Fringe Benefits: Scots Whay Hae!’s Top 10 Picks Of The Edinburgh Fringe 2025…
- Alistair Braidwood
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
As The Edinburgh Fringe kicks off for another year, you may be unsure as to what to see, or what to see next, so we thought you might find some inspiration from Scots Whay Hae!'s pick of the Fringe. Below are our Top Ten (in alphabetical order).
Click on the highlighted links for more info and tickets.
Anatomy of Pain - 13:50 - 1st-9th
Anatomy of Pain is a powerful and unflinching exploration of the dysfunctional healthcare system, following Alex’s journey to seek a diagnosis for the rare and debilitating condition, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Through an intimate and emotional performance, the show explores the impact of clinicians’ unfamiliarity and lack of empathy when faced with rare conditions. Audiences are invited to witness the devastating impact this has on every facet of Alex’s life, from identity to relationships. Beautifully crafted and deeply moving, this interdisciplinary performance is a must-see for anyone seeking to understand the human cost of systemic failings.
Click here to listen to hear Aoife Parr and Tom Baines talking about Anatomy of Pain on Part Two of the SWH! Edinburgh Fringe Preview podcasts
This performance lecture examines the UK's colonial legacy in Palestine, focusing on Arthur James Balfour, Prime Minister (1902-1905) and Foreign Secretary (1916-1919), and his role in denying Palestinian political rights. Utilising speculative choreography and Afrofuturism, Saleh intertwines history, fiction, and fantasy, drawing inspiration from archival materials. Set in 2045, the lecture reflects on a fictive apology letter issued by the UK in 2025, promising reparations to the Palestinian people. The audience become members of the reparations' evaluation committee created on the 20th anniversary of the apology and are invited to participate in the performance. MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
An immersive theatrical Burns experience like no other. Given unprecedented access to Burns’ private letters, we explore the man behind the legend in all his brilliance and contradictions. Through a captivating blend of his letters, poems and live music – masterfully brought to life from the archives by Scottish performer James Clements – this play invites audiences to experience Burns unfiltered, laying bare a complicated and contradictory icon. Co-created with The National Trust for Scotland and multi award-winning Fringe director Cora Bissett (June Carter: The Woman, Her Music, and Me / What Girls Are Made Of).
James Clement will be a guest on the Scots Whay Hae! podcast soon to talk about The Burns Project
It's Derby Day. A violent Hibs football casual returns home to tell his brother something bad has happened. But has something far worse happened in their past? A new gritty dark comedy by BBC Scottish Voices writer Mikey Burnett. Directed by Grace Ava Baker. Produced by Staci Shaw. Starring Ruaraidh Murray and Sean Langtree. Supported by Traverse Theatre and Royal Lyceum Theatre.
Click here to listen to hear Ruaraidh Murray talking about Colours Run on Part Two of the SWH! Edinburgh Fringe Preview podcasts
Join Astronaut Indra on a nine-month mission to the moon... but not all missions are successful. A new autobiographical solo show by Indra Wilson about the lonely, turbulent journey of experiencing pregnancy loss as a queer young person. A black hole forms when a star dies, explodes into tiny little pieces until it returns back to the dust it once was – as if it never even existed in the first place. With dynamic sound and projections, be immersed in this unique, heartfelt and hopeful debut. Produced by award-winning feminist company, F-Bomb Theatre (Fringe First, Sit-Up Award). MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Click here to listen to hear Indra Wilson talking about FLOAT on Part One of the SWH! Edinburgh Fringe Preview podcasts
Join Scottish artist and musician Lomond Campbell for a unique live performance of MUO, an audiovisual experience powered by the universe itself. Using muon detectors, MUO captures cosmic radiation from deep space, transforming it into reactive sound and entrancing live visuals. Performing with his one-of-a-kind handmade instrument, the Muonophone, Lomond creates a constantly evolving sonic landscape, joined by special musical guests throughout the festival. Blending art, science and sound in a way you've never seen before, MUO is a cosmic journey not to be missed. Presented in partnership with Sonica and the University of Glasgow. MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Beneath the Scotland you think you know lies a deeper story waiting to be told. Meet Scotia – a character travelling through time, place, class and gender, inspired by Virginia Woolf's Orlando. Join them to experience different moments in Scotland's past and challenge the dominant narrative with tales of queer desire, women's rebellion and interrogation of supernatural myths. Far from a nostalgia trip, this is a reclamation: folk traditions telling difficult truths, creating safe spaces, and exploring radical ideas, resilience and transformation. An antithesis to tartan tat performed in the heart of the Royal Mile.
In her eightieth year, Christine wondered if she might create her first show. Who says an octogenarian shouldn't be working with stepladders, electronics... and water? A performance of persistence and joy, celebrating the beautiful functions and limits of a human body and the desire to make things happen. Assisted by her helper, Calum, Christine manipulates and raps her way along a precarious journey of movement and sound, taking us to surprising places. This is real, what happens along the way we can't be sure. Just got to keep going! Programmed by Dance Base in collaboration with Assembly. MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Click here to hear Christine Thynne and Robbie Synge talking about These Mechanisms on Part One of the SWH! Edinburgh Fringe Preview podcasts
Scotland's original and world famous purpose-built comedy club (30 Years), The Stand, is not only at the heart of the Fringe, but open all year round, it's not to be missed. The atmosphere is relaxed and informal, with cabaret-style seating and standing room. All tickets are general admission. First come, first served, queuing advised. Venue is down 9 steps through courtyard at basement level. Latecomers may not be admitted.
'Allow me to give you some advice, Billy...' Alan Bissett, award-winning creator of Fringe hit The Moira Monologues, takes on the dual roles of two Scottish cultural giants, speculating what (might’ve!) happened when Billy Connolly attended the launch for Alasdair Gray’s 1981 masterpiece, Lanark. Bissett unearths the origin stories of these Glasgow geniuses, exploring their struggles and their art in an ultimately uplifting tale of triumph against the odds. 'An absolute classic of Scottish working-class comedy' (Scotsman, on the Moira Trilogy). Longlisted for the Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award 2025. Directed by Kirstin McLean.
Alan Bissett will be on the Scots Whay Hae! podcast soon to talk about When Billy Met Alasdair
Check out the full Fringe festival programme here - edfringe.com
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