Poetry

Murder in the Cathedral

Murder in the Cathedral

Eliot’s famous play on the life and murder of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral comes to life as a rehearsed reading in the beautiful setting of Old St Paul’s Church. 

Culture for the Many

Culture for the Many

Award-winning director Ken Loach and Jeremy Corbyn discuss the importance of the arts and culture, what the arts means to them personally and why we need to democratise access to c… 

Poetic Stupidity

Poetic Stupidity

This show will involve a strange sense of singing, rambling and reciting dark poetry, all while keeping the audience engaged and confused at the same time. 

Bards at the Barracks

Bards at the Barracks

Scottish poets will be reading work exploring our collective history and common creative future, including a special evening spotlighting Hamish Henderson. 

Drumming Up Poetry

Drumming Up Poetry

Set against the background of the poems is the beat of the African drums. 

Sacred Arts Festival Music at Old Saint Paul's Church

Sacred Arts Festival Music at Old Saint Paul's Church

Duruflé Requiem: Life and Death in Music with Poetry. 

Between the Lines: Music, Poetry and the Spaces Between

Between the Lines: Music, Poetry and the Spaces Between

Nicola Burnett Smith, together with her ensemble of actor-musicians, explores how the written word can ignite and inspire musical composition. 

Mirrored Metamorphosis

Mirrored Metamorphosis

Devised and performed by an all-female company in English and Ancient Latin, the play repurposes Ovid’s Heroides to offer a contemporary reflection on the timeless narrative of Ant… 

Bolts of Melody

Bolts of Melody

It’s poetic, musical, funny, moving. 

Nuadh-Òrain and Other Songs

Nuadh-Òrain and Other Songs

Scottish Voices and friends perform settings of poetry in Gaelic and English by contemporary Scottish composers and poets. 

Sacred Arts Festival Poetry at Greyfriars Kirk

Sacred Arts Festival Poetry at Greyfriars Kirk

Spirituality, Faith and Belief: Voyages of Discovery. 

Sir Percival and the Jabberwock

Sir Percival and the Jabberwock

The ghosts of someone’s mind can show more than they wish to reveal. 

Some Sonnets and a Bit of Bach

Some Sonnets and a Bit of Bach

What do William Shakespeare and Johann Sebastian Bach have in common? Sebastian Michael, author of The Sonneteer and Sonnetcast podcaster, is trying to find out, bringing you some … 

The Suicide Notes

The Suicide Notes

Experience the raw and intimate performance of The Suicide Notes at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. 

The Edinburgh Fridge Show

The Edinburgh Fridge Show

Come and hear from SMEG, the most poetic fridge on the fringe! 45 minutes of character comedy, silly poems and the best props you’ll ever see in your life! What’s in the fridge? Ev… 

Do You Remember the First Rhyme?

Do You Remember the First Rhyme?

An ‘imaginative and emotional’ storytelling and poetry show with ‘several laugh-out-loud routines’ by ‘fabulous performer of spoken word’ **** (NorthWestEnd. 

The Gods, The Gods, The Gods

The Gods, The Gods, The Gods

WRIGHT&GRAINGER fling wide the doors and invite you to come rip up the dance floor in a euphoric party full of wall to wall bangers, special guests and freaking good times. 

Nancy Trotter Landry: Suki Tawdry, Reads.

Nancy Trotter Landry: Suki Tawdry, Reads.

Weighty poetical subject matter explored in depth by complete idiot/absolutely the perfect person for the job/Suki Tawdry. 

Caledonia – Words and Music for Sir Walter

Caledonia – Words and Music for Sir Walter

Alasdair Hutton, the narrator of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo for 30 years, and Brian Taylor, former Political Editor of BBC Scotland, give readings from Scott’s works on th… 

14-18 Cyrano de Bergerac

14-18 Cyrano de Bergerac

Students from Westcliff High School for Boys, Essex, have arrived in Edinburgh with 14-18 Cyrano de Bergerac, an exciting re-imagining of Edmund Rostand’s 1897 classic tale writt… 

Auld Lang Sing

Auld Lang Sing

A new take on old words, Auld Lang Sing is a new show written by Siobhan Argyle and performed by students of Glasgow Acting Academy. 

Poesie Geht Ohne Schuh (Poetry Walks Without Shoes)

Poesie Geht Ohne Schuh (Poetry Walks Without Shoes)

The poetry of Rilke, Eichendorff (and more) set to original music written and performed by Christoph Hilger, with Janet de Vigne. 

Our Anxious Measurements

Our Anxious Measurements

Measurements give power to research and understanding, but how do they fare against human anxiety? No metric is safe in Dean Tsang’s exploration of expectations placed on us and th… 

Serious Nonsense (for Terribly Grown-Up People)

Serious Nonsense (for Terribly Grown-Up People)

Funny, horrible and a little bit naughty, this poetry show is perfect for children no matter how old. 

Serious Nonsense (for Terribly Grown-Up People)

Serious Nonsense (for Terribly Grown-Up People)

Funny, horrible and a little bit naughty, this poetry show is perfect for children no matter how old. 

Davidson and MacArthur – The Odd Couplet

Davidson and MacArthur – The Odd Couplet

Davidson and MacArthur – The Odd Couplet. 

Loud Poets: Best of Fringe

Loud Poets: Best of Fringe

Showcasing the top spoken word talent the festival has to offer – from the laugh-out-loud funny, through the wonderfully surreal, to the thoughtful and emotional – Loud Poets c… 

HoneyBEE

HoneyBEE

HoneyBEE is a festival-driven show with a banging soundtrack. 

Fever Peach: Intense Goblin Nightmare Woman

Fever Peach: Intense Goblin Nightmare Woman

Dundee’s loudest band per capita, Fever Peach, brings a freshly squeezed and off-beat surrealist comedy, heartfelt poetry and juicy jams. 

Sectioned

Sectioned

Having striven for a state of happiness and contentment her whole life, Poppy Radcliffe reached it after separation from her husband. 

Luke Wright's Silver Jubilee

Luke Wright's Silver Jubilee

Crack out the bunting! Someone you’ve barely heard of has been doing something you’re scarcely aware of for a reasonably long time. 

Hysterical

Hysterical

Fierce, feminist, and f*cking funny. 

The Kids with Nae Hame

The Kids with Nae Hame

Documenting the stories of care-experienced people, this show embraces all aspects of their life within the care system and the effects of being part of this under-represented comm… 

waiting for a train at the bus stop

waiting for a train at the bus stop

‘17 minutes. 

Helios

Helios

Helios is a solo show written and performed by Alexander Wright of Wright and Grainger. 

Salomé

Salomé

‘Give me the head of Jokanaan. 

Poetic Stupidity

Poetic Stupidity

#comedy, #poetry, #standup 

Benny Bonanza: Blue Brisbane Boy

Benny Bonanza: Blue Brisbane Boy

Benny Bonanza: Blue Brisbane Boy is the debut Fringe show for Australia’s best poet you’ve never heard of! From the creator of the Fringe gem Doo Wop Art Flop – Pay what you want… 

Another Universe

Another Universe

What might have been if you hadn’t taken that job? Missed your flight home? Stayed with your ex? Poet and producer, Miss Leading presents her solo poetry show Another Universe us… 

The Taste of Sweat and Sand

The Taste of Sweat and Sand

The Taste of Sweat and Sand. 

LoudScribble

LoudScribble

Welcome to LoudScribble, Karl’s first one-man show which views the world through his poetic prism in ridiculous detail and invites you to scribble a line or two of your own. 

Sacred Arts Festival Poetry at St Vincent’s Chapel Stockbridge

Sacred Arts Festival Poetry at St Vincent’s Chapel Stockbridge

Love of Creation: Poetry’s power for the present. 

Tim Key: Mulberry

Tim Key: Mulberry

Tim Key (Alan Partridge, The Witchfinder, Tim Key’s Late Night Poetry Programme) is back with an all-new show. 

Liz Lochhead with Steve Kettley on Sax: Back in the Saddle

Liz Lochhead with Steve Kettley on Sax: Back in the Saddle

Ranging from the bittersweet to the bawdy, from in-character monologues to heartfelt true confessions. 

Fire Is Not the Only Element

Fire Is Not the Only Element

Full of laughter and tears, this is poetry as entertainment. 

Bàrdachd Cogaidh – War Poetry

Bàrdachd Cogaidh – War Poetry

Bithibh còmhla rinn airson seisean sònraichte a’ toirt sealladh air bàrdachd cogaidh. 

Bàrdachd Cogaidh – War Poetry

Bàrdachd Cogaidh – War Poetry

Bithibh còmhla rinn airson seisean sònraichte a’ toirt sealladh air bàrdachd cogaidh. 

