Shows at Stand in the Square

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One Stop Body Shop

One Stop Body Shop

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The Antibiotic Apocalypse Threatens Us All!

The Antibiotic Apocalypse Threatens Us All!

A lack of antibiotics to treat infection could soon bring us to a post-apocalyptic era where people die from minor injuries, or following routine operations. 

Hug a Thug

Hug a Thug

Do you think the criminal justice system is a soft touch? Do you think that prisons make life too easy for criminals? Would you like to bring back hanging? Then this show is for yo… 

Dolly the Sheep: Major Discovery or Minor Distraction?

Dolly the Sheep: Major Discovery or Minor Distraction?

Twenty years after her birth, Dolly the Sheep is a scientific and Scottish icon. 

Is the Cyber Armageddon Coming?

Is the Cyber Armageddon Coming?

Past wars have started for the most trivial of reasons. 

IndyRef2: The Rebellion Continues?

IndyRef2: The Rebellion Continues?

Tory victory at the General Election, the crushing of Labour in Scotland, chaos on the Opposition front benches. 

Lost Voice Guy: Disability for Dunces Volume Two

Lost Voice Guy: Disability for Dunces Volume Two

Award-winning comedian Lost Voice Guy started off in a disabled Steps tribute band. 

More Plastics = A Better World

More Plastics = A Better World

Plastics harm our world, right? Costing us energy, using up resources and polluting? Wrong. 

Let Extremists Speak?

Let Extremists Speak?

In the name of safeguarding and security, British counter-terrorism legislation is becoming increasingly restrictive of expression that is deemed to support non-violent extremism. 

If I Googled You, What Would I Find?

If I Googled You, What Would I Find?

It’s a troubling question and most of us probably don’t know the answer. 

Should We Have Zoos?

Should We Have Zoos?

Do zoos still have a place in society? If so, what is it? asks esteemed biologist Mary Bownes. 

How Cybercrime Benefits Society

How Cybercrime Benefits Society

When we’re online, most of us choose to give up our privacy for the sake of convenience. 

Is This Your Life?

Is This Your Life?

We all leave a trace. 

Tax Powers? Careful What You Wish For!

Tax Powers? Careful What You Wish For!

From 2016/17, the Scottish Government can set income tax rates and thresholds for Scottish taxpayers. 

Ursula Burns: The Dangerous Harpist

Ursula Burns: The Dangerous Harpist

The most dangerous harpist in the world accidentally made an album when she got lost looking for Lidl. 

The Science of Laughter

The Science of Laughter

We all love a good laugh, but why do we do it? What is it exactly that makes our mouths curl up, eyes water and noses snort like a pig? Join Professor Ian Mclaughlin and special gu… 

Can Anyone Write a Romance Novel?

Can Anyone Write a Romance Novel?

Anyone can write a romance novel. 

Let Big Brother Watch!

Let Big Brother Watch!

Satellite images now cover every inch of the world. 

Cervical Cancer – You’re History!

Cervical Cancer – You’re History!

We now have great weapons against cervical cancer, but it still kills women every year. 

The Myth of Universal Sign Language

The Myth of Universal Sign Language

Moving from the UK to an English-speaking country or another part of the UK? Think you’ll be able to communicate in sign language? Think again! There is no such thing as a univer… 

Hands Off My Clubcard… Just Take My DNA!

Hands Off My Clubcard… Just Take My DNA!

Your Clubcard may say more about you than your DNA, so should it be considered more private? When it comes to understanding patterns in health and illness, examining our data may b… 

Language Lessons on the NHS?

Language Lessons on the NHS?

Research shows that learning languages helps us age healthily, even if we start learning them in later life. 

Keep the Kids Out!

Keep the Kids Out!

When they go out at all, they terrorise our streets and are a nuisance in our neighbourhoods. 

Bringing Death Back to Life

Bringing Death Back to Life

Dying is a universal human activity, and it shows no sign of abating. 

Is Cancer Screening Harmful?

Is Cancer Screening Harmful?

