🎭 Edinburgh Festival Minute: All the five-star reviews so far
All the five-star reviews from reliable sources, 100 locally-produced shows reviewed, get 50% off Assembly show tickets + Pieute's birthday bash outside the museum
👋 Hello festival fans. Today's edition is all about helping you make the most of the Fringe this weekend. To save you time, I've manually curated all the five-star reviews (from reliable sources only) of shows that still have tickets available. There's also some great local stuff happening. It's all here. Let's jump in!
📆 Links to the programmes:
🎭 Fringe 🟨 International Festival 📚 Book Fringe 🎨 Art Festival 📚 Edinburgh International Book Festival 👍 Free Fringe 👍 PBS Free Fringe.
👀 The most-visited links from the last newsletter:
- 🎟️ Assembly: exclusive 50% off deal for Festival Minute readers on all upcoming performances of Dickens: The Reading. (Save 50% off your tickets with code EDMIN50).
- 📲 'Are influencers spoiling the festivals?'
- 🎤 'Magicians and margarine: 10 of the funniest jokes from the Edinburgh fringe 2026' in The Guardian.
- 🎭 Jane Bradley's Festivals Diary: Famous faces and the Fringe's quirkiest venue?
- 📚 'The Edinburgh Book Festival events reclaiming female sexuality'.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Five star reviews
- Yes, three- and four-star reviews are good too. But I don't have room to fit them all in. So this list has every five-star review of shows that still have tickets available at the time of writing today, from the festival's reliable regular reviewers only. (If a show or publication is not listed here, it's because it's sold out or because I didn't find it. Please send in anything I missed here. Don't reply to this email, I don't receive them.) Click through to read the full reviews!
🗞️ All Edinburgh Theatre:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Aderyn / Bird. Scottish Storytelling Centre. Until 22 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "a wondrous escape backwards into the ancient and mythological roots of the British Isles" - Thom Dibdin, All Edinburgh Theatre.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Dune! The Musical. Voodoo Rooms. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "a masterclass in storytelling. Plenty of jokes for the Dune obsessives but there is no need to have read a single book or seen a film adaptation prior." - Ed Boulter-Comer, All Edinburgh Theatre.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Mother, Maiden and Crone. Bedlam Theatre. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "An homage to the Edinburgh queer scene. This show is undoubtedly the cream of the crop of what local Edinburgh theatre has to offer this Fringe." - Bri Boehm, All Edinburgh Theatre.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Legendary. Friesian at Underbelly, Bristo Square. Until 31 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "Weaving together Chinese mythology and personal history. A life-altering communal experience" - Bri Boehm, All Edinburgh Theatre.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tongue Twister. Cromdale Theatre at Pleasance at EICC. Until 22 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "a beautiful and lively exploration of tongue twisters in a variety of languages" - Thom Dibdin, All Edinburgh Theatre.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Boys Don't Dance. Dance Base. Until 23 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "the piece explodes creatively and the combination of dance, BMX and chair tricks leaves you gasping as if you were at a circus" - Ed Boulter-Comer, All Edinburgh Theatre.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Burke'n'Hare: Let the Bodies Hit the Floor. LAB at PBH's Free Fringe @ CC Blooms. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "a wildly irreverent, casually gruesome, curiously grounded look at Edinburgh’s most notorious serial killers" - Rebecca Mahar, All Edinburgh Theatre.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Hypochondriac. Space 3 at theSpace on the Mile. Until 28 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "a comic triumph" - Hugh Simpson, All Edinburgh Theatre.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Poetical Life of Philomena McGuinness. Theatre 3 at theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall. Until 29 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "Humorous and poignant, this solo show paints the portrait of an Irish nurse (and self-described poet) who contemplates themes of identity and legacy during the Second World War." - Shuang Ning Tan, All Edinburgh Theatre.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Kevin Quantum: Invisible Force. Ballroom at Assembly Rooms. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "The entire audience has a 100% probability of going ‘Aaaaaahhhh’." - Juliette Johnstone, All Edinburgh Theatre.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Lou Wall: Where Are All The Tall Grandmas?. Monkey Barrel Comedy. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "Wall leaves their audience feeling intelligent, surprised, positive and giggly. A perfect fringe show." - Ed Boulter-Comer, All Edinburgh Theatre.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Trainspotting Live. Pleasance at EICC. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "From the moment they herd the audience into the booming nightclub of a set, this is a company which is in total control. Control of who sits where, of who finishes their drink, of the narrative and, ultimately, control of the audience’s emotions." - Ed Boulter-Comer, All Edinburgh Theatre.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Smashing Shakespeare: Brave Macbeth. Bijou at Assembly @ St Andrew Square. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "As Shakespeare adaptations go, Brave Macbeth is a smash. It’s targeted to children, but thoroughly enjoyable for adults as well. It’s hard to imagine a better introduction to Shakespeare for weans, and a whole series of shows in the style of this one would doubtless be a hit." - Rebecca Mahar, All Edinburgh Theatre.
