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1,000 Suns, theSpace at N. Bridge. 21st C musical with its own style. Brave script, winning score. If only more musicals were this raw. 4/5 KP
1984, Zoo. Incredibly talented cast bring a beautifully constructed adaptation in Orwell’s own words. Intense and powerful. A triumph. 5/5 LA
25: 13 Red, 12 Blue, C Aquila. A potentially emotive exploration of young Britain is irreparably hampered by unsophisticated writing. 2/5 AJ
4.48 Psychosis, theSpace @ Niddry St. The 20-strong female cast form an astonishing ensemble in this brilliantly dark, unsettling play. 4/5 JT
99.9 Degrees, C Eca. Ransom payments of intricate but clumsy movement can’t redeem this painfully stereotypical hostage story. 1/5 AKS
A
Abandoman, Pleasance Dome. You may have 99 problems, but watching this middle-aged Irishman’s improvised raps isn’t one. Thrilling. 4/5 ZM
Adam Hills, Assembly Hall. An interactive bout of stand-up genius from a genuinely hilarious man of the people, with a feel for funny. 4/5 JH
Age of the Geek, theSpace @ Surgeons Hall. A sweet, gently funny homage to all things geeky, with a charming blend of music and chat. 3/5 JT
The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, Gilded Balloon. A spare exposé of the horrors of Apple. Take your iPod (and a pinch of salt). 3/5 AJ
After the Rainfall, Pleasance Dome. Interconnecting narratives woven together through a visceral aesthetic. A beautiful multimedia tapestry. 4/5 LH
Al Pitcher, Gilded Balloon. A novel show-and-tell of amusing photographs and tall tales. Familiar locations draw huge, knowing laughs. 3/5 DP
Alexis Dubus, Assembly Roxy. Swerving stories of girlfriends (and cars) past and present. Dubus is delightfully sweet and self-effacing. 3/5 LA
Alfie Brown, Underbelly. Analytical and brave stand-up about the media. Uncomfortable, uncompromising, and maddeningly provocative. 3/5 JH
All the Fun of the Unfair, Siglo. Short bursts of different comedians provide only a handful of chuckles. Some dry humour, mostly damp. 2/5 KP
All Turn, Three Sisters. A heartfelt, reminiscent portrayal of family, sadly suffering from rambling anecdotes and a lack of momentum. 2/5 AKS
Amateur Transplants, Pleasance Courtyard. A malteaser of a show: history’s greatest pop songs are wrapped up in Adam Kay’s dark humour. 3/5 ZM
Amusements, Summerhall. A sensual headphone experience. Impressive sound effects make for performance art that glimpses at the future. 3/5 KP
An Appointment With The Wicker Man, Assembly Rooms. Inventive, uproarious and thoroughly silly, it will have Wicker fans in stitches. 3/5
And They Played Shang-A-Lang, The Stand. Nostalgic school-days’ drama, with specific appeal. Bubbly, innocent, bob-along entertainment. 3/5 SS
Andrew Ryan, Just the Tonic @ the Tron. Ex-banker turned comedian battles the failing economy with positivity and modest humour. 3/5 AKS
An Evening With Dementia, theSpace on the Mile. A skillfully constructed and beautifully rendered monologue. Intimate and poignant. 4/5 AJ
And The Girls in Their Sunday Dresses, Assembly. Vivacious duo make the stage and audience their own. Universally inspiring. Glorious. 4/5 KP
Andy & Mike’s Tick-Tock Time Machine, Pleasance Courtyard. A gloriously daft (yet coherent) kids show that won’t leave parents gagging. 4/5 DP
Anon(ymous), C. Talented student ensemble adrift on an uneven script, though evocative stagecraft makes their voyage worth the trip. 3/5 LH
Anything But, Pleasance Courtyard. One woman show that feels like it’s two: moving moments fuse with cheesier-than-cheddar jokes. 3/5 ZM
Armada the Musical, Paradise in Augustine’s. Historical drama with rousing songs. Unexceptional but endearing amateur theatre. 2/5 AJ
Armageddapocalypse, Underbelly. Parodical take on action films: initially annoying, but the audience’s laughter is absurdly contagious. 3/5 ZM
Assassins, Paradise in Augustine’s. A tedious rendition of a Sondheim classic. Muted score, banal staging and amateur performances. 2/5 AJ
Asher Treleaven, Gilded Balloon. Autobiography, meaningful hats, and a Diablo – Asher is sprightly, fun, and surprisingly inspiring. 3/5 KP
As You Like It, Pleasance Dome. A gifted cast trapped in the confines of an incongruous jazz club. I wish someone would let them out. 2/5 LH
Austentatious, Counting House. ‘Witty’ would be an understatement. Brilliant improv group make Austen’s works their own – and yours! 4/5 JH
The Axis of Awesome, Pleasance Courtyard. If Glee was on acid this would be the result: 3 men dancing badly, singing about pizza. Brill. 4/5 ZM
B
Baby Wants Candy, Assembly G Sq. Fun and frivolous improvised musical. Rendered less impressive by a transparently formulaic approach. 3/5 LA
Back To School, Pleasance Courtyard. A creative, awkward and extremely interactive school induction. Gleefully embarrassing. I got a B-. 3/5 SS
Bad Bread, Underbelly. One of the most immature, inappropriate and occasionally distasteful shows I have ever seen. Loved every minute. 3/5 LA
