EdFringe 2026: Grassroots Theatre

Aug 5 2026 | By Thom Dibdin More

Edinburgh-made theatre by grassroots companies at EdFringe 2025

Grassroots companies of one kind or another make up the majority of theatre made in Edinburgh, with an amazing, although quite frankly unwieldy (in listings terms), 85 different productions.

This is a hugely diverse group of creatives and reflect the diverse nature of the theatre community in Edinburgh. The line between a grassroots and professional company is hard to gauge from afar, so if you are listed below and think you should be in a different section, do let us know via the contacts page.

195 shows #MadeInEdinburgh

We are listing a total of 195 shows Made in Edinburgh at #EdFringe this year – not including standup comedy.

In order to make things clearer, we have divided the listing up into seven parts. On this page you can find an alphabetical listing of theatre productions by Edinburgh’s Grassroots companies.

Here are the links to the other six listings pages:

We are also proud to work with EPAD to produce and publish their annual listing of shows “created, performed or produced by Edinburgh’s theatre professionals” which is here.

██ Grassroots Theatre – [ to C

[Parent]ified
Edinburgh Rep
The Speakeasy at The Royal Scots Club (The Speakeasy) Venue 241a
10 – 16 Aug: 21:30 (1hr)
When a call comes from her sister Bug, Sissy must come to terms with all the years that came before. A five-star reviewed, deeply vulnerable and beautifully acted play about the messy threads of a childhood cut short. Further details.

2050: A Manifesto
LEU Creations
Greenside @ Riddles Court (Clover Studio) Venue 16
24 – 29 Aug: 20:40 (1hr)
It’s 2050. AJ presents his world-changing manifesto, only to watch it unravel. Part clown, part prophet: he turns to the audience to help rebuild it – a comic reckoning with ego, tech dependence and blind ambition. Further details.

58 To Go
Liminal Visions
Greenside @ George Street (Jade Studio) Venue 236
24 – 29 Aug : 12:40 (1hr)
Ed was a normal guy, at least until his Growing Old Syndrome diagnosis. Determined to achieve a lifetime’s worth of goals in 55 minutes, he’ll live forever or die trying! Mid-life crisis? Who said anything about ‘mid’? Further details.

A Better Memory
Lubna Kerr with Kerr Arts Collective
Pleasance Courtyard (The Green) Venue 33
5 – 30 Aug (Not 25): 18:30 (50m)
After her husband’s death, Eleanor switches on his AI replica for comfort, only to discover memories that don’t match her own. A tender, darkly funny drama about grief, secrets and choosing to live your life. Further details.

A Giggle With The Gaggle
Balancing Act Theatre
theSpace on the Mile (Space 3) Venue 39
24 – 29 Aug : 12:35 (1hr)
A secret affair, a mid-twenties crisis and imagining conversations with the dead. Three friends go on an honest, heartfelt and hilarious journey of grief and loss finding queer joy and chosen family. Further details.

About a Bogle
Scotch Bonnet Productions
The Speakeasy at The Royal Scots Club (The Speakeasy) Venue 241a
10 – 19 Aug : 14:30 (1hr)
About a Bogle blends myth, music, and mischief into a stoater of a show. On a quiet Scottish isle, two musicians set off for the island festival. The Bogle, a mischievous shapeshifter, has other plans. Further details.

Aderyn / Bird
Harebell Tellers
Scottish Storytelling Centre (George Mackay Brown Library) Venue 30
18 – 22 Aug : 16:30 (1hr 50m)
Atop a far-off mountain, birds are gathering, stories are stirring. Join Scottish and Welsh traditional storytellers Ailsa Dixon and Ffion Phillips as they weave folk music, language and story across isles and between worlds. ‘Captivating’ [s]*[/s][s]*[/s][s]*[/s][s]*[/s][s]*[/s] (AllEdinburghTheatre.com). Further details.

After the Fact
Blue Bird Productions
theSpace @ Niddry St (Lower Theatre) Venue 9
24 – 29 Aug: 17:25 (50m)
Set in 1980s Scotland during the Cold War when nuclear bombs were a real threat. The play is inspired by true events and real experiences, when one night in Peebleshire, Scotland, the unimaginable happened. Further details.

