We're almost halfway into the glorious mayhem of the Edinburgh Festival season, and our reviewers have been finding hidden gems that are well worth the hype. We’ve put together a list of our latest four-and five-star worthy picks. Catch up on part one of our round-up here. 

Five stars

Elf Lyons Is The Woman On The Edge
(Comedy)
‘There will not be many break-up stories involving 1995 blockbuster Apollo 13, a bouncy castle and a woman dressed as a horse but, then again, there aren’t many performers as wonderfully eccentric as Elf Lyons. Stand-up comedian and writer Lyons describes her new show as a ‘completely normal autobiographical (and in no way complex)’ comedy about love. And that’s exactly what you get in this wonderfully bizarre creation.’ (Robyn Bell)
Read the full review.

Sarah Hester Ross: Serving Cunt
(Cabaret)
‘Flippin heck, Sarah Hester Ross has got some set of pipes. She doesn’t so much enter the Gilded Balloon’s new Den space as explode into it, accompanied by a shower of feathers and C-bombs: subtle it ain’t, but hey, subtlety is seriously over-rated. This is an old-fashioned cabaret show in the best sense of the word; it’s simply staged, lots of audience interaction, and all backed up by the kind of voice that could easily reach out and crush the back row at Carnegie Hall. And her crowd loves her for it.’ (Jo Laidlaw)
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Evita Too
(Musical)
‘This may not have been the Mrs Perón musical you were looking for but it’s the one we deserve. Leave it to Fringe mainstays Sh!t Theatre (the formidable duo of Rebecca Biscuit and Louise Mothersole) to deliver a masterclass in historical storytelling with absurd cabaret and a soupçon of biographical realism.’ (Dominic Corr)
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Beth Taylor & Hamish Brown
(Music)
‘In a deeply personal curation of repertoire, partly prompted by many formative years as a musician being spent in the Queen’s Hall as an audience member and partly by her quest to champion lesser-known composers, especially women, Beth Taylor’s recital in the EIF’s morning concert series was an exemplar in what this strand of programming can achieve. What came over most compellingly in her performance with pianist Hamish Brown was a sense of storytelling. Whether from the vocal settings of the words themselves (curiously all authors remaining anonymous in the freesheet listing) or the imagery and vivid colours of the piano accompaniment, Taylor and Brown served their creators with trustful commitment and unfaltering musicality.’ (Carol Main)
Read the full review.

Four star

Alfie Brown: The Entertainer
(Comedy)
‘Big questions are floated: is the age of the hour-long Fringe show over when Instagram reels are a priority? Are reviewers redundant when no one reads anymore? But they’re tentpoles for an incredible array of jokes, told with a satisfying commitment to discomfort. If Brown truly is sick of the stand-up game, he’ll be sorely missed.’ (Kevin Fullerton)
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Harriet Richardson: Creep
(Comedy)
‘Richardson explores self and society through durational works such as going on 100 dates one Valentine’s Day, or going viral with a tattoo featuring the mums’ names of all her exes. Comedy is a new medium though, one which she playfully, skilfully blurs here into her work as a terminally online artist. She slays at screengrabs; she crushes the comments; she knows what we like to watch and she clicks replies we want to read.’ (Claire Sawers)
Read the full review.’