Bad Musical, Gilded Balloon. Bad acting, a calamitous set and songs about sandwiches. Quite possibly the worst musical ever. I loved it. 3/5 AJ
Barbershopera, Pleasance Courtyard. Top notch singing and rapid storytelling, with tongues firmly in cheek. Rousing, ripping stuff. 3/5 AKS
Barry Morgan’s World of Organs, Underbelly. Borat, Bruno…meet Barry. This super-charismatic salesman/musician will keep you grinning. 3/5 KP
Basic Training, Underbelly. Fabulous characterization eases you through a surprising, uncomfortable true story. Nothing new, done well. 3/5 SS
Bane 1, 2 and 3, Pleasance Dome. Humblingly inventive, generously performed and cripplingly funny, Bane refuses to disappoint. The best. 5/5
Bat Boy, C. A strong cast can’t save a weak script or convoluted plot ridden with holes. Well sung, but in real need of amplification. 2/5
Be Fruitful and Multiply, C. Side-splittingly merry musical play. Cleverly questions religion with creative wit and comic finesse. Aces. 4/5 AJ
Beard, Assembly. Amateurish sketch show. Some clever jokes with real potential but lacks strong delivery and needs time to mature. 2/5 AKS
The Beast, Underbelly. A simple tale that warms your heart like a cup of hot cocoa. Awesome storytelling fun – with a loop pedal! 4/5 JH
Bereavement: the Musical, C. Quirky little episodes that explore themes of grief and loss with moving delicacy and glittery top hats. 3/5 AJ
The Beta Males in… The Space Race, Pleasance Courtyard. Astronauts, aliens and butt-kicking cows from the 60s. Darker than antimatter. 3/5 AJ
Beta Males’ Midnight Movie Theatre, Pleasance Courtyard. Bastard child of the drive-in experience. B movie kitsch with sketchy mayhem. 4/5
A Betrayal of Penguins, Gilded Balloon. Frenetic sketch show with glorious ad libs and men pretending to be unicorns. Joyful silliness. 4/5 JT
The Big Bite-Size Breakfast Show, Pleasance Dome. New writing performed by a stellar cast. Laughter comes easier than a Sunday morning. 4/5 ZM
Billy The Mime, Just The Tonic. Skilful technique meets tomfoolery in playfully crude snippets, condemning history and celebrity. 4/5 DP
B*tch Boxer, Underbelly. Cinematic, poetic, and with stunning music, this energetic performance is an unexpected punch to the heart. 4/5 KP
The Blanks, Gilded Balloon. Expert a capella combined with whimsical sketches. Best part? These guys are clearly having a ball. 4/5 AJ
Blake’s Door, theSpace on North Bridge. Directionless drama with no substance to speak of. Insipid roles exacerbate a contrite script. 2/5 LH
Blind Mirth, the Space at Surgeon’s Hall. Improv a little like Monopoly: fun at first, but eventually you just want the games to end. 2/5 ZM
The Bloody Chamber, C. Horror awaits in this deliciously dark play about the dangers of temptation. Compelling from start to finish. 3/5 ZM
Bigmouth, Summerhall. A unique and utterly mesmerising oratory odyssey. Emotionally striking songs and speeches leave you breathless. 5/5 LH
Bob and Jim: Go, Underbelly. From singing to sketches, this duo perform an unpretentious variety show. Entertaining, if a little cliché. 3/5 ZM
Boom Boom Club, Underbelly. Clowns. Cabaret. Drinks. Live band. A fire-eater. Burlesque. Top night. Headache in the morning. Ow. 4/5
Botallack O’Clock, Gilded Balloon. Portrayal of an artist’s nocturnal musings. A comic, boozy performance, both witty and surreal. 3/5 JT
Bottleneck, Pleasance Courtyard. An extraordinary one-man play, as significant as the events that inspired it. This show gives it all. 4/5 KP
B O X, C Nova. Super-intriguing questions into personality and performance, but inconsistent improvisation dulls this promising show. 2/5 KP
Bound, C aquila. Gritty drama on happiness and freedom, with musical interludes – as bizarrely uneven as it sounds. 2/5 LA
Boy in a Dress, The Stand. Tasty tales of hedonism and heartache. A delicious, touching hour that challenges ideas of class and gender. 4/5 LA
The Boy With Tape On His Face, Pleasance Courtyard. Silence isn’t golden; it’s magical. A spellbinding show you’ll wish would never end. 5/5 ZM
Boy with the Cuckoo Clock Heart, Pleasance Courtyard. A modern fairytale sadly fails to challenge itself in any significant way. Flat. 2/5 AJ
Breakfast with Shakespeare, C. Pleasingly palatable players serve up a jocular Jacobean dish. The Bard has never been so appetizing. 4/5 LH
Breathing Corpses, Zoo. Finding dead bodies is surprising – so is the cast’s ease at finding humour in this dark play. Stern execution. 3/5 KP
Bristol Revunions, Just The Tonic @ The Caves. Five misfits in a light-hearted, hilarious sketch show. Chaotic, exuberant and endearing. 3/5 SS
Bruce Hammer’s Bananapocalypse, Just The Tonic @ the Caves. Brilliant, YouTube-ready videos steeped in tepid stand-up. Needn’t be live. 2/5 DP
Built for Two, the Space on the Mile. Midsummer Nights Dream meets Coupling. An uneven yet achingly honest portrayal of modern romance. 3/5 LH
Bye Bye World, Underbelly. Engrossing existential drama with absurd touches – eloquently executed, if a tad loud and disjointed. 3/5 AJ
C