We’re so used to hearing about the importance of regular cancer screening – catch it in its early stages while it can still be treated. 

Bad Teeth = Bad Health

Bad Teeth = Bad Health

It’s no secret that a lackadaisical approach to dental care leads to fillings and gum disease. 

Choose Your Own Science Adventure

Choose Your Own Science Adventure

You’re an up-and-coming scientist. 

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. 

Vive La Variété

Vive La Variété

Vaudeville, comedy and cabaret are all on the menu in a five-star feast of first-rate fun. 

Exercise is Bad for You

Exercise is Bad for You

Often described as a ‘Polypill’ against a variety of illnesses and diseases, is exercise really the elixir for health? Can exercise prematurely wear out your joints? Does excessive… 

Gary Dunn’s Family Feast

Gary Dunn’s Family Feast

Gary Dunn comes to the Fringe with his one-man (one chicken) magic show! Sixty minutes of family fun and some great magic from Scotland’s No 1 comedy magician and his trusty side… 

Michelle McManus: Pop Goes the Idol

Michelle McManus: Pop Goes the Idol

Back by popular demand, presenter and singer Michelle’s brand new show, co-written with Bruce Devlin, tells the next instalment in the Glasgow based life of a glittering global m… 

Bruce Fummey's Alba: Scotland the Origins

Bruce Fummey's Alba: Scotland the Origins

Laughter with a kilt on. 

LOLympics Live!

LOLympics Live!

Back at the Fringe for its fifth year, LOLympics is an international comedy showcase. 

Funny for a Grrrl

Funny for a Grrrl

Witty, fresh and clever, Funny for a Grrrl serves a refreshing line-up of stand-up in this year’s Fringe. 

Gavin Webster's 11 O'Clock Bill

Gavin Webster's 11 O'Clock Bill

It’s past 11 o’clock so it’s time for the high-octane crash, bang, wallop Fringe comedians to take us to midnight with anarchic jokes, anecdotes, spoonerisms and songs. 

The Fantastical Return of Greyfriar’s Bobby

The Fantastical Return of Greyfriar’s Bobby

When Bex is told she has to visit her uncle Angus in Edinburgh, she is not best pleased. 

Mental Health is... Mental!

Mental Health is... Mental!

Leading psychiatrist Stephen Lawrie has heard enough talk about mental health stigma. 

Edinburgh Should Ban Students

Edinburgh Should Ban Students

What have students ever done for us? Surely Edinburgh would be a better city without them? Swathes of the city would be habitable again for families, noise complaints would slump, … 

Computers Are Only For Geeks

Computers Are Only For Geeks

What do you imagine when someone mentions they work with computers or in IT? Do you immediately think of a slightly nerdy man hunched over a keyboard in a darkened basement room, i… 

What If Lance Armstrong Had The Right Idea?

What If Lance Armstrong Had The Right Idea?

Every four years we marvel at the feats of human endeavour at the Olympic Games, but imagine a world where doping was allowed. 

The Great British Brain Off

The Great British Brain Off

Do you feel like your brain is half-baked? Or that your mental faculties are going off the boil? Join ‘head’ chef Dr Alan Gow in the Great British Brain Off to consider the recipe … 

Back To The Statistical Future!

Back To The Statistical Future!

How different is Scotland in 2015, to Scotland in 1835? As good education is increasingly costly and inaccessible to the poor, are we seeing our modern ‘lords and gentlemen’ believ… 

Hug A Thug

Hug A Thug

Do you think the criminal justice system is a soft touch? Do you think that prisons make life too easy for criminals? Would you like to bring back hanging? Then this show is for yo… 

The War On Drugs Is Harmful

The War On Drugs Is Harmful

President Nixon declared war on public enemy number one in 1971. 

The Cocaine Conspiracy

The Cocaine Conspiracy

The cocaine trade has enormous social and ecological consequences on both global and local scales. 

Swords Into Ploughshares

Swords Into Ploughshares

Transforming arms into art. 

