Famous Faces & Fringe Faves
There’s a plethora of famous faces and Fringe favourites returning to Gilded Balloon’s hallowed halls for 2023 including a sold out run from Rhod Gilbert, back from a cancer diagnosis with a hilariously dark new Work in Progress. Fans of ITV’s The Chase (and let’s face it…who isn’t?) won’t want to miss Jenny Ryan, otherwise known as The Vixen, as she premieres Out of the Box, an evening of song, storytelling and showbiz secrets.
Everyone’s favourite army officer Gary:Tank Commander brings a brand new show to this year’s Fringe with Gary Talks (Yous Listen), as Greg McHugh revives his BAFTA winning character for a chat-show style format show. Meanwhile, Scottish broadcaster Kaye Adams returns to Teviot for How To Be 60 - a tongue-in-cheek take on what really scares Kaye - and no it’s not controlling a panel of Loose Women! With the help of her filter-free friend Karen, Kaye might just embrace her new decade…
Dead Ringers star, comedian and impressionist Jon Culshaw follows up his 2018 sold out Fringe residency with a brand new hour of comedy and music in Imposter Syndrome. Taking on an array of personalities from entertainment, politics and beyond, Jon Culshaw’s impressions have to be seen to be believed - whether bringing Donald Trump or Dale Winton to Fringe fans this summer.
Scottish Voices
Fans of new Scottish writing are in for a Fringe feast this year, with the premiere of ALBA, an original play by Jack Byrne and Jordan Howat. The performance examines a group of S4 classmates battling with the biggest decision of their young lives so far - the 2014 independence referendum. Navigating history lessons and teenage life in working class Glasgow, ALBA’s 14+ rating makes it a must-see for young adults (and not so young adults!) exploring their national identity.
A tale of love and loss set in a Men’s Shed in East Lothian, The Collie’s Shed follows four retired miners as they journey through time to revisit an unforgettable and violent day of ‘80s mining strikes. With industrial action never far from the headlines in 2023, The Collie’s Shed is an intricate look at friendship as characters wrestle with right, wrong and where they stand on the picket line.
Glaswegian Susan Riddell premieres Wonder Woman, her third solo show which delves into the act of wondering - from gender stereotypes and global warming to when the bins will go out. Plus, one of Scotland’s top comics, Jay Lafferty will premiere a brand new show for 2023’s Fringe. Determined to compete with TikTokers, podcasters and influencers alike, Jay will perform her new hour of stand-up comedy whilst pole dancing…Don’t miss Jay’s razor sharp observations and warm wit as she takes on this new challenge in Bahookie.
It’s a homecoming of sorts for Edinburgh native Michael Welch, shortlisted for BBC New Comedy Awards 2022, who will deliver a truly unique show with Ethnic Reveal Party, answering the age old question “Where are you really from?”. Plus, Edinburgh-born singer-songwriter Adam Holmes will create his own musical sanctuary amongst the hustle and bustle of Fringe in Musical Medicine with Adam Holmes and Friends, bound to soothe the soul.
Cultural Zeitgeist & Thrilling Theatre
Determined to delve deeper into the cultural zeitgeist, this year’s Gilded Balloon roster includes hard-hitting, insightful shows taking on topics including women’s safety; expertly explored in theatre production Walking Home. Devised by female-led company Prickly Pear Productions, the performance draws on real life experiences audiences will be all too familiar with; referencing Sarah Everard’s journey home, Sabina Nessa’s murder in London and the global outpouring of grief and anger that followed these events.
Fringe First 2022 winners The Beatles Were A Boyband return for 2023, with award-winning Edinburgh playwright Rachel O’Regan and feminist theatre company F-Bomb’s urgent and unapologetically feminine response to misogyny. Celebrating the friendship of three women, the show is filled with charm and laughter as it depicts the contradictions and compromises its characters face on a daily basis in a world filled with misogyny.