AI Campfire [Return]
Venue 13 Productions
Venue 13 (Main Space) Venue 13
7 – 29 Aug: Various times (25m)
Gather round the fire for a haunting, immersive journey of myth and digital tech. AI database, Symbiolene, returns to lift the veil and share Scottish folk tales of the Green Man, Brigid and the Cailleach. Further details.

Amadan and Mortair Kill the King
Tartan Tabletop
Gilded Balloon Patter House (Blether) Venue 24
7 – 14 Aug: 13:00 (1hr)
When two guards accidentally kill their king, they must scramble to set things right. A rollercoaster hr of non-stop gags, demonic jesters and crab rangoon. Will our heroes make it out alive!? Probably not. Further details.

An American Love Letter to Edinburgh
Rick Conte
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Netherbow Theatre) Venue 30
22 – 30 Aug (22, 24, 26, 29 30 only): 13:00 (55m)
Or, Benjamin Franklin’s Scottish Enlightenment. The story of Edinburgh’s influence on a nation, and of how a native of that nation found a home here centuries later. ‘Delightful’ [s]*[/s][s]*[/s][s]*[/s][s]*[/s][s]*[/s] (NorthWestEnd.com). ‘beguiling’ [s]*[/s][s]*[/s][s]*[/s][s]*[/s] (Scotsman). Further details.

An Opportunity in Kind
The Optimiserables
theSpace on the Mile (Space 3) Venue 39
8 – 14 Aug: 21:30 (50m)
Religious revelations. Elvis Presley. Underage dating. A blood-soaked shirt. Dismembered bodies. A cowboy hat. Philosophical musings. A madman. All is not what it seems in this story of greed, stupidity and misunderstandings. Further details.

Arcana
Fay Guiffo
Assembly Roxy (Central) Venue 139
17 – 31 Aug (Not 24): 10:00 (1hr)
A poetic, music-led journey about finding your voice. Following a young composer’s quest for freedom, it blends violin, African and Western musical traditions, movement, and multilingual storytelling into an immersive, visually rich experience exploring identity, courage and self-expression. MadeInScotlandShowcase.com Further details.

Bloody Mary’s
Fat Pooch Productions
theSpace @ Venue 45 (Venue 45) Venue 45
14 – 19 Aug: 17:00 (1hr)
Edinburgh, 1823: Mary McKinnon rules the night with her brothel Bloody Mary’s in the South Bridge vaults. What was once a place of pleasure turns to one of tragedy as blood creeps under the velvet curtain. Further details.

Bombs Over Byker
Lucas English
Greenside @ Riddles Court (Clover Studio) Venue 16
7 – 29 Aug (not 16, 23): 14:55 (50m)
When River’s cosy affluence is shattered, he enlists two disorderly youngsters to plot increasingly riotous acts in search of a higher truth. But will this unlikely cohort expose the false prophets who seek to determine their fate? Further details.

Build a Fort
Not Cricket Productions
The Speakeasy at The Royal Scots Club (The Speakeasy) Venue 241a
15 – 23 Aug: 11:00 (1hr)
Rediscover your inner child as you join fellow audience members in building a giant fort using furniture, blankets and a good dose of creativity. Then grab a hot drink, climb inside and enjoy a cosy story time. Further details.

CQD to SOS: A Titanic Story
Edinburgh Rep / Erstwhile Media
Greenside @ Riddles Court (Willow Studio) Venue 16
17 – 22 Aug: 17:30 (55m)
It’s 12:15AM, April 15th, 1912. Titanic has hit an iceberg. The lives of over 2,000 people depend on three radio operators and the radio that broke the day before. Further details.

██ Grassroots Theatre – D to J

David William Bryan – In Loyal Company
David William Bryan
Pleasance Courtyard (Beyond) Venue 33
5 – 31 Aug (Not 19): Various times (50m)
Returning after multiple sell-out runs, In Loyal Company is the incredible true story of missing WWII soldier Arthur Robinson, written and performed by his great-nephew David William Bryan. Further details.