Skating On Thin Ice

Skating On Thin Ice

Why don’t we just let the Arctic melt? What will the Arctic look like in 50 years’ time? Will your children be the last generation to learn that the Arctic seas are covered by ic… 

Wild, Scottish And Free

Wild, Scottish And Free

A culinary conundrum. 

The Hidden World Of Functional Disorders

The Hidden World Of Functional Disorders

How would you feel if you were paralysed or had blackouts, only to be told you were imagining it, hysterical, or making it up? This is still the experience of some patients with Fu… 

Whose Face Is It Anyway?

Whose Face Is It Anyway?

Surgery to change facial appearance is increasingly common, for both reconstructive and cosmetic reasons. 

Jamie Kilstein: Sober Song Rants and a Cat Story

Jamie Kilstein: Sober Song Rants and a Cat Story

Musical comedian Jamie Kilstein has an utterly charming stage presence. 

Fashion And The Selfie Culture

Fashion And The Selfie Culture

Mal Burkinshaw, Programme Director of Fashion at Edinburgh College of Art and Director of the Diversity Network discusses and debates the role that fashion plays in stereotyping id… 

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… 

Gunge! A Show With Gunge in It

Gunge! A Show With Gunge in It

Afternoons are dead boring now, everyone knows that, even proper stupid idiots. 

Alas, Poor Darwin...?

Alas, Poor Darwin...?

Alas, Poor Darwin…? may be officially listed as a ‘spoken word’ event, but don’t let that make you think it’s a poetry show. 

Not So Native Now

Not So Native Now

Not So Native Now is a talk about multilingualism as part of the Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas, engaging and inviting the audience to consider our preconceptions about bilingualism an… 

Let’s Turn On the Smart Light

Let’s Turn On the Smart Light

How can light bulbs be smart? Could LED light bulbs really be used for wireless data communication? Here at the Li-Fi Centre at the University of Edinburgh, we are developing the e… 

Women! Science is Still Not for You!

Women! Science is Still Not for You!

The UK desperately needs more scientists and engineers, yet highly qualified, talented and ambitious women are still deserting science. 

Stop Brushing Your Teeth!

Stop Brushing Your Teeth!

The common phrase ‘an apple a day, keeps the doctor away’ sounds quite sensible in promoting healthy living, doesn’t it? However, a quick internet search suggests that eating an … 

Scotland In Six Swallies

Scotland In Six Swallies

A river of drink runs through Scotland’s history – plague, murder, temperance and social reform are drenched in six iconic drinks (swallies, as the locals say). 

Cervical Cancer – You’re History!

Cervical Cancer – You’re History!

Cervical cancer only affects women but is caused by a virus (HPV) very common in both sexes. 

GM Bacteria Could Save Your Life!

GM Bacteria Could Save Your Life!

GM Bacteria? Noooo! But what if I told you that GM Salmonella might save your life one day? Most people remember Salmonella because of the controversy with eggs, and many know that… 

Hearing Loss Or Deaf Gain?

Hearing Loss Or Deaf Gain?

Imagine we are creating an encyclopaedia for extraterrestrials. 

Soak Up The Sun And To Hell With Skin Cancer!

Soak Up The Sun And To Hell With Skin Cancer!

We are all advised to take care in the sun, because it causes skin cancer, but is it really bad for us? Following on from his TED talk and appearance on Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, E… 

Butterfly Rammy

Butterfly Rammy

A cabaret of the art and ideas of Scotland’s political awakening. 

Vive La Variété

Vive La Variété

A must-see cocktail of the best in sensational cabaret, comedy, burlesque and musical entertainment. 

Martin ‘Bigpig’ Mor’s Funny Stuff for Happy People

Martin ‘Bigpig’ Mor’s Funny Stuff for Happy People

Kids! Do you need somewhere to take your adults without them getting bored and going in a huff? Bring them to Funny Stuff for Happy People, where the adults can have just as good a… 

Mark Thompson’s Space Cadets Training Academy

Mark Thompson’s Space Cadets Training Academy

Mark Thompson, well known as a TV astronomer and author, has joined the ranks of Space Command to help recruit some new space cadets. 

