Maimuna Memon with Rachel Barnes and Harley Johnston Love, lust and late nights collide in a musical rollercoaster, taking the audience through the euphoria and distress of two people dealing with their own and each other’s mental health. Ria is working with her band to complete a new album, charting the rise and fall of a recent relationship. But the more Ria progresses, the more she’s drawn back into her troubled past, until we aren't sure where memory ends and reality begins. Olivier award-winning Maimuna Memon brings her critically acclaimed show back to Edinburgh, stripped back and for one night only. Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes, More information Suicidal references, mental health references and swearing. Age category: 16+

James Ley Luke is a young Scottish queer man living in London whose messy, chaotic life is about to implode. We meet him through a series of obscene, revealing, funny, profound, lost, chaotic questions. Questions of himself, co-workers, bar staff, therapists, cab drivers, dealers, dates and a tourist he meets while waiting for his date in a Minecraft version of the National Theatre. This is a staged reading of a brand-new play by James Ley (Wilf, Ode to Joy), directed by Tessa Walker. Scenes of a sexual nature, Strong language/swearing, More information References to substance and alcohol use and suicide. Age category: 16+

By Nick Cassenbaum Summer is a time for fun. A time for romance. A time for possibility. A time when dreams become reality. Return to ten special days in July 2007, as a group of Jewish teenagers experience new things: being away from their parents for more than 12 hours for the first time, snogging for the first time and reenacting the Raid of Entebbe… for the first time. Acclaimed playwright Nick Cassenbaum and director/dramaturg Emma Jude Harris, the creative team behind Fringe First-winning, smash hit REVENGE: After the Levoyah, bring you part two in the series. Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes, Scenes of a sexual nature, Strong language/swearing, More information Antisemitism, Zionism and anti-Zionism. Age category: 16+

Kieran Hurley presented by Disaster Plan A city. Just like this. Right now. A teenage girl boils with rage in a toilet cubicle. A finance worker preaches doom in a train station. An absurd, coke-addled celebrity races through town on a mission. A paranoid stoner stares blankly at the endless disasters on the TV news. In a single moment, all their worlds will end. Multi-award-winner Kieran Hurley (VL, Mouthpiece, Beats) weaves a picture of a familiar city at its moment of destruction, asking: what would we do at the end of our world? A stripped-back version presented especially for Shedinburgh. Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes, Scenes of a sexual nature, Scenes of sexual violence, Scenes of violence, Strong language/swearing Age category: 16+

By Ciara Elizabeth Smyth A psychologist and an actor meet in the sea. Or did they? They can’t agree. Dara and Gig have been happily married for decades. But one of them has done something unforgivable. Facts are slippery. Feelings are filthy. And memories are unreliable. This is a love story. A crime scene. Seasickness on solid ground. The Briar Patch is a dissection of a relationship under pressure – a play about what we remember, what we misremember and the devastating possibility that we were never really paying attention. Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes, Scenes of sexual violence, Strong language/swearing Age category: 16+

Tim Crouch This is a rare chance to see the first play in a unique body of work that has changed the theatre landscape. My Arm tells the story of a boy who puts one arm about his head and never takes it down. It combines live performance with sequences of film commissioned from British artist, Chris Dorley-Brown. The play is performed with the help of everyday objects supplied by the audience. It’s a study of bloody-mindedness, modern art and family. It’s mesmerising, teasing and profound. None Age category: 16+

Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss Spend an evening (well, part of an evening) with Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. These two are best known for their musicals SIX and Why Am I So Single? and will be sharing some insights into their journey from Fringe to… well, back to Fringe. None Age category: 16+

Deborah Frances-White From the amazing mind of Deborah Frances-White (The Guilty Feminist) comes this extraordinary, improvised comedy show. We’re going to take the Festival’s best comics, most beloved performers and finest actors and the Voice of God will mess with their head to get them improvising like you’ve never seen them before – uncensored, hilarious and barely in control. More information Possible strong language. Possible brief audience interaction. Age category: 16+