Around the World in 80 Events: The Journey

Around the World in 80 Events: The Journey

A show that will take you on an emotional, inspiring, global journey. 

KC Finn: Free Agent

KC Finn: Free Agent

Life is filled with the queerest things, none more so than the machinations of a mind like KC Finn’s. 

Harry Baker: Unashamed

Harry Baker: Unashamed

World Poetry Slam Champion Harry Baker’s heart and humour has been watched by millions online and allowed him to perform all over the world, until suddenly he couldn’t. 

I'll Mak You Be Fain To Follow Me

I'll Mak You Be Fain To Follow Me

Join service persons from the Armed Forces as they discuss how the poetry of Robert Burns is a source of continuing inspiration to them and their colleagues. 

Attila the Stockbroker – 40 Years in Rhyme

Attila the Stockbroker – 40 Years in Rhyme

Celebrating his 40th anniversary earning his living as a poet/musician, Attila is using this year’s Fringe to launch Heart On My Sleeve, his collected works published by Cherry Red… 

Violate (Musically)!

Violate (Musically)!

Change takes time and courage. 

Around the World in 60 Minutes

Around the World in 60 Minutes

Come traverse the world with me! No hotels to book. 

KC Finn: Free Agent

KC Finn: Free Agent

Life is filled with the queerest things, none more so than the machinations of a mind like KC Finn’s. 

Politics and Poetry with Corbyn and McCluskey

Politics and Poetry with Corbyn and McCluskey

Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington North, former Labour Leader and founder of the Peace and Justice Project is joined by his friend and comrade Len McCluskey, recently retired General… 

It's in the Trees

It's in the Trees

Harpist/pianist Aurora Engine sculpts soundscapes from inside pianos and outside the mainstream. 

Vinegar

Vinegar

Dublin poet Rob McGlade performs a selection of poems from his debut collection, Vinegar. 

Tapestry of Strength

Tapestry of Strength

Lekker. 

Heroes, Revised

Heroes, Revised

What defines a hero in the 21st century? Is it machismo and the ability to rescue people from burning buildings, or can we rethink what we mean by heroism to take in compassion, co… 

Read for Filth

Read for Filth

The single hardest day of your life is the day you realise you’re not going to go mad and you’re not going to kill yourself. 

Wistful

Wistful

Come explore the intricate world of poetry lifted from the page at Wistful! This unique performance art uses the physical body, light and sound to experiment with words. 

Pauline Holmes Goes to the Dogs

Pauline Holmes Goes to the Dogs

Poetry show for dog lovers. 

Stevensongs

Stevensongs

Stevensongs: Stevenson meets the French touch! Setting to music some of the most beautiful poems and letters by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, the French duo Fergessen, di… 

Eric Davidson's Super Daily Spin We Gaily Ukulele Ceilidh

Eric Davidson's Super Daily Spin We Gaily Ukulele Ceilidh

Get ready for an evening of parody, poetry and fun as Eric returns with satirical classics, old and new. 

Scotland's Oldest Poem – The Gododdin

Scotland's Oldest Poem – The Gododdin

Around 600AD 300 mead-fed warriors from Gododdin (roughly today’s Lothians) set off from Din Eidyn (today’s Edinburgh) to do battle at Catraeth, Deira, in what is now northern … 

Loud Poets: Best of Fringe

Loud Poets: Best of Fringe

Showcasing the top spoken word talent the festival has to offer – from the laugh-out-loud funny, through the wonderfully surreal, to the thoughtful and emotional – Loud Poets c… 

My Leonard Cohen: Up Close and Personal

My Leonard Cohen: Up Close and Personal

Stewart D’Arrietta shares the poetry, stories and insights of the great Leonard Cohen with songs such as Tower of Song, Dance Me to the End of Love, First We Take Manhattan and Bir… 

The Edinburgh Fridge Show

The Edinburgh Fridge Show

Yes, I know it’s the Edinburgh Fringe but this is the Edinburgh Fridge! Come along to hear poems and monologues from a fridge called Smeg, robots, spiders, goats and so much more! 

Cassie Workman: Aberdeen

Cassie Workman: Aberdeen

In 1994 the world lost one of its most beloved musicians: grunge icon, Kurt Cobain. 

Luke Wright's Late Night Dance Floor Fillers (Poems)

Luke Wright's Late Night Dance Floor Fillers (Poems)

Who says poetry is box office poison? Fresh from wowing crowds opening for The Libertines and John Cooper Clarke, Luke Wright serves up banger after banger at the hottest late nigh… 

Roisin Crowley Linton: Medusa

Roisin Crowley Linton: Medusa

Roisin Crowley Linton returns with an inspiring, seductive, provocative and punk-rock show about sexual violence, the NHS, police and more, in her trademark autobiographical comedy… 

John Hegley's Biscuit of Destiny

John Hegley's Biscuit of Destiny

John Hegley’s Biscuit of Destiny. 

The Land of Lost Content

The Land of Lost Content

The end of show speech to an audience. 

How to Be a Better Human

How to Be a Better Human

‘2019. 

Life Is Soft

Life Is Soft

Life is Soft – Martin Creed, Turner prize-winning artist. 

Tim Key: Mulberry

Tim Key: Mulberry

Tim Key (Alan Partridge, The Witchfinder, Tim Key’s Late Night Poetry Programme) is back with an all-new show. 

Starting From First Position

Starting From First Position

Mercurial, subtle and rousing Starting from First Position is a blend of dance and poetry performed by Nigerian born poet Ben Okri (also 1991 Booker prize winner for his novel, The… 

Poetry and Hope for Motor Neuron Disease

Poetry and Hope for Motor Neuron Disease

Join us for an unprecedented collaboration of music, poetry, and science that celebrates creativity, hope and life. 

An Evening with Isy Suttie

An Evening with Isy Suttie

Comedian Isy Suttie (Peep Show) presents a darkly comic tale about the joy and horror of romance. 

'Pun My Word

'Pun My Word

A heady mix of comedy, humour, poems, jokes, gags, lyrics and wordplay. 

Ludala Collection

Ludala Collection

Ludala, meaning ‘happiness’, is three short films fusing dance, poetry and good vibes. 

Within Sight

Within Sight

Our protagonist is ‘an inspiration’, ‘so brave’. 

Eric Davidson – Thunderjab 3

Eric Davidson – Thunderjab 3

Fasten your seatbelts and be prepared to laugh and cry as the Midlothian bard returns with another show full of exquisite wordplay. 

Ithaca

Ithaca

It’s not all in your head. 

Weavers of Grass

Weavers of Grass

Award-winning poet Chrys Salt and acclaimed harper Wendy Stewart weave the extraordinary stories of Angus MacPhee, the Hebridian crofter hospitalised with schizophrenia during WW2 … 

Loud Poets

Loud Poets

Showcasing the top spoken word talent the festival has to offer – from the laugh-out-loud funny, through the wonderfully surreal, to the thoughtful and emotional – Loud Poets c… 

A Well-Versed Cello

A Well-Versed Cello

From Irish laments to tango, and Bach again, Kenneth Wilson plays a magical selection of immersive music on the cello. 

Red Dreams

Red Dreams

Red Dreams is a live, improvised poetry performance by Brian Loughborough about his passion and pride for his home.  

What! Art Collective – Exhibition

What! Art Collective – Exhibition

What! Art Collective explore the beautiful inner landscape of the church as a contemplative yet dynamic exhibition space through pictures, projections, sound and words. 

Within Sight (BSL-Interpreted)

Within Sight (BSL-Interpreted)

Our protagonist is ‘an inspiration’, ‘so brave’. 

The Snoopy Question

The Snoopy Question

What are dogs really like? Will Matt turn into a dog? In a crazy but true story, Matt Black offers joyful entertainment with surprising dog facts, excellent poems, cheap props and … 

Violate!

Violate!

‘The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing’ (Albert Einstein). 

Mike Garry and The Cassia String Quartet

Mike Garry and The Cassia String Quartet

After the success of their number one single An Ode to Anthony H Wilson, Mike Garry and The Cassia String Quartet continue to sell out their live shows, festivals and theatres thr… 

How to Succeed in Love

How to Succeed in Love

Kenneth Wilson performs a solo show of dramatic poetry from his 2019 collection, The Definitions of Kitchen Verbs, abetted and illustrated with solo airs, ballads and Bach beautifu… 

All Because of Love

All Because of Love

Wind down and immerse yourself in an intimate, candlelit performance in this evocative location. 

Nan Shepherd: From Flaneur to Fiver

Nan Shepherd: From Flaneur to Fiver

A sideways look at Scotland’s international literary phenomenon, featuring Jefferson Airplane, a Subaru Impreza, and personal appearances by Fats Waller, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Pro… 

The 900 Club

The 900 Club

Five years after the death of their friend, Emily, Avery, Fi and Mac reunite to celebrate his life. 