Does the Oracle Speak Truth?
July2septembertheatre
theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Theatre 1) Venue 53
24 – 29 Aug: 10:45 (45m)
Modern day worshippers seek answers from the Oracle – the speaker of gods – to help them through their past, present and future. But how long will this support last? Further details.

Don’t know? Have a go!
Fast Snail Productions
theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Stephenson Theatre) Venue 53
7 – 15 Aug : 16:35 (1hr)
Where do forgotten memories go? What’s the meaning of life? Why is this so hard to answer? Don’t know? Well lets have a go! Welcome back for one last time to everyone’s favourite quiz show. Further details.

Escape from Fairytale Land
Fib and Fable
theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Haldane Theatre) Venue 53
24 – 28 Aug: 23:20 (50m)
A darkly comic devised theatre show where Grimms’ Fairy Tales become a corporate theme park. Join a documentary crew attempting a midnight character heist before the stories reset! Further details.

Fake
Snap the Arrow
Gilded Balloon Teviot (The Den) Venue 14
5 – 31 Aug (Not 17): 13:40 (1hr)
It’s pretty, but is it art? Magician and storyteller Chris Cook weaves a true tale of deception through the lives of an artist, a forger and a magician. Further details.

Forge
Tom Oakes / Brite Theater
Scottish Storytelling Centre (George Mackay Brown Library) Venue 30
8 – 29 Aug (Even dates + 29): 20:00 (50m)
Multi-instrumentalist Tom Oakes returns with Forge, a new work building on award-nominated The Hearth. Stories of resistance unfold through traditional music, live composition and improvisation, threaded with archive broadcast and new writing by Kolbrún Björt Sigfúsdóttir. Further details.

Fragments
Martin Bearne
Hoots @ The Apex (Hoot 3) Venue 108
7 – 30 Aug (Not 9, 17/18, 24/25): 18:20 (55m)
Dark humour hides dark secrets. Martin has always tried to deflect things with laughter (he’s even tried to make his therapist laugh). ‘A deeply moving piece of personal theatre’ (Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer). ‘Genuinely heartfelt’ (AllEdinburghTheatre.com). Further details.

Fruit Flies
Fast Snail Productions
theSpace on the Mile (Space 2) Venue 39
24 – 29 Aug : 17:10 (1hr)
When visiting her old gay best friend, Maddy is introduced to his new friend Steph, and the two are sucked into a bizarre world where they find themselves pitted against each other again, and again, and again… Further details.

Gagula: The Panto with Teeth!
Pig’s Ear Productions
Greenside @ Riddles Court (Willow Studio) Venue 16
7 – 15 Aug: 11:40 (50m)
The only show bold enough to ask the question: ‘What if Dracula were a pantomime dame?’ A 50-minute romp through Victorian Europe packed with jokes, blood and audience participation! Further details.

Golden Beryl: Special Oblivion
Golden Beryl
Pianodrome at St Oswald’s Centre (Pianodrome) Venue 344
7 – 15 Aug (Not 9, 11): Various times (50m)
A selection of surreal tales from the Golden Beryl podcast archives, performed with live music and foley. Fragmented monologues, absurd character studies and off-kilter narratives all offering you ‘special oblivion’. As heard on BBC. Further details.

Habits
Gooseneck Theatre Company
Just The Tonic at The Caves (Just Out Of The Box) Venue 88
20 – 30 Aug: 22:40 (1hr)
Rita is afraid of pissing her pants. So she’s dehydrated herself. And blackmailed the usher. And bought a special pair of jeans. There’s nothing she won’t do for a bit of peace of mind. Further details.

Halfway Home
Deliverance Theatre
theSpace on the Mile (Space 3) Venue 39
17 – 22 Aug : 22:30 (1hr)
Davie, newly released from prison, moves in with his policeman-hopeful brother, Freddie, and his fiancee Laura, an overworked NHS nurse. Past mistakes resurface and clashing beliefs expose deep family fractures in austerity-hit Scotland. Further details.

Hamlet (an experience)
Brite Theater
Scottish Storytelling Centre (George Mackay Brown Library) Venue 30
7 – 17 Aug : 16:30 (55m)
Hamlet has the questions. Do you have the answers? In Brite Theater’s award-winning Hamlet (an experience) you will journey through the play together and become immersed in the story like never before. Further details.

