On 31st July, selected Summerhall shows have a special preview price for their first performance – just £5 per ticket.
The story of a young man from the north of Scotland who tries to prove the Earth is flat: a tale of friendship, loss and conspiracy that will take you on a journey to the outer limits of common sense, and beyond.
In the overwhelming, desolate landscape of the Faroe Islands, a young person is found. Washed ashore. Adapted from Johan Harstad's acclaimed novel into a thrilling verbal, musical and visual experience by multiple Fringe First winners Kopergietery.
What makes a home for you? Victor Esses is Jewish-Lebanese, Brazilian and gay. Start your day with a tender exploration of how to find your place in a rich, complex world of identities. Emerge Performance Prize shortlisted.
Taiwan's award-winning Chang brothers (co-creators of Bon 4 Bon, a five-star hit at the 2018 Fringe) bounce back with a new trio that reveals fresh facets of their fraternal relationships and inherent conflicts of male bonding.
Sparkle, who loves to dress in tutus, tiaras and sparkly dresses, finds on his first day of school that not everyone wants to let him shine. In this playful and poignant show, Sparkle discovers the joy of standing up for himself and being unique.
Twin Peaks is an honest and fearless account of being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 30. Faced with her own mortality, Mandy laughs into the cleavage of cancer.
One teacher. Five students. Five desks. A powerfully compelling show about dogma. Inspired by personal experience of a cult, this meticulous ensemble piece explores the seductive power of discipline, hierarchy and the search for an ultimate truth.
Sign language meets puppetry in this engaging, BSL-signed production based on Taiwanese author Huang Chunming's novel. Conflicts between a grandfather and grandson unfold in a touching, richly sensory experience aimed at, but not limited to, hearing-impaired audiences.
From makers of The Bookbinder comes a lo-fi wi-fi fable in the vein of Stranger Things, combining storytelling, projection, and puppetry. 'Merging magic realism, sharp writing and brilliant performances' ★★★★★ - FringeFeed.com.au
Aoife's hungry and bored. Cillian makes a mean toastie. After boredom and hunger are satisfied in Cillian's bed, Aoife's life changes forever. As social and political upheaval grips her country, can Aoife regain control over her future?
Life is No Laughing Matter's a performance about mental illness, suicide and radical cures attempts. Expect a selfish woman, her reluctant, shy doesn't-want-to-be-there partner, a f*ck ton of bananas, holy water and Yoko Ono.
A prayer group? A 12-step meeting? A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? (Unless you go back the next day?) 'Blew me away. An absolute masterclass in comedy performance' (Scotsman). '100% gag-free. Clever without being a smartarse. Go' (Mirror).
Catherine Graindorge – writer, violinist and actress – distils emotions with words, images and music to construct a moving story about the loss of her father. Acclaimed by press and audience in Belgium. Universal and emotional.
Clara and Nyri. Two very different women. Two complicated lives. Both having a very bad day. Interweaving and unexpected connections collide in this fast-moving, touchingly funny one-woman show by Alan Harris.
Alaska is a funny, singing, dancing, magical trip to the moon: one woman's extraordinary story of surviving growing up with severe depression. A raw, powerful performance, with humour, heart, and soul, stunning vocals and beautiful imagery.
Inspired by true stories of animal language experiments. A funny and touching show about love and communication in human (and not-so-human) relationships, performed by a real couple.
Jonny Donahoe is the co-creator and performer of the international smash-hit Every Brilliant Thing. This is his first new solo show in five years. 'Painfully honest, funny, joyous – indeed, brilliant' (Guardian).
Multi award-winning writer Kit Redstone ('multi-layered and gripping' Lyn Gardner on previous show Testosterone) and director Jessica Edwards explore the epic battles within the mind and the incredible power of the psyche to protect itself from pain.
Meet Jonny: teacher, father, artist. He loves music, festivals and nightclubs. He longs to sing. Jonny is deaf. This is a moving, funny story of disconnection, difference and desperation to belong. British Council Showcase.
FrontX shows a range of international hip-hop street artists who combine exceptional energy and resilience. Their fascinating personal life stories are the main theme of the show. How do these atypical individuals transcend their difficulties through their artistic practice?