Just a Number

Just a Number

David Harmer and Ray Globe recently turned 60. 

Tuck Into Poetry – A Lite Bite of Cheese and Puns

Tuck Into Poetry – A Lite Bite of Cheese and Puns

Served with a smile and a sprinkling of humour, Suzanne brings you a portion of poetry to tickle the taste buds. 

Notes from Shetland to Shanghai

Notes from Shetland to Shanghai

‘Keep the ears keenly aware for this string-driven sky dancer enchanter’ ***** (TheEdinburghReporter. 

Our Man – Free

Our Man – Free

This award-winning writer’s powerful one-man show tears through the curtain of manners to reveal the wildlife of neo-liberal Britain. 

Attila the Stockbroker

Attila the Stockbroker

Powerful, passionate, personal, political punk performance poetry plus punchy psongs. 

Jc Says Finally 1951–2019

Jc Says Finally 1951–2019

At 3, writing notes and leaving them everywhere to be rescued. 

The Poetry of God and War

The Poetry of God and War

From the Book of Exodus to the nuclear age, two subjects have regularly inspired poets: love and war. 

Ayman Jarjour in Concert with John Coutts

Ayman Jarjour in Concert with John Coutts

An evening of poetry and music given by John Coutts and Ayman Jarjour. 

Axolotl: A Poetry Reading

Axolotl: A Poetry Reading

A collection of poems – nay, vignettes – exploring a wide range of subject matter, expertly read by whimsical raconteur, philosophical wordsmith and all-round good guy: Ryan Wa… 

A Poet's Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse

A Poet's Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse

The economy has crumbled, politics has turned our society on its head. 

That's What She Said

That's What She Said

‘The biggest spoken word night in London for women’ (Evening Standard) returns to the Edinburgh Fringe for three incendiary shows. 

Tim Key

Tim Key

Tim Key from Peep Show, Partridge, Taskmaster and his own BAFTA-nominated Wonderdate, brings new poems to Edinburgh. 

Awhile with Seamus Heaney

Awhile with Seamus Heaney

A heartfelt tribute to Ireland’s late Nobel poet by award-winning Ulster actor-director Larry McCluskey. 

Employ Me, You Cowards!

Employ Me, You Cowards!

Why would a poet have LinkedIn? And why does Ross’s say he’s ‘an ideas man’? When asked this in an interview, he panics, but somehow he gets the job. 

Hebridean Treasure: Lost and Found

Hebridean Treasure: Lost and Found

Internationally acclaimed writer John Philip Newell works with some of the most talented young artists of Scotland to tell the story of an enchanted Hebridean world that was lost b… 

Dissident Sausage

Dissident Sausage

Political prisoner or sausage in a fridge? Toad or feminist? Deity or giant white slug? Prepare to laugh and cry as award-winning poet and singer Karen Gemma Brewer deletes the pas… 

The Mariner's Song

The Mariner's Song

Calling all adventurers! Following their critical success at last year’s Fringe (selected as EdFringeReview. 

Carol Ann Duffy and John Sampson

Carol Ann Duffy and John Sampson

Introducing Carol Ann Duffy to the stage with a trumpet call, indicating a rally of the troops, seems befitting for the hour with the world-renowned poet. 

Word Jazzology

Word Jazzology

A unique poetry, gypsy jazz, literary comedy crossover cabaret collision! Scots/Australian poet Ali Whitelock (Bukowski with a Glaswegian accent) reads with (Sappho with a laptop) … 

What Does Love Mean to You?

What Does Love Mean to You?

Grief is a tricky business and can make you do irrational things. 

Now the Hungry Lion Roars...

Now the Hungry Lion Roars...

A celebration of wonderful wildlife in songs and poetry with Joan Busby (mezzo-soprano), Brian Bannatyne Scott (bass), Walter Blair (piano) and Joshua Manning (reader). 

The Amazing Dyslexic Poetry Show

The Amazing Dyslexic Poetry Show

Sam Rapp is The Dyslexic Poet. 

I Swallowed a Moon Made of Iron

I Swallowed a Moon Made of Iron

A requiem for our digital age from Toronto/Macau composer Njo Kong Kie (winner, 2018 Toronto Theatre Critics Award, Best New Musical). 

Bach and the Poets: Slow Dancing

Bach and the Poets: Slow Dancing

American violist Christine Rutledge returns to the Fringe with her new multimedia program combining music by Bach with newly commissioned works by poets from Detroit, Rutledge’s fi… 

Dan Webber – Genre Fluid

Dan Webber – Genre Fluid

The stand-up poet, reluctant bear and attempted vegan strips. 

The Empathy Experiment

The Empathy Experiment

Is empathy facing extinction? Are smartphones to blame? Multiple slam-winning Canadian poet Rose Condo returns with her latest spoken word show. 

Mark Can't Rap

Mark Can't Rap

Teacher, poet, comedian and ‘internet sensation’ (Sun), Mark Grist has just seven weeks to learn how to rap. 

Cactus

Cactus

Join award-winning writer and performer Jemima Foxtrot for a solo show featuring new poems and songs exploring confessional art and modern life in her unique voice. 

Rhyme Marmalade

Rhyme Marmalade

Where do gnus do their shopping? What are you supposed to do with broccoli? Where can you go in a time machine? Performance poetry, stories and songs for children (and adults, if t… 

Esther Swift

Esther Swift

Esther Swift has travelled the world extensively with her music-making and embraces many different influences in her virtuosic harp playing, composing and songwriting. 

Nazis Need Jews

Nazis Need Jews

Winner, Morecambe Fringe: Best Spoken Word Show. 

A Thatcher's Guide to Dogging in Bungay

A Thatcher's Guide to Dogging in Bungay

A show about thatching, dogging and a little bit more. 

Can You See Where I'm Coming From?

Can You See Where I'm Coming From?

Award-winning spoken word artist Melanie Branton performs poetry and songs about her roots and plays the recorder (the ultimate punk instrument) badly. 

The Snoopy Question

The Snoopy Question

What are dogs really like? What are people really like? Join Matt Black for joyful entertainment with surprising dog facts, excellent poems, cheap props and Snoopy’s answer to worl… 

Eric Davidson: Across the Loony Verse

Eric Davidson: Across the Loony Verse

One of Scotland’s finest comedy poets returns to Edinburgh with 50 minutes of classic doggerel. 

Edina Europa

Edina Europa

Edinburgh’s status as first UN City of Literature recognises its long history of welcoming international writers and Scottish writers exploring the wider world. 

Playground

Playground

First commissioned for the Verve Poetry Festival, Playground is a full-length poetry and spoken word show that captures the sounds and experiences of growing up alongside friends a… 

The Moon Under Water

The Moon Under Water

History, philosophy, musings, poems and tales of booze, horse brasses and morris dancers. 

Roisin Crowley Linton: Teenage Kicks

Roisin Crowley Linton: Teenage Kicks

Stamptown Newcomer Award winner 2018, Roisin Crowley Linton returns to Edinburgh with her signature blend of achingly honest poetry, side-splitting stand-up and personal storytelli… 

Johnny White Really-Really: Unending Torment!

Johnny White Really-Really: Unending Torment!

When I was a child, I tried out having an imaginary friend for one afternoon. 

Loud Poets: Best of Fringe

Loud Poets: Best of Fringe

Showcasing the top spoken word talent the festival has to offer – from the laugh-out-loud funny, through the wonderfully surreal, to the thoughtful and emotional – Loud Poets c… 

A Long Time Coming

A Long Time Coming

A mix of comedy, storytelling and even a poem or two. 

Sing Me a Song: The Robert Louis Stevenson Show

Sing Me a Song: The Robert Louis Stevenson Show

RLS is synonymous with Edinburgh. 

Illegal

Illegal

An American artist must decide whether to overstay her visa or give up her chance to become a UK citizen. 

Cat Hepburn: #GIRLHOOD

Cat Hepburn: #GIRLHOOD

Millennial or non-millennial, any woman will be able to relate to Cat Hepburn's spoken word hour. 

Don't Bother

Don't Bother

It takes a certain bravery, or innocence, to name your debut full-hour show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Don’t Bother. 

Down with the Poetry King!

Down with the Poetry King!

Award-winning silliness and choose-your-own-adventure poems for the whole family as you work to transform your writing skills. 

4 BROWN GIRLS WHO WRITE

4 BROWN GIRLS WHO WRITE

This is the first year that 4 Brown Girls Who Write have showcased at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and they better keep coming back. 

Make Tea, Not War

Make Tea, Not War

Returning for a fifth year, Majk Stokes hosts two evenings of music, poetry, comedy and storytelling to round off Venue 40’s Fringe programme for 2018. 

