Unmissable Edinburgh Fringe Shows

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022

We’re back at The Edinburgh Fringe (sort of)!

After a three year break, To Do List is back to preview the very best that the Edinburgh Fringe festival has to offer – look no further for the most unmissable quirky, offbeat, and downright amazing events at this years Fringe!

We can’t make it to Edinburgh ourselves this year – BUT FEAR NOT! We’ve picked out 50 – yes, fifty – of the offbeat, less mainstream offerings from this years Edinburgh Fringe line-up.

Go on, knock yourselves out with fab fringe festivity!


CABARET & VARIETY

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 1
Accordion Ryan’s Pop Bangers
Laughing Horse @ The Counting House | Aug 4-7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-28 | 22:15

What you’ve been waiting for – all your favourite songs, on the accordion! It’s free too – though do leave a tip if you have a good time.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 2
Blunderland
Underbelly’s Circus Hub | Aug 5-14, 16-21, 23-27 | 9:55pm

Imagine the most out-there night of audacious, genre-defying performance. Then imagine it goes further. You just imagined Blunderland.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 3
Diane Chorley: Down The Flick
Assembly George Square Studios | Aug 4-6, 10-11, 13, 17-20, 23-27 | 11pm

To Do List favourite Diane Chorley hosts a night of variety Down The Flick – hedonism is a place on earth (at least, in Edinburgh).

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 4
Final Baby Girl!
Assembly George Square Studios | Aug 4-7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-28 | 7pm

Baby Lame aims to be the last girl standing after an hour of kinky role plays, trash-tastic songs and balls-out performance.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 6
Miss Ellaneous and the Rail Replacement Bus Service
Blundabus | Aug 13 | Midnight

A bonkers joyride into the bizarre, with a stellar line up.


THEATRE & MUSICALS

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 7
About Money
Summerhall | Aug 3-14, 16-21, 23-28 | 10:20am

A Glaswegian tale of making ends meet, McDonald’s and love.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 8
Bloody Elle – A Gig Musical
Traverse Theatre | Aug 4-7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-28 | Times Vary

Lauryn Redding is a ferociously talented must-see actor-musician.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 9
Caste-ing
ROUNDABOUT @ Summerhall | Aug 3, 5-8, 10-15, 17-22, 24-28 | 8:25pm

Nouveau Riche use beatboxing, rap, song and spoken word to highlight and challenge black women’s experiences of the acting industry.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 10
Contact
Greenside @ Infirmary Street | Aug 15-20 | 1:55pm

A call-centre turns sinister in this comic horror show.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 11
Eulogy
Summerhall | Aug 3-28 | Times Vary

Aural immersion experts Darkfield take you on a dark trip into a hotel.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 12
Every Word Was Once an Animal
ZOO Southside | Aug 5-9, 11-14, 16-21, 23-28 | 2:15pm

Belgian theatre wizards Ontroerend Goed are back with a show about beginnings.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 13
Guide to Surviving Masculinist Territory
Summerhall | Aug 3-14, 16-21, 23-28 | Times Vary

An audio-adventure walk exploring misogyny through the online ‘incel’ community.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 14
Happy Meal
Traverse Theatre | Aug 4-7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-28 | Times Vary

From MySpace to TikTok, from cis to trans, Teddy Lamb’s Happy Meal is an unmissable treat.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 15
Herviss Family
C Aquila | Aug 15-28 | 10:05pm

A theatrical investigation of interpersonal relationships through the lens of the Herviss Family – who will you agree with?

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 16
Hungry
ROUNDABOUT @ Summerhall | Aug 3, 5-8, 10-15, 17-22, 24-28 | 5:25pm

Questions of what we eat and who we love collide in this witty discussion of gentrification.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 17
I Shall Not Be Moved
Greenside @ Riddles Court | Aug 22-26 | 1:45pm

Discover the story of Civil Rights pioneer Betty Daniels Rosemond.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 19
Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder
ROUNDABOUT @ Summerhall | Aug 3, 5-8, 10-15, 17-22, 24-28 | 9:50pm

A toe-tapping mystery-musical, for lovers of true-crime podcasts.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 20
Marrow
Assembly Rooms | Aug 4-14, 16-27 | 6:25pm

A queer tale of healing: ‘beautiful, funny, sensual, alive and batshit crazy’.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 21
My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored
Summerhall | Aug 3-14, 16-21, 23-28 | 5:40pm

A nail-biting story of a young boy, and the teacher who does nothing to stop a racial attack.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 22
One of Two
Summerhall | Aug 3-14, 16-21, 23-28 | 11:45am

A tongue-in-cheek comedy telling the true tale of twins growing up with cerebral palsy.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 23
Psychodrama
Traverse Theatre | Aug 4-7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-28 | Times Vary

A twisted revenge story set alongside a theatre production of Psycho.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 24
Rajesh and Naresh
Summerhall | Aug 3-14 | 2:45pm

A fresh and honest queer romcom set just after the decriminalization of homosexuality in India.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 25
Ram of God
Assembly Roxy | Aug 3-16, 18-28 | 8:30pm

A wild fiesta of philosophy served up in a bonkers ritual at the Church of Ram, ‘where sheep are people, people are sheeple and the apocalypse is just getting started.’.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 26
The Smile Off Your Face
C Place | Aug 4-7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-28 | Times Vary

Ontroerend Goed made a splash with this show 19 (!) years ago. The blindfold is back in the revival from KASK School of Arts.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 27
Silkworm
Assembly Roxy | Aug 3-9, 11-16, 18-23, 25-29 | 6:50pm

Two women in a Glasgow tower block seek asylum on account of their sexuality, and await their fate in this tense drama.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 28
Temping
Assembly George Square Studios | Aug 9-28 | Times Vary

You are Sarah-Jane the temp, in this immersive mystery for one.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 29
Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch
Underbelly George Square | Aug 3-29 | 5:55pm

The ultimate Disney diva and villainess is finally given the musical she deserves.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 30
Victoria Melody: Head Set
Pleasance Courtyard | Aug 3-8, 10-15, 17-22, 24-28 | 4:50pm

What happens to your body when you’re being funny? After pigeon fancying, dog show handling and funeral direction, Victoria Melody gives stand-up a try!