Michelle McManus: Reloaded

Michelle McManus: Reloaded

Presenter, columnist and singer Michelle brings a new Reloaded one-woman show to the Festival. 

Abnormally Funny People

Abnormally Funny People

Abnormally Funny People showcases some of the best and brightest comedians living with disabilities on the circuit, oh and a token “normal”. 

Funny for a Grrrl

Funny for a Grrrl

Four fantastic comediennes on one amazing show! We’ve selected the funniest women we could find at the Fringe, and brought them together for an afternoon of comedy you’ll never… 

Brendon Burns and Colt Cabana Sit in a F*cking Yurt at 11pm and Provide Comedy and Commentary to Bad Wrestling Matches

Brendon Burns and Colt Cabana Sit in a F*cking Yurt at 11pm and Provide Comedy and Commentary to Bad Wrestling Matches

Pretty self-explanatory, really. 

Bruce Fummey: A History of Scotland

Bruce Fummey: A History of Scotland

Award-winning comic Bruce Fummey, triumphantly returns telling the history of Scotland. 

The Super Serious Show

The Super Serious Show

Hailed by L. 

Hug a Thug

Hug a Thug

Do you think the criminal justice system is a soft touch? Do you think that prisons make life too easy for criminals? Would you like to bring back hanging? Then this is for you! Th… 

We’d Eat GM Meat: Would You?

We’d Eat GM Meat: Would You?

Would you eat bacon from a lab designed pig? Is GM meat really a solution to future food shortages? Debates about genetically modifying our food raise many concerns. 

Prescriptions for Sunbeds?

Prescriptions for Sunbeds?

Everyone knows that sunbathing is the fastest way to skin cancer . 

Is Your Marmite Watching You?

Is Your Marmite Watching You?

The point of a thought-experiment is to provide a way of exploring the consequences of an idea, not through a metaphorical prism, but through a literal imagining of what might happ… 

Sex-Selective Abortions: Behind the Headlines

Sex-Selective Abortions: Behind the Headlines

The selective abortion of female babies is a high-profile reason for why some countries have more men than women. 

Are We Wasting Your Data?

Are We Wasting Your Data?

Medical science has advanced thanks to what we’ve learnt from patients’ data. 

What Skeletons Are in Your Closet?

What Skeletons Are in Your Closet?

The pioneering Statistical Accounts of Scotland systematically described 18th-century Scotland and its people, capturing glimpses of the daily lives of those forgotten by the histo… 

Brain Training on Trial

Brain Training on Trial

Spent your hard-earned cash on games that promise to protect your brain? Still forgetting why you went into that room? Then come and put brain training on trial. 

Breed Bilingual!

Breed Bilingual!

We may not all read the Daily Mail, but many Brits still think that learning a second language is unnecessary. 

Keep the Kids Out!

Keep the Kids Out!

A rare treat of the Fringe is being able to speak your mind in a venue without having the talent shout you down. 

I Know What You Ate Last Summer

I Know What You Ate Last Summer

Brandishing a Tesco clubcard, Dr Mhairi Aitken warns us that a loyalty card can say a lot about you. 

Women! Science Is Not for You!

Women! Science Is Not for You!

Why are women deserting sciences in droves? Is it unconscious bias, a lack of aspiration, lack of confidence - or just lack of ability? Are we failing our daughters, or is this jus… 

Bright Club: Scotland’s Fringe

Bright Club: Scotland’s Fringe

We’re straight from the research field to the Fringe! Bright Club is the freshest thing in stand-up - an academic comedy cocktail synthesised for your entertainment and enlighten… 

The Hidden World of Functional Disorders

The Hidden World of Functional Disorders

How would you feel if you were paralysed or had blackouts, only to be told you were imagining it or, worse still, making it up? This is still the experience of some patients with F… 

Michelle McManus’ Reality: The Musical

Michelle McManus’ Reality: The Musical

Michelle McManus returns to the Festival, after her sell-out show last year which received five-star reviews across the board. 