The Poets' Republic – Unleashed

The Poets' Republic – Unleashed

The Poets’ Republic – Unleashed. 

Neil Hilborn

Neil Hilborn

Bestselling author and most watched poet of all time Neil Hilborn – famous for the internationally successful poems OCD and Joey and The Future, Neil Hilborn’s poems have been vi… 

Speakin' Cajun

Speakin' Cajun

Brace yourself for an hour of ‘richly layered contemporary and Louisiana music’ (Herald) and thought-provoking spoken word in this straight-from-the-bayou cabaret theatre extravaga… 

The Rise of Donald in 40 Downfalls

The Rise of Donald in 40 Downfalls

Playwright and comedian Ash Caton performs heroic poems from The Donaldiad – a cycle of fables set between 1946 and 2018. 

Do You See What I Hear?

Do You See What I Hear?

Composer James Glasgow (Secondhand Dance Company, Edinburgh Fringe Critic’s Choice winner) performs new music composed for the award-winning poems of Mario Moroni as Moroni recit… 

The Unsung

The Unsung

You’ve heard of Kurt Cobain. 

Rachel Sambrooks: Life is a Caba-Rach

Rachel Sambrooks: Life is a Caba-Rach

Rachel Sambrooks is trying to love life even when it’s rubbish. 

Attila the Stockbroker – Ancient and Modern

Attila the Stockbroker – Ancient and Modern

Of course, this show will be based around Attila’s powerful, poignant, personal, political performance poetry – still evolving after 37 years. 

Raise the Roof

Raise the Roof

Returning after last year’s critically acclaimed debut, a hard-hitting look at food, body respect and professional complicity in a post-truth world. 

Quines

Quines

When joining Gerda Stevenson for a performance of extracts from her poetry book Quines, you might be expecting an afternoon of her simply reading her excellent poetry. 

Body Shop

Body Shop

Body Shop is a multiplayer, multi-layered human body action game, a future-forward competition where women are assembled according to the stories of their bodies. 

Taking it Badly

Taking it Badly

David Harmer and Ray Globe have just turned 60. 

A Comedy Show on Top of Arthur's Seat

A Comedy Show on Top of Arthur's Seat

This is a show on top of Arthur’s Seat. 

Tim Key: Megadate

Tim Key: Megadate

A brand-new 70 minutes, blending poeticals, talking, standing, spotlights, cables, Kronenburg, foot-stamping and old-school wistfulness. 

The Anglican Tradition of Poetry

The Anglican Tradition of Poetry

A striking result of the Anglican Church’s break with Rome in 1536 was its impact on English literature, not only Cranmer’s masterly Book of Common Prayer and the King James Bi… 

An Evening With Amanda F*cking Palmer

An Evening With Amanda F*cking Palmer

The un-pinndownable musical force known as Amanda F*cking Palmer (Dresden Dolls, Eveyln Evelyn) returns to the Fringe, this time armed with only a piano and a ukulele. 

Book Shambles Live at the Fringe with Robin Ince

Book Shambles Live at the Fringe with Robin Ince

The acclaimed hit podcast Book Shambles, recorded in front of a live audience! Hosted by Robin Ince who‘ll be joined by a different amazing guest each show. 

That's What She Said

That's What She Said

‘The biggest spoken word night in London for women’ (Evening Standard) returns to the Edinburgh Fringe for three incendiary shows. 

Who Do You Think You Are? Barbara Brownskirt.

Who Do You Think You Are? Barbara Brownskirt.

Barbara Brownskirt, the prolific poet-in-residence at 197 bus stop, Penge, semi-welcomes you to her thought-provoking and unsettling knee-length poetry comedy show. 

One More Cup of Coffee, and Then We'll Save the World

One More Cup of Coffee, and Then We'll Save the World

Fresh from his tour of Australia earlier this year, comedy singer-songwriter Majk Stokes presents a new collection of witty and whimsical songs and poems covering two of his bigges… 

Words Is Words Is Words

Words Is Words Is Words

An exploration of loss and redemption, this show takes you on a rollercoaster journey of epic loss and triumphant utopia that will stir your soul and get the cogs twisting in your … 

This Script and Other Drafts

This Script and Other Drafts

At a time of schisms within feminism, ongoing revelations of #MeToo, endless discussions about womanhood, and sirens being the soundtrack to our newsfeeds, Jenny Lindsay found hers… 

Luke Wright, Poet Laureate

Luke Wright, Poet Laureate

The campaign to make Luke Wright the new Poet Laureate starts here. 

Amsterdam

Amsterdam

An intimate Spoken Word performance, loosely exploring ideas around Van Gogh and his love, life and language/art. 

In the Glare of the Neon Yak

In the Glare of the Neon Yak

Cult comedy spoken word artist Robert Garnham returns to the fringe. 

Sounds and Sweet Airs

Sounds and Sweet Airs

An evening of poetry and music given by John Coutts and Ayman Jarjour. 

Poetry Bordello

Poetry Bordello

Poetry Bordello is a deliciously naughty blend of risqué spoken word and astounding burlesque performance brought to you by List Hot 100 performance poetry company – Poetry Circ… 

Prévert: Piano and Poetry (Season 3)

Prévert: Piano and Poetry (Season 3)

Prévert: Piano and Poetry is a concert-show created and performed by the young French concert pianist Alexandre Prévert (21 years old) graduated from Conservatoire de Paris. 

John Hegley: Morning Wordship

John Hegley: Morning Wordship

Join the morning chorus of clappy, clippy, cloppy, floppy, flappy sing-song and poem pong. 

Ducks

Ducks

Old secrets and new challenges confront Joy and her elderly mother. 

A Self-Help Guide to Being in Love With Jeremy Corbyn

A Self-Help Guide to Being in Love With Jeremy Corbyn

When Jess Green joined the Labour Party at university she doubled the number of members who met weekly in the Liverpool Philharmonic pub. 

Elvis McGonagall: Full Tartan Jacket

Elvis McGonagall: Full Tartan Jacket

A man who can’t write publicity blurb wants you to come and hear his anarchic wit, satirical verse and dazzling Weltschmerz. 

John Hegley: New and Selected

John Hegley: New and Selected

He came to our home with my Grandmother. 

All Hail the Poetry King!

All Hail the Poetry King!

Award-winning silliness for all the family from one of the nation’s most successful spoken word artists. 

Reading the Streets: An Old Town Poetry Tour

Reading the Streets: An Old Town Poetry Tour

Weaving through courtyards, kirkyards and vennels, hear poems about Edinburgh past and present written by residents, tourists and those who visited only in imagination, including R… 

Dan Simpson: Worried Face Emoji

Dan Simpson: Worried Face Emoji

It's what Dan Simpson would want. 

Slacker-in-Law

Slacker-in-Law

How far would you go to impress your future mother-in-law? Returning to the Fringe following his previous sell-out run, award-winning poet/teacher/battle rapper Mark brings a show … 

The Mariner's Song

The Mariner's Song

Calling all adventurers! With the Mariner as your guide, prepare to brave the elements, sail stormy waters and embark upon a grand voyage into the great unknown. 

Overpriced Zeitgeist

Overpriced Zeitgeist

Middle-aged, middle class, white, British male. 

Eric Davidson – Words of a Blether

Eric Davidson – Words of a Blether

One of Scotland’s finest comedy performers returns to Edinburgh with his most powerful, fast-paced poetry and parody show to date. 

Tabou

Tabou

Tabou will shake you up and set you down with your senses spinning. 

Tom Hannah

Tom Hannah

This is a highly original one-man show – a combination of acoustic guitar and light-hearted verse touching subjects as diverse as vanity, marriage, safaris, demolition, ambition,… 

Nutshells

Nutshells

I tried to put myself in a neat, cosy nutshell. 

Will Penswick: Dank Verse

Will Penswick: Dank Verse

He’s the world’s worst poet. 

The Ballad of Sarah Callaghan

The Ballad of Sarah Callaghan

The Ballad of Sarah Callaghan. 

Rob Auton: The Talk Show

Rob Auton: The Talk Show

This is a comedy/theatre/spoken word show about talking. 

The Song of Lunch

The Song of Lunch

Robert Bathurst (Cold Feet, Downton Abbey, Toast of London) and Rebecca Johnson (The Trip, The Flood) star in this hilarious and poignant drama of a disastrous attempt to rekindle … 

Elise

Elise

Elise Cowen. 

Loud Poets: The Fantastical Game Show Spectacular

Loud Poets: The Fantastical Game Show Spectacular

For anyone who isn’t already familiar with Loud Poets, you really should be. 

