Edinburgh Fringe 2025
- Lorna
- Aug 25, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 30
My first time at Edinburgh Fringe and I attended the festival for three days. Although the main reason for the trip was to perform with the choir I am in, I still managed to fit in quite a lot of shows in a short period..here are my thoughts!
Don't Tell Dad About Diana
📍Underbelly Cowgate
🗓️ 21st August 2025
Set in 1990s Ireland, Don't Tell Dad About Diana is a two-person play that follows Conor and Hannah — two best friends bonded by their love of Princess Diana. While the story centres on their plan to enter the Alternative Miss Ireland contest, it quickly becomes clear the play is about much more than that.
It’s a funny, touching, and honest look at friendship, identity, love, and loss. Written and performed by Conor Murray and Hannah Power, the connection between them feels completely genuine, making every moment land with heart.
This was my first Edinburgh Fringe show — and I absolutely fell in love with it.
Funny Though - Clare Noy
📍Bunker One at Pleasance Courtyard
🗓️ 21st August 2025
Staged in Bunker One at the Pleasance — the perfect intimate setting — Funny Though is exactly that: incredibly funny. Clare Noy has a natural stage presence that immediately puts the audience at ease and sets the tone for a sharp, honest, and funny hour — with some surprisingly dark turns along the way.
The audience participation felt completely comfortable, like you were just chatting with a friend. She pulls you in from the very beginning, and the 60 minutes fly by.
And just when you think you know where it’s heading, the ending takes an unexpected, powerful turn. I was still thinking about it days later.
Susan Harrison - Should I Still Be Doing This?
📍Gilded Balloon at the Appleton Tower
🗓️ 21st August 2025
Susan Harrison had the room laughing from the moment she walked in. Her characters are brilliant — full of energy and absolutely hilarious. I cried laughing for 60 minutes as she moved seamlessly from a Cindy doll to a panda to a podcast host.
Her audience interactions were strong, always warm and comfortable, adding to the feeling that you were in safe hands.
I’d seen clips of Susan’s performances before and had always wanted to catch her live — I’m so glad I finally did. Susan should absolutely still be doing this.
Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence
📍Studio One at Assembly George Square Studios
🗓️ 22nd August 2025
From Crash Theatre Co and House of Oz, this fast-paced 60-minute show reimagines Macbeth through the lens of a teenage netball team battling for captaincy. With a strong cast, catchy songs, slick choreography, and a mix of drama and laughs, it’s a clever twist on a familiar story — touching on teamwork, friendship, rivalry, and a genuine love of sport.
That said, something didn’t quite land for me. The concept is strong, but the story didn’t pull me in as much as I expected.
Beth Wants the D
📍 Baby Grand at Pleasance Courtyard
🗓️ 22nd August 2025
As Dog Hamlet begins onstage, I was surprised when the woman next to me started talking aloud—until I realised it was Beth herself, blending into the audience to begin her story.
This one-woman biographical piece is structured in chapters, following Beth’s diagnosis of bipolar disorder and her ongoing struggles with various medications and their side effects.
Beth was so captivating — combining vulnerability and humour to create a show that’s funny, moving, and eye-opening.
I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical
📍 Gilded Balloon at the Museum
🗓️ 23rd August 2025
A fun, fast-paced show about musicals and the people who love them. Told through sharp songs and clever scenarios, it follows the journey of a performer—from audition nerves to backstage drama—with four talented cast members playing multiple roles along the way. A great performance full of energy, humour, and heart.
How to Win Against History
📍Udderbelly at Underbelly, George Square
🗓️ 23rd August 2025
From the team behind Kathy & Stella, this is the wild, witty true story of Henry Cyril Paget—one of the world’s richest men, who lost it all simply ‘by being too damn fabulous’.
This true, tragicomic musical explores identity, privilege, and the price of not fitting in. The cast is brilliant, the story is gripping, and the whole production feels polished.
A funny, moving, and glitzy show.
Midnight at the Palace
📍 Big Yin at Gilded Balloon Patter House
🗓️ 23rd August 2025
I hadn’t heard of The Cockettes before, so it was fascinating to learn about this group of artists who took 1960s San Francisco by storm. Their glittering rise — and chaotic fall when they hit New York — makes for a wild and interesting story.
I wasn’t sure at first — after a long day at the Fringe, it took me a little while to settle into it. But once it got going, I was totally drawn in. It’s funny, full of fabulous music, and the cast were absolutely fantastic. I really enjoyed it.
Spy Movie: The Play!
📍Above at Pleasance Courtyard
🗓️ 24th August 2025
Agent Jane Blonde has just 24 hours to save the world — but with a shoestring budget and villains in her way, things spiral into chaos. In a bid to win over a potential producer, this 60-minute slapstick comedy throws in twists and turns that had the room in stitches.
This kind of comedy is exactly what I love: pure, unapologetic silliness. The cast of four deliver high-energy performances, switching characters at lightning speed, with brilliant use of props, puns, and wordplay. I smiled for the entire hour — so glad I caught this one!
...Earnest?
📍 Udderbelly at Underbelly, George Square
🗓️ 24th August 2025
A traditional production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest—until an actor goes missing and everything goes wrong. The show must go on, and it does, with audience members stepping in to fill roles, leading to 80 minutes of chaotic, hilarious theatre. Great improvisation and coordination throughout, and you never know what’s going to happen next. A really enjoyable show.
Footballers Wives
📍 Music Hall at Assembly Rooms
🗓️ 24th August 2025
Based on the 2002 TV series, this show follows the players of Earls Park Football Club and their wives—mainly focusing on Tanya Turner as she attempts to save her marriage...and her husband’s career. Throw in an over-the-top wedding and plenty of scandal, and you’ve got the perfect ode to the original.
As someone who watched the TV show, a lot felt familiar, and the cast did a great job bringing the characters to life. The vocals were fabulous throughout, and a special shoutout to the actor playing Kyle, who stepped in last-minute with limited rehearsal and really pulled it off.
Overall a very successful first trip to Edinburgh Fringe. I came home exhausted but absolutely delighted with how many shows I fit in and absolutely loved the experience overall! Roll on Edinburgh Fringe 2026!!!