Caesarean Section: Essays on Suicide, Summerhall. A mind-shattering vision fusing dance and sound in a molten embrace. Ferocious. 4/5 LH
The Cagebirds, C eca. Twitching and restless, a young cast explore captivity and contentment in this surreal short play. Ambitious. 3/5 SS
California Beach Bungalow, C aquila. Improv sketches that lead you to ask life’s bigger questions. Like: ‘why am I still here?’ Tragic. 1/5 AJ
Camille Claudel, Pleasance Courtyard. Convincing, eerie & hypnotic solo performance. Questions the natures of love, madness, and art. 4/5 SS
Capellajuice, C. A lively mix of pop a capella, with one wicked sense of humour. Some arrangements get your trousers in a twist! 3/5 ZM
Captain Codless and the Legend of Plunge Island, C too. Interactive and energetic; fun for both the little tackers and their captains. 3/5 AKS
Captain Ferguson’s School for Balloon Warfare, Assembly Roxy. Initiated into the troupe with laughter, and left surprisingly moved. 3/5 SS
Captain Ko…, Underbelly. Despite a strong soundscape, this surreal space/health show never gains the theatrical thrust to leave orbit. 2/5 LH
Carl-Einar Hackner, Gilded Balloon. Passable magic ruined by a painful attempt at comedy. If I could conjure that hour of my life back.. 1/5 LA
Mr Carmen, Assembly Roxy. An intense, strange sensory mashup. Bewilderingly obtuse, hard to follow, but somehow still pretty magical. 3/5 SS
Carnival of Crows, Free Sisters. Stories better suited to the page. Twisted as advertised, but a few turns away from brilliance. 2/5 LH
Casablanca: The Gin Joint Cut, Gilded Balloon. Witty reimagining of the classic, brilliantly playing on theatre restrictions. Excellent. 4/5 JH
Catie Wilkins, Underbelly. A comical ode to names, feminism, and 1950′s advertising. Observant material, unusually shy delivery. Joyful. 3/5 SS
Centralia, Zoo. I was trapped in a world where facial expressions were endlessly repeated and a dildo joke flopped. Misguided and weak. 2/5 ZM
Chapel Street, Underbelly. Two teens and a trolley expose under lippy and Ben Sherman the absurdities of broken Britain. Enlivening. 4/5 KP
Charlie Baker, Assembly. A light, easy stand-up routine delivered in a lovable manner. Baker plays it safe, but keeps the laughs coming. 3/5 LA
Checkley and Bush, JTT @ The Caves. Lively, loud, and loving life. Some brilliant sketches, and side-splitting alternative song lyrics. 4/5 SS
Cheese-Badger, The Newsroom. I raised my hand to high-five this music-drenched comedy sketch, but some humourless skits left me hanging. 2/5 AKS
Chris Coltrane, Globe. Activism stories to inspire and engage. Coltrane laughs in the face of corruption and apathy; we laugh too. 4/5 LA
Chris Dugdale’s 2 Faced Deception, Assembly George Square. Big, impressive tricks, but delivery dragged on, feeling laboured and dull. 2/5 SS
Chris Ramsey, Pleasance Courtyard. So refreshing to see a comic who doesn’t resort to shock humour. Honest, friendly, and truly funny. 4/5 AKS
Chris Stokes, Pleasance Courtyard. Joyously awkward set from an exciting emerging talent. A geeky delight from start to finish 4/5 LH
Ciamh McDonell, Just the Tonic. Warm and relatable observational humour, delivered with dazzling charm. Like listening to an old friend. 3/5 AJ
Claudia O’Doherty, Underbelly. Discombobulating brain-stem funny from the future. Risky, ambitious, mental: my jaw never left the floor. 4/5
Cleansed, theSpace on North Bridge. Touching story of the Magdalene laundries in Ireland. A well-performed piece of new writing. 3/5 JH
Clinton the Musical, Gilded Balloon. No surprises here: horny Clinton is sexy and outrageous. Hardly unimpeachable, but bloody good fun. 3/5 JH
A Clockwork Orange, Pleasance Courtyard. Dark exploration of brutality from a vibrant, accomplished and seriously sexy young male cast. 4/5 JT
Comedian Dies In The Middle Of Joke. Pleasance Dome. Interactive and ingenious. A blast, whether you’re told to laugh, heckle or die. 4/5 DP
Comedy Reserve, Pleasance Dome. Four new comics; arresting, articulate and fresh. Sparkling with vigour untainted by fame. For now. 4/5 DP
Company, C. A musical extravaganza filled with laughs, with a dazzling cast who shine brighter than the lights of Broadway. Fantastic. 4/5 ZM
Contains Spoilers, Zoo Southside. Passionate, disturbing dance, with curves, canon, and video footage. Slow starting, but hypnotic. 3/5 SS
Council of the Ordinary, Zoo Southside. Creative dance with stimulating content. Exciting, but the constant breaking becomes tedious. 3/5 JH
Countryboy’s Struggle, Pleasance Courtyard. A linguistic, visual and comical playground! Totally fulfilling – a whirlwind worth seeing. 4/5 KP
Cover, C nova. An adequate cast was unfortunately no cover up for a few cheap, easy laughs and a shallow, predictable story. 2/5 KP
Craig Hill, Underbelly. Over the top, charismatic and a bit vulgar – what were you expecting? Ticks all the boxes of a guilty pleasure. 3/5 ZM
Croft and Pearce Do It Like A Lady, Gilded Balloon. The way they mock British women is sharply funny. Empresses of structure and style. 4/5 KP