Make Tea, Not War

Make Tea, Not War

To tie in with the release of his new CD, comedy singer-songwriter Majk Stokes presents a new selection of silly songs and poems, along with a few old favourites, on topics includi… 

Wife

Wife

There’s a great variety of women in Wife – taking as a cue Carol Anne Duffy’s The World’s Wife – from ‘Mrs Quasimodo’ to Michelle Obama, whose farewell speech is pred… 

Neil Hilborn – Live Poetry

Neil Hilborn – Live Poetry

The best-selling author and most-watched poet of all time makes his Edinburgh Fringe debut. 

Frost and Lorca

Frost and Lorca

A unique fusion of art, poetry, projections, music and theatre. 

Attila the Stockbroker – Undaunted

Attila the Stockbroker – Undaunted

Brexit, Trump and a diagnosis of bladder cancer. 

That's What She Said

That's What She Said

The ‘biggest spoken word night in London for women’ (Evening Standard) makes its Edinburgh Fringe debut. 

A While With Seamus Heaney

A While With Seamus Heaney

A heartfelt tribute to Ireland’s late Nobel Poet by award-winning Ulster actor-director Larry McCluskey. 

The Light Comes Back

The Light Comes Back

Scottish poet and playwright Liz Lochhead collaborates with Dundee indie-pop band The Hazey Janes centering on the poem The Optimistic Sound that Lochhead composed in memory of her… 

Attila the Stockbroker – Undaunted

Attila the Stockbroker – Undaunted

Brexit, Trump and a diagnosis of bladder cancer. 

Somethings Old, Somethings New

Somethings Old, Somethings New

A selection of favourites, old and new, from those (ouch) fifty years of performance poetry, theatre pieces and bittersweet, polemical, comical, in-character monologues by the form… 

The Naked Dietitian

The Naked Dietitian

Hard-hitting and hope-stirring home truths in a performance tour de force from ‘the literary lovechild of Allen Ginsberg and Jeanette Winterson’ (BroadwayBaby. 

Prévert: Piano and Poetry – Free

Prévert: Piano and Poetry – Free

This original one-man show entitled Prévert: Piano and Poetry, was created and interpreted by the 20-year-old French concert pianist Alexandre Prévert. 

Tim Key: Work in Progress

Tim Key: Work in Progress

Late at night. 

John Hegley: Peace, Love and Potatoes

John Hegley: Peace, Love and Potatoes

The title of Hegley’s show refers to his latest book, Peace, Love and Potatoes, a perfect example of the juxtaposition between the common and the conceptual found throughout his … 

The Emily Triptych

The Emily Triptych

Emily Dickinson is flitting about the meeting room in the Quaker Meeting House. 

The Shaken and the Stirred

The Shaken and the Stirred

Nestled away in the Scottish Arts Club is a collection of Canadian poets performing a variety of their work with different styles and a few excerpts from their novels, both publish… 

Neil Hilborn – Live Poetry

Neil Hilborn – Live Poetry

The best-selling author and most-watched poet of all time makes his Edinburgh Fringe debut. 

Anxiety and Animal GIFs

Anxiety and Animal GIFs

Can mindfulness offset the anxiety of insecure housing and jobs? How about animal GIFs? Lyrical, warm and funny poetry show about pop-psychology and trying to survive modern life w… 

Come Down the Mile

Come Down the Mile

Walk the historic and dramatic Royal Mile with poet Ken Cockburn. 

Other Voices Spoken Word Cabaret

Other Voices Spoken Word Cabaret

Welcome to our open-hearted open mic, where you can enjoy features from fantastic spoken word artists and different special guests daily, with a sumptuous cabaret vibe. 

William Rees: The Splash

William Rees: The Splash

DJing and poetry is surely a combination that deserves greater exploration. 

Man and Boy

Man and Boy

Man And Boy is a perfectly poetic way to punctuate an otherwise hectic day at the Fringe. 

Evocation

Evocation

Emotive, impassioned and poetic, Evocation uses puppetry and poetry to tell the story of Marie-Anne, a young girl in fin de siècle Brighton. 

Carol Ann Duffy and John Sampson

Carol Ann Duffy and John Sampson

Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy teams up with incredibly talented musician John Sampson to bring a unique blend of reading with live music. 

Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market

Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market

Adapted and performed by Jennifer Jewell, Goblin Market is a solo performance, with Jewell taking on the roles of two young sisters and the goblins they encounter. 

Loud Poets

Loud Poets

Loud Poets is loud. 

Matt Abbott: Two Little Ducks

Matt Abbott: Two Little Ducks

Wakefield’s poet son may have a self-confessed tendency for lewd social observation but Matt Abbott is also an unpretentious recorder of life in the raw, with a talent for coming… 

Slooshy Wordshow

Slooshy Wordshow

Appearing as performance poet Greg Byron. 

Above the Mealy-mouthed Sea

Above the Mealy-mouthed Sea

Delightful and expressionistic one-woman show; Above the Mealy-Mouthed Sea is spoken-word theatre play about the self we present to the world and the self we try to hide. 

Andrew White: It Was Funnier in My Head

Andrew White: It Was Funnier in My Head

Andrew White’s It Was Funnier in My Head takes a look at life as a parent-dependent teenager, being only 17 himself! Covering everything from passing out in PE to the banes of elde… 

Frankie Vah by Luke Wright

Frankie Vah by Luke Wright

Luke Wright has been performing spoken word on the Fringe circuit for years, winning a dedicated following for his catalogue of smart, catchy polemics. 

Not About Heroes

Not About Heroes

Too often, we see the First World War as a stretch of years where only war happened, followed by years where the art about the war exploded in its disruptive manner. 

Alpha

Alpha

There’s certainly a lot going on in Alpha: physical theatre, beat poetry and live music combine as the company confides their desires and secrets with their audience. 

Todd & God

Todd & God

Uplifting, fast-paced and heart-warming, Todd & God tells the tale of how God selected an atheist as her chosen one. 

Apples and Snakes and NWS Workshop

Apples and Snakes and NWS Workshop

Apples and Snakes and New Writing South present a 2 hour workshop aimed at spoken word artists and those interested in writing for performance. 

Big Wows for Small Wonders: Apples and Snakes and NWS present...

Big Wows for Small Wonders: Apples and Snakes and NWS present...

Children’s poet and spoken word theatre maker Justin Coe (‘Big Wow’, ‘Small Wonder’, ‘The Dictionary of Dads’, ‘The Jumble Book’) leads a workshop for adult writers/performers inte… 

The Dictionary of Dads/Young Herbert

The Dictionary of Dads/Young Herbert

Apples and Snakes and New Writing South present a spoken word poetry show for ages 6 years and up. 

Joe Jacobs: Ripe

Joe Jacobs: Ripe

Religion, rap, Pogs, sexism, Gaviscon, mental illness, success, commitment and coffee coasters. 

Poets v MCs Brighton v Bristol

Poets v MCs Brighton v Bristol

For 14 years the poets and rappers of Brighton have been locked in an epic struggle. 

Slooshy Wordshow

Slooshy Wordshow

A chair, a poetry book, a man, and a bottle of water to wet his whistle – other than these there is no set and the stage is bare. 

Mark Lester Steps In

Mark Lester Steps In

The world’s going to hell in a handcart, with climate change, extremism and cliches like ‘going to hell in a handcart’. 

Gender Spanner

Gender Spanner

A joyous and empowering hour of cabaret, burlesque, and labels that just don’t stick. 

Valerio, Dervish, and Friends

Valerio, Dervish, and Friends

Valerio brings surreal stand-up with a pinch of spice, whilst Dervish brings hilarious musical and spoken word idiot genius. 

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

Alan Felton and Tim Roycroft will be celebrating Dylan’s 76th Birthday and his Nobel Prize Award for Literature. 

Poetry and Jazz Layer Cake with John Harvey and the John Lake Band

Poetry and Jazz Layer Cake with John Harvey and the John Lake Band

Jazz and Poetry Layer Cake A delicious serving of modern original Jazz and poetry created by the award-winning author John Harvey (author of the bestselling Charlie Resnick series… 

Louder: Apples and Snakes and NWS presents...

Louder: Apples and Snakes and NWS presents...

Apples and Snakes and New Writing South team up to present a programme of poetry, spoken word and live literature. 

All Talk: Apples and Snakes and NWS presents...

All Talk: Apples and Snakes and NWS presents...

Apples and Snakes and New Writing South team up to present a programme of poetry, spoken word and live literature. 

Unpopular Culture

Unpopular Culture

Famous poet Chris Parkinson presents poetry, politics, paranoia and anthropomorphism, complete with fish demons, grammar nazi’s and performing seals. 

