Gentle, filled with emotion and highly engaging, Sanctuary explores a young man's life at the heart of the AIDS epidemic through his reminiscences with a supportive stranger. Richard Cant and Matthew Tennyson. Photo credit: Andrew Perry. Jacob Sparrow's debut play is truly beautifully written, filled as it is with nostalgia, warmth and melancholy. Set in... Continue Reading →
Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 Theatre Review: Spin Cycle (Underbelly Bristo Square) ★★★★
Emotionally charged, funny and often moving, Spin Cycle takes a queer meet-cute and develops it into something far more impactful. Rhiannon Bell and Zofia Zerphy. Photo credit: Sofia Salazar. When two ex-lovers meet again for the first time at a laundrette, their history is momentarily washed away and they can start with a clean slate.... Continue Reading →
Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 Theatre Review: Acid’s Reign (Pleasance Courtyard) ★★★★
Bold, brash and unapologetic, Acid's Reign is a punchy queer musical about climate change, activism, and whether it is more important to stay true to your beliefs or to seek the biggest platform. Acid's Reign cast. Photo credit: Relish Theatre. Initially set in 2019, accidental activist Alex Acid meets radical protester Ria Listic when they... Continue Reading →
Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 Theatre Review: Tell Me (Summerhall) ★★★★★
A skilful, powerful and moving story told through exceptional Chinese pole, aerial and dance work, Tell Me puts two stories of HIV diagnosis side by side in this thoroughly compelling piece. Created and directed by Sadiq Ali, Tell Me is the long-awaited sequel to his award-winning The Chosen Haram. Fusing circus with an expressive, emotive... Continue Reading →
Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 Theatre Review: I Am Johnny (Summerhall) ★★★
Part play, part drag king poetry-slam, Tessa Parr’s I Am Johnny is an intimate, uncomfortable and often hilarious exploration of toxic masculinity. Parr bounds onto the stage, a vision of slicked-back hair and painted abs - who may or may not have come straight from the gym. Absolutely committed to her portrayal of Johnny, Parr... Continue Reading →
Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 Theatre Review: SLAY (Gilded Balloon Teviot) ★★★★
Witty, bold and straight to the point, Lois-Amber Toole's solo show SLAY follows a lass from the North East as she tries to escape her traumatic past. Lois-Amber Toole. Photo credit: Steve Ullathorne. Armed with self-defence spray, a PTSD diagnosis and an accent that sometimes elicits condescension, Kit moves to London to try and build... Continue Reading →
Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 Theatre Review: QFWFQ (Summerhall) ★★★★
Loosely based on Italo Calvino’s novel If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler, Gregory Nussen's surreal piece uses non-linear storytelling to examine politics, international relations, gender and queerness. Gregory Nussen. Photo credit Sonya Katarina. Trans multidisciplinary artist Nussen has clearly invested a huge amount of time and care in their reflection on Calvino's work. Named... Continue Reading →
Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 Theatre Review: TOAST (Summerhall) ★★★★
A absurdist piece about the tension between following your creative dreams and finding ways to survive in the arts, TOAST is a impactful and at times surreal examination of navigating soulless systems, and what happens when the script runs out. Jude Green. Photo credit: Matt Norris Simply but skilfully staged, TOAST puts Jude Green's character... Continue Reading →
Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 Theatre Review: Night Falls On Burma (C Aurora) ★★
Three soldiers thrown together in the heat of war must come to terms with brutal realities, while also finding moments of connection. Barnaby Rothschild and Sebastian Barrett. Photo credit: Paul Stone. Inspired by his participation in the TV series "Churchill’s Secret Agents", writer Paul Stone began to research the experience of Indian Army and queer... Continue Reading →
Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 Theatre Review: Linus Karp Was Hit With An Umbrella (Underbelly Bristo Square) ★★★★
An unusually personal and introspective show, Linus Karp shares his experience and the aftermath of being a victim of a queer hate crime. Awkward Prods are a fringe staple, award-winning producers of the camp creations Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story and Gwyneth Goes Skiing. The real-life events that this show is based on took… Continue Reading →