Hope This Helps!
Shark Bait Theatre
theSpace @ Venue 45 (Venue 45) Venue 45
17 – 29 Aug (Not 23): 12:40 (50m)
Five internet addicts visit The Retreat in search of an easy life fix, hoping cucumber peels and trust exercises can buy back their happiness and spontaneity. A new satirical comedy about wellness, digital connection, and touching grass. Further details.

How to Write a Novel (or Not)
Greyhound Indigo Productions
theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Haldane Theatre) Venue 53
7 – 15 Aug: 13:10 (40m)
Traces a woman at a certain age confronting life’s sharp turns and blind alleys. She revisits risks, regrets and reckless hopes, weighing sorrow against gratitude, pain lit by pleasure, hard-won wisdom and grit. Further details.

I Love Thee, I Love Thee Not
Red Firefly Theatre
The Speakeasy at The Royal Scots Club (The Speakeasy) Venue 241a
20 – 26 Aug: 14:30 (1hr)
Heartache problems? The Bard’s got you covered! From wooing your first lady to consolidating military alliances with foreign countries – whether you’re a stage expert or newbie, this Shakespearean cocktail is for thee! Further details.

In Her Hand
Surgeons Hall Museum
theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Haldane Theatre) Venue 53
24 – 29 Aug : 15:05 (1hr)
Inspired by real journals and letters from women serving with the Scottish Women’s Hospitals in WWI, we follow an unlikely friendship forged through danger and humour on the Balkan front. Go Home and Sit Still? Aye right! Further details.

In the Cold Light
George Grant
theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Stephenson Theatre) Venue 53
7 – 29 Aug: 17:35 (55m)
The gravestones of two friends pull a journalist into an investigation he hopes will bury the past. Instead, it unearths the harsh reality of staying silent, confronting him with the one story he refused to tell. Further details.

Is This Your First Crime?
Long Face
theSpace on the Mile (Space 1) Venue 39
24 – 29 Aug: 10:35 (50m)
A new comedy set within a police interrogation, showcasing the corruption and ineptitude of the force. When Tim’s brought in for questioning nothing can prepare him for what the desperate detectives have in store! Further details.

Jacuzzi by Twilight
The Optimiserables
theSpace on the Mile (Space 3) Venue 39
7 – 15 Aug: 21:30 (50m)
PI Lemuel Webster is on the case to solve a murder and clear a woman’s name. Helped by rookie Detective Chester, they’ll fight to uncover the truth, keep their heads down and not catch a bullet. Further details.

Jane Austen’s Love & Freindship [sic]
Edinburgh Rep / Erstwhile Media / PBH’s Free Fringe
PBH’s Free Fringe @ CC Blooms (LAB) Venue 171
8 – 14 Aug: 16:15 (1hr)
Discover Jane Austen’s real teenage fan-fiction. Join Laura as she reveals her tragic backstory – a tale of death, robbery and heartbreak. And Laura isn’t even responsible for all of it. Further details.

██ Grassroots Theatre – K to S

Kanpur: 1857
Niall Moorjani in association with Jasmine Cole Productions
Pleasance Courtyard (Above) Venue 33
5 – 16 Aug : 15:25 (1hr 35m)
Fringe First-winning sell-out smash-hit returns to the Edinburgh Fringe. Strapped to a cannon, an Indian rebel finds themselves answering to a British officer for the crimes of Kanpur. Based on historical events. Further details.

Maestro, play us Moonlight Sonata!
Fringe Classics
St Vincent’s (The Chapel) Venue 197
12, 15, 20, 25 & 28 Aug: 18:00 (1hr)
Sell-out Fringe 2025 pianist Matthew Leigh Shiel, collaborates with acclaimed playwright Alastair Sim (Beethoven) for an experimental ‘concert-play’. Features Moonlight Sonata and Symphony No 5. Further details.

Mohan: A Partition Story
Niall Moorjani in association with Jasmine Cole Productions
Pleasance Courtyard (Above) Venue 33
18 – 31 Aug : 15:25 (1hr)
Fringe First Award-winning and critically acclaimed storyteller Niall Moorjani presents a heartfelt and beautiful piece which explores their grandfather’s experiences of the Partitioning of India in 1947. Further details.