Poet of the Impossible

Poet of the Impossible

Not just a magician but a ‘poet of the impossible’, Scots-Italian conjurer and writer, Lorenzo ‘Renz’ Novani, weaves verbal wizardry and magic into 50 thought provoking and wonder-… 

Happy Birthday, Bob

Happy Birthday, Bob

From his first eponymous album in 1962 to his latest, Fallen Angels, via his never-ending tour, Bob Dylan has always divided opinion: Upsetting the Establishment as a Folk/protest … 

Poets v MCs Battle Games

Poets v MCs Battle Games

For 14 years the poets and rappers of Brighton have been locked in an epic struggle. 

Drawn To The Page

Drawn To The Page

An afternoon of creative writing, poetry and stories. 

Life in the City 2017: An Inclusive City

Life in the City 2017: An Inclusive City

Poetry reading, exhibition, workshop and photography. 

Fred Strangebone's Freakshow

Fred Strangebone's Freakshow

Dan Whitehead of Honky Bonk Theatre brings a hilarious solo performance to The Warren. 

I'm The Hero of This Story

I'm The Hero of This Story

CTRL ALT DEL: Restart, Repeat, Restart, Repeat. 

The Yanks Are Coming

The Yanks Are Coming

This is the fourth show in the series ‘Lions Led By Asses’ using poetry, song and facts. 

Stand By Your Nan

Stand By Your Nan

The original Educating Rita met Buddha of Suburbia and pretended to be an ordinary working class housewife whilst she went on strange spiritual quests, educated herself, and got an… 

Stand Up & Slam!

Stand Up & Slam!

Stand-up comedy: poetry’s idiot relation, right? Performance poetry: comedy’s boring cousin, yes? Let’s find out. 

Ivy Davies: Play Ground

Ivy Davies: Play Ground

“Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground” said Roosevelt. 

Underworlds

Underworlds

In this tapestry of storytelling, poetry and monologues from the afterlife, Arachne the weaver spins tales of darkness, death and feminine mystique. 

Knackered Lunch

Knackered Lunch

Daniel Searle takes you through a poetic journey through several of the terrible lunches he’s made in his office kitchen - covering bad sandwiches, overgrown pasta parcels, attempt… 

The Dove in Spring: American Chamber Music in Recital

The Dove in Spring: American Chamber Music in Recital

Soaring soprano and passionate cello lines intermingle with sumptuous piano writing in a recital programme featuring Esther Ward-Caddle (cello)and Nicole Panizza (piano) performing… 

From Muses to Music: The Sonnets by The Shakespeare Heptet

From Muses to Music: The Sonnets by The Shakespeare Heptet

Blending many influences, The Shakespeare Heptet’s distinct sound is alluring and wholly contemporary, providing a stunning soundtrack to the sonnets. 

The Last Honeypot

The Last Honeypot

The bizarre tale of the boy Eli Hum, born with a baffling condition: his tummy can only digest honey. 

Thomas Wolfe Presents: The Brighton Fringe Poets

Thomas Wolfe Presents: The Brighton Fringe Poets

Local author and poet Thomas Wolfe presents a night of spoken word, poetry and storytelling from some of Brighton’s best poets. 

Wilder Stories: Rhapsodies in Colour

Wilder Stories: Rhapsodies in Colour

Join us for a pigment-drenched journey. 

Individual Medley

Individual Medley

What happens when you move a 12-year-old girl from Basingstoke to a remote corner of Southern Africa? Join Katrina on an energetic, poetic journey as she discovers boys, boob… 

Terabac

Terabac

If you’re a budding ecologist who also has a love of physical theatre, Terabac is the show for you. 

Words and Pictures. Pictures and Words

Words and Pictures. Pictures and Words

An enthralling exhibition based on a year-long collaboration between a photographer and a poet. 

Once and Future

Once and Future

The land is sick. 

Confidence Tricks

Confidence Tricks

Poetry show about what makes us feel confident – or not. 

A Dave Cohen Show: Music Was My First Love

A Dave Cohen Show: Music Was My First Love

Edinburgh Fringe veteran, Perrier nominee, co-founder of the Comedy Store Players, multiple BAFTA-winning Horrible Histories songwriter, inadvertent creator of the phrase ‘comedy i… 

Awhile With Seamus Heaney

Awhile With Seamus Heaney

A personal journey by Irish actor/director Larry McCluskey, through the late Nobel Poet’s best and most popular work, a dramatic reading, with linking commentary and live music. 

The Glummer Twins

The Glummer Twins

Stand-up poetry from the beat generation. 

Bog Polanco

Bog Polanco

Poetry about art, love and Asia, then likeable and funny characters spill monologues on their life. All with a charming piano soundtrack. bogpolanco.tumblr.com  

The Joy of Spines

The Joy of Spines

Right in the heart of Edinburgh are 120 miles of underground shelves that store the National Library of Scotland’s collection of 24 million things. 

Women Speaking Their World: Bowdy Kite's Spoken Word Sunday 2016

Women Speaking Their World: Bowdy Kite's Spoken Word Sunday 2016

Five woman poets, five unique performances of new writing, one Sunday in one beautiful venue. Please see bowdykitebooks.com for full details on line-up. 

The Selkie – A Song of Many Waters

The Selkie – A Song of Many Waters

The seal woman’s skin has been stolen, stranding her on a reef of rage and tragedy. 

Men's Morning

Men's Morning

Within the heart of an urban ghetto is a sanctuary, a space where guns, grievances and gang allegiances are left at the door. 

Attila the Stockbroker Presents His Autobiography: Arguments Yard

Attila the Stockbroker Presents His Autobiography: Arguments Yard

Legendary radical performance poet Attila brings his acclaimed autobiography Arguments Yard (Cherry Red Books) to life on stage. 

Oh Flower of Scotland: Then and Now

Oh Flower of Scotland: Then and Now

Does the wistful attitude of Robbie Burns longing for the Highlands have the same resonance today as in 19th century Scotland? Alongside today’s hot topics of independence and na… 

The Shaken and the Stirred

The Shaken and the Stirred

The Shaken and the Stirred is a powerhouse collective featuring four of Canada’s strongest voices. 

A Show of Two Halves (Somethings Old, Somethings New)

A Show of Two Halves (Somethings Old, Somethings New)

Ranging from the bittersweet to the rude and raunchy, Scotland’s former national poet and recent recipient of the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry weaves a spellbinding and beguiling … 

The Magnetic Diaries

The Magnetic Diaries

Emma Bailey is a modern day Madame Bovary, battling with a stifling middle-class lifestyle, thwarted dreams and untreatable depression. 

Burns for Beginners

Burns for Beginners

The show about Burns that really is for everyone – absolute beginners, lifelong fans and everyone in between. 

Act Your Age! (Not Your Shoe Size!)

Act Your Age! (Not Your Shoe Size!)

Forty five minutes of fun-stuffed, giggle-riddled, family friendly silliness with Fringe veterans Ian Billings and Chris White. 

Blue Rose Code

Blue Rose Code

‘I feel like I’ve been forever a child of exile, a wanderer. 

Tagged

Tagged

Tagged follows Glaswegian teens Seanette and Lynn as they navigate a cycle of crime, reoffending and breaching court orders. 

A Word in Your Shell-Like

A Word in Your Shell-Like

Bradford on Avon’s popular poetry series Words & Ears moors up at the Fringe for one night only, with JL Williams (jlwilliamspoetry. 

DeafFirefly: Playing with Poetry

DeafFirefly: Playing with Poetry

What happens when British Sign Language poetry meets spoken word? Can a poem be performed in two entirely different languages at once and still make sense? And be good? To what ext… 

Carol Ann Duffy and John Sampson

Carol Ann Duffy and John Sampson

The much-loved and highly respected UK Poet Laureate and her accomplished and entertaining musical collaborator return following sell-out shows in 2015. 

Cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats With a Piano

Cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats With a Piano

From street musician to concert artist and back again, the man who was Marvin Hanglider is celebrating his 60th birthday by becoming a fundraiser for Children in Need. 

Who Killed Pablo Neruda? (A Poet's Journey)

Who Killed Pablo Neruda? (A Poet's Journey)

Mystery, poetry and the unknown contents of a white bag spark a young woman’s quest into the life, death and writing of the great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.  

Poetricks

Poetricks

Roll up, roll up and encounter eye melting magic tricks and ear bending poems. 

Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh! Dinosaurs!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh! Dinosaurs!

A young troll girl finds herself defending the town from a gang of destructive, deadly dinosaurs! Recruiting allies – a goblin wizard and flame breathing dragon – does she have… 

Alexis Dubus Verses The World

Alexis Dubus Verses The World

“I’ve done absolutely no flyering for this show,” says Alexis Dubus, “so I have no idea why you’re here. 

The C/D Borderline

The C/D Borderline

“It is not possible to obtain any As or Bs in this paper,” drones the teacher’s pre-recorded voice. 