James Rowland: Team Viking
(Theatre)
‘Just a glimpse into this deeply meaningful friendship is enough to ensure free-flowing audience tears at numerous points and, while the show has some very heavy moments, Team Viking is also a masterclass in gallows humour. Rowland is an expert at mining comedy from even the darkest situations, including ambulance crashes, Weekend At Bernie’s-style corpse smuggling and exploding hands.’ (Isy Santini)
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The Understudy
(Theatre)
‘If the one-woman show is ultimately a vehicle for the range of an actor’s talents, then Eva Seymour has crafted an ideal format to test herself, with a story that balances tragicomedy and a bracing sense of manic desperation. In a deftly written script, her journey through the exploitative world of the arts (unpaid work, cash-strapped institutions, a shift pattern that destroys personal relationships… you get the gist) transforms into a universal idea about the nature of trying to succeed in a modern, post-lockdown landscape.’ (Kevin Fullerton)
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Mayflies
(Theatre)
‘O’Hagan says in the programme notes that he always thought Mayflies would lend itself to theatre. However, the play’s first half seems to have more kinship with cinema. There is a voiceover-like quality to the narration, as the younger actors lope slo-mo around the stage in hedonistic montages, intercepted by snatches of 80s hits. The star of the show here is the language and its wisdom. You almost want to pause the action to linger over lines like, ‘there are things you know at 18 that you will never know again’. (Lucy Ribchester)
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Overtone
(Theatre)
‘Overtone is a kind of Marriage Story that questions what it takes to devote yourself to someone else when that devotion is riddled with doubt from a life trailed by the spectre of abuse. Quick and surprising moments of humour grant the play some lightness that translates to faith in Maggie and Paul’s relationship. They know all there is to know about communication strategies and attachment styles, though less about how to be honest with themselves. In this desperate and moving hour, they begin to learn.’ (Evie Glen)
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Superbowl Salsa
(Dance)
‘The ultimate afternoon pick-me-up, Superbowl Salsa is a treat for the senses. Combining live renditions of famous Latin American songs with the history of salsa, bachata and reggaeton, plus the high-octane antics of actual Super Bowl performers, makes for a lively and accessible glimpse of Colombian sunshine at the top of The Mound. Ranging across the invention of fast-paced salsa caleña in hotel lobbies, the love story of world champion dancers and Bad Bunny’s recent half-time performance, the cast’s flamboyance, vocals, incredible athleticism and eagerness to share their culture are impressive.’ (Rachel Morrell)
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JLCO With Yuja Wang
(Music)
‘Is there anything that pianist Yuja Wang can’t play brilliantly? Usually heard at the Edinburgh International Festival in phenomenal classical performances, this year she’s turned her virtuosity to jazz. Appearing with Wynton Marsalis and his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra she was very much the brightest light in a show not without its own glittering stars, including the trumpet maestro himself.' (Carol Main)
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The Palestinian Circus
(Circus)
‘Many of these acrobatic skills have been performed at the Fringe before, in this same giant tent, but there is a gentle elegance to the staging, with circus artistry woven around traditional music and dance. The title nods to the joyous Levantine folk line dance dabke and the skipping, stomping dance step wahda w nos (‘one and a half’ in Arabic). The show beams collective strength and solidarity, from the trusting teamwork of the counterweight on the scaffolding, silently lowering and raising the flying trapeze artist, right through to the voiceover messages of resistance: ‘We will continue to exist.’ A dignified display of soft power. ‘ (Claire Sawers) 
Read the full review.

Werewolf
(Theatre)
‘It may sound like hard work, but Werewolf twists and turns with a velocity that makes it difficult not to get invested in this pantomime-inspired whodunnit story. With everybody made to feel included without anyone having to do much, the witty Kiwi trio execute crowd participation perfectly, crafting a clever show that will appeal to Fringegoers of all ages.’ (Danny Munro)
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Supposing
(Theatre)
‘With minimal set dressing and atmospheric protrusions thanks to Lizzie Powell’s lighting, Cooper commands the script in a brutally contemporary and raw performance which pursues effective authenticity rather than sentimentality. A contemporary myth brought to life, Supposing is layered with impressive writing and a compelling performance at its helm.’ (Dominic Corr)
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These Violent Delights
(Film)
‘Anyone fooled by the notion that ballet is a dying art with no future, should take a seat in front of These Violent Delights, a dance film born out of a centuries-old story, but firmly rooted in the present day. Scottish Ballet has built an impressive repertoire of short filmic works in recent years, but nothing could have prepared us for this 70-minute, octane-fuelled ride. Although inspired by Shakespeare’s tragic protagonists, Romeo and Juliet, this is very much her story. Kayla-Maree Tarantolo plays a Juliet for the 21st century, in costume and attitude, imbuing the role with youthful confusion, curiosity, hot desire, and a sense of fun.’ (Kelly Apter)
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Dan Rath: Help Me Please
(Comedy)
‘Most comedians like to welcome their audience, get them comfortable and warm them up. Not Dan Rath. He goes out of his way to make the crowd feel as awkward as possible. Staring above our heads, he barely cracks so much as a wince. Justifying this risky, anti-comedy strategy is a sharp, neurodivergent mind jam-packed with quirky observational material, skewed with a nimble playfulness.’ (Murray Robertson)
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Sam Morrison: Duck
(Comedy)
‘Duck is not the show for anyone looking for snappy comedy from someone who’s done Live At The Apollo or Mock The Week. It is meandering and at times vaguely shambolic. But Morrison’s innate sense of comedic timing means the long-winded nature of the performance only adds to its humour. Duck feels impossible to look away from.’ (Danny Munro)
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The Sumo Show: Hirakuza
(Circus)
‘The wrestlers are formidable, commanding the stage without saying much at all. But as the show goes on, their sillier side emerges. Vibrant, energetic and genuinely informative, Hirakuza strikes the perfect balance between respecting the sumo’s traditions and making them accessible. Enormous fun and an unexpectedly brilliant family show.’ (Robyn Bell)
Read the full review. 