Morna Burdon: Bonnie Fechters
Morna Burdon
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Netherbow Theatre) Venue 30
12/08/26: 14:45 (1hr)
A powerful show featuring inspiring stories and songs celebrating courageous women over centuries and continents. Part of A Triptych for Our Times. Further details.

Morna Burdon: Gie’s Peace
Morna Burdon
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Netherbow Theatre) Venue 30
19/08/26: 14:45 (1hr)
Combining inspirational storytelling with evocative songs of protest to highlight women’s peace activism, Morna creates a moving and timely tribute to the struggle for peace. Part of A Triptych for Our Times. Further details.

Morna Burdon: The Sound of My Own Voice
Morna Burdon
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Netherbow Theatre) Venue 30
26/08/26: 14:45 (1hr 15m)
A critically-acclaimed combination of personal and political poetry and song. Thatcher’s children, artificial intelligence, Scots language and the joy of blowing raspberries. Further details.

Mother, Maiden and Crone
Mother, Maiden and Crone Productions
Bedlam Theatre (Auditorium) Venue 49
7 – 30 Aug: 21:30 (1hr)
Fresh from a sold-out Edinburgh Fringe run last year, Mother, Maiden and Crone are back to bewitch Bedlam Theatre! Fast-paced and deliciously salacious. Further details.

My Oh My, Mr Dream
Melody of Kin
Paradise in The Vault (The Annexe) Venue 29
17 – 30 Aug : 18:25 (55m)
A dreamer older than stars, lonelier than gods and he has stories to tell. Pick a token: boat, crown or bird. But be gentle – they’re dreaming in his hand. And some of them bite. Further details.

Nosejob
Heads on Crooked
Paradise in Augustines (Studio) Venue 152
17 – 30 Aug (Not Sun 23): 19:10 (1hr)
A nose. With a dream. Can a nose be a West End star? Can a nose be the hottest girl in the world? Can a nose be human? A reimagination of Gogol’s The Nose for easily distracted times. Further details.

Operation Blank
George Grant
theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Fleming Theatre) Venue 53
7 – 29 Aug: Various times (50m)
Someone has dropped an atom bomb on Copenhagen! With all-out war looming, one junior minister in the British Government must somehow stimulate a response from his hopeless superiors. There’s just one thing standing in his way: Microsoft Teams. Further details.

Our Martin in the Background
Mark Kydd
Scottish Storytelling Centre (George Mackay Brown Library) Venue 30
26 – 30 Aug : 16:30 (50m)
England, 1945. The lives of two strangers are changed forever by a chance meeting at a railway station. But this isn’t Brief Encounter… it’s the queer love story Noël Coward didn’t write. [s]*[/s][s]*[/s][s]*[/s][s]*[/s] (Scotsman). Further details.

Our Town Needs A Nando’s
Hot Mess Productions
theSpace on the Mile (Space 1) Venue 39
7 – 15 Aug : 14:30 (1hr)
School is a nightmare and boys are infuriating. In a town that expects nothing of you, five girls collide as they question friendship, sexuality and why everything they’re taught always ends up being about men. Further details.

Platformed
Active Inquiry’s Flashback Theatre Company
Out of the Blue Drill Hall (Main Hall) Venue 195
12 – 14 Aug : 18:30 (1hr)
The warehouse is normally a quiet place where the statues of Edinburgh can rest. But the arrival of a new tenant and some shady characters means that The Great Lafayette, Sherlock Holmes, Cowboy Joe and others can no longer stay in their sculpted poses. They must confront the question of who best represents Edinburgh whilst protecting their secret at all costs. Further details.

Prophets
Jack MacGregor
Assembly Roxy (Roxyboxy) Venue 139
5 – 31 Aug Not 12, 17, 24): 17:45 (1hr 30m)
When a Scottish researcher travels to a remote British Overseas Territory in the South Pacific Ocean, she finds its inhabitants under the control of a growing secretive cult. Assembly ART Award 2026 winner from Fringe First-winning playwright Jack MacGregor. Further details.