Other Voices Spoken Word Cabaret

Other Voices Spoken Word Cabaret

Welcome to our open-hearted open mic, where you can enjoy features from fantastic spoken word artists and different special guests daily, all with a sumptuous cabaret vibe. 

Boomerang Club

Boomerang Club

London’s favourite spoken word night arrives in Edinburgh. 

Garibaldi

Garibaldi

Gary’s hair is history – now his name is under threat. 

Dan Simpson: Artificial Ineloquence

Dan Simpson: Artificial Ineloquence

Got the smartphone blues? Stand-up poet Dan Simpson (Glastonbury Festival, Canterbury Laureate) focuses his high-speed fuzzy logic on the screens and machines that rule over our li… 

Out On the World

Out On the World

A journey in poems and stories across Burma, Egypt and Nicaragua through the eyes of a human rights worker. 

Trust Me, I'm A Drama Teacher

Trust Me, I'm A Drama Teacher

Seemingly at the end of his tether, a teacher sits, tie loose, marking work, clearly frustrated to say the least. 

Sage Francis and B Dolan Present: Strange Speech, Famous Development

Sage Francis and B Dolan Present: Strange Speech, Famous Development

You can tell a lot about a show from its audience. 

Eric Davidson – Ukedoodledandy

Eric Davidson – Ukedoodledandy

In an intimate space in Space’s Triplex Studios, Eric Davidson awaits you with a ukelele and a book of poetry. 

Come Down the Mile

Come Down the Mile

Walk the historic and dramatic Royal Mile with poet Ken Cockburn, weaving through narrow closes, open squares and secret gardens to discover how this city has been inspiring writer… 

Mr Colombet: The Sommelier of Poetry

Mr Colombet: The Sommelier of Poetry

Mr Colombet is a multilingual sommelier offering an exceptional poetry menu. 

Mr Colombet: The Sommelier of Poetry

Mr Colombet: The Sommelier of Poetry

Mr Colombet is a multilingual sommelier offering an exceptional poetry menu. 

Loud Poets

Loud Poets

Spoken word troupe Loud Poets have taken to the road once more, with live band in tow, for this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. 

Rhymes with Orange

Rhymes with Orange

You’ve seen some comedy. 

Marilyn Carino with band

Marilyn Carino with band

Marilyn Carino’s torchy, existential electro-soul has been likened to “Nina Simone coming back from the dead to front Morcheeba”; her latest album, ‘Leaves, Sadness, Science’ deeme… 

Hammer and Tongue Festival Slam Special

Hammer and Tongue Festival Slam Special

Brighton’s biggest monthly performance poetry and open slam event presents a clash of the titans of spoken word: Three-times World Slam Champion Buddy Wakefield v European Slam Cha… 

BODIED

BODIED

Forget everything you think you know about battle rap. 

Becoming Esther

Becoming Esther

“Dying is an art, like everything else. 

64

64

Gerry is a time traveller from 1952. 

The Funniest Number

The Funniest Number

In a dynamic and totally charming free performance, Owen Elton spreads half-truth and misinformation in original song. 

Rattle Tales

Rattle Tales

Short story and flash fiction readings with audience participation. 

Apostrophe's

Apostrophe's

Chris Parkinson, famous poet and professional troublemaker, returns with a high octane poetic voyage through subjects including party politics, dangerous grammar and anthropomorphi… 

Did I Choose These Shoes?

Did I Choose These Shoes?

A thought-provoking, one-woman show exploring the themes of feminism, love, media, society and nature vs nurture. 

Pete Strong: Self-Sabotage, a Work in Progress

Pete Strong: Self-Sabotage, a Work in Progress

2015 Brighton Squawker award finalist Pete Strong - “walking a fine emotional line. 

Brighton v Edinburgh Poets v MCs

Brighton v Edinburgh Poets v MCs

Two battles in one: first the poets from the two great festival cities join to take on a united team of rappers. 

Hardly Still Walking, Not Yet Flying

Hardly Still Walking, Not Yet Flying

With elements that could have made it great, Hardly Still Walking, Not Yet Flying was sadly let down by others that weren’t quite up to par. 

Stand Up & Slam!

Stand Up & Slam!

Stand-up comedy - poetry’s idiot relation, right? Performance poetry - comedy’s boring cousin, yes? Let’s find out! Six phenomenal acts go head to head for your approval in thi… 

What I Learned from Johnny Bevan

What I Learned from Johnny Bevan

Luke Wright delivers a multi-award-winning hurricane of a performance. 

Sex, Strokes, Death, Denial

Sex, Strokes, Death, Denial

Betty had a stroke. 

A Threesome

A Threesome

A show suitable for students, the middle aged and old age pensioners - and that’s just the cast! The group looks at the humour in their age and gender differences with interrup… 

The Girl Who Fell In Love With The Moon

The Girl Who Fell In Love With The Moon

Puppetry, poetry, dance and live music are interwoven in this splendid succession of stories from five zany friends. 

Brighton Showcase at The Brunswick

Brighton Showcase at The Brunswick

The Brighton Showcase hosts the best in new and up-and-coming local talent every Wednesday evening at award-winning venue, The Brunswick. 

This Is Always The Result

This Is Always The Result

Gus Watcham hurries onto the stage as Kathy, looking frazzled, determined and slightly deranged. 

Soul Circus The Musical (Be in Your Feet!)

Soul Circus The Musical (Be in Your Feet!)

This original musical tells a fairytale about everyday life - the many voices telling us what to do and who to be. 

We Are Stardust!

We Are Stardust!

Hullabaloo Community Quire presents ‘We Are Stardust!’ Join Hullabaloo and friends Robb Johnson, Naomi Bedford, Bela Emerson, Steven Grainger and WeBop choir, for a joyful celebra… 

Naked Girls Reading

Naked Girls Reading

Join burlesque performer and naked stand-up, Miss Glory Pearl, for an intimate show where beautiful women read naked. 

The Big Stiffy

The Big Stiffy

Bob’s dead. 

Invisible Voices

Invisible Voices

A platform for Brighton’s homeless to make their voices and stories heard during Brighton Fringe. 

Drowned Voices Rise

Drowned Voices Rise

Winner of the Brighton Fringe Visual Arts Award 2015, Brian Mander performs as The Dark Laureate. Drowned Voices Rise; poetry by Eliot, Auden, Yeats and others. 

The Little Red Show

The Little Red Show

Ever had therapy? Feel like a failure? Then this one’s for you! Join performance poet Little Red as she reveals why the therapy didn’t work, through laughter, tears and sexual innu… 

BBC: The Verb

BBC: The Verb

Poet Ian McMillan presents Radio 3’s cabaret of the word featuring award-winning writers, alongside the most innovative up-and-coming performers.  

The Glummer Twins

The Glummer Twins

Stand-up poetry for the beat generation. 

Learning to Live

Learning to Live

From the dark depths of the mind to the mountain-peak pinnacles of youth, from familiar Edinburgh to fairytale Cambridge University: this teenage poet explores the strange and ofte… 

Green Poems for a Blue Planet

Green Poems for a Blue Planet

Dramatic stand-up performance poetry accompanied by Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park’s images. 

Adams & Eves

Adams & Eves

A young cast of 17 weave original poems into a moving performance. 

Spoken Word Sundays: Women Speaking Their World

Spoken Word Sundays: Women Speaking Their World

On Sunday afternoon, myself and around fifteen other people – most of them women – perch ourselves on armchairs in a cosy room in Appletree Writers at The Whole Works, on a qu… 

Sweet Thunder – A Show in Three Layers

Sweet Thunder – A Show in Three Layers

‘Cocking a snook at learned prejudices . 

Dylan's Daughter

Dylan's Daughter

Actress Anne Rutter first met the late Aeronwy Thomas in 1970. 

Welcome to the Cliterati

Welcome to the Cliterati

‘The literary love child of Jeanette Winterson and Allen Ginsberg’ (BroadwayBaby. 

Rowan James: Easy for You to Say

Rowan James: Easy for You to Say

Rowan is a hip hop and punk-inspired poet diagnosed with a specific learning difficulty and speech impediment, often disabled by other people’s perceptions. 

Whispers of the Mystical from The Dark Side of The Moon

Whispers of the Mystical from The Dark Side of The Moon

The Silver Moon Poetry Collection gives voice to the unspoken voices of the Feminine. 

Carol Grimes with Dorian Ford: The Singer's Tale

Carol Grimes with Dorian Ford: The Singer's Tale

Carol Grimes, the Piaf singer/songwriter of British music. 

Love Over Scotland – Haiku and Music

Love Over Scotland – Haiku and Music

An hour of pure delight. 

In Basho's Footsteps

In Basho's Footsteps

A poet (Valcarce) and an artist (Gleizer) hiked 2,000km across Japan’s wilderness in the footsteps of Matsuo Basho, the ancient haiku poet. 

