Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Top 8 shows by global majority artists
The Edinburgh Fringe (running 2 to 26 August) is the largest festival in the world, bringing artists from across the globe into one big celebration of theatre, music, dance and comedy. These 8 shows should be on your radar to immerse yourself in the impressive work from South East Asian and Afro-Carribean artists at this year's festival.
A Small Town Northern Tale
Iron Belly at Underbelly, Cowgate, 31 July – 24 Aug 2025 (not 11 Aug), 12.40 – 1.40pm
Inspired by his experiences growing up mixed heritage in Manchester and relocating to a small working-class Northern town in the early 2000s, Nathan Jonathan writes and performs a nostalgic love letter to working-class life and cultural identity. The story follows David, a 13-year-old boy whose mother uproots their family from Manchester to escape his violent, drug-dealing father. In the small Northern town, David struggles to fit in as a Jamaican-English kid navigating a predominantly white community. As he contends with dodgy noughties fashion, Myspace, and Nokia phones, he slowly begins to lose touch with his Jamaican heritage. A Small Town Northern Tale is a high energy, solo-comedy that explores identity, belonging and cultural erasure, all told with humour and poignancy.
Strangers & Revelations
Theatre 3 at theSpace@ Surgeons’ Hall, 1–23 Aug 2025 (not 10 & 17), 12.05–12.55pm
Two London-based Zimbabweans meet for their first date in an unconventional location, with the unexpected intimacy and shared cultural heritage leading them to reveal more about themselves than they were intending in an emotionally charged drama. Strangers & Revelations follows Zodwa into Malcolm’s house after a last-minute change of plan for their first meeting. As they connect through shared experiences of their roots and romantic mishaps, they reveal more about themselves and start to uncover deeper truths and shared griefs. Grounded in mythology and trauma, this production is an exploration of identity and the power dynamics between men and women through an African lens.
MILES.
Tech Cube 0 at Summerhall, 31 Jul – 25 Aug 2025 (not 12), 6 - 6.55pm
Delving into the creative chaos behind the making of Kind of Blue, the best-selling jazz album of all time, MILES. fuses live jazz and multi-rolling performance to explore the life and legacy of jazz icon Miles Davis. Accompanied by a live underscore from the UK’s leading jazz trumpeter Jay Phelps (Wynton Marsalis, Shabaka Hutchings, Amy Winehouse, Wizkid), actor Benjamin Akintuyosi—making his professional debut—portrays a host of characters including Davis, as the production moves fluidly through time, memory, and influence, capturing the sound, pressure, and innovation of an artist who redefined modern music. Created using Davis’s autobiography and never-before-heard recordings, the piece unfolds as a hypnotic, smoke-laced fever dream: an exploration of addiction, reinvention, and the explosive cost of genius.
English Ako
theSpaceUK @ Surgeons' Hall (Theatre 2), 1 – 23 Aug 2025 (not 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 & 18), 9pm (9.45)
Inspired by the lived experience of being born in the Philippines and raised in the UK, writer-performer Jules Chan’s solo semi-autobiographical play explores the complexities of growing up between cultures.Blending physical comedy, honest storytelling and character multi-rolling, English Ako follows Boy, a young working-class migrant born in Manila and raised in England, on a search for his estranged brother and, ultimately, for a version of home where both his Britishness and Asian-ness can coexist. Set against the backdrop of coming-of-age encounters – from playground racism and awkward Hinge dates to tense universal credit meetings – Boy transforms people in his life into beloved Shakespearean characters like Tybalt and Malvolio in a nod to British culture. The play offers an unfiltered account of identity, self-acceptance, and cultural survival, candidly exploring the challenges and contradictions faced by those navigating dual heritage in contemporary Britain.
Cantonese Opera x Children's Interactive Theatre: Dic Dic Chang Chang Playground
The Space at Surgeon’s Hall, 1-9 Aug, 1.10pm (2.10)
In an adventure to defeat the Boring King that combines drama, live music and audience interaction, Dic Dic Chang Chang Playground is a lively introduction to Cantonese opera for children and families. On stage, two young guardians of Cantonese Opera Land, Captain Dic Dic and Chang Chang - named after the distinctive sounds of the Muyu and Gong instruments in the show - must protect their magical world from the Boring King, a puppet villain determined to make everything dull. With help from the Cantonese Opera Fairy, they learn traditional performance techniques including gesture, song, and symbolic staging. The audience is invited to take part in simple routines, speak key Cantonese opera phrases, and join the mission as secret agents. Recognised for its inventive blend of storytelling and cultural education, this interactive production brings Cantonese opera to life in a playful, accessible way.
No Sugar No Milk (Prototyping)
Assembly George Square Studios, Studio 2, 8 – 17 Aug 2025 (not 12), 12.15pm (1.15)
In a physical theatre and martial arts performance that intertwines dance, street art and circus influences, Hong Kong Soul headline company TS Crew transports audiences to the nostalgic, vibrant heart of a Hong Kong Cha Chaan Teng – a quintessential diner. In these iconic eateries, a cornerstone of Hong Kong’s cultural tapestry, stories of struggle, dreams, and belonging are shared over quick, affordable meals. No Sugar No Milk (Prototyping) transforms one of these humble diners – with its clink of ceramic cups, and aroma of milky tea and buttery pineapple buns – into a dynamic stage for an exploration of home, identity, and the restless drift of life, reflecting the city’s blend of East and West, tradition, and modernity. Returning to the Fringe following their Asian Arts Award-winning No Dragon No Lion, the company pushes the boundaries of their signature style with dynamic choreography and vibrant street art aesthetics. No Sugar No Milk merges physical prowess with heartfelt storytelling, drawing from Hong Kong’s cinematic daring and street-level grit.
Rock Hard - A Theatrical A Cappella Adventure
Big at theSpaceTriplex, 11 - 23 Aug 2025 (not 14 or 17), 12.20 – 13.15
Blending music, movement, and myth, Rock Hard – A Theatrical A Cappella Adventure is a wordless vocal journey through Hong Kong’s past, present, and future. Performed by six singers and a clarinettist, the show follows a group of scouts embarking on a hiking trip, their harmonies echoing through time. From Hong Kong’s first professional a cappella choral theatre company, Yat Po Singers, this inventive production merges tradition with innovation, offering a fresh perspective on the city’s history.
Waves of Tradition: A New Horizon in Scottish-Chinese Music
Theatre 2 at theSpace @ Surgeon’s Hall, 19 - 23 Aug 2025 (not 12), 6pm (6.45)
This cross-cultural music performance brings together the Chinese Zheng, and Celtic harp and Scottish Bodhrán in a contemporary concert setting that explores connection through sound. Three musicians – Zheng virtuoso Wan Xing, and Glasgow-based harp and percussion duo Eleanor Dunsdon and Gregor Black – blend traditional techniques with modern improvisation. Waves of Tradition: A New Horizon in Scottish-Chinese Music features reimagined folk melodies, rhythmic dialogues, and moments of spontaneous interplay, highlighting each instrument’s unique timbre while building a shared musical language.