CIRCUS & DANCE

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 31
(Le) PAIN
Assembly Roxy | Aug 4-9, 11-14, 16-21, 23-28 | 4pm

Breadmaking, physical feats and growing up queer in rural France makes for a doughy delight.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 32
40/40
ZOO Southside | Aug 14-20 | 10:10am

Kat turned 40, and gave herself permission to produce a dance solo! ‘The result of 40 years of joy and hardship, laughter and tears, super tunes and super moves’.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 33
All Over
ZOO Southside | Aug 7-13 | 10:30pm

Don headphones and let your imagination be guided through a performance tackling conventions, expectations and perception.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 34
Boom
Underbelly Bristo Square | Aug 4-6, 8-14, 16-21, 23-28 | 3:30pm

Performers who met just days after the outbreak of war in Ukraine collaborate in this celebration of resilience and optimism in the face of adversity.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 35
Cirque Alfonse: Animal
Underbelly’s Circus Hub | Aug 6-9, 11-14, 16-21, 23-27 | 4:25pm

Surreal farm fables get the Cirque Alfonse treatment, combining circus, song, dance and theatre.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 36
Dance Body
Summerhall | Aug 3-14, 16-21, 23-27 | 4:15pm

Yolanda Mercy asks: what does it mean to be a plus-sized body in the world of contemporary dance?

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 37
Railed
Assembly George Square Gardens | Aug 3-7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-28 | 6:35pm

Western-themed circus showcasing the acrobatic circus skills of a troupe of bare-chested bombshells.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 38
The Chosen Haram
Summerhall | Aug 3, 5-6, 9-13, 16-20, 23-27 | 9pm

Queer circus from Edinburgh-born Sadiq Ali, bringing the struggle of homosexuality in Islam to the medium of Chinese poles.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 39
Receptionists
Summerhall | Aug 3-7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-28 | 4:15pm

The ‘art’ of customer service performed through acrobatic clownery.


COMEDY

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 40
ALOK
Traverse Theatre | Aug 9-14, 16-21 | 9pm

Hilarious and inspirational in equal measures, ALOK serves a coruscating, awe-inspiring hour exploring trauma, belonging and the human condition.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 41
Chloe Petts: Transience
Pleasance Courtyard | Aug 3-14, 16-28 | 6pm

Maybe the next big thing in stand-up – you heard it from us!

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 42
Colin Hoult: The Death of Anna Mann
Pleasance Courtyard | Aug 3-16, 18-28 | 9:10pm

A comedy masterclass from Anna Mann, looking back on her legendary life as she approaches the final curtain.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 43
Frankie Thompson: Catts
Pleasance Courtyard | Aug 3-14, 16-28 | 9:25pm

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats is finally given the stage treatment it deserves, in the phenomenal Frankie Thompson’s hilariously absurd one woman love song to all things feline.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 44
Grubby Little Mitts
Assembly George Square Studios | Aug 3-15, 17-29 | 2:15pm

Rosie Nicholls & Sullivan Brown promise ‘sketch comedy with teeth… and eyeballs’.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 45
Jayde Adams: Men, I Can Save You
Pleasance Courtyard | Aug 3-28 | 8:20pm

Jayde Adams finds time from a growing slate of TV work to present this guide for men to become the best version of themselves.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 46
Myra DuBois’ A Problem Shared
Underbelly Bristo Square | Aug 3-15, 17-28 | 7:45pm

Last seen by us delivering a typically Duboisian vocal performance in Manchester’s Cockatoo Club, Myra returns to the Fringe to give ‘the world of self-help the enema it so desperately needs’.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 47
Sarah Keyworth: Lost Boy
Pleasance Courtyard | Aug 3-15, 17-28 | 5:40pm

Recipient of 4.5 stars from us (we really are meanies) back in 2019, we’re still telling everyone who will listen to check out the super funny Sarah Keyworth.

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 48
Shelf: Hair
Pleasance Courtyard | Aug 3-16, 18-28 | 7:15pm

A musical comedy double act who made it to the finals of the 2020 Musical Comedy Awards – and we should now, we judged it!

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 49
Spank! You and Goodnight
Underbelly Bristo Square | Aug 28 | 11pm

We can’t believe we’re writing this, but Spank! will be closing its doors this year! Our favourite comedy variety night goes out with a bang, though with this one-night-only finale!

50 Unmissable Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe 2022 50
Xander and Cheng: Pig Business
Laughing Horse @ Cabaret Voltaire | Aug 15-28 | 2:30pm

Amy Xander & Ginnia Cheng deliver stand-up and sketches FOR FREE. Hear that, comedy rivals?! Free funnies – we love it!