a must-see of the Fringe for any comedy aficionado, and you can see why they’re such a staple. SM
Out Of Woodstock
It wouldn’t be a full Fringe experience without experiencing some student and/or young independent theatre, as troupes of young creatives from around the UK bring new shows up to Edinburgh to exhaust their energies and overdrafts – but have the time of their lives doing so. 24-year-old Tom Foreman’s Out of Woodstock is one of these, a one man-show featuring Max Beken as a 90s teenager; young, dumb and full of latent masculine anger he must reckon with as he navigates the infamous Woodstock’99 music festival. At times it feels like Foreman has relied a little too closely on the 2022 Netflix documentary as source material, but there’s nothing wrong with that, I suppose. In any case, Beken is polished with his many cues and the musical choices effectively mirror the darkness that develops. JB
Abi Clarke
From TikTok to role(?) model to stand up comedian, Abi Clarke makes a return to the Fringe with a show all about being your assigned ‘toxic best friend’. Her venue at Pleasance Courtyard was a safe space to share thoughts that don’t exactly paint you in the best light.
Secretly rooting for the downfall of conventionally attractive people, taking stock of where you rank looks-wise in a room full of people, and other opinions you’d share in what Clarke dubs ‘toxic friend behaviour’. Don’t be fooled, Abi knows these are awful takes and holds herself accountable throughout the show by appointing one front-row spectator (Nick) as the official tally-taker for every time she crosses the line. With just one stroke of a dry erase marker on his newly gifted whiteboard, Nick’s judgement of Abi’s opinions are clear. Spoiler alert: She makes it to double digits.
A fun, frank and morally slippery show, Abi Clarke wears her crown as a role model proudly. SR
Milton Jones
There’s no doubt in my mind that Milton Jones is one of the fastest comedians we have around, both in his wit and him dashing around the stage. In his new Ha!milton show, he barely gives you room to react as his jokes roll over and over (with props, too!). Why is it called Ha!milton you ask? Despite a cease and desist from Cameron Mackintosh himself it seems Milton found the gag too good to resist, which seems to be the entire basis of his new show, with irresistible puns peppered throughout the hour. There’s not a great deal of one-liner comedians around, so it’s definitely worth indulging in. SM
Maria Telnikoff
From the get go, Maria Telnikoff is unwaveringly in character, marching out to a packed room, theatrically dancing to the song of the moment: ‘Guess’ by Charli XCX. Dare I say, the best way kick off a comedy show. Telnikoff welcomes you into a world so completely non-sensical, that it actually makes sense by the end of the show.
All the Men Are Going to Hate Me is a title as well as promise, the comedian explores the love interests of her life in chapters as she plans out a novel, blurring the lines between experience and fiction throughout a jam-packed hour that will leave you with aching ribs.
With a unique blend of interpretative dancing, notes app poetry, breaking into song and of course the Fringe staple, compulsory audience participation – I can guarantee you won’t see another show quite like this one. SR
Anna Akana
With its very honest title, audiences should know exactly what they’re getting into with It Gets Darker – Anna Akana did warn you. For such a recognisable internet star, Akana walks out so casually at the beginning of the show and swiftly begins with a responsible caution: the next hour will be digging into some dark material. She shared that reviews thus far hadn’t described her comedy as dark per se, but “pitch black”.
