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Swamplesque

 
Laura Tucker Review by Laura Tucker 3 Published: 7 Aug 2025 Assembly Hall Show Dates: 31 Jul 2025-24 Aug 2025

For those who like their burlesque queer, chaotic and dappled in green lighting, Swamplesque delivers. Unofficial and unapproved it may be, but this Shrek-inspired fever dream is now in its third year at the Fringe – and if the raucous, packed-out Assembly Hall crowd is anything to go by, its cult status is well and truly locked in.

There is something undeniably powerful about the whole messy package

Cut-price Shrek is the show’s centrepiece, smeared in green facepaint, gurning and rollicking around the stage in varying degrees of undress, alongside a tattooed Lord Farquaad, vocally talented Fiona and impeccably dressed drag Dragon.

Shrek’s graceful solo choreography is often undercut by salacious slut drops and whirling nipple tassels, earning hollered hysteria from the crowd. Taking turns, the cast mimes along to movie soundbites before erupting into semi-relevant pop hits – some mimed, some mic-ed – all featuring a fair amount of strutting, stripping and gyrating from scene to scene.

Some transitions are clunky, with recorded soundbites butting awkwardly into Top 40 bangers, but moments of inspired nonsense make for a highly entertaining evening. The Gingerbread Man’s gumdrop tease, backed by the Pussycat Dolls’ Buttons, is a personal highlight, while the Mirror Man’s aerial rope work is a dazzling treat, even if it serves more as shiny filler than theatrical storytelling.

The show’s commitment to queer joy, body confidence and all-out expression is where its real heart lies. There is something undeniably powerful about the whole messy package. Still, after being urged by Shrek to fuck Trump and free Palestine, you realise Swamplesque wants to be more than a drag-strip spoof. Whether it earns its political mic drop moment is up for debate.

Having upgraded to a venue as massive as Assembly Hall for this year’s Fringe, it’s hard not to wonder whether a smaller, sweatier space might better suit the show’s swampy weirdness. But despite any misgivings, its current popularity cannot be contained.

Is Swamplesque getting a little stagnant? Maybe. But trying to critique it feels a bit like protesting nudity at a Magic Mike concert. It’s not exactly deep – but I’m probably the only one taking notes.

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The Blurb:

The hottest ticket of Fringe 2024. Everyone's favourite ogre-inspired burlesque and drag parody is coming back to Edinburgh! Swamplesque is the award-winning, critically acclaimed, five-star rated burlesque parody show! 'The funniest burlesque show you'll ever see' (Lilithia.net). Prepare for a night filled with laughter, surprises and a touch of the risqué. Don't be green with envy – grab your friends and secure your tickets now for this hilariously naughty night out! 'Rarely have I been in a situation when a review is hard to write because it is such perfection' ***** (GetTheChance.wales).