Ringing out the Changes
Jo Clifford
St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral (Nave) Venue 91
7 Aug only: 15:30 (1 h)
A theatrical performance from award-winning writer and performer Jo Clifford (The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven) and the Cathedral’s bell-ringers: ringing out life’s changes, announcing births and deaths, sounding the alarm, and calling us to worship, think, and reflect. Further details.

Sacred Arts Festival Drama at St John’s Princes Street: Doctor Faustus
Michael Daviot, Susan Chynoweth, Tim Barrow, Janet de Vigne
St John’s Church (Main Church) Venue 127
18 – 19 Aug (19:30 Tue; 14:30 Wed): Various times (1hr)
Marlowe’s tragedy about a doctor who makes a pact with the devil. Featuring Michael Daviot as Faust, Susan Chynoweth as Mephisto, Tim Barrow as Wagner. Director Janet de Vigne. Further details.

Selkie: Past, Present, Future
Niall Moorjani / Ailsa Dixon
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Netherbow Theatre) Venue 30
19 – 30 Aug : 18:40 (50m)
Niall Moorjani (Fringe First winner) and Ailsa Dixon ([s]*[/s][s]*[/s][s]*[/s][s]*[/s][s]*[/s], Scotsman) present an evocative and moving exploration of what it is to be human. Storytelling is lyrically synthesised with live music and Orcadian folk song. Further details.

Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Innsmouth Crown
Innsmouth Crown Productions
theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Theatre 3) Venue 53
24 – 29 Aug : 19:05 (50m)
Whilst clearing out her mother’s belongings from her care home, Kelly discovers a hidden family secret. Her grandfather was Dr John Watson. As she digs further, Kelly uncovers the truth of the untold final case of Sherlock Holmes: a case involving an otherworldly crown of mysterious origin, and the abandoned American coastal town of Innsmouth. Further details.

Shinjuku
Production Lines
Greenside @ George Street (Olive Studio) Venue 236
7 – 15 Aug : 19:35 (1hr)
Abby’s juggling three jobs. When her son’s school summons her, everything implodes. She thinks her son’s an ally, they think he’s an incel. Meanwhile, the headteacher has his own agenda. Unyielding exploration of women’s choices in a man’s world. Further details.

Ships
Written by Mark Forrest / Chapter Three Productions Limited
Leith Arches (Ground Level ) Venue 324
11 – 15 Aug : Various times (1hr)
A raw, darkly funny drama set in a working-class port town. Connor, a troubled merchant seaman, meets Alex, a sharp-tongued barmaid, as love, trauma, addiction and class collide in a story about survival and second chances. Further details.

SLAYERS by Corinne Salisbury
RUPTURE
Assembly George Square Studios (Studio Five) Venue 17
18 – 30 Aug : 12:15 (50m)
A mother and daughter take up boxing; stoke their rage against the Manosphere; plot their revenge. How can we arm our daughters against the world? And what happens when our anger makes us go too far? Further details.

Spider Witches of Appalachia
Jenna Baer / PBH’s Free Fringe
The Outhouse Bar (The Loft at PBH’s Free Fringe @ The Outhouse Bar) Venue 99
8 – 30 Aug (Not Mons): 15:55 (50m)
Continuing the oral storytelling traditions of her lineage blended with theatre, Jenna Baer traces threads connecting generations. As the last Spider Witch, she weaves stories of five generations of her family: Appalachian healers, midwives, regular women and rebels who pass along their survival and power through folklore and folk medicine. Like a spider’s web, inheritance doesn’t move in straight lines. Knowledge skips generations, spirals, back, tangles and repairs itself. What do we inherit from those who came before us? What must we untangle to set ourselves free? Further details.

SQUAT!
Balancing Act Theatre Presents SQUAT!
theSpace on the Mile (Space 3) Venue 39
24 – 29 Aug : 22:30 (1hr)
Join the Squat as they stumble through loss with too much alcohol, too many bad decisions, and absolutely no filter. SQUAT! is a dark comedy about masculine vulnerability, friendship and the f*cking weird ways men say ‘I love you’! Further details.