Are Designer Babies a Slippery Slope?

Are Designer Babies a Slippery Slope?

Have you ever thought about what having children might mean in the future? What if you could design your own baby? Would you design your baby to have the intelligence of Stephen Ha… 

The Trial of Chimpanzee Jack

The Trial of Chimpanzee Jack

You are summoned for jury service. 

Is Scottish Independence Bad for Your Health?

Is Scottish Independence Bad for Your Health?

Scotland is the ‘sick man of Europe’. 

Antidepressants Are Not Overprescribed!

Antidepressants Are Not Overprescribed!

Come gather in the yurt at the Stand in the Square for another in the series of The Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas. 

Alcohol Costs Too Much!

Alcohol Costs Too Much!

Is minimum alcohol pricing making our health worse? Dr Angus Bancroft (University of Edinburgh) reckons so. 

Speech Sucks: The Future Signs

Speech Sucks: The Future Signs

In all the noise and bustle of Edinburgh during August, this was a refreshing and quiet event. 

In Pursuit of Beauty

In Pursuit of Beauty

Do you think fashion should be socially responsible? Do you believe the industry should do more to communicate healthier and diverse beauty ideals? The Edinburgh College of Art and… 

The Internet: A Human Right?

The Internet: A Human Right?

Professor Michael Fourman of the University of Edinburgh hosted this event as part of the Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas, a series of seminars and lectures taking place during the Fr… 

Benefit Scrounger - or Unemployed Worker?

Benefit Scrounger - or Unemployed Worker?

Politicians tell us that cutting benefits will motivate the unemployed to find work. 

The Alternative Comedy Memorial Society

The Alternative Comedy Memorial Society

To say that Alternative Comedy Memorial Society is a cult phenomenon is an understatement… and to call it a showcase night would be wildly simplifying the interactive, experiment… 

Cocaine: Between White Lines

Cocaine: Between White Lines

Scotland has the highest per-head consumption of cocaine on the planet, and it damages more than just our health. 

Falafel, Houmous and Baba Ganoush

Falafel, Houmous and Baba Ganoush

The Fringe debut performance from Egyptian stand-up comedy troupe and platform Al Hezb El Comedy. 

All Back to Bowie’s

All Back to Bowie’s

David Bowie said ‘Scotland, stay with us’. 

Funny Stuff For Happy People

Funny Stuff For Happy People

Kids! Do you need somewhere to take your adults without them getting bored and going in a huff? Bring them to Funny Stuff For Happy People, an hour of comedy, circus, storytelling,… 

Funny For A Grrrl

Funny For A Grrrl

Four fantastic comediennes on one amazing show! We’ve selected the funniest women we could find at the festival and brought them together for an afternoon of comedy you’ll neve… 

Robert Newman's New Theory of Evolution

Robert Newman's New Theory of Evolution

As a comedian, Robert Newman seems somewhat unqualified to espouse a new theory of evolution, especially a theory that is rejected by most scientists. 

Brendon Burns and Colt Cabana Sit in a 150 Seater at 10pm and Provide the Commentary to Bad Wrestling Matches

Brendon Burns and Colt Cabana Sit in a 150 Seater at 10pm and Provide the Commentary to Bad Wrestling Matches

There’s no way to review this show without first admitting that the title does half the job. 

Should Capitalism be Criminal?

Should Capitalism be Criminal?

Should Capitalism Be Criminal? was the first discussion in a series entitled Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas, which is essentially a leftie version of Question Time, set in a yurt in… 

Vive le Cabaret

Vive le Cabaret

Now in its fifth glorious year, Vive le Cabaret guarantees the biggest laughs, the hottest burlesque and the most sensational circus, speciality and musical performers of any varie… 

Set List: Stand-Up Without a Net

Set List: Stand-Up Without a Net

In Set List, spontaneity is the name of the game; a selection of comics perform completely improvised sets in front of your eyes, with nothing to guide them but key phrases which a… 

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