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

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.

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.

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).

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.

Kiki Mellék: Wonder Woman

PBH’s Free Fringe @ CC Blooms | Aug 22-28 | 4:15pm

A glittering tribute to fierce femmes.

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

About Money

Summerhall | Aug 3-14, 16-21, 23-28 | 10:20am

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

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.

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.

Contact

Greenside @ Infirmary Street | Aug 15-20 | 1:55pm

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

Eulogy

Summerhall | Aug 3-28 | Times Vary

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

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

I Shall Not Be Moved

Greenside @ Riddles Court | Aug 22-26 | 1:45pm

Discover the story of Civil Rights pioneer Betty Daniels Rosemond.

In the Interest of Health and Safety Can Patrons Kindly Supervise Their Children at All Times

Assembly Rooms | Aug 15, 17-21 | 1pm

A loud trip into the power of children to make change.

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.

Marrow

Assembly Rooms | Aug 4-14, 16-27 | 6:25pm

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

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.

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.

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.

Rajesh and Naresh

Summerhall | Aug 3-14 | 2:45pm

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

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.’.

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.

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.

Temping

Assembly George Square Studios | Aug 9-28 | Times Vary

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

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.

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

(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.

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’.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Receptionists

Summerhall | Aug 3-7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-28 | 4:15pm

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

COMEDY

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.

Chloe Petts: Transience

Pleasance Courtyard | Aug 3-14, 16-28 | 6pm

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

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.

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.

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’.

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.

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’.

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.

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!

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!

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!

Rupert & Stuart

Occasionally the To Do List team are forced to work together.

Rupert likes: free, cheap & offbeat London, especially: cabaret, art, theatre, pop-ups, eating out, quirky films, museums, day trips, social enterprise & much more.

Stuart likes: nice pubs, film marathons, not doing real marathons, bad comedy, plays/musicals with shorter second halves, and the Oxford comma.