Bottoming For Jesus
(Theatre)
‘Bottoming For Jesus is a whirlwind ride, blending comedy, cabaret and sermons. It’s touchingly poignant and occasionally very funny. For a fairly bombastic show, Speciàle’s writing is nuanced and unflinchingly honest; he’s unafraid to state his conflicting views on the Mormon church, rather than writing it off entirely.’ (Matthew Hayhurst)
Read the full review. 

Joseph Morpurgo: Highlander 70
(Comedy)
‘Morpurgo blends wry observations with ingeniously concocted personas to bring each character to life. By the end, you’re genuinely invested in these people and you’ll likely want to spend hours on in-depth Google searches to discover what happened to them. Highlander 70 is an ultra-slick production with real heart. Though there might not be quite as many laugh-out-loud moments as some shows at the Fringe, Morpurgo’s inimitable blend of songs, audience participation and storytelling make this one of the Fringe’s most unique hours.’ (Matthew Hayhurst)
Read the full review.  

Boys Don’t Dance
(Dance)
‘This inspiring, moving, but above all fun new show captures all of this. Inclusive to its very core, from the pre-show warnings to the audio description and sign language, Brew has worked hard to make everyone feel welcome. But while it’s his life story being played out on stage, he’s not the one doing it. Performer Ross Malloy captures the vibrancy of Brew’s younger self, obsessed with his BMX bike and any popular culture (especially dance) he can find on TV. Wheeling across the stage, or revelling in dressing up, he’s a bundle of joy, only becoming quashed when he’s told ‘boys don’t dance’.’ (Kelly Apter)
Read the full review. 

Adam Riches: The Captain
(Theatre)
‘Acclaimed character comedian Adam Riches returns to the Fringe with a slightly more serious piece than you might expect. It follows the true story of Captain Matthew Webb, the first man to swim the English Channel unaided, in 1875. Part Victorian lecture (Summerhall’s Anatomy Theatre is the perfect backdrop) and part eulogy, we’re drawn into a world of grim determination, unthinkable feats and deep courage. Really drawn in. Ten minutes into the show, Riches has the audience copying his swimming strokes, coffee cups knocked off tables and faces getting whacked by a wayward front crawl.’ (Suzy Pope)
Read the full review. 

She/They
(Comedy)
‘This is definitely comedy fit for 2026 with reply guys, AI and overbearing capitalism all getting called out. There’s a welcome touch of the surreal to their comedy too such as the QVC presenter who ‘became magnetic, but don’t ask me how or why’. Only the final sketch, about two smokers who don’t smoke, feels like it drags on a little, and the costume and scenery changes aren’t quite polished. The lasting impression is that She/They is hilarious, clever and definitely one to watch.’ (Suzy Pope)
Read the full review.