Crypted, C Nova. An intriguing portrayal of sexuality, love, and genius. Examines the line between truth and lies. Slow but provocative. 3/5 SS
D
Danceforms’ Showcase, C. 5 visually arresting contemporary dance pieces. Unusual choreography, polished performances. A few real gems. 4/5 SS
Dating George Orwell, White Horse. Uniquely unsettling one woman show. A terrifyingly twisted introduction to the world of book fondling 3/5 LH
David Longley, The Stand. Initially disarming, this is a thoughtful, deceptively dark routine peppered with smart, snappy punch lines. 3/5 DP
David Mills, The Hive. Like a poor man’s Perez Hilton – thinks funny is being snide. By the end you’ll feel as tired as his jokes. Ugh. 2/5 ZM
The Day the Sky Turned Black, Assembly Roxy. An inspiring drama about the survival of not only the human body, but the spirit as well. 3/5 ZM
Deborah Frances-White, Assembly Roxy. Atheist comic offers jaw-dropping, consistently hilarious nuggets from her Jehovah’s Witness past. 4/5 JT
Detention, Summerhall. If Charlie Chaplin recreated STOMP… An education in childhood tricks and tickles from spring-loaded performers. 4/5 KP
Dirty Great Love Story, Pleasance Dome. A whimsical romantic comedy so sweet you’ll want to eat it now and worry about diabetes later. 4/5 AJ
Discover Ben Target, Underbelly. An insane, psychedelic trip into the mind of Ben Target and his partners in crime- I mean comedy. Mint. 4/5 JH
A Donkey and a Parrot, Gilded Balloon. Swashbuckling storytelling (with brilliant barrel) beggars belief and broadly appeals. Engaging. 3/5 JT
Dr Brown…and his Singing Tiger, Assembly George Sq. Utterly enchanting duo lead captivated audience on an unmatchable musical journey. 5/5 LH
Dr Bunhead’s Blastoff, Assembly George Square. Had my science lessons been this fun, I wouldn’t be a writer. You’ll laugh and learn. 3/5 DP
Dr Quimpugh’s Compendium of Perculiar Afflictions, Summerhall. Skilled singers fail to prop up collapsing plot and structureless script. 2/5 LA
Dog-Eared Collective, Underbelly. An incredibly creative sketch show. Overly silly, but it’ll leave you with a smile on your face. 3/5 ZM
Don Juan, C eca. Capers and corsets. Lively student production with some standout performances. A well earned melancholic denouement. 3/5 LH
Don Quixote, Don Quixote, Pleasance Dome. Surreal other-worldly Spanish drama. Amusing characters, perplexing story. 3/5 SS
Doug Segal: How to Read Minds.., Gilded Balloon. Mind-blowing showmanship from one down-to-earth guy. (He even tells you how it’s done!) 4/5 KP
Dracula: Sex, Sucking and Stardom, Paradise in the Vault. Breathes life into an overused undead genre. Musical, farcical, totally batty. 3/5 AKS
Dream/Life, Zoo. An absurdist tale of the space between dreams and reality. The poetic script flows beautifully but the plot is obscure. 2/5 JT
Duality, Zoo Southside. Frantic fusion of physicality and projections. An explosion of visual wonderment; energetic and enveloping. 4/5 LA
Durham Revue, Underbelly. A fun sketch show. Fails to deliver a consistency that thrills, but sometimes does enough to heavily tickle. 3/5 JH
Dylan Thomas: Return Journey, Assembly Hall. One of the poet’s lectures performed with wit, pathos and a rich musicality. A delight. 4/5 JT
E
The Early Edition, Underbelly. Panelists sift through the papers. Light satire occasionally let down by awkwardly attempted vulgarity. 3/5 LA
EastEnd Cabaret, Underbelly. Ride the crudest train first class! Musical bliss, addictive twists: you’ll be in the palms of their hands. 4/5 KP
Eat Shit, C nova. An embarrassing bombardment of misjudged characters and awkward songs. Any potential message lost under a pile of… 1/5 LH
The Economist, C Nova. Eerie music and stylised physicality give us an insight into the world of a killer. Hauntingly beautiful. 4/5 LA
Ed Eales-White. Pleasance Courtyard. An admirably varied cocktail of characters, ranging from droll to hysterical. Mostly the latter. 4/5 DP
The Election: A Silent Comedy, Bedlam. Despite two funny moments, big facial expressions and chucking props about do not a comedy make. 2/5 LA
Ellipsis, theSpace @ Jury’s Inn. A sophisticated and provocative absurdist piece contemplating questions of spirituality. Exhilarating. 3/5 AJ
Ellis and Rose, Southsider. Solemn meets silly as this ludicrous, loveable duo unite. Delightfully chaotic. Had me crying with laughter. 4/5 SS
End to End, Bannerman’s. With wings wrought of wanderlust this show soars. A heartfelt love letter to the ineffable spirit of adventure. 4/5 LH
Enter The Woods, The Space @ Venue 49. Snippets of familiar tales in an eerie, fragmented production. Energetic, ambitious, and surreal. 3/5 SS
Erich McElroy, Pleasance Courtyard. McElroy is witty and smart in this fast-paced show about life in Britain as an American: very funny. 3/5 ZM
Eric’s Tales of the Sea, Just the Tonic. Funny and touching naval anecdotes; the dark damp venue transports you into a submarine. Deep. 3/5 AKS
