The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is one of the most significant celebrations of arts and culture in the world. It takes place every August in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland.
This year, exceptional LGBTQI+ talent will be showcased on the many stages across the city. We have selected some shows to highlight here and will feature more in the coming days. If we missed you out and you’d like to be included just email us the details. See you there.
Did You Mean To Fall Like That?
Did You Mean To Fall Like That? explores the expectations placed on ourselves, especially in the context of modern masculinity, and the personal and sexual awakenings that can occur when life doesn’t go as planned. In this one man show, James McGregor (known for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at The Palace Theatre and Pride by Pathé) embodies the character of Charlie, who is on a journey of healing while resisting societal pressures and embracing sexual fluidity.
Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker 3), 31 July to 26 August 2024, 11:35 AM.
Pillock
Pillock has ADHD and is trying to manage his challenges while dealing with loneliness, hook-up culture, and medical scenarios. When he meets Eugene, he must decide if Eugene is the right match for a long-term relationship or just a short-term fling? Pillock wants to trust his gut, but with his lactose intolerance, he can’t even handle a Muller Corner. This darkly humorous coming-of-age story captures the essence of the ADHD experience, following a young man who dreams of a bigger life.
Assembly George Square (Front Room), 1 to 26 August 2024, 18:25
Titswingers
Polyamorous queer pirates Anne Bonney and Mary Read were known for their infamous crimes, and are remembered for their fearless and daring adventures. This new queer punk gig musical (with added pirates) combines punk rock, stand-up, drag cabaret, sea shanty influencers and the vibe of a good old-fashioned bar brawl – what other styles would bring to life a story about ruthless pirates with a taste for anarchy and theatrics? The show aims to celebrate different kinds of queerness, including polyamory. Bonney and Read dress as men and women interchangeably. Brought to life by a cast of all non-binary aligning performers from the LGBTQ+ community, Titswingers might be based on the lives of real, historical pirates, but you’ve never seen them like this before.
Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance Two), 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh, EH8 9TJ. 31 July to 26 August 2024 (not 7, 14, 21), 13:40
Gwyneth Goes Skiing
Gwyneth Goes Skiing, a co-production between Awkward Productions and the Pleasance Theatre, is back on the slopes after two sold-out, critically acclaimed runs in London. The play also had a successful trip to Utah. This whimsical play-with-music tells a silly story of justice, betrayal, and optometry. It puts the audience in the role of the jury, asking them to decide who’s guilty and who’s “gooped.” Read QX feature here.
Pleasance Courtyard (Forth), 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9TJ, United Kingdom. 31 July to 26 August 2024 (not 5, 12, 19), 15:30.
All The Fraudulent Horse Girls
This wild and imaginative play is a one-act following 11-year-old Audrey, who is telepathically connected to all the other horse-girls in the world. From writer Michael Louis Kennedy and award-winning company Brooklyn Rep comes this outrageous, queer, absurd comedy-drama. This lively production premiered at The Glory, a beloved venue for queer art in London, and will be performed at the Edinburgh Fringe after a show at the River Stage at the National Theatre
Pleasance Dome (Ace Dome), 31 July to 26 August 2024 (not 6, 13, 20), 14:50
Seconds to Midnight
Seconds to Midnight explores queer friendship, platonic love, and nuclear anxiety, following Jo and Eddie through the first seven minutes of their friendship and the final seven hours of the world. Most queer stories on stage and screen focus on romance, but Love Song Productions set out to fill the gap by creating a show about queer friendship. While female friendship is often written about, very few stories have been told about the unique dynamic between queer men and women when the possibility of attraction is taken away.
Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker One), 31 July to 26 August 2024 (not on 7, 14, 21), 11.45 am.
Juniper & Jules
From writer Stephanie Martin comes a queer rom-com about the journey of self-discovery and the complexities of relationships. Jules has recently realized that she is attracted to girls, while Juniper has always known about her own attraction to females. This sex-positive show explores themes of falling in love, polyamory, and the intricacies of navigating relationships. It presents a positive and authentic portrayal of female sexuality and queerness. Juniper and Jules delve into the secrets of romantic relationships, exploring the balance between comfort and passion, and examining the potential of polyamory. Through the characters of butch Juniper and bisexual Jules, this rom-com tells a universal love story of falling in love, experiencing heartbreak, and rediscovering love once again.
Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker Two), 31 July to 26 August 2024 (not 12, 19), 13:45
Mark T Cox: Paddy Daddy
International cabaret star Mark T Cox will be making his Edinburgh Fringe debut with his new late-night show, Paddy Daddy – An Irish Guide to Romance. Showcasing contemporary homosexual life in rural Ireland, including both its joys and its horrors. Mark will share tales of high school scandals, secret affairs, and late-night kisses in a Ford Fiesta in his unassuming and charming style. The show features a charming collection of naughty stories, original songs that are both hilarious and heartbreaking, and camp piano sing-along moments from pop icons like J Lo, Kylie, and The Corrs. This show is for everyone—gays, girlies, and even your newly-woke Irish Mammy.