Hosted by Francesca Moody Ever wondered what it really takes to make a show stand out at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe? Join award-winning producer Francesca Moody (Fleabag, Baby Reindeer) as she hosts How to Produce a Fringe Hit - a Q&A panel event with industry insiders, sharing the secrets, challenges and must-knows behind creating a smash-hit Fringe show. None Age category: 16+

Shôn Dale-Jones This is a work-in-progress. Stories From An Invisible Town invites you to roam around the town where Shôn spent his entire childhood. Blending memory, fantasy and reality, the stories emerge in a dreamlike recollection making us wonder where stories come from and how much truth they hold... You will probably see the best and worst material. That’s not a guarantee but at least you’ll be sitting down out of the rain... Shôn has won several awards, made over thirty shows and been on stage at the Sydney Opera House and the Royal Court. None Age category: 16+

Marjolein Robertson A rich and beautiful story from Shetland, performed by comedian and storyteller Marjolein Robertson. The story of the Hillsook Weddeen (Hillswick Wedding) is one of Shetland's best folktales. It takes the listener back to life in Shetland in the late 1800s, exploring the crofting, fishing and other traditions, yet there is more to this story than meets the eye as through it we meet the trows, a creature of Shetland folklore and with them we go into their world. None Age category: 16+

Mark Watson Twenty years after his first solo show, inexplicably much curlier of hair, and with many more hangovers behind him, one of the festival’s most storied comedians rashly attempts a "best of" compendium of what he can remember from his many, many Edinburgh offerings. Although probably not the one where he turned a building into an immerse-theatre hotel for the whole month. But then, you never know. A one-off experiment. Audience participation, Strong language/swearing Age category: 16+

By Rosaleen Cox “People are entitled to their sexual proclivities, I mean, let there be a thousand blossoms bloom as far as I’m concerned. But I ain't spending any time on it because, in the meantime, every three months a person is torn to pieces by a crocodile in North Queensland” (Bob Katter, Australian MP). Cocaine. Crocodiles. Colin Farrell. This script-in-hand reading of Mercurial is a twisted dark comedy that pays homage to our most memorable one-night stands. It asks the question: How far will we go for love? Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes, Scenes of a sexual nature, Strong language/swearing Age category: 16+

Hosted by Harriet Bolwell Thinking about taking your show on the road? In this panel Q&A event, producer Harriet Bolwell and guests break down the essentials of touring theatre across the country – from building relationships with venues to booking, budgeting and everything in between. None Age category: 16+

Soho Theatre Ben Target is a critically acclaimed performance artist and multi award-winning comedian (yawn), but in 2020 he gave this up to become the live-in carer for an irascible octogenarian prankster. A life-affirming story about death, conveyed through the popular mediums of storytelling, servitude to the audience and live carpentry, a combination not seen on the world stage since Nazareth (circa 30AD). Directed by Adam Brace and Lee Griffiths. Scotsman Fringe First Winner 2023, followed by acclaimed runs in London (Soho Theatre), New York, and Vancouver. 'A knockout piece of theatre… spellbinding’ \*\*\*\*\* (List). \*\*\*\*\* (Fest). \*\*\*\* Guardian). Audience participation, Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes, More information Discussion of grief, assisted dying and death. Age category: 16+

by Marcelo Dos Santos; Director: Matthew Xia; Performer: Samuel Barnett “I’m 36, I’m a comedian, and I’m about to kill my boyfriend…” A permanently single, professionally neurotic stand-up finally meets Mr Right and then does everything wrong. But is Mr Right quite what he seems? And how far will the comedian go to get a laugh? The 2024 Fringe sell-out hit, starring two-time Tony Award nominee Samuel Barnett, returns for one-night-only in a raw and stripped-back performance just for Shedinburgh. ‘The gag-count is ridiculously high… Catch it, then, before everyone else does’ \*\*\*\*\* (Telegraph). \*\*\*\*\* (Fest). None Age category: 16+

