The top acts heading to Edinburgh this August for the annual arts festival
With this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe a little over two months away, we’ve taken a look at the most famous acts announced for the annual arts festival so far.
Thousands of performers and tens of thousands of visitors are set to descend on Edinburgh in August for the world’s largest performance arts festival. Although the full line-up is yet to be announced, among the acts confirmed so far are comedians David O’Doherty, Rhod Gilbert, Rosie Jones, Paul Merton and Sara Pascoe. Also scheduled to appear at the festival are actor and comedian Bobby Davro, RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Lawrence Chaney, broadcaster Kaye Adams and Andy and Jamie Murray’s mum – tennis coach Judy Murray. Popular Fringe fixture The Lady Boys of Bangkok will appear at Festival Square this year, while actor Greg McHugh brings his much-loved Gary Tank Commander character to Edinburgh this year.
17. Lawrence Chaney
Scotland's very own, RuPaul's Drag Race UK winner Lawrence Chaney, will talk everything from dating and exercise to having to buy two seats on a plane but only getting one meal. Lawrence Chaney – Overweight and OVER IT! is on at the Ian McKellen Theatre, Saint Stephens Stockbridge, August 21-27, 9.30pm. Photo: Guy Levy
Ed Gamble: Work in Progress is on at Monkey Barrel Comedy (The Hive) at Niddry Street, from August 2-13 at 12pm. Ed Gamble is an English comedian, known for co-presenting The Peacock and Gamble Podcast and his regular appearances on Mock the Week and Taskmaster. He studied at Durham University, where he began his comedy career performing with the Durham Revue, and was a finalist in the 2007 Chortle Student Comedy Awards. Photo: Matt Crockett
Tom Robinson is Up Close and Personal at The Stand's New Town Theatre on August 17 at 9.20pm, offering "an hour of classic songs and scurrilous stories spanning five decades of adventures in the music industry". At the same venue on the same day, musician turned radio presenter Tom will be in conversation at 12pm. First charting in 1977 with the punk-era anthem 2-4-6-8 Motorway. A year later, Glad to be Gay reached the top 20 despite a BBC ban. One of the few out gay musicians, volunteered at the then Gay Switchboard as Tom Robinson Band's (TRB) debut album went gold. TRB – founder members of Rock Against Racism headlined the famous 1978 Victoria Park concert. He subsequently collaborated with Peter Gabriel, Elton John, Dan Hartman and Manu Katché. Tom was a 1997 Sony Award winner and has been a BBC 6 Music presenter since its launch. He won a second Sony award in 2011 and is a champion of emerging musicians. Despite being busy on the airwaves, Tom is still touring aged 73. Photo: CreepingMacKroki.be
Rose Matafeo brings her Work in Progress show to Monkey Barrel Comedy at Blair Street from August 16-27 at 11.20am. Edinburgh Comedy Award winner and creator of hit sitcom Starstruck (BBC/HBO) Rose Matafeo returns with an hour of work-in-progress stand-up. Photo: Contributed