Steak Out
Ruaraidh Murray
Gilded Balloon Teviot (Billiard Room) Venue 14
5 – 31 Aug (Not 17, 24): 19:00 (1hr 20m)
Two nights before Christmas, an Edinburgh granny, her boyfriend, her son and her one-year-old grandson rob Smedley’s of Stockbridge of all its best cuts. The heist is on! Will they get caught, will Christmas be cancelled, will they be in prison before the King’s speech? Or will they get away scot-free with the meat theft of the century? Further details.

██ Grassroots Theatre – T to Y

The Ballad of Jack and Stacey
Bethany Christian Trust: Creative Expressions
Canonmills Church (Church Hall) Venue 42
11 – 27 Aug (11, 13, 15, 25, 27 only): 12:30 (1hr)
Jack’s always gone his own path, that’s why Stacey has a soft spot for him. But after he lands a jail sentence, what will the future hold? Further details.

The Burnings
Edinburgh Little Theatre
Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge (Studio) Venue 7
7 – 30 Aug: 18:15 (1hr)
Accused of witchcraft, damned to Hell, this is the true story of Agnes Sampson, the East Lothian “witch”. A humble folk healer sent to the flames due to misogyny and religious beliefs. A thought-provoking play. Further details.

The Crossing
Second Splinter Theatre Company
PBH’s Free Fringe @ Liquid Room (Liquid Room Studio) Venue 276
30 Aug: 15:00 (45m)
Written and performed by Ben Igoe. Alfred boards the most famous liner of its day in a bid to escape his past but a maritime tragedy that will reverberate around the world threatens to destroy his future. Further details.

The Faustus Project
Half Trick Theatre in association with Benjamin Alborough
Underbelly, Cowgate (Belly Laugh) Venue 61
17 – 30 Aug : 21:05 (1hr)
An actor makes a deal with the devil. This new version of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus features a rotating cast of brave guest performers taking on the challenges of a devilish ensemble. One problem… they’ve never rehearsed with the rest of the cast. The Faustus Project is funny, a little dangerous and an actor’s worst nightmare. With a fresh victim every night, this will be the ultimate theatrical torture. Funny, dangerous, devilish. Further details.

The Joker and The Thief
Dylan and Will Theatre
theSpaceTriplex and theSpace @ Niddry St (Studio & Upper Theatre) Venue 38 & 9
7 – 15 & 17 – 29 (not 23): 20:05 & 20:16 (50m)
Five years after splitting, former comedy duo Sid and Larry reunite at the 1980 Edinburgh Fringe. One’s a star, the other’s failing. Before Larry takes the stage, old truths threaten to steal the spotlight… Further details.

The Ostrich Principle
Kirsten Milliken / David Hughes
Scottish Storytelling Centre (George Mackay Brown Library) Venue 30
11 – 23 Aug (Not 12, 14, 16, 22): 18:15 (50m)
The greatest stories have always opened our eyes, pricked our ears and loosened our tongues; even when chaos makes us want to bury our heads. Myths, legends and folk songs rally in this rousing call to arms. Further details.

The Poetical Life of Philomena McGuinness
Moon Rabbit Theatre
theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Theatre 3) Venue 53
7 – 29 Aug (Not 16, 23): Various times (1hr)
A poignant and funny solo play, infused with poetry and inspired by the true stories of Irish nurses in WWII. Further details.

The Powerpop Girls: A New Diva Religion
Locked In Thought Theatre Company
theSpace @ Niddry St (Studio) Venue 9
17 – 22 Aug: 19:05 (50m)
A camp workplace comedy set in a celestial bureaucracy where pop divas are treated as religious figures. Madness ensues when a rogue employee accidentally merges the religions of three modern pop icons. Further details.

The Reunion
GaggleHouse (Scotland)
C ARTS | C venues | C aurora (studio) Venue 6
5 – 30 Aug: 21:05 (50m)
As they hitchhike cross-country to the biggest event of the summer, Mackenzie and his father are forced to confront the men they have both become, and how the working-class fit into the modern world. Further details.

The Séance Starter Kit™
Get Tae Collective
The Speakeasy at The Royal Scots Club (The Speakeasy) Venue 241a
17 – 30 Aug (Not 22): 21:30 (50m)
Welcome to a failing late-night TV infomercial. Smiles are fixed, deals are desperate and shipping is included. A live horror-comedy where salesmanship, belief and the supernatural collide – because the show must go on. Further details.