Written and performed by Haley McGee. Produced by Soho Theatre. The Olivier-nominated, Fringe First-winning show returns to Edinburgh. Inspired by hospices, mystics and trips to the cemetery, Age is a Feeling wrestles with our endless chances to change course while we’re alive. A covert rallying cry against cynicism and regret. A call to seize our time. Charting the seminal moments, rites of passage and turning points in an adult life – your life – from the day you turn 25 through to your death, this never-the-same-twice show celebrates the glorious and melancholy unknowability of living. ‘As breathtaking as it is moving’ \*\*\*\*\* (Guardian). \*\*\*\*\* (Telegraph). Audience participation, Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes, Strong language/swearing, More information Discussion of grief and death. Haley will ask a few audience members on the front row to choose an an envelope or card and read out what is written on it. No audience members are required to come onstage. Age category: 16+

Sophie Duker Fringe royalty Sophie Duker (Taskmaster, Deep Cover, your dad's DMs) is doing only one single show at this year's festival. And guess what – it's this one. For one night only, Sophie Duker presents... Sophie Duker. Sixty minutes. Strap in. None Age category: 16+

Gary McNair Come away in and join Gary as he sorts through some old stories and new ideas. There may be laughs, there will be sweets*. Gary is a writer performer from Glasgow and one of the cofounders of the Shedinburgh festival. He has been a stalwart of the Fringe in recent years with shows like VL and Locker Room Talk and has won the coveted Scotsman Fringe First award four times. He is currently performing a 10-year anniversary run of his show A Gamblers Guide to Dying at the Traverse. *Please bring sweets. None Age category: 16+

Written and performed by Jayde Adams Complex, raw and burdened by years of grief, Dawn's at a pivotal moment: crafting a funeral wreath for someone she’d rather not talk about. The task softens her... and suddenly she opens up, perhaps for the first time in her life. What follows is a story stitched with sequins and steeped in legacy of freestyle disco, ferocious dance mums and the resilience it takes to keep dancing when you fall. She taught a generation of working-class girls in the 90s not just how to thrive, but how to lose and not cry. None Age category: 16+

Hosted by Annelie Powell CDG In the past 5 years the industry has faced rapid changes, and casting remains a process which can still feel like it’s central to making a theatre show, yet it’s shrouded in mystery. At this panel we will aim to discuss how to cast a show well, how to work with casting directors if you are making a show, how to become a casting assistant / associate / director and how to “be noticed” by them if you are a performer. None Age category: 16+

The Showstoppers The Olivier Award-winning West End hit returns to the Fringe for a 16th year! For one night only The Showstoppers get back to their roots with this intimate version of the show just for Shedinburgh. It’s opening night for the hottest new musical in town. There's just one problem – the writer hasn't written a note and needs your help... See your suggestions turned into a brand-new comedy musical in ‘the funniest improv on the Fringe’ (BroadwayBaby.co.uk). 'So polished, it defies belief' \*\*\*\*\* (Telegraph). 'Achingly funny... worth seeing again and again' \*\*\*\*\* (Time Out). More information Due to the improvised nature of this show, there may be infrequent mild language. Age category: 16+

Hosted by Tim Bano What makes a five-star review – and who decides? In this Q&A panel event, theatre critic and journalist, Tim Bano, along with guests, lifts the curtain on the world of arts criticism, exploring how reviews are written, how the landscape is changing, and what performers need to know about the critics in the room. None Age category: 16+

Christopher Brett Bailey Come see Christopher Brett Bailey (This Is How We Die) perform I Saw Satan at the 7-Eleven. Fear and Loathing meets South Park in a screwball monologue that's part romance, part buddy comedy, part body horror. Two miles north of Hell, a nameless deadbeat narrator spots Satan buying soy milk at the 7-Eleven. Satan's a washed-up has-been, who’s totally lost his edge. That is until he falls in love with our narrator and the two embark on a debauched misadventure, by turns slapstick, violent, whimsical, dreamlike and tender. 'What a f*cking genius' (Smiths Magazine). Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes, Scenes of a sexual nature, Scenes of sexual violence, Scenes of violence, Strong language/swearing