Awhile With Seamus Heaney

Awhile With Seamus Heaney

A personal journey by Irish actor-director, Larry McCluskey through the late Nobel Poet’s best and most popular work, a dramatic reading, with linking commentary and live music. 

Super-Fragile-Nihilistic-Sexy-and-Atrocious (and Other Poems)

Super-Fragile-Nihilistic-Sexy-and-Atrocious (and Other Poems)

Poems and jokes about why women and wordplay are tremendous whilst god and the patriarchy and DJ Steve Wright are much less so. 

Elvis McGonagall: Countrybile

Elvis McGonagall: Countrybile

Countrybile – armed with a blunderbuss, a bottle of Scotch and his rabid wit, stand-up poet Elvis McGonagall emerges from his godforsaken rural idyll at the Graceland Caravan Par… 

Matt Abbott is Skint and Demoralised

Matt Abbott is Skint and Demoralised

Matt Abbott admits that poetry is a hard sell on the Fringe, impossible to talk about without coming across as pretentious – which may well explain why one of his bespoke marketi… 

Eric Davidson – It's a Wrong Way to Ukulele

Eric Davidson – It's a Wrong Way to Ukulele

More parody, poetry and mischief from the man with the thin white uke. ‘I’ve seen better looking faces on an Easter Island postcard!’ (Polynesian Enquirer). 

Rhymes with Orange

Rhymes with Orange

Every successful show needs a Unique Selling Point – or, put simply, a gimmick. 

Blue Rose Code

Blue Rose Code

Ross Wilson of Blue Rose Code has gone through quite a transformative journey in the past 18 months. 

Tim Key: Work-in-Slutgress

Tim Key: Work-in-Slutgress

Comedic lump Key (38) plonks himself in a room for a couple of weeks and tries out some new specks of poetry. 

Poetry Can F*ck Off

Poetry Can F*ck Off

By Heathcote Williams (Herald Lifetime Achievement Award winner). 

Edinburgh Lily

Edinburgh Lily

Ron Butlin (former Edinburgh Poet Laureate) plus acclaimed musicians Dick Lee and Anne Evans return, their sell-out show newly updated. 

Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat

Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat

Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat play their only Edinburgh gig in support of their acclaimed second album together, The Most Important Place in the World. 

Under the Table

Under the Table

This show captures that exciting moment when a story gets so good, its teller has to put down their drink. 

Passion: A Contemporary Journey to the Cross

Passion: A Contemporary Journey to the Cross

Creator/director: Claire Henderson Davis. 

The Muted Note Duo: Dances and Songs based on poems by P K Page

The Muted Note Duo: Dances and Songs based on poems by P K Page

An intimate stage work that synthesises poetry, music, and dance, with P K Page’s brilliant verse at its core. 

Anonymouse

Anonymouse

In a hole in the wall of a timber house, on the edge of a wood there lives a mouse. 

Running to Paradise

Running to Paradise

‘And all that I need do is to wish…’ The poetry of WB Yeats’ Running to Paradise accompanies new music by northern composer Michael Jon Smith (1941-2009) for flute, viola a… 

Kate Fox: Baby I Don't Care

Kate Fox: Baby I Don't Care

More and more people don’t want children. 

The Boy With the Moomin Tattoo

The Boy With the Moomin Tattoo

In his last summer before graduation, James (of Utter! Spoken Word) had a Snufkin tattooed on his arm – 20 years on, and things have got steadily more Moomin ever since. 

Human Resources

Human Resources

You’re the kind of person who never backs down from a fight. 

Most People Aren't That Happy, Anyway

Most People Aren't That Happy, Anyway

John Osborne has been performing poetry since 2006 at festivals including Glastonbury, Bestival and Latitude. 

Asking Nicely

Asking Nicely

In her funny and articulate show, Hannah Chutzpah presents her considered and inspiring take on the complexities of power and permission. 

Phill Jupitus is Porky the Poet in Apologist Now!

Phill Jupitus is Porky the Poet in Apologist Now!

Phill Jupitus is a performance poet. 

Tina Sederholm: The Good Delusion

Tina Sederholm: The Good Delusion

A tragicomic spoken word show that dives into the paradoxical nature of goodness. 

Harry Baker – The Sunshine Kid

Harry Baker – The Sunshine Kid

Harry Baker is a young middle-class blonde rapper-turned-poet. 

Melody

Melody

Jemima Foxtrot is a poet and singer presenting her first Edinburgh show on the PBH Free Fringe. 

James Bran: Invisible Badminton and Other Dreams

James Bran: Invisible Badminton and Other Dreams

A stand-up poetry show about dreams from 2014 AAA star and BBC New Comedy Award London runner-up. 

Stand Up & Slam! – Free

Stand Up & Slam! – Free

Stand-up comedy: poetry’s idiot relation, right? Performance poetry: comedy’s boring cousin, yes? Let’s find out. 

Carol Ann Duffy and John Sampson

Carol Ann Duffy and John Sampson

In a typically idiosyncratic twist Carol-Ann Duffy is collaborating with her ‘favourite’ court musician John Sampson for a reading of work from across her gargantuan oeuvre. 

She Wouldn't Dance with Another

She Wouldn't Dance with Another

In 1964, 12-year-old Marilyn declared she’d die if she didn’t see The Beatles play in Melbourne. 

What I Learned From Johnny Bevan

What I Learned From Johnny Bevan

It’s easy to get lulled by the constant flow of shows at the Fringe, to give in the mid-afternoon slump and the heavy-eyed semi-slumber. 

Eric Davidson – It's a Wrong Way to Ukulele

Eric Davidson – It's a Wrong Way to Ukulele

More parody, poetry and mischief from the man with the thin white uke. ‘I’ve seen better looking faces on an Easter Island postcard!’ (Polynesian Enquirer). 

James Bran: Invisible Badminton and Other Dreams

James Bran: Invisible Badminton and Other Dreams

A stand-up poetry show about dreams from 2014 AAA star and BBC New Comedy Award London runner-up. 

Stand Up & Slam! – Free

Stand Up & Slam! – Free

Stand-up comedy: poetry’s idiot relation, right? Performance poetry: comedy’s boring cousin, yes? Let’s find out. 

Loud Poets

Loud Poets

Loud Poets are a Scotland-based collective of poets who perform together. 

Liz Lochhead With Steve Kettley: Old Pals and Party Pieces

Liz Lochhead With Steve Kettley: Old Pals and Party Pieces

The second ever Scots Makar (national poet) Liz Lochhead has teamed up with saxophonist Steve Kettley for this nostalgic selection of her favourite poems from a 50-year career. 

In Case We Disappear – Free

In Case We Disappear – Free

Vanessa Smythe has a bit of a ‘downer hobby’: she worries about disappearing. 

Luke Wright: Stay-at-Home Dandy

Luke Wright: Stay-at-Home Dandy

Luke Wright is a veteran Fringe performer and one of the UK’s leading spoken-word artists. 

Knowledge and a Girl

Knowledge and a Girl

It is not often that Howard Barker’s plays are produced in Britain (he is far more popular in Europe and America) in spite of his prodigious output and well-known name. 

Bloodcream

Bloodcream

Poet Bog Polanco’s idea for this bite-sized poetry performance is really good: inspired by paintings from Scotland’s major collections he performs a series of poems he’s writ… 

The Lonely Poet (or: The Pleonasm)

The Lonely Poet (or: The Pleonasm)

Everybody thinks that I’m lonely. 

Jokes About Things (Redinburgh Fringe)

Jokes About Things (Redinburgh Fringe)

Scott Redmond had a fun 2014; kidnapped, arrested, threatened at gun and knife point, disowned, broken up and dealing with bereavement. 

Bizarre Guitar and Terse Verse

Bizarre Guitar and Terse Verse

Bizarre Guitar and Terse Verse. 

The Girl Who Fell in Love With the Moon

The Girl Who Fell in Love With the Moon

A troupe of hopeful Fringe performers get lost in the woods, forced to deliver their starry-eyed show to the “nonexistent” audience. 

Shift/ – A Best of Spoken Word

Shift/ – A Best of Spoken Word

Shift is a collective of poets that includes Rachel Amey, Bram Gieben, Harry Giles, Jenny Lindsay, Ali Maloney, Rachel McCrum and Sam Small. 

The Terrible Tale of the Twiddly Widdlies

The Terrible Tale of the Twiddly Widdlies

The weird, wacky and wonderful all come together in this fantastically strange new show. 

(The Boy with) Green Hair Poems

(The Boy with) Green Hair Poems

A light broadcasts from Mars. At first it falters, is interfered with, then it becomes clear. It is The Boy with Green Hair, anti-war. A short film. 

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