The Skarsgård Effect
Ellen Eklund
theSpace @ Niddry St (Studio) Venue 9
20 – 25 Aug : 17:05 (55m)
Three sisters. One lie. What’s the worst that could happen? Follow the adventures of three ordinary girls as they stumble headfirst into the disorderly world of fame, and transform themselves from nobodies to global superstars. Further details.

The Tale of the Original Jekyll and Hyde (Told by a Mad Hatter from Stockport)
Tall History Tales
Greenside @ Riddles Court (Willow Studio) Venue 16
7 – 29 Aug (Not 16, 23): 14:00 (1hr 20m)
By day Deacon Brodie was a respectable cabinetmaker. By night a masked burglar. Stanley is neither, but somehow gets roped into his shenanigans and escapades. Further details.

The Three Marias
Voices Collective Company
Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge (Studio) Venue 7
26 – 30 Aug: 13:15 (1hr)
In 1972 Portugal, three bold women wrote Novas Cartas Portuguesas, defying dictatorship and sparking a historic trial. This urgent, poetic play blends documentary theatre and performance to explore resistance, friendship and the enduring power of female voices. Further details.

Thunderstruck
David Colvin
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Netherbow Theatre) Venue 30
7 – 18 Aug : 18:40 (1hr)
The tragic, comic, epic tale of the greatest bagpiper that ever lived, who rocked tradition, flew beyond the summit of his art and changed Scottish music forever. Whatever notions you have of bagpipes, leave them at the door. Further details.

Transmission
Nelly Kelly and Sanctuary Queer Arts
Summerhall (Anatomy Lecture Theatre) Venue 26
18 – 23 Aug (Not 20): 19:15 (50m)
Hilarious, curious and deeply human, Transmission is a darkly comedic and tender hearted performance by playwright and drag artist Nelly Kelly, who playfully questions how Scotland has become fertile ground for the anti-trans movement. MadeInScotlandShowcase.com Further details.

Two Halves
Muddrag Productions
theSpaceTriplex (Studio) Venue 38
7 – 22 Aug (Not 16): 18:05 (1hr)
Sean is an ageing professional rugby player. When he meets US soccer star Sophie, they begin an unlikely romance. Can their relationship survive the pressures of elite sport? Love is tested in this tense and explosive drama. Further details.

Waiting for Wonka
Half Trick Theatre
Gilded Balloon Patter House (Dram) Venue 24
5 – 16 Aug : 11:40 (50m)
Fifteen years after the competition that ruined their lives, Veruca, Augustus, Violet, Mike (and their new landlord Charlie) must face their childhood trauma and come to terms with what happened on that fabled chocolate factory tour. Further details.

We Are All Florida Man
Lubna Kerr and Kerr Arts Collective
theSpace @ Niddry St (Lower Theatre) Venue 9
24 – 29 Aug : 14:00 (55m)
An absurdist comedy that invites you to witness a meeting of a support group of ‘Florida men’. Get to know the kooky cast of characters, male and female, and hear their funny and unbelievable stories. Further details.

We Have a Dream
Fast Snail Productions
theSpace @ Symposium Hall (Annexe) Venue 43
7 – 15 Aug : 19:20 (1hr)
Four pals follow Scotland across the Euros, hauling flags, hangovers and hidden truths. Mishaps, defeats and lost tickets spark drunken honesty, proving the toughest match isn’t on the pitch but between themselves after the final whistle. Further details.

Witches Corner
Encapulus Productions
theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Stephenson Theatre) Venue 53
17 – 22 Aug : 19:45 (50m)
Written by Eilidh Smith with songs composed by Rona Johnston. Explores the ongoing fear of feminine power, the misogynistic roots of the witch trials and asks the question – are women still on trial today? Further details.

You Talkin’ to Us?
Authentically False Productions
theSpace on the Mile (Space 1) Venue 39
7 – 15 Aug : 18:45 (45m)
Three vaguely incompetent gangsters decide to unionise against their tyrannical boss. With the help of an unemployed lawyer, the fight begins to bring about a more stable work environment despite no one knowing what that means. Further details.