It’s the only performance I saw that caused me to cycle through emotions so deeply on opposite ends of the spectrum. At times my face ached from laughing, at others I was stunned by such poignant reflections, and most shocking of all (to me at least), I was wiping away genuine tears in one moment in particular. I don’t want to ruin parts of this show to those who haven’t yet seen it, if you feel comfortable with heavy topics and seeing the art that come from them, then It Gets Darker is for you. SR
Demi Adejuyigbe
The premise of will-he-wont-he do-a-backflip show might sound a bit underwhelming on paper, particularly for the gymnasts, but London-born, Texas-raised comedian Demi Adejuyigbe is anything but underwhelming. Surrealist surprises are his stock-and-trade, meaning the typically basic format of a powerpoint presentation is an absolute trip that meanders from jazz to incontinence. To say anymore would ruin it, just get yourself to Pleasance to see it – even if it involves backflipping. JB
Jason Byrne
Where to even begin with No Show? I think Byrne himself would struggle to explain this show, which is sort of the point. The Dubliner is warm but ruthless as he picks apart the front row in a show where crowd work isn’t an introduction but its crux. He strikes gold with posh Will and Finbarr, a retiree from Belfast and endearingly good sport with a kind laugh who is the target of most of Byrne’s jokes, culminating in him joining the stand-up on stage to wear a pillow around his head and make wind noises. It’s easy to say each show will be different, but there’s clearly no repeating this tomorrow, so I believe him. JB

Swamplesque
We all knew Ogres are like onions, but no one expected to peel back a layer and find a raucous and raunchy burlesque show. This parody has been the talk of the town, having scooped up a swampful of awards in the group’s native Australia, and once the feathers from Jason Byrne’s show have been sweeped off stage, the Assembly Hall turns into a disco with thumping bass and a high-paced variety show of splits, strips, rollerblading and a lot of nipple tassels. Never thought I’d be watching the Gingerbread Man twerk, but this is the Fringe I guess… JB
Ni Mi Madre
There’s a very practical reason that the Fringe always features so many one-person shows: it’s a hell of a lot easier to keep the costs down. But even with a bigger budget, Arturo Luís Soria would still be the only person that could star in Ni Mi Madre as he embodies his own mother in an attempt to understand, and make peace with, their complex relationship. Bete is often funny and fabulous, drinking wine from a tiny glass in an attempt to cut down and always looking to her idol Meryl Strep, but Luís Soria never shies away from her hardness and at times cruelness. Flitting between English, Portugese, Italian and Spanish, the catharsis evoked as he unravels the knots of parenthood and ancestry is shared and understood by all. JB
Stevie Martin
Stevie Martin is blending live and online comedy in this hilarious mish-mash of gags, puns and eye-wateringly funny observations. Stevie may say she feels more comfortable behind the screen, but her audience interactions and bursts of energy show her off to be a rising star of the comedy circuit. Strap yourself in for a BIG surprise at the end showing how much of a genius Stevie is… I’m just sad I only saw her once at the Fringe. HR
Paul Taylor
Un très bon spectacle (or a very good show, as Paul would say) in this silly hour that takes the mick out of all things French. He’s allowed to, you see, married to a French citizen and living in the country for 15 years. It’s full of unique observations and sumptuous syntax, jabbing fun at the faux pas the French and English make. Not a shabby way to spend at The Stand, and certainly a popular one with the international tourists. SM
Max Fosh
Cheeky chappy Max Fosh’s Loophole is a work in progress before he takes it on an (almost) world tour later this year, he tells us as we fill the Ermintrude lecture hall and take a seat at a desk like students. It’s a fitting setting, given that Fosh’s show is a powerpoint presentation from a master of trickery about life’s sneakiest loopholes. A tight and polished performance already, the man has even loopholed WIPs! JB
Larry Dean
Oh, hello: it’s Larry Dean at the door, welcoming each and every one of us into to Monkey Barrel 3 with a handshake and a smile. This down-to-earth act extends to his stand-up show Dodger, a beautifully rounded set that navigates cultural differences, autism, dementia and his close relationship with his late granny. As heartwarming as it is hilarious. JB
Josh Baulf
In a dark room in the maze that is Underbelly Cowgate, social media comedy star Josh Baulf delivers a snappy and succinct set of very funny jokes about growing up, moving in with his girlfriend, and, weirdly, Jaguars (although this was totally off the cuff with an audience member but provided plenty of laughs). He’s clearly a funny bloke and his comedy attracts quite a wide demo of people. He’s relatable and definitely suited to the comedy circuit. I imagine we’ll be seeing him on Live At The Apollo soon. SM
Sophie McCartney
Nothing better to round off a Fringe trip than a late-night liaison with comedy favourite Sophie McCartney! In a room packed with women (and a small group of men who provided some excellent audience interaction), Sophie is a polished entertainer who you know you’re in safe hands with. Another WIP show, she used a little spinny wheel to determine which bits she tried out with us (I love a prop), and clearly has a host of new material to mine out. An ideal way to spend your last night at the Festival. SM
Daniel Foxx
Disney villains get a bad rep, says the buzzy Daniel Foxx, who as a child of the late 90s looked to the likes of Captain Hook as misunderstood gay idols. His thesis is clear and his crowd work is quick and confident, clearly loving playing the villain himself as he pokes at us with sassy and sharp teasing. JB
The Edinburgh Fringe will be back in 2025. Until then, check out the comedy guide for more laughs.