An absurd exploration of wanting to live, wanting to die and what can happen if we sit together with the dark. Written and performed by Olivier Award nominee Caroline Horton, directed by Alex Swift (Mess).
*The run of Nightclubbing has ended, but Rachael Young is performing another piece, OUT, in the same time slot.* Rachael Young and her badass band of superhumans embrace Afrofuturism and the cult of Grace Jones in Nightclubbing; an explosive new performance bringing visceral live music and intergalactic visions to start a revolution.
Leaping barriers of age, sexuality and gender, Gloria prepares to dance the Can-Can one last time. Written and performed by the pioneering Claire Dowie and directed by Colin Watkeys.
Two performers, one story, one life... One speaks the truth, one lies. Part-spoken, part-sung, intimate production. Previous Herald Angel winners: The Gardener.
'Remember your first time? I can't forget mine...' HIV+ theatre-maker Nathaniel Hall presents a funny, frank autobiographical show about staying positive in a negative world.
Everything I Do is the award-winning, music-driven theatre show about love, loss and floating in space. Performed by Zoe Ní Riordáin and directed by Maud Lee. Winner of Best Performer at Dublin Fringe Awards 2018.
December, 1998. Dunedin. Bottom of New Zealand, bottom of the world. High summer in a town where there isn't lots to do. A comedy about death, revolution, unfulfilled love, and a possum.
One girl's story about losing her mum to a cult. A funny, honest, teen-spirited and gangsta rap-fuelled survival guide to growing up with an actual twat for a mum. Written and performed by Anoushka Warden.
Daddy Drag is a show about dads, good dads, daft dads and dads who are not very good dads at all. How do the relationships with our fathers affect us for the rest of our lives?
A compelling study of female empowerment and shifting generational attitudes to sex and feminism, fusing theatre, aerial performance and shibari – the erotic art of Japanese rope bondage. Provocative and unforgettable.
A new documentary play by LUNG (Trojan Horse, E15, The 56 and Chilcot), Who Cares examines our failing care system, the impact of austerity and what happens when a child becomes the parent.
One parent refuses to talk about sex. The other buys their child gay porn DVDs. Sex Education blends startling performance, moving storytelling, a no-holds-barred interview with Harry's mum and some good old-fashioned gay porn.
A live jam of music, video and poetry, Drone is part weapons system, part office worker, part background hum. Drone's bleak humour and tender fury asks how anxious people live as part of systems of such astonishing destruction.
Darkly comic tale of finding love in rural Ireland, a lifelong quest to settle down and a bride that flees her own reception. Can Sorcha ever go back?
This is a show about having sexual fantasies that don't align with your politics. Award-winning performance artist Louise Orwin presents a surreal joyride through female sexuality to uncover the power of asking for what you want.
Inspired by real events and influenced by true crime podcasts and horror films, this dance-theatre piece explores what happens when a group of young women is stricken with a mysterious affliction that infects their bodies, minds, and souls.
Celebrating their final year as Europeans, ‘the rising stars of performance art’ (Telegraph) Sh!t Theatre travelled to Malta and found mystery and murder in the fight to be European. ★★★★ - The Guardian, ★★★★ - The Sunday Times
Kim is an actress. She is also a sex worker, a bartender, German, Polish and more. Which identity is most important? Traumgirl explores female sex work and who pays the price. Performed in response to Daniel Hellmann's Traumboy.
Last seen at Summerhall in 2016 with Putting The Band Back Together, Unfolding Theatre return with a new show about memory and what we pass on.
Miscommunication and confusion are often things to be avoided, but what if you just lay into them? What if there's actually nothing else? Big questions. Existential meanderings. Don't worry. I have a PowerPoint.
Is female ejaculation the last taboo? Performance about sexuality and desires, based on interviews with women from various backgrounds. Through a personal journey, the performance creates safe space for self-discovery and explores the collective.
Fierce, witty and uncompromising – Contra draws from circus, stand-up and live art to interrogate personal, social and historical occupations of the female body: exploring, literally, where such bodies are positioned and how we're meant to look at them.
A fun, provocative foursome raises the heat on the dance floor. They've questions for you, things on their minds, an awesome playlist... Expect sweat, sequins, and a playful take on what unites or divides us in uncertain times.