For some thrilling theatre, check out a highly-anticipated premiere from British playwright, director and performer, and three-time Fringe First winner, Henry Naylor with Let The Bodies Pile. Following two seemingly unrelated killings 27 years apart, the play explores a diagnosis from infamous serial killer Harold Shipman in 1993 and a care home’s mass deaths from Covid in 2020…
Naylor will also revive his award-winning show Afghanistan Is Not Funny for eight performances only; an unmissable depiction of his true, ill-fated trip to the warzone in 2022 includes being threatened by a war criminal and nearly blown up by the Taliban!
An unfortunately relevant topic year after year in America, 17 Minutes explores the communal and residual effects of a school shooting as a Sheriff’s Deputy looks for meaning in the wake of the tragic event. Meanwhile, the premiere of Impact explores award-winning playwright, composer and performer Amy Engelhardt’s fated trip to Lockerbie through storytelling and soul-stirring songs.
The Queens Are In Town
All hail the queens - it’s Drag Race season!
Fans of RuPaul’s hit show are in for a treat at this year’s festival with a powerhouse of personalities set to perform. Anita Wigl’it’s Funny Gurl, star of Drag Race Down Under, will regale crowds with life stories told via hilarious anecdotes for an all round dazzling show, or fans can pay tribute to the iconic Lady Marmalade at Lady Marmite. Enjoy RuPauls Drag Race UK fan-favourites Baga Chipz or Victoria Scone’s laugh out loud comedy and camp cabaret, or hop on a rollercoaster ride of character comedy with Bailey J Mills in Unfiltered & Scummy.
For a show sure to have you pledging your allegiance, check out the ultimate Queens as they take to The Queen’s Hall for Drag Stars of Comedy. Featuring four of the UK’s most iconic comedy drag stars, the show is hosted by drag king superstar Louis Cyfer plus sets from Lawrence Chaney, Victoria Scone and Trinity K Bonet.
No pop song, Disney tune or nursery rhyme is safe from The Kinsey Sicks in Drag Queen Storytime Gone Wild as America’s favourite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet deliver a new acapella comedy with trademark scathing satire and cheeky classics.
Wall to Wall Comedy
As the Fringe’s original home of comedy, Gilded Balloon’s jam-packed programme includes some of Scotland’s most exciting comedic talents, including viral star Paul Black. Following sold out Fringe runs in 2021 and 2022, Nostalgia will tackle topics ranging from class to Lady GaGa with Paul’s trademark insightful, witty humour.
BAFTA winning star of Scot Squad and Absolutely, Jack Docherty debuts David Bowie and Me: Parallel Lives, using his time spent with David Bowie on Jack’s chat show in 1997 as a talking point to take audiences through topics from first love, hedonism, culture wars, mortality and why you should always meet your heroes.
American comedian, actress and plus-size model Megan Stalter will make her Fringe debut with An Evening of Mayhem, whilst award-winning writer, performer and Chicken Run star Lynn Ferguson performs part-stand up, part-confessional in Storyland.
International rising star and award-winning Australian comedian Amos Gill will make his Fringe debut with the premiere of The Pursuit of Happy (Ish), a jam-packed hour of boundary pushing observations and rapid-fire jokes.
Critically acclaimed Australian comic Michelle Brasier is set to perform a theatrical hour of storytelling and music in Reform - a cautionary tale of an online scam with clever social commentary, whilst comedy fans can enjoy a premiere show from Nathan D’Arcy Roberts : Present/Tense as the stand-up takes on vital contemporary topics from modern masculinity and racial identity.
Nights at the Museum
A chance to experience Edinburgh Fringe in the iconic setting of the National Museum of Scotland, this year’s Gilded Balloon shows at the Museum’s Auditorium cover a huge spectrum, including a must for any Friends fan - FRIEND (The One With Gunther). Retelling all 236 episodes of Friends through the eyes of everyone’s favourite barista Gunther, the 70 minute show reveals the insider story from Central Perk’s main man. Or, enjoy a hilarious retelling of an 80s classic in Yippee Ki Yay The Die Hard Parody, an affectionate tribute to a fan favourite.
Comedian, broadcaster and self-professed bibliomaniac Robin Ince will take audiences on a celebratory tour of the wonderful places books can take us in his stand-up comedy show Weapons of Empathy, whilst all the family can enjoy Attenborough and His Animals, following sell-out seasons in London and Australia, as two hapless fools recreate magical scenes from David Attenborough’s nature documentaries.