James Rowland For the first time ever, award-winning, sell out shows: Learning to Fly (\*\*\*\*\*, Guardian), Piece of Work (\*\*\*\*\*, Morning Star), and James Rowland Dies at the End of the Show (\*\*\*\*\*, ThreeWeeks) will be performed together, as a trilogy. A gentle, warm hurtle through the breadth of a human life juxtaposed with some of humanities greatest art (James wants to be clear that's like Shakespeare, Beethoven or Beyonce, not him). Expect laughter, tears and a one-of-a-kind event that can only happen at the Fringe. Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes, More information Suicide Age category: 16+

Ivo Graham Don’t miss this Work in Progress of a brand-new show from Ivo Graham, delving into the world of theatre following a critically acclaimed, sell-out run at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024 of Carousel. Ivo has spent his entire adult life on the stand-up circuit, winning So You Think You’re Funny? aged 18 in 2009. His sell-out solo show The Game of Life received nominations for Best Show and Best Joke at that year’s Fringe. He has appeared on Have I Got News for You, QI, The Last Leg, Mock the Week, Live at the Apollo, and more. None Age category: 16+

Written and performed by Chris Thorpe Presented by China Plate and Staatstheater Mainz, created by Chris Thorpe and Claire O’Reilly, developed with Rachel Chavkin. Nuclear weapons could destroy us all, right now – so why aren't we talking about them? Sometimes the threat slides into view – Russia invades Ukraine – but that doesn’t make the weapons more dangerous. They’re always dangerous. And one day, deliberately or accidentally, they’ll be used again. On the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima comes a one-off performance of a show and a conversation about a new nuclear weapons treaty. Audience participation, Strong language/swearing, More information Themes of nuclear warfare. Audience participation encouraged. Age category: 16+

Annie Siddons Dickie is having a day of it. He’s pretty certain Chanelle is having an affair, and he thinks his golf pals don’t really like him. A bad shot on the 11th hole takes him into new realms, a strange encounter and a challenge. But does Dickie have the cojones to see this through? And will he have the courage to face the consequences of his actions? Annie Siddons reads from her first new play for adults since Dennis of Penge: Dickie Dimplethorpe has a Day. A work in progress reading. None Age category: 16+

Nicola and Rosie Dempsey (Flo & Joan) In the moments after her last child leaves home, the Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe finally sits down to write a rebuttal to the person who penned the poem that made her famous. Multi award-winning British duo and sisters, Nicola and Rosie Dempsey, are best known for their musical comedy as Flo & Joan (One Man Musical). This script-in-hand reading will be a little different, as the pair put aside their instruments to try out their new one person play. Strong language/swearing Age category: 16+

Sh!t Theatre and Soho Theatre Multi award-winning ‘magnificent Fringe legends’ (Time Out) are back. And we're totally fine! Actually, all things considered, we're OK. Feeling alright. Thriving, even? That’s a bit far, but we've learnt some folk songs. We’ve got into folk recently and it’s been really helpful. Come and sing some songs with us! A swift 60 minutes of classic folk followed by a trip to the bar and then a singaround. Because we need a drink, don’t we? But we’re doing OK. ‘Spine-tingling from the first number’ \*\*\*\*\* (Telegraph). \*\*\*\*\* (Times). \*\*\*\*\* (TheStage.co.uk). \*\*\*\*\* (Time Out). Audience participation, Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes, Strong language/swearing, More information Optional food, drink and singing. Age category: 16+

Written and performed by Shôn Dale-Jones The Duke is a solo show from the multi award-winning writer/performer and 'legend of the Edinburgh Festival' (Stage), exploring kindness, generosity and the value of what we do. Funny, poignant and playful, The Duke weaves together the tragicomic fate of a family heirloom – a porcelain figure of the Duke of Wellington – the quandary of a scriptwriter stretching his integrity and an unfolding disaster as thousands of children flee their homes. Blending fantasy and reality, this playful show gently challenges our priorities in a world full of crisis. 'A fantastic and likeable storyteller' \*\*\*\* (EdFestMag.com). \*\*\*\* (What'sOnStage.co.uk). None Age category: 16+

Following three sell-out shows, Chloe Petts (Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News for You) returns with a brand-new tour, and she’s delving where she’s never delved before: this is a show about sex. The problem is that she blushes every time she says that word. Expect routines about Page 3, lad culture, and most importantly, big, fat naturals.