Eurydice, C eca. Forget Orpheus, it’s Eurydice who gets dragged to the underworld in this intriguing, imaginative production. Bursting. 3/5 SS
Evie and the Perfect Cupcake, Banshee Labyrinth. Tina’s poetic story time is unsettling yet strangely gripping. Moral: eat more cake. 3/5 SS
Excess, C nova. Sometimes funny, often uncomfortable, constantly intense. Interesting mix of sexuality, siblings, alcohol and puppets. 3/5 SS
Excuse Me I’m Trying To Please You, Zoo Southside. Swamped by a myriad of increasingly tiresome caricatures. None in the least pleasing. 2/5 LH
Exterminating Angel, Pleasance Courtyard. An improvised dark comedy. Surreal and unsettling with a slightly stilted structure. Haunting. 3/5 LA
F
Fabled, Bongo Club. Tedious in the extreme, despite the energy invested. Performed without words to an audience near-devoid of laughter. 1/5 JT
Facehunters, C. Ravenous musical of Lady GaGa proportions: unconventional satire cracks crazed, young trends. Thrillingly nightmarish. 3/5 KP
Fag Ends and Families, Zoo Southside. A convivial if somewhat peculiar cabaret. Charming songs with a surprisingly moving narrative. 3/5 LH
Fascinating Aida, Gilded Balloon. Hilarious, brilliantly sung cabaret fizzing with sharp-eyed satire. A feisty, fierce, fabulous treat. 5/5 JT
The Fastest Train to Anywhere, C Nova. Prepare to embrace your inner child in this wonderfully droll and enchanting modern fairytale. 3/5 AJ
Female Gothic, Assembly. Prepare to be bewitched by this enchanting one woman performance. Three incredibly spooky stories. Tingling. 4/5 ZM
Festival of the Spoken Nerd, EICC. A celebration of science from performers who know their stuff. Assured, enlightening & entertaining. 3/5 JT
Firing Blanks, Zoo. Heartfelt and dynamic play about infertility. You’ll leave with a smile on your face and crumbs on your lap. 4/5 JH
Fitzrovia Radio Hour, Gilded Balloon. Nostalgic tribute to 40s entertainment descends into surreal farce that’s just as tired and aging. 2/5 LA
Flaneurs, Summerhall. Give Jenna Watt an hour of your time, a projector and a toy giraffe: she’ll change your whole outlook. Immense. 5/5 LA
Fliss Russell, Dragonfly. A funny, chaotic, open and endearing debut show. Lighthearted, inventive character comedy to make you smile. 3/5 SS
Food for Thought, theSpace @ Venue45. Food puns and amateur dance. They’re obviously having fun; shame they forget about their audience. 1/5 AKS
Ford & Akram, Pleasance Courtyard. Silly, messy and somehow sexy, these girls aren’t trying to be clever. Fast, dizzily infectious fun. 3/5 DP
Forever Young, theSpace @ Symposium Hall. A den of melodious memories. These cheesily wonderful reflections on love endear and uplift. 3/5 SS
Forgotten Heroes, C nova. A touching tale of heroism, delivered well. This will resonate with everyone, once they pass its slow start. 3/5 JH
Fred MacAulay, The Stand. A down-to-earth guy with a funny view on everything. Even physics. Engaging and friendly, Fred knows funny. 4/5 JH
Freedom Family Circus, Gryphon Venues. Lively circus acts from engaging performers. The tricks, albeit shabby, provide great family fun. 3/5 LA
Frimston and Rowett, Just The Tonic @ The Caves. Most sketch shows misfire at least once. This doesn’t. Masterfully subversive writing. 4/5 DP
Future Tales, Summerhall. If politics could be conducted by spilling milk everywhere, then this company have it nailed… Boring. 1/5 JH
G
The Gambler, Pleasance Dome. A darkly enchanting fable brought to life with exquisite choreography and a supremely seductive score. 4/5 LH
Gareth Morinan: Truth Doodler, Underbelly. A sublime fusion of media and performance. This is joyously daft and constantly surprising. 5/5 DP
Gareth Richards, Pleasance Courtyard. Amusing autobiographical stand-up with awkward moments, synthetic songs and introverted insight. 3/5 AKS
Garrett Millerick, Underbelly. Beneath the bitterness is a thoughtful musing on the meaning of stupidity. Even the poo joke is clever. 4/5 DP
Gemma Arrowsmith, Le Monde. An energetic and schizophrenic channel of skits. Quick on her feet, but in need of a little fine-tuning. 3/5 AKS
Gilbert and Sullivan in Brief(s), Pleasance Courtyard. Inventive, fast-paced show that left me breathless. Harmonious and utterly mad. 4/5 SS
The Girl With No Heart, Bedlam. A land reduced to ash by atomic warfare explored using puppets, light, shadow & music. Eerily beautiful. 4/5 JT
Glory Dazed, Underbelly. The plot might not be original, but the cast put on a majestic performance that demands your attention. See it. 4/5 ZM
Gob Shop, The Sapphire Rooms. Site-specific sketches explore misconceptions of stripping. Smart premise suffers from confused structure. 2/5 AJ
The Golden Cowpat, Pleasance Courtyard. You know a great kids show when adults leave smiling, singing the lyrics ‘golden poo’. A treat. 4/5 AKS
Gordon Southern’s A Brief History…, Gilded Balloon. Mind numbing boredom, punctuated with offensive outbursts and awkward silences. 2/5 LH
Graters: Julian Ignores His Friend & Talks to a Pretty Girl, Underbelly. Potential student sketch-show gems dulled by weak puns & gags. 2/5 JT
