Edinburgh festival 2024: find the funny with these 20 comedy shows
A one-woman 90s romcom, boundary-testing standups and a new Taskmaster contestant make our comedy critic’s list of the fringe’s most promising tickets
June 2024
Crizards: This Means War review – a lovably larky send-up of old combat tales
The daffy duo follow up their westerns parody Cowboys with a silly but still oddly respectful musical-comedy about their grandads’ generation
July 2023
The Edinburgh comedy awards have been saved. But are they a fringe benefit?
Brian Logan
At a late hour, the former Perrier has found new sponsors. Some winners have mixed feelings about it but the prize brings attention to an art form that doesn’t get enough appreciation
June 2022
Beyond The Comic Strip: what does ‘alternative comedy’ mean in 2022?
A scene that started as a counter to straight standup at the end of the 1970s is still hard to peg – but it’s much more than just weird stuff that doesn’t work on telly
Edinburgh fringe 2022: 20 theatre, comedy and dance shows you shouldn’t miss
In the first of our festival previews, we round up some of the best offerings we’ve already reviewed – including Tim Key, Liz Kingsman, La Clique and Hungry
Jordan Brookes review – a disconcerting deep-dive into existential morality
The comedian’s latest show is quarried from the darker subsoil of a disturbed soul, delivered by a man whose warmest smile still stirs a tincture of unease
December 2021
2022 culture preview
Theatre, dance and comedy to book in 2022 – from Alan Partridge to Tennessee Williams
Amy Adams makes her West End debut, immersive dance confronts mental health and Steve Coogan’s alter ego embarks on a rare live UK tour
March 2021
Lockdown culture
Best Medicine Gala review – uplifting stream of health consciousness
Comedians led by Jordan Brookes and Tim Key turn lockdown worries into riffs on parenting, personality and body hair in a night of infectious live fun
August 2020
Lockdown culture
Edinburgh Unlocked review – a carnival of comedy from the festival that never was
Culture in peril
August without Edinburgh fringe: 'the heart has been pulled out of my year'
July 2020
Lockdown culture
Pass the green screen, granny! The comics pushing homemade videos to new heights
Comedians’ old YouTube skits are enjoying a revival in lockdown. And now standups are returning to online video – to push its possibilities even further
June 2020
Joking around
'It's like the wild west!' – inside Cardiff's heckle-heavy comedy scene
How do you make audiences laugh in a town that hates show-offs and loves to hassle performers? Our writer gets some hot tips as she continues her comedy tour
December 2019
Best culture 2019
Top 10 comedy shows of 2019
A double dose of Stewart Lee, Hannah Gadsby’s follow-up to Nanette and London Hughes’ uproarious blue humour tickled the comedy circuit this year
August 2019
Jordan Brookes: 'I wanted to be the existential Michael MacIntyre'
15 of the best Edinburgh festival shows now touring
Ex-call centre worker wins top Edinburgh comedy award
Jordan Brookes is disturbingly funny – and a worthy Edinburgh Comedy awards champ
Brian Logan
Edinburgh Comedy awards 2019: surrealists, standups and sausage act vie for prize
Jordan Brookes review – refuses to play by the normal rules of comedy
