It’s a little over two weeks until a welcome return for the various Edinburgh festivals after two years of cancellations and scaled-back events due to the global pandemic.
This is the time when people looking forward to the cultural feast are scrutinising the programmes to work out their schedules – calculating how long it’ll take to walk between venues to enure they can see as much as possible.
While you have multiple chances to see most shows during the three week Edinburgh Festival Fringe – booking a ticket after a recommendation in a queue or a glowing review – there are also many one-off and limited run shows.
From late-night parties and immersive theatre, to podcasts and famous faces trying out new material, these shows are one of the things that make the Fringe Festival so special.
Sometimes they are added at the last minute with little in the way of promotion, so it’s always worth keeping an eye on venues’ websites for any additions.
We’ve had a look through the programme and picked out 11 of these gems that have been announced so far.
Read more
9. John Bishop and Tony Pitts: Three Little Words Podcast
Star comedian John BIshop cut his teeth at the Edinburgh Fringe and is back this year with the podcast 'Three Little Words', which he co-hosts with actor Tony Pitts. They'll be inviting guests to chat about three words that mean something to them, and the one they would gladly never hear again, at Gilded Balloon Teviot from August 16-20 at 2pm each day. Photo: Contributed
10. Jerry Sadowitz
The original master of offensive comedy (although he would hate that desription), Scotland's own Jerry Sadowitz is also a wondrous close-up magician. He's only playing two shows at this year's Fringe, at the Pleasance EICC on August 12-13 at 9pm. Entitled 'Not For Anyone', the comedian warns: "I might just do card tricks and say nothing for a whole hour or I might just do the usual 'screaming fascist' schtick". Whatever he does, he'll do it to the extreme. Photo: Contributed
11. Dr John Cooper Clarke
Appearing at the Edinburgh Playhouse for one night only, at 7.30pm on Wednesday, August 24, the people's poet Dr John Cooper Clarke's live show promises "a breathtaking rollercoaster of poetry, spoken word, off-the-wall chat, riffs and wicked stories". Expect special guests as he celebrates his new autobiography 'I Wanna Be Yours'. Photo: Contributed