Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023: Kaye Adams announces Smack the Pony reunion, Ian Rankin and Jack Docherty for live Fringe shows

Smack the Pony reunion and a star studded line-up revealed for How To Be 60 Live

Scottish broadcaster Kaye Adams and co-host Karen Mackenzie will bring a star-studded line-up for a series of special live shows of hit podcast ‘How To Be 60’ at Gilded Balloon this Fringe.

The duo have announced that their guests in Edinburgh will include a Smack the Pony reunion with Sally Phillips and Fiona Allen, a special chat with actors and comedians Jack Docherty and Jo Caulfield, plus two of Scotland’s most celebrated crime authors Ian Rankin and Denise Mina.

‘How To Be 60’ began as a way to tackle Kaye’s dread of hitting the big 6-0 but instead of tears, the podcast brings plenty of laughs as the filter-free duo take on the new decade together. Chatting with guests about everything from mental health to the menopause, defying limits, love, life and loss, the show sees Karen and Kaye seek advice from a host of famous faces.

Kaye Adams and co-star Karen Mackenzie will host a star-studded line-up for special live shows of their hit podcast ‘How To Be 60’ at Gilded Balloon this August.

On Wednesday, August 9, How To Be 60 will host the ultimate Smack the Pony reunion with its stars Sally Phillips and Fiona Allen. An Emmy award winning show and widely hailed as one of the UK’s most beloved sketch comedy shows, Smack the Pony aired on Channel 4 from 1999 to 2003, cementing Sally Phillips and Fiona Allen as household names with its surreal humour and influential comedy. Now, the two stars will reunite for a chat with Karen and Kaye in Edinburgh.

On Thursday, August 10, actors and comedians Jack Docherty and Jo Caulfield join Kaye and Karen for a chat in Gilded Balloon’s iconic Teviot venue. Edinburgh-born actor and comedian Jack Docherty will regale the audience with tales from his 40-year career - from interviewing none other than David Bowie, performing his own Fringe shows and delighting audiences as Chief Commissioner Miekelson on BBC comedy Scot Squad. One of the UK’s top comedians Jo Caulfield has appeared at Edinburgh Festival Fringe countless times before. The British actress, writer and comedian recently wrote her first book, a movingly beautiful and down to earth memoir about her late sister.

Rounding off this year’s line-up on Friday, August 11, celebrated Scottish crime authors Ian Rankin and Denise Mina will join Kaye and Karen. One of the UK’s most prolific and critically acclaimed crime writers, Ian Rankin is best known for his Rebus crime series, based in Edinburgh, with 24 best-selling novels about the character under his belt and a new TV series underway. Denise Mina is famed for her classic Garnethill trilogy. The East Kilbride author is also set to executive produce a multi-season TV series based on her Morrow book series.

Kaye Adams said, “We are truly thrilled with this year’s How To Be 60 Live! line-up. We’ve got a fantastic array of guests from across comedy, acting, writing and we’re sure the live shows will be the perfect blend of laughter and life advice as Karen and I try not to take 60 so seriously! Come along for an evening of wonderful conversation, a look back on our guests iconic careers and join us as we embrace a new decade.”

Tickets, £16.50 and £15.50 are now on sale now for How To Be 60, at Gilded Balloon, Teviot - Debating Hall, August 9-11, 5.30pm.