Gravity Boots, Gilded Balloon. Sketches that are amusing, but far too obscure to defy gravity. A long, long way from comedic heaven. 2/5 ZM
The Great Puppet Horn, Underbelly. Puppets? Funny voices? Unexpected social commentary padded out with lots of frivolity? Brilliant. 3/5 ZM
Greek Myths For Kids, C Eca. Loud, animated and audience oriented. Older children may find the nusery-aged banter a little taxing. 3/5 AJ
Grit, Bedlam. Superb cast embody all the pain and joy of childhood. A tender tale littered with arresting moments of emotional ferocity 4/5 LH
Guardian Reader, Just the Tonic @ The Caves. A smart but rather timid poke at the middle classes. More panache could draw bigger laughs. 3/5 DP
A Guide to Second Date Sex, Underbelly. A raunchy two-hander. The story is foreplay and the humour is intercourse: pretty orgasmic. 3/5 AKS
Guilt and Shame, Underbelly. Late-night, hyper-sexual comedy; crude and vulgar. Predictable, but it generates sufficient laughter. 3/5 ZM
H
The Half, Assembly. Immaculate acting that explores the pains of being an actor. Well-written, but repetition keeps it from greatness. 3/5 AKS
The Hand-Me-Down People, C Nova. Reminiscent of Toy Story, but with less action and fewer laughs. Interesting concept, but static plot. 2/5 SS
Hangman, Assembly Roxy. An ever-evolving set combine with distinguished, symbolic choreography: a macabre hit worth hanging around for. 4/5 KP
Hanks and Conran, Just the Tonic @ The Caves. Great contrasts of character, but the duo were outdone by the audience. Mild laughs. 2/5 JH
Hannah Gadsby: Mary. Contrary, Gilded Balloon. Can’t work out if an art lecture or comedy. Answer’s irrelevant: it’s relentlessly funny. 4/5 KP
Hannah Gadsby Wants a Wife, Gilded Balloon. Witty musings on art and sexuality delivered in a fun, self-effacing manner. Really lovely. 3/5 LA
Hansel and Gretel, C. Promised to be ‘Classic Grimm,’ but had a man crawling around the stage with a pink disco stick. Boring and weird. 2/5 ZM
Happy, Greenside. Absurdist theatre done absurdly well. A close analysis of what it means to be happy that both thrills and disturbs. 4/5 JH
The Happy Prince, C. A well-meaning attempt at a musical morality tale. Let down by some wooden acting and painful high notes. 2/5 LA
The Harmonettes Go Into Orbit, Gryphon Venues. Light vintage musical. Beautifully sung classics will certainly brighten up your day. 3/5 LA
Harry Baker, Royal Oak. Impressive poet just out of his teens delivers sweetly insightful moments, amidst puns and dinosaur impressions. 3/5 JT
Helen Arney, Underbelly. If nerds are the new cool, this acute musical comic is sub-zero. A science geek’s dream – with a ukulele. 3/5 AKS
Hell’s Bells, Pleasance Courtyard. Emmerdale meets millinery in this frustratingly lacklustre production. But you might enjoy the hats. 2/5 AJ
Helsinki, Jekyll and Hyde. Like vegetarian sausages, this punchline-less sketch show tastes a bit different, but strangely does the job. 3/5 AKS
Her Right Mind, Greenside. The imaginative and perfectly polished use of props is the focus of this production. Worth a watch for that. 3/5 LA
High North Movement, C eca. Political presentation uses contemporary dance to inspire. Gets you moving physically, but not emotionally. 2/5 KP
Holly Burn: The H Club, JTT. A nightclub experience: fun interactions, erratic sketches, but some jokes made me want an early night. 2/5 AKS
The House of Shadows, theSpace @ Surgeon’s Hall. In this strange, mythical tale the slightly thin plot is invigorated by charismatic leads. 3/5 JT
How a Man Crumbled, Summerhall. A writer must dispose of an old woman’s body. Uncanny physical theatre with agile, expressive players. 3/5 JT
How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found, theSpace on the Mile. This drearily overwrought play is given life by game students. 2/5
Humans v Nature, Assembly. Cheesy one-liners debunk a robot’s defence of nature. Poops and giggles all round (you’ll see what I mean). 3/5 JH
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I Heart Hamas, Gryphon. A political tragicomedy: Jajeh goes where few theatre makers have gone before. Organic and refreshingly honest. 3/5 KP
I Heart Peterborough, Pleasance Courtyard. Heart-felt storytelling from a duo of complex characters who effortlessly draw you in. 4/5 JH
I, Tommy, Gilded Balloon. Politically charged drama woven with verbatim text. Anti-social socialism. Humourous, informative, Scottish. 3/5 AKS
Ian Smith / Tom Toal, Whistlebinkies. Plenty to like here: genial musings from a true bro, and one splendidly written mega-meta-set. 3/5
Icarus, C eca. The myth of Icarus after the fall. Go if you enjoy acrobatics. Avoid if you hate clunky scripts and awkward acting. Dull. 2/5 JT
The Idiot At The Wall, Bedlam. An embroiling tale of family, rivalry and prophecies. Haunting and emotive rewriting of Celtic myth. 4/5 SS
In a Handbag, Darkly, the Space @ North Bridge. Erratic metatheatrical farce exploring the genre’s trite tropes, to titillating effect. 3/5 LH
I’m High on Life, C eca. Not exactly stand-up; rather an enticing life story. Heart-warming – an eye-opening hour of love and pet ducks. 3/5 JH
The Improverts, Bedlam. It may seem like this lively show is run by the audience, but the performers had us eating out of their hands. 4/5 ZM
Improvised Musical, C. Bring your own props and song ideas, but leave the logic at home. Lovably ludicrous, good humoured hi-jinks. 3/5 AJ
The Indescribable Phenomenon, Greenside. An intriguing concept, complete with mind-boggling tricks, is hindered by a convoluted plot. 2/5 AJ
Inheritance Blues, Bedlam. Classic mystery drama boasting a talented cast, witty script and incredible score. Prepare to be blown away. 4/5 AJ
Interruption, C nova. A tale of tragedy and love with an emotive fragmented narrative. Neat physicality and vocality: one tight chorus. 4/5 KP
Irreconcilable Differences, Gryphon Venues. This morally dubious play of mortal peril is a little insistent, but certainly innovative. 3/5 AKS
The Intimate Strangers, JTT @ The Caves. A mixed bag of tasty sketches that tickle and sometimes bite. Even the troupe were giggling. 3/5 SS
Iszi Lawrence, The Stand. A sexually-charged, spunky routine. Contextual references baffled the oldies but this is fresh, fun and foxy. 3/5 DP
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Jen Brister, Just the Tonic @ the Caves. A mite self-involved, but one the whole an amusingly impassioned and refreshingly frank set. 3/5 ZM
Jessie Cave: Bookworm, Underbelly. Unconventional book club hosts moments of hysteria. Energetic, silly, and (self-professedly) nerdy. 3/5 SS
Jigsaw: Gettin’ Jiggy, Pleasance Courtyard. Innovative, quick-fire sketches delve into dark, weird ideas. They rise original and fierce. 4/5 KP
Jim Campbell, Underbelly. An astute, intelligent, and joke-packed set somehow fails to translate – a little unsteady on its feet, still. 2/5 ZM
Jishin, Zoo Southside. An energetic blend of Japanese contemporary and street dance, with a sprinkling of physical comedy. Fascinating. 3/5 AJ
John Robertson: The Old Whore, Assembly. A herculean feat of grotesque, post-modern bardery. Unstoppable. Unforgettable. Unbelievable. 5/5
Jonny & the Baptists, Underbelly. Comedy-blues band perform exquisitely observed, riotous songs filled with ingenious wordplay. Joyful. 5/5 JT
Joel Dommett, Pleasance Courtyard. Cheeky stand-up delivered with an irrepressible charm. Endearing, energetic; an hour of pure delight. 4/5 LA
Josh Widdicombe, Pleasance Courtyard. Jokes are standard observational fare, but his tireless indignation is incessantly entertaining. 3/5 DP
Josie Long, Pleasance Courtyard. Passionate, intelligent, acutely observed comedy from a complete natural. Naughty but ever so nice. 4/5 JT
Joyced!, Assembly George Sq. 1904, Dublin: James Joyce is 22. This superbly authentic script is galvanised by a chameleonic performance. 4/5 JT
Juana in a Million, Pleasance Dome. Like the Latin American beats that underscore it, this monologue is passionate and powerful. 4/5 LA
Juliet Meyers. The Stand. Her bewilderment is endearing but slow pace and a lack of jokes render this more akin to a vocalised daydream. 2/5 DP
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Kaput, Underbelly. Utterly charming (and cheeky) slapstick comedy that’ll likely have you joining in. Guaranteed giggles for all ages. 3/5 AJ
Keira Daley: LadyNerd, Assembly George Square. A passionate celebration of lady nerds past & present. Strong vocals & fabulous stories. 4/5 JT
Kieran and Joe, Pleasance Courtyard. A friendship seminar where the audience become the subjects: be prepared! An amazingly fun show. 4/5 JH
Kemble’s Riot, Pleasance Dome. Be roused to your feet by a charismatic cast. Stomp, shout and sing – participation is irresistible! 3/5 LA
Kidnapped By Catwoman, The Stand. An interesting premise, unready for public consumption. Hodgson is charming but I fell asleep, twice. 1/5 AJ
Knee Deep, Assembly. A performance of dazzling acrobatics that will have your jaw trailing long after the curtain drops. Astonishing. 4/5 ZM
KWAT, Just the Tonic @ the Caves. Imagination present. Humour, intelligence and flair missing, presumed dead. 1/5 LH
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La Clique Royale, Assembly Rooms. In another life they’d be Olympians – we can be thankful that they’re here instead. Startlingly sexy. 4/5
Ladies and Gentleman, Counting House. ‘Middle-class’ sketches minus frills, plus tomfoolery. Impeccable timing, perfect punch lines. 4/5 KP
Ladies Live Longer, C nova. Magical moments mix with mediocrity, and immaturity with surprising insight, but it’s still such good fun. 3/5 LA
Lady Sings It Better, Gilded Balloon. A sexy serving of high-energy feminist cabaret. Generously seasoned, flirtatious fun. 4/5 ZM
Lady M, C eca. Macbeth re-imagined through the eyes of a servant. Vivid, bold and inventive but suffers from slightly uneven pacing. 3/5 AJ
Ladystache, The Phoenix. Tickling, and not at all scratchy. A chuckle-inducing, charming duo in unpredictable sketches. Short and sweet. 3/5 SS