🗞️ The List:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Acid's Reign. Pleasance. Until 31 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "climate cabaret formed in the clink, is making climate change hot (again) in this absolute barnstormer of a new musical that manages to be both a thoroughly enjoyable camp riot and to ask some provocative questions of its audience" - Jo Laidlaw, The List.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Man Sings the Same Song Over and Over Again for an Hour. Summerhall. Until 31 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "There’s no arc and no big lesson here. But if you’re looking for pure, unadulterated joy from a master of his craft, this is exactly that. And couldn’t we all do with some more joy in our lives?" - Lauren McKay, The List.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Slay. Gilded Balloon. Until 31 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "Lois-Amber Toole is a true star in the making as she conquers the competition in Slay, the story of a flawed yet sympathetic character who seeks an escape from everything." - Jo Laidlaw, The List.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Collaborator. Pleasance at EICC. Until 22 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "From their cats-cradle legs to the way they nest and balance off each other, there is circus magic in this extraordinarily special bond." - Lucy Ribchester, The List.
🗞️ The Guardian
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Buggers, by Patrick Bone Productions. Pleasance. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "A portrait of Francis Bacon and George Dyer. Wonderful writing, phenomenal performances. A small but perfect festival gem." - Arifa Akbar, The Guardian.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Man Sings the Same Song Over and Over Again for an Hour. Summerhall. Until 31 Aug. - Tickets (currently all sold out but he has been occasionally adding new shows and venue upgrades, so keep an eye on his Instagram for updates).
⮑ "We’re all involved by the end, Conk’s exercise in absurdist perseverance devolving into the most ecstatic communal experience I’ve shared at this year’s fringe." - Brian Logan, The Guardian.
🗞️ Time Out
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Elf Lyons is The Woman on the Edge. Pleasance. Until 31 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "You’d think nobody would have anything new to say about having their heart broken at this stage in human history, but Elf Lyons would prove you wrong." - Andrzej Lukowski, Time Out.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Frankie Thompson: Horrible Things. Pleasance. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "each ‘sketch’ is exquisitely high concept and thought through." - Andrzej Lukowski, Time Out.
🗞️ Fest Magazine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Joseph Morpurgo: Highlander 70. Pleasance. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "This is a quick-fire, precisely rehearsed hour that is as singular as it is silly. It’s far from textbook and yet an undeniable A+. Top class." - Louis Cammell, Fest magazine.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Elf Lyons is The Woman on the Edge. Pleasance. Until 31 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "Men’s shitbaggery has long been a source of inspiration at the Fringe, and it’s jet fuel for Elf Lyons in this bruising, brilliantly inventive show." - Jamie Dunn, Fest magazine.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Dracula: Lucy's Dream. Pleasance at EICC. Until 29 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "French-Norwegian company Plexus Polaire’s puppetry adaptation of Dracula is so exquisitely choreographed, so technically assured, that when the curtain call happens, it is somewhat of a shock that only five people take a bow – and none of them is the undead." - Anahit Behrooz, Fest magazine.
🗞️ The Herald: All five-star reviews listed here.
These two are newly reviewed so not on their list yet:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Dracula: Lucy's Dream. Pleasance at EICC. Until 29 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "Nothing prepares you for the fever dream you are about to witness. It is an interpretation of the dark moment in Bram Stoker’s Dracula that is left to the reader’s imagination." - Julia Braun Raven, The Herald.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Distance. Summerhall. Until 31 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "The performance asks us not simply to hear about the physical cost of running, but to watch it being endured in front of us." - Julia Braun Raven, The Herald.
🗞️ The Scotsman: All four- and five-star reviews listed here.
