2 w. ago A moment that changed me: I slipped in the shower, realised I was exhausted – and transformed my life

I was working non-stop as a standup comedian, and thought I loved the hustle. But when I found myself sobbing into the carpet after a back spasm, I had to reassess everythingFor as long as I can remember, I have been ambitious and desperate to prove myself. It started with a competitive spirit at school sports days, then a determination to land parts in local theatre productions, then a place at drama school. I was between acting jobs when a friend suggested I try standup. One gig and I was hooked.I quickly decided comedy was my future and I would do whatever it took to make it work. The rest of my life went out of the window. I gigged constantly – often six nights a week – determined to hone my craft and establish myself as a comedian. I was always knackered, but I revelled in it, telling myself I loved the hustle. I trod the boards at comedy clubs, art centres, theatres anywhere that would have me. I performed for six years at the Edinburgh festival fringe – the first two to very ...

Politics

2 w. ago Theatre of war: making an Edinburgh Fringe show about Iran while your country is being bombed

As Israel bombed Iran in June, Sara Amini was preparing to bring a play about her childhood in Tehran to the Edinburgh Fringe. Here the writer and performer explores the impact of war - then and now - on her creative work

Events

3 w. ago ‘It’s a brigade of old gits!’ Miriam Margolyes, Andy Linden and the older performers storming Edinburgh

At a festival so often dominated by bold young talent, it’s veteran performers stealing the spotlight this year. We meet them – from household names to octogenarian newcomersMiriam Margolyes is ensconced in the garden room of a fancy Edinburgh hotel, framed by tasteful greenery and smiling for a fan who wants a selfie. Apple-cheeked and foul-mouthed, she is gracious with the passing stranger, though she warns me later: “If somebody pisses me off, I’ll say: ‘Now listen to me, I’m 84!’” She pauses. “But I don’t see why they should!” she adds with a laugh.Margolyes is returning to Edinburgh for the second year running with an upgraded version of her acclaimed showcase based on the characters of Charles Dickens, her favourite author. “Same old cunt, even older,” reads the flyer. “It could be the last time, but don’t bank on it!” Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Edinburgh Fringe 2025: Watch the surprise moment performer proposes live on stage at the Edinburgh Fringe

The couple’s award-winning musical comedy is the first show they’ve put on together

Politics

3 w. ago Edinburgh Fringe performer in tears after 'third of audience walk out'

Nicole Nadler was performing her one woman show, Exposure Therapy, when she says "a third of her audience walked out 15 minutes early".

Events

4 w. ago Five Edinburgh Fringe performers on the true life stories behind their shows

Each year the Fringe is full of powerful and deeply personal true life tales. We asked five performers to share theirs.

Politics

4 w. ago Four Edinburgh Fringe performers on the incredible true life stories behind their shows

Each year the Fringe is full of powerful and deeply personal true life tales. We asked four performers to share theirs.

Politics

4 w. ago Edinburgh Festival Fringe to revive childcare for performers

The scheme last ran at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2019.

Politics

4 w. ago Moment man 'knocked out' on packed Royal Mile as tourists looked on

Footage shows the brawl erupting beside a performance at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Politics

last month A new start after 60: I became a dancer at 68 – and will perform my first solo show at 82

Christine Thynne was nervous about going to her first dance class. But at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe she will be on stage alone, doing all the ‘things I shouldn’t be doing’At 82, Christine Thynne is an emerging artist. “Risk! There’s a colossal amount of risk,” Thynne says. She is about to perform her show, These Mechanisms, over three weeks at the Edinburgh fringe. While “emerging” isn’t a word often applied to artists in their 80s, Thynne says the description is appropriate. “I wasn’t there before,” she says. “I wasn’t a solo performer.”Thynne’s show melds aspects of her life – she trained as a physiotherapist in the 1960s – along with other passions. Among her props are planks, stepladders and water. “Things I shouldn’t be doing,” she says. “Moving scaffolding planks. Changing the shape of stepladders. Carrying water.” Continue reading...

Culture