Paul Currie: Remove Your Skin Please
(Comedy)
‘Semi-naked and full of beans, Paul Currie doesn’t so much enter the stage as explode onto it. Much of tonight’s crowd seem to know what to expect, and they lap it up as he repeatedly exclaims, ‘I’m Lemon Barnaby!’. Currie fills much of his show with musical comedy, usually changing a few lyrics of songs for daft effect. At one point, he sings over the theme tune to This Is Your Life with a hilariously candid account of his depression before moving on to an ingeniously simple visual gag about a tiny superhero.’ (Murray Robertson)
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Billy Kirkwood: Mayhem
(Comedy)
‘Looking like ‘a man who sells drugs to himself’ and ‘Susan Boyle doing stand-up’ (his words), Billy Kirkwood bounces onto the stage. That pre-show self-introduction acts as a veiled threat that this hour could well be a lot to handle at this time of day, but the crowd is raring to go. With such incessant wackiness and chaos on stage, it takes a skilled comedian to know how to control their room. Kirkwood is that comedian.’ (James Macfarlane)
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Guy Branum: Be Fruitful
(Comedy)
‘But Branum steamrolls through, confronting our prejudices. For example, if your physical appearance means you haven’t been the recipient of love, who are we to judge if you find some semblance of it with a sex worker? Stimulating takes on religion, dinosaurs (muscly ones) and whether, as a gay man, he’s simply designed to be a genetic full stop come thick and fast. Guy Branum’s material is smart and demanding; this is comedy to make your little grey cells work overtime.’ (Paul McLean)
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Kristen Schaal: The Legend of Crystal Shell
(Comedy)
‘A twisted but delightful coming-of-age tale, featuring a Hollywood hoofer of renown and Schaal’s Bob’s Burgers co-star John Roberts in supporting roles, The Legend Of Crystal Shell is a projection of Schaal’s wonderful capacity to turn from cutesy and childlike to stroppily aggressive on a dime. In its valorising of unicorns and rainbows you could read it as a broad allegory for tolerance and self-acceptance. Or a satire on Disneyfied takes on sexual maturity and family relationships. But the laughs are paramount. And she and Roberts sing and canter with sprinkles of charm as they deliver plentiful, steaming pats of them.’ (Jay Richardson)
Read the full review. 

The Mr Thing Show
(Comedy)
‘This hour is quite simply a celebration of silliness. Trying to get that all important phone call from the commissioners in Hollywood, the Mr Thing gang create a show that includes wacky games (the best being ‘You’ve Gotta That Face’) and uncovering some surprising hidden talents among the crowd. However, it’s the magical finale that has everyone on the edge of their seats. Featuring a live house band, banter with the hilarious Puppet Steve and some unexpected celebrity cameos, The Mr Thing Show is guaranteed to leave you smiling.’ (James Macfarlane)
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Extra Geography
(Film)
‘Manners imbues this tale of fraught female friendship with an offbeat charm, complete with ornate title cards and classical-inspired score. While it sticks firmly to the coming-of-age genre’s conventions and plot points, Extra Geography offers less certainty than others of its ilk, to its benefit. The film plays with relationships, identity and sexuality, but never forces itself into neat conclusions. The final result is painfully relatable in the best way and doubly so for anyone who’s ever attended an all-girls school.’ (Isy Santini)
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Jamie Fitzpatrick: Memorials To Sausage Politics
(Art)
‘These sculptural works curve downwards menacingly, whilst looking as though they are on a shoogly peg. Monstrous teeth jut out from thick clay, with rough features like Basquiat drawings, and clownish goggle eyes give thousand yard stares. The grotesque collection is a tactile smudge of chunky contours in Caucasian flesh pink and horse manure brown, where ridiculous rows of white wig curls appear as though they could slide off the melting men any minute. Memorials To Sausage Politics is an irreverent take-down of colonial might. ‘ (Claire Sawers)
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Esther Castle: Abundant Parts
(Art)
‘Drawing on her experience of childhood illness, Castle explores the ways society frames non-normative bodies through the language of weeds, growth and control. Viewed through the gallery window, the installation takes on the quality of a museum diorama, inviting close observation while keeping viewers at a distance. The show is playful but absolutely bursting with feeling. ‘ (Afreka Thomson)
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Sandra George: Start From The Level
(Art)
‘Despite her social and political focus, touching moments of autobiography reveal themselves in the home strand, in which George profiles her son’s upbringing. Hints of the art life are seen in the negative space of each photo, from the tastefully paint-spattered walls of her flat on Bread Street to the reference books piled next to her living-room chair. They’re the signs and symbols of an artist dedicated to her craft, to the seriousness of everyday life and to the joyful responsibilities of motherhood.’ (Kevin Fullerton)
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Gwen John: Strange Beauties
(Art)
‘When Gwen John (1876–1939) wrote how ‘a beautiful life is one led, perhaps, in the shadow, but ordered, regular, harmonious’, it was a self-aware summation of her own quiet devotions, both in life and work. The Edinburgh leg of this major exhibition, in partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru/Museum Wales in Cardiff and prior to US dates at Yale Center For British Art and the National Museum Of Women In The Arts, marks the 150th anniversary of John’s birth. It brings together more than 200 of her paintings, contextualised here in such a way as to reveal the connections, repetitions and variations pursued by John with an understated but passionate intensity.’ (Neil Cooper)
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Vasthy And Friends: Sing, Dance, Play!
(Kids)
‘Vasthy, our host and hero, is an energetic New Yorker with incredible trousers, accompanied by friends who all have their own little stories to tell. Rather than dragging children onstage or demanding participation, they ask questions and make suggestions, giving everyone plenty of opportunities to join in (even if that means simply waddling around aimlessly on stage, as my two-year-old companion does for most of the hour). There’s dancing, singing, impressive high kicks (well, one) and the chance to learn new words from Haiti, India and Spain, plus a sprinkle of ASL.’ (Afreka Thomson)
Read the full review. 

Bigfoot Ripped My Dog In Half I Saw It
(Theatre)
‘Something monstrous stalks a smalltown Appalachian community in this soapy, schlocky slab of physical theatre. Xhloe (Rice) and Natasha (Roland) are on the hunt for the titular cryptid, gathering evidence from paranoid townsfolk and uncovering something even more dastardly than the spectre of Sasquatch. There’s plenty to get your teeth into.’ (Gary Sullivan)
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The Real Kyle McCarren
(Musical)
‘Jaygee Macapugay almost steals the show as Kyle’s ballsy mother, belting out tunes and shouting out comedy lines with perfect timing. Just as the set dips with one too many low-key, emotional numbers, we’re ripped out of grief with a banging 80s-style dance anthem set at a rooftop party in Brooklyn, powered by the strength and charisma of Vincent Jamal Hooper as pretentious English hipster Liam. Roninson’s personal need to tell this story is felt throughout, and it’s a privilege to listen.’ (Suzy Pope)
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Giraffe
(Theatre)
‘Eliana has always felt different and not just because her arms are so freakishly long that she could hide her newly acquired restraining order in the loft without using the ladder. Convincing a court (and therefore a crowd) that you are normal is always a cracking premise for a play, and this semi-autobiographical comedy by Abigail Weinstock (Such Brave Girls) is a lot of fun. Eliana rattles through her childhood and beyond, exploring the consequences of never quite understanding yourself and the power of a mean comment from someone who should know better.’ (Jo Laidlaw)
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Maribou State
(Music)
‘North Berwick usually conjures up images of seagulls, chippies and posh retirees. So there’s something pleasingly incongruous about watching one of London’s most acclaimed electronic acts play in a Big Top tent on the East Lothian coast. Maribou State’s hazy, slow-burning electronica might seem more at home in a dark nightclub than a seaside festival, but as the lights go down and the synths kick in, the setting starts to feel bang on.’ (Afreka Thomson)
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Jerk Off!
(Theatre)
‘In her 20s and at a loss in the wake of her mum’s passing, Manzoor fled London for Boston, where she fell in love with two things: hip-hop dancing and her hip-hop instructor, Miguel. Manzoor recounts her relationship with the Bronx-born dance teacher with startling honesty, unravelling the thread between his abuse and her discovery of the mistreatment that had been taking place in her own immediate family.’ (Danny Munro)
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Spin Queen
(Theatre)
‘Tomei has a fabulous ear for satirical one-liners so close to the bone you suspect if the wrong marketeer sat in the front row some of them could, terrifyingly, be greenlit: ‘Hunger is your body asking how serious you are about success.’ She walks a knife edge between manic energy and plain mania, sometimes letting slip the vulnerability behind the mask.’ (Lucy Ribchester)
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Tom Waits War Songs
(Music)
‘Threading together songs of war, soldiers and homecomings to create a collage of traumatised men, an animated backdrop helps bolster the feeling of an unofficial concept album. The full-band arrangements are bracingly urgent, particularly on the apocalyptic ‘Hell Broke Luce’ and the heartbreaking ‘Boots On The Ground’, which now draws direct comparisons with the horrors of ICE’s descent on contemporary America. Lead performer Michelle McGregor is the centrepiece, her powerful vocals teasing out supple melodies that Waits himself often seemed intent on hiding, embodying his theatrical pizzazz without ever feeling like a tribute act. One for Waits fans, or for the Waits curious.’ (Kevin Fullerton)
Read the full review.

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