Gilded Balloon, Patter House, Bothie, 31 July to 26 August 2024 (not 13), 22:40
Christopher Hall: A Girl For All Season
The show tells the story of a boy who is a bit girly. He had unhealthy obsessions with pop princesses, followed the school Queen Bees and learned life lessons from the cast of ‘Bad Girls’. Christopher is a rising star in the comedy world known for his quick wit and infectious energy. He effortlessly finds humour in everyday life while on stage.
Gilded Balloon, Auditorium, 31 July to 25 August 2024, 21:10
Reuben Kaye presents Live and Intimidating and The Kaye Hole
Internationally award-winning comedian and musical powerhouse Reuben Kaye returns to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with the UK debut of his five-star show Live And Intimidating. Reuben will also return with The Kaye Hole, where late-night is done right. Queer, messy and f*ckin’ hilarious. With a different line-up every night, the Kaye Hole is a cult favourite that combines the hottest comedy acts with the best and bravest that the festival’s circus and cabaret scene offers. With Live And Intimidating, Reuben will take on an incredible journey, dissecting being raised by a Jewish immigrant household through his latest media controversies and tackling politics. Reuben Kaye has impeccable comedic timing and unrivalled performance ability.
Palais Du Variete, Assembly George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom. Live and Intimidating 1 – 25 August (Wednesday to Sunday), 20:05. The Kaye Hole 2 – 24 August (Friday and Saturday only) 23:45.
Me for You
A new play by Rachel E. Thorn, longlisted for the Kenneth Branagh Award, is coming to Pleasance Courtyard for the Edinburgh Fringe festival. The play, “Me For You,” explores the theme of the selfishness of true love in modern life. It follows a gay couple who join Extinction Rebellion to save the planet, while confronting the realization that even good deeds may be driven by personal gain. The play examines the idea that being in love can be inherently selfish.
Pleasance Courtyard (The Green), 1 to 25 August 2024 (not 7 and 13), 18:10
Dylan Mulvaney: FAGHAG
An hour of original musical numbers, charting Dylan’s life where she is now, being friends with Gaga and Rachel Bloom, embracing her authenticity and the friends who have stuck like glue through everything, all while looking inward – celebrating her girlhood and exploring her relationship with God having grown up queer in the Catholic church. Dylan is an ex-twink with musical theatre credits, including Broadway’s cast for Book of Mormon. This stage star is ready to take the Edinburgh Festival Fringe by storm, with composers from across Broadway providing original songs. Dylan’s most recent stage outing was 365: Live! to celebrate her first year of transition.
Assembly George Studio 2, 2 to 25 August 21:40
How to Mate – The Ted XXX Talk
How to Mate – The Ted XXX Talk is the all-new solo comedy drag show from Daisy Doris May. Daisy won Europe’s Biggest Drag King competition MAN UP! in 2022. Following the success of last year’s How to Flirt (with a 4 star review from the Scotsman), Daisy is set to return as Guildfordian iPod-DJ Steve Porters with an all-new solo comedy drag show. How to Mate promises to have audiences in stitches as Daisy breaks boundaries and offers a witty exploration of themes such as identity, gender binaries, and toxic masculinity.
Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh EH8 9SU, United Kingdom. 6 to 24 August (not 13th), 21:45
Things Between Heaven and Earth
Things Between Heaven and Earth is a psychological thriller that revolves around the aftermath of a widow discovering her husband’s affair and murder through a book written by their close friend, which exposes everything to the world. The book addresses the stigma surrounding LGBTQ relationships, which is still prevalent not only in the 64 countries that criminalize us, but also within immigrant communities locally.
Underbelly Bristo Square (Jersey), 8 to 26 August 2024 (not 13), 13:00
Reject Me Already
Reject Me Already offers a unique storytelling experience with six actors, six roles, and countless combinations for the audience to direct the love story. This lighthearted yet sincere romcom, created by newcomer Paul Richard Keegan, provides endless possibilities for pairing characters across gender and sexuality. Audience members can develop the characters and story, and shape the world around them while watching the performance.
Greenside (Lime Studio), 2 to 24 August 2024, 19.40
In Defiance of Gravity
Ezra Montefiore is said to be the most remarkable psychic to have ever lived. He is known as a master of the séance, telekinesis, and spirit summoning. Witnesses claim he can raise the dead, heal the sick, and levitate 70 feet into the air, defying all scientific explanations. However, when an unexpected encounter with Prince Felix Yusupov thrusts Ezra into the world of Russia’s aristocracy, he becomes entangled in a dangerous game of power, seduction, and political intrigue. As rumors of his affair with both the prince and his wife spread, reaching the ears of Rasputin, Ezra faces an impossible choice: denounce himself as a fraud or commit political murder.
Summerhall (Demonstration Room), 1 August to 26 August 2024 (not 12, 19), 21:15
Hannah Gadsby: WOOF!
The Emmy-winning comedian will be returning to Fringe. It has been nearly seven years since Nanette won the Edinburgh Comedy Award and thrust Hannah into international stardom. They are now processing the world, with all its catastrophes and hypocrisies, from a new perspective and are ready to talk about it; from the irrelevant to the existential.
Underbelly, Bristo Square, 18 to 25 August 2024, 17:20