🗞️ The Skinny
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ John Kearns: Tilting at Windmills. Monkey Barrel Comedy. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "a sublime, painful and hilarious vision of just how good stand-up can be." - Samuel Cain, The Skinny.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Scaramouche Jones. Bijou at Assembly @ St Andrew Square. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "outstanding, deftly intertwining terror with delight. This will not be the funniest clown show you’ve seen at the Fringe – but it will be the best." - Elliott Ridderbeekx, The Skinny.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Julian Clary: Fully Dilated. Assembly Rooms. Until 23 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "the crude, smutty, in-your-face innuendoes; the exceptional crowd work; the outrageous name dropping; a facetious jingle or three, delivered in his lilting, sing-song voice which still manages, even after all these years, to both soften and worsen the blow of an eye-watering gag" - Sarah Hopkins, The Skinny.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Jill's Tupperware Party. Belly Laugh @ Underbelly, Cowgate. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "a cultish fever dream of campy domesticity and MLM-themed horror, might be the wackiest thing you'll see at the Fringe" - Elliott Ridderbeekx, The Skinny.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sofie Hagen – I Think Some of This Is My Fault. Monkey Barrel Comedy. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "a fresh and much-needed perspective on the state of the political left" - Phoebe Crawford, The Skinny.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Jess Fuchs: Feral. Pleasance. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "no time for the awkward laughter of an audience only five minutes into a show; we’re right down in the trenches with her from minute one." - Elliott Ridderbeekx, The Skinny.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rob Auton: JUPITER. Central at Assembly Roxy. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "A sensation. Breathing, laughing and experiencing this show in a room full of people is an awe-inspiring gift. We are incredibly lucky to have a Rob Auton in our world." - Cameron Wright, The Skinny.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Elf Lyons is The Woman on the Edge. Pleasance. Until 31 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "an hour of absolute perfection." - Sarah Hopkins, The Skinny.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Farah Ashraf: Pink Rabbit. Daisy at Underbelly, Bristo Square. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "a funny, frank exploration of sexuality, cultural expectation and complicated freedoms" - Josephine Jay, The Skinny.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tether. Summerhall. Until 31 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "Music, dance, companionship and community lay at the heart of Tether 인연, a new collaboration from Wonder Fools and Theatre SAN" - Jake Kendall, The Skinny.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Dane Buckley: Darling. Pleasance. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "Infectiously camp and intensely funny, this is a performer who truly loves performing. You’re happy to be there for the ride." - Phoebe Crawford, The Skinny.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ALONE. The Box at Assembly George Square. Until 30 Aug. - Tickets.
⮑ "A studio theatre in a shipping container proves an ideal setting for ALONE, a claustrophobic drama which unfolds aboard a spaceship. This is a genuinely immersive piece of drama that takes us away from the here-and-now." - Adrian Ross, The Skinny.
👀 Looking for more? Here are more reliable sources of Fringe reviews:
Fringe Biscuit (has 67 five-star reviews) + a 'Trends' section using some clever maths to rank the '100 most-talked-about shows online'.
🗞️ Talk of the town: Festival news
📝 Keep it local: The All Edinburgh Theatre team have now reviewed more than 100 shows made in Edinburgh. The 100th was Mayflies, Grid Iron’s site-specific production at Brown's of Leith.
🏆 The Scotsman has announced five more Fringe First winners. The final awards ceremony is at the Pleasance next Friday.
🏆 The ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards announced its longlists of 60 Fringe acts in the running for this year’s awards: 39 for best show, 21 for best newcomer. - Full details on Chortle.
💰 'The Edinburgh Fringe costs performers thousands. Why do they still go?' - Marc Burrows, The Big Issue.
"The real killer is accommodation. Every August, a city already facing a housing shortage absorbs an influx of performers, crews, media and audiences. Evidence submitted by the Fringe Society to the Scottish Parliament shows that the cost of renting a room for a month-long run rose by between 185 and 291% from 2018 to 2024. From July, Edinburgh’s visitor levy will add 5% to the first five nights of any paid stay within the city."
🏴 Local interest
🛹 For some real local culture... witness the 14th birthday of the Pieute clothes shop, which culminates in a rowdy and enthusiastic skateboard stunt competition, along with live music and occasional appearances from the police who have even been known to get involved in the fun. It's loud, it's slightly chaotic and it's pure Edinburgh skate culture. - Saturday, 5pm at the steps outside the museum on Chambers Street. (Here's video capturing the energy of last year's event).
🚫 There's some discussion around people's least-favourite venues on the r/edinburghfringe Reddit forum.
📚 Reminder: I'll be chairing the First Edition event at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on Monday morning at 10am. Also on the panel: Jane Bradley (Arts Correspondent at The Scotsman) and Phyllis Stephen (founder of The Edinburgh Reporter, owner of Deadline News). Please come along for a chat. You can book a free ticket here.
🎟️ Minute readers’ ticket discounts
🎟️ Assembly offers an exclusive 50% off deal for Festival Minute readers on all upcoming performances of Dickens: The Reading. The show features new daily lineups. To help you plan ahead, here are the listings, followed by the discount details:
22 Aug: Ahir Shah - The Chimes
23 Aug: Gearóid Farrelly - The Haunted Man
25 Aug: Aidan Greene - The Poor Traveller
26 Aug: Brian Bilston - The Signal-Man
27 Aug: Sanjeev Kohli - Mr Chops the Dwarf
29 Aug: Garrett Millerick - Night Walks
30 Aug: Joelle Taylor - The Farewell Reading.
Summary: 'Charles Dickens’s celebrated readings are reborn on stage. In each performance, a different Dickens story, scene or character is brought vividly to life by one of the Festival’s favourite performers.'
Discount details: Save 50% off your tickets with code EDMIN50 when you buy tickets at this link.
💌 Thanks for reading edition 11 of the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Minute! See all the editions here. Back on TUESDAY around midday.