Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023 Highlights
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe knows how to throw a party. Founded in 1947 as a rebellious little sibling to the prestigious International Festival, the Fringe is now the world’s biggest arts festival. The contrast between the two institutions remains striking. If you’re seeking a rough-and-tumble ride through the sharpest, silliest, and strangest theatre and comedy on the planet, then you’re in the right place. Every August, Edinburgh’s historic cobbles are crammed with punters seeking familiar faces and fresh new stars. Household names have ascended from the smallest of Fringe stages, and world-famous performers keep on coming back because there’s nothing else like it.
Expect the Unexpected
Expect to find everything, everywhere. Magicians compete against improv troupes and acapella musicals on the historic Royal Mile, while hallowed University lecture theatres are transformed into lush cabaret halls. Cavernous old churches play host to shocking experimental theatre, and every sticky underground vault in Edinburgh’s Old Town holds a microphone, a handful of chairs, and a hopeful comic. However, the question always remains the same: what’s good this year?
Edinburgh Festival Fringe Highlights 2023
These are some of the theatre, comedy, and dance shows already catching our attention ahead of the 2023 festival. Note that the running dates listed do not account for rest days; always check the venue sites for further information on the days off for each performance.
Blue
Newly-promoted Detective Parker has a dilemma on her hands – does she believe the story of police veteran and family friend Sully when an unarmed Black motorcyclist is shot at a traffic stop, or dig deeper? Blue is a study of the current issues surrounding policing on both sides of the Atlantic, illustrating how a career that should be about wanting to ‘protect and serve’ can become a magnet for the power-hungry. Authoritarianism and corruption are examined in June Carryl’s captivating script, explicitly critiquing a culture that allows and encourages ever more ‘bad apples’.
Where: Assembly George Square, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LH
When: 2 – 28 August
