Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024 is fast approaching, meaning we’d better get familiar with what’s to come, pronto. With the full programme having been released in June, there are over 3,000 shows to choose from, which kind of makes it impossible to see them all. However, for those looking for something a little different, we’ve put together a wee list of the most unusual, quirky shows to see during Edinburgh Fringe.
1. Hypnotist Matt Hale’s TOP FUN: 80s Hypnosis Spectacular
2 – 26 August, 17:00 at Gilded Balloon, Big Yin
A hypnosis comedy show set to a soundtrack of your favourite 80s hits? What! Hypnotist Matt Hale’s TOP FUN: 80s Hypnosis Spectacular is a high-vibe energetic performance, perfect for a wee day out with a twist and also suitable for children over the age of 8. The Aussie comedian is well-known for his “hypno-laughs” which is not like any other comedy (or hypnosis) show you’ve witnessed before. No two shows are ever the same, so expect the unexpected!
2. Hot Rubber
16 – 23 August, 23:45 at Gilded Balloon, Other Yin
3. Our Little Secret: the 23andMe® Musical
31 July – 26 August, 17:30 at Gilded Balloon, Doonstairs
After a 31-year-old guy does an ancestry DNA test, he finds out his parents are not who they say they are. The musical questions themes of family and identity and the fact he has 38 half-siblings and counting.
Noam Tomaschoff said: “People often ask me why I decided to write a musical about my genetic
discovery, and my answer is always the same: I didn’t see an alternative! Incorporating this potentially
destructive news into my life story through song and storytelling has been essential not only for me, but
for my family as well.
“A moment that could have torn us apart has actually brought us closer together. This story is so emotionally personal for me, and writing and performing it has been the most challenging but gratifying experience of my life. I am so excited to share it with everyone in Edinburgh.
4. POP OFF, MICHELANGELO!
31 July – 26 August, 18:30 at Gilded Balloon, Big Yin
Pop Off, Michelangelo is a musical comedy about Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, two best friends growing up in Florence who decide to become the greatest artists of all time so that God will forgive them for being gay.
Dylan MarcAurele says, “I’m thrilled to be bringing the one-hundred-percent true story of gay best friends Michelangelo and Leonardo to Edinburgh Fringe We can’t wait to see the audience’s reactions to the musical, in all its comedy, tragedy, and meatball-related innuendo.”
5. 44 Days of Liz Truss (A Cappella)
15 – 26 August, 11:30 at Gilded Balloon, Doonstairs
Another musical comedy about Liz Truss and her short-lived career as the UK’s prime minister. And the story is told by an all-male a cappella group of nerds from Imperial College London, naturally.