Edinburgh Fringe 2025: : The Past Reimagined -How Artists Are Redefining History and Legend for Today’s Stage

Macbeth by The Barden Party ZOO Southside (Studio), 1–22 Aug (not 4, 11, 18) at 10:40

Shakespeare’s tragedy returns to the land where its legend was born. This gender-flipped, bluegrass-infused Macbeth offers a rebellious, intimate retelling of ambition and downfall on Scottish soil.

Kanpur: 1857 Pleasance Courtyard (Beneath), 30 Jul–24 Aug (not 12, 13) at 15:40

The Essence of Audrey, Pleasance Courtyard

A biting satire of colonial history, set during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. This bold new play exposes empire’s contradictions with wit and fire, reminding us that history is always contested.

Don’t Tell Dad About Diana Underbelly Cowgate (Belly Dancer), 31 Jul–25 Aug (not 12) at 12:50

Dublin, 1997. As Ireland changes, two teens find freedom through drag and Princess Diana. A vibrant coming-of-age comedy about friendship, grief, and the pop icons that shape us.

The City for Incurable Women Pleasance Courtyard (Upstairs), 30 Jul–25 Aug (not 12) at 13:35

Macbeth by The Barden Party

1880s Paris. Inside the Salpêtrière Hospital, hysteria becomes theatre. This darkly comic, queer retelling gives voice to women turned into medical spectacle, resonating with Edinburgh’s own complex medical history.

NIUSIA Summerhall (Former Women’s Locker Room), 31 Jul–25 Aug (not 11, 18) at 13:20

A granddaughter’s tribute to a Holocaust survivor explores memory, loss and inherited identity. A personal reckoning with history, as urgent as ever in today’s fractured world.

I Was A German ZOO Southside (Studio), 1–24 Aug (not 12) at 13:50

Jackie!!!

One woman’s journey to reclaim her family’s German citizenship becomes a powerful meditation on migration, belonging and the legacy of the Second World War.

Trouble, Struggle, Bubble and Squeak Pleasance Courtyard (Above), 31 Jul–24 Aug (not 4, 11, 18) at 14:15

A lively blend of storytelling and stand-up, inspired by the radical Diggers and modern activists. A celebration of those who refuse to let history repeat itself.

Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence Assembly George Square (Studio One), 30 Jul–25 Aug (not 6, 13, 20) at 16:15

I Was A German

Shakespeare meets netball in this feminist, high-energy musical. Ambition, betrayal, and girl power collide in a smart reimagining of Scotland’s most infamous queen.

Meg & Marge ZOO Playground 1, 1–25 Aug (not 12) at 15:15

When a 15th-century mystic haunts a modern influencer, the façade of perfection cracks. A dark comedy that links medieval confessions to today’s social media pressures.

The Essence of Audrey Pleasance Courtyard (Cellar), 30 Jul–25 Aug (not 13) at 11:15A graceful tribute to Audrey Hepburn, tracing her path from silver screen star to humanitarian icon. A reminder that history is written not just by power, but by compassion.

LOLA: A Flamenco Love Story Pleasance at EICC (Lennox Theatre), 30 Jul–24 Aug (not 6, 12, 20) at 19:30

A migrant’s journey from Franco’s Spain to 1960s London is brought to life through flamenco, Latin pop, and jazz. A stirring tale of resilience and hope.

JACKIE!!! Gilded Balloon Patter House (Big Yin), 30 Jul–25 Aug (not 11) at 18:30

The life of Jacqueline Kennedy, told through sharp humour and vibrant song. A daring new musical that strips away the myths to reveal the woman behind the legend.

medium dead ZOO Playground 2, 1–24 Aug (not 6, 11, 18) at 16:50

In a surreal afterlife office, one writer of suicide notes wrestles with mortality and meaning. A darkly funny, deeply thoughtful look at grief and what we leave behind.

God Is Dead and I Killed Him Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker Two), 30 Jul–25 Aug at 13:45

What’s more rebellious than a teenager’s band or first spliff? Finding Jesus. Through music, razor-sharp wit, and haunting storytelling, Callum Patrick Hughes wrestles with belief, regret, and the ghosts of his past. From the award-winning creator behind 2023 and 2024 Fringe hits.

All Fired Up: An 80s Mixtape Musical Assembly George Square Studios (Studio One), 30 Jul–25 Aug (not 12, 19) at 17:55

A mixtape becomes a time machine in this joyous, spandex-fuelled celebration of second chances. A reminder that history is personal, messy, and set to a killer soundtrack.

Midnight at the Palace Gilded Balloon Patter House (Big Yin) 30 July – 24 August 2025 ( not 12, 19) at 21:30 A rebellious new musical inspired by the iconic drag troupe The Cockettes. Packed with glitter, radical joy, and raucous humour, it celebrates the gender-bending hippies, freaks, and drag queens who defined 1970s San Francisco’s counterculture.

Terry’s: An American Tragedy About Cars, Customers, and Selling Cars to Customers Pleasance Courtyard (Beside), 30 Jul–25 Aug (not 11, 19) at 12:55

Absurd satire meets musical comedy in this skewering of capitalism’s promises and failures. A hilarious, unsettling glimpse into the machinery of the American Dream.

Tickets and full programme details available at edfringe.com