A smash hit sell-out from 2022, cabaret show I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical returns for 2023 at the Museum. Securing 35 5-star reviews, the critically acclaimed comedic musical revue reveals all there is to know about musical theatre and the people who love it on both sides of the curtain.
New Kids on the Block
A beloved supporter of new comedic voices, there’s no better place than Gilded Balloon to catch rising comedy stars before they take the next big step in their careers. Acts bringing must-see shows to this year’s festival include So You Think You’re Funny 2022 runner up Mark Black, with Chindiana Jones - a quest for an ADHD diagnosis seemingly written by ADHD itself; promising chaotic, punchy delivery with a hint of darkness. Fellow So You Think You’re Funny alumni, Kathy Manuira brings her debut solo show to Edinburgh, with Objectified, which sees the award-winning character comedian bring inanimate objects to life, live on stage.
Award-winning comic Kuan-Wen Huang will premiere his highly-anticipated debut Ilha Formosa, an exploration into trading his beloved Taiwan for the rainy British isles and what it means to be Taiwanese through generations of migration and shifting identities.
TikToker turned unexpected voice against the IRGC, Chelsea Hart’s stand-up show Damet Garm: How I Joined A Revolution charts their own experiences as an activist whilst exploring the contrasts between the ground in Iran and the West’s increasingly political climate. Meanwhile, Ethiopian-Australian comedian Joe White, four-time winner of a Best Comedy Weekly Award at Fringe World, is set to premiere his solo show Ethiopian and Still Not Hungry at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, plus check out debuts from Robbie McShane, Ginny Hogan, Jaz Mattu and Shane Daniel Byrne.
A mainstay of the very frontlines of comedy and a must for any Fringe bucket list, check out Late’n’Live, the Fringe’s #1 late night show and comedy institution. Founded in 1986, the rip-roaring show has been a platform for some of the UK’s most successful comedians - from John Bishop, Dara Ó Briain, Maisie Adam and many more.
Spot comedy stars of the future at Best of So You Think You’re Funny, a line-up show featuring the top three acts from the 2022 edition of the UK’s biggest new comedy competition, with Joshua Bethania, Pravanya Pillay and Jack Skipper forming this year’s line-up.
Wild Cards
It wouldn’t be a Fringe without some wild cards so sit back, relax and embrace the madness!
After all, what’s a trip to the Fringe without trying to communicate with the afterlife? Séance: Live does exactly what it says on the tin - a nail-biting, once in a lifetime experience as your host and self-proclaimed sceptic attempts a Victorian style séance, complete with live audience interaction. Or, enjoy some mind-bending magic with Hypnotist Matt Hale’s: Top Fun! 80s Spectacular, a smash-hit comedy hypnosis show with 80s party vibes for all the family.
Gallus Stooshie are on a mission to make ceilidhs cool again with an interactive, family friendly event. Cool Ceilidh will see audiences enjoy a sensational performance from the Scottish dance troupe before joining in with the coolest ceilidh in town - expect fun, fancy footwork and floor-filling tunes.
Get in touch with your spiritual side at Jesus L’Oreal: Nails It, as the fitness and lifestyle guru (he/hymn) takes you through an hour of sacre-licious cabaret, variety and comedy, from Pontius Pilates to Jehovah’s Fitness.
First created as an award-winning short film, Potty the Plant is a dark-comedy musical starring a singing, talking,tap-dancing pot plant which explores themes of friendship, self-worth and loyalty, all wrapped up as a truly twisted comedy musical.
They say never to work with children or animals…how about both? Petting Zoo Comedy merges live comedy with live animals as stand up comics Michael Kandel and Charlie Sosnick crack jokes whilst holding exotic creatures, from tiny chinchillas to a giant boa constrictor, with a professional wildlife expert on hand to keep things educational throughout.
Book online tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk or call Tel: 0131 622 6552
Pictures: Rhod Gilbert, Robin Ince. Robin Ince artwork by Trent Burton.