Laurence Clark, Underbelly. Uproariously funny social commentary from this exceptional comic. Engaging and honest; an undeniable talent. 4/5 LA
Leads and Stern, Underbelly. Eclectic skits performed by two upstart comedians. Quick, random and little absurd: your belly will rumble. 3/5 AKS
Leather, C Nova. Inconsistent. Malcolm Tucker-esque mobster saves it but predictably predictable with sledgehammer approach to subtlety. 2/5
Lee Fenwick – Geoff the Entertainer, The Stand. An impersonation of a homeless man turned homeless comic. Not as funny as you think. 2/5 JH
Leeds Tealights, Just The Tonic @ the Caves. Avoids the student comedy curse with some bold, ballsy and surprisingly inventive writing. 3/5 DP
Legs 11, Summerhall. Prancing about in tights shouldn’t be ‘deep,’ but this is. Sweet, affecting insights into how to love your body. 3/5 JT
Leonce and Lena, C Nova. Farcical rom-com with a tediously predictable plot. Luckily, the young casts’ enthusiasm is somewhat addictive. 2/5 AJ
Letter to the Man…, Underbelly. A young man talks to his past/future selves. Full of punchy poems and sweet stories, brimming with hope. 3/5 JT
Letters, Boxes and Other Things…, C Nova. A dark and gripping production led to its disturbing climax by a blindingly talented cast. 4/5 ZM
Liam Mullone, The Stand. If a lovechild of Stewart Lee and Harry Hill took the stage, it would be as competent and conflicted as this. 3/5 DP
Lights! Camera! Improvise!, Underbelly. Fantastic film-themed improvisation. A ‘studenty’ feel, but comically and musically brilliant. 4/5 AKS
Lie, Cheat, Steal…, Zoo. Lots to like in this humorous show. A true pro takes you through the motions; then he takes your wallet. 3/5 SS
The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle, Pleasance Dome. A heart-wrenching story of the risk of things not done. Elegantly told. 5/5 JH
The List, Summerhall. Inspiring commitment to an emotionally wrought monologue. Gripping, honest and well-crafted; truly enduring. 4/5 LA
The Lonely One, Underbelly. Creeping shadows and spot-on sound make for thrilling, edge-of-your-seat puppetry. Seriously scary stuff. 4/5 ZM
Looby Loo, C Nova. An hour wallowing in ‘Watch with Mother’ nostalgia. Mediocre premise and a plot slower than a tortoise on crutches. 2/5 AJ
Loretta Maine, Just the Tonic @ the Caves. Self-effacing comedy: disgraceful, drunk and disorderly. A persona you’ll want to party with! 4/5 KP
Love All, Assembly Roxy. Charming duo in a whirlwind of comic melodrama. Tennis, murder, love, and on-stage crises. You’ll have a ball. 4/5 SS
Love Child, Gilded Balloon. Streams of consciousness seep through this otherwise naturalistic mother/ daughter reunion. Tenderly woven. 3/5 AKS
Love in the Key of Britpop, Fingers Piano Bar. Poetic musings on love and alt rock. Frank and endearing delivery of relatable material. 3/5 LA
The Loves I Haven’t Known, C Nova. Comedic storytelling with catchy songs. Wonderfully written, fiercely funny and brutally honest. Ace. 5/5 AJ
Lucy Cox: Attractive Audience Required, Three Sisters. Playful musical machinations on the single life, from an endearingly needy comic. 3/5 LH
Luke and Harry’s Dot Dot Dot, Just the Tonic @ The Caves. Lovely guys, poor material. Boring sketches outdone by awkward conversation. 1/5 JH
Luke Capasso, Jekyll & Hyde. A dreary hour of awkwardness followed by a morose lecture on how ‘we’re all going to die.’ Bad to worse. 2/5 JH
Luke Wright, Underbelly. Politics and poetry collide through crafty wordplay and bombastic delivery. Addictive rhythm, ingenious rhyme. 4/5 JT
Luminous Tales, Pleasance Courtyard. Rambling shadow puppetry with awkward transitions, but it’s hard to do a kids show to no kids. 2/5 AKS
Lust in Translation, theSpace @ Venue 45. A ready meal romcom: bland, meager and you’ll have had better versions elsewhere. 2/5 ZM
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Macbeth, C. This butchered cadaver of a cast slowly, sadly bleeds out. Directionless direction crafts a painfully hollow production. 1/5 LH
Machinal, C Nova. Hectic American life portrayed through convincing acting and creative set. An engaging plot, although it grinds a bit. 3/5 SS
Machines for Living, Zoo. An unsettling script sets the tone of this fragmented physical display. The cast revel in the sinister content 3/5 LH
The Madness of King Lear, C. A two man exploration of guilt. Polished performances struggle to rescue an unfortunate, confusing concept. 2/5 LA
Mae Martin, Just the Tonic @ the Caves. A quirky, dizzying hour of Potter and puberty. If the apocalypse arrives, take me to Mae. 4/5 SS
The Magical Adventures of Pete Heat, Gilded Balloon. Low-key yet mind-boggling magic, with off-beat humour. Casually unbelievable. 3/5 AKS
Man 1 Bank 0, Gilded Balloon. A modern-day David and Goliath tale, made genuinely uplifting by its frank and likable hero. Cashback. 4/5 LA
Marcel Lucont, Underbelly. Sipping his wine, belittling the crowd, he is simply magnetic. A superb pastiche; beautