It is a sad day: as the Edinburgh Festival season careens into view with the unwieldy gait of a salty alcoholic at a family barbecue, we're forced to call time on Road for another year. In all truth, the warning signs had been there for a while. As we laid our final slabs of paving from the concrete mixer of culture, Road had been looking weary. Then, seconds before we published this article, he collapsed under the weight of Festival-related news, the errant words of headlines frothing out of his mouth and onto his clean-shaven mug (Road always likes to look respectable). 

And so, as is customary at this time of year, we ditch the limp frame of Road by the kerbside and place our fickle arms around the muscular shoulders of the festival (jesus, that was all a bit bleak, wasn’t it? Sorry about that). But before we go, there’s still plenty of news to unpick: Glasgow comedy favourite Susan Riddell has her show cancelled under dramatic circumstances, Phil Ellis and Amy Gledhill accost us with tequila slammers, and much more. 

Comedian Susan Riddell’s Fringe show cancelled because of terrorism charges…

… after a Ford transit van was driven into the perimeter fence of the controversial Leonardo facility in Edinburgh. The Glasgow comic’s show How Do You Sleep At Night? was set to take place at Monkey Barrel Comedy this year but, due to bail conditions, will no longer go ahead. Read the full story here. 

So You Think You’re Funny? competition sets out its wares…

… announcing that its grand final will take place on Thursday 21 August. A mainstay of the Fringe since its inception in 1998, the award champions promising up-and-coming stand-ups. Previous winners include Aisling Bea, Dylan Moran, Peter Kay, Rhod Gilbert and Tommy Tiernan, amongst others. Read the full story here. 

Phil Ellis and Amy Gledhill get drunk in the name of live comedy (and demand we write about it)… 

… in a new annual tradition where the comedy pals unleash a spirited assault on their livers before Fringe-time and share the fun on Instagram. This time tequila slammers were on the menu and the award-winning stand-ups were joined by Kiwi comic Eli Matthewson. Ellis seemed unable to operate a saltshaker, Gledhill exclaimed ‘live comedy!’ at random intervals, and Mathewson was never less than adorable. It was absolute chaos, and more fun than most comedian’s fully-workshopped live hours. Witness the carnage below. 

In the video’s comment section, Ellis declared, ‘@thelistuk should use this as a post to advertise the Edinburgh fringe 2025’ and we’re more than happy to oblige, but only if we’re invited along next year. Shots are on us. 

Ellis will perform two shows at the Fringe this year: Funz And Gamez rebootz which is running at Monkey Barrel at 12:45pm from Monday 28 July – Sunday 10 August, and Soppy Stern which is on at Monkey Barrel from Monday 11 – Sunday 24 August. Gledhill will pop in for a reprise of last year’s Make Me Look Fit On The Poster (which we awarded four stars) at Monkey Barrel on Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 August, and will co-host Northern News! Live with Ian Smith at Monkey Barrel on Wednesday 20 August. Finally, Matthewson will perform Night Terror at Underbelly from Wednesday 30 July – Sunday 24 August. If Ellis and Gledhill are fans, he's probably a safe bet. 

Edinburgh funniest fringe joke award scrapped for 2025…

… meaning random members of the public who don’t visit the Fringe won’t be able to say ‘is that supposed to be funny?’ when they read the award’s annual list of decontextualised zingers. 

A statement from UKTV said: ‘U&Dave’s Joke Of The Fringe was originally created to celebrate and spotlight grassroots comedy talent. As our commissioning focus evolves, we’re taking the opportunity to reflect on how we continue to support comedy in the best way possible.’

Last year’s winner was Marc Simmons for his one-liner, ‘I was going to sail around the globe in the world’s smallest ship but I bottled it.’ Geddit?

The award has always been a confusing beast, intended as a bit of pun-filled fun but used as indicative of the entire Fringe’s comedy output by ill-informed opinion columnists and national newspapers. Still, it’s been a staple of the Fringe for years; let’s hope UKTV find it in their hearts to revive it next year. Read the full story in The Guardian. 

Fred MacAulay bows out of show after prostate cancer diagnosis…

… after an impulse check-up because of his family history. The 68-year-old, who’s been a fixture on Scotland’s stand-up circuit since the 1980s, told The Sunday Post: ‘I'm determined not to let a prostate cancer diagnosis get me down.’

He was set to perform a live chat show titled Fred MacAulay In Conversation at the Gilded Balloon, but has cancelled to focus on his health. We wish him well. 

Four stars or more 

We usually discuss comedians in this slot, but we couldn’t lay the last paving stone on Road without crowing about Mythos: Ragnarök, a wild mash-up of pro-wrestling and Norse mythology. We awarded it four stars last year, writing, ‘This set-up is akin to when Marvel comics introduced the same set of gods into the mix, making them more accessible for school-age superhero fans and giving them a classical education as they went. By doing this in the flesh, Mythos has scaled things up to keep the legends alive, and it’s a knock-out.’ Read the full review here. 

You can catch Mythos: Ragnarök at Underbelly from Friday 1 – Saturday 23 August. 

The Road To Edinburgh Festival may have been put out of its misery, but we’re not done yet. We’ll be reporting from the Edinburgh Festivals daily, regaling you with news, reviews, previews, interviews and more. Check in and think of us as your all-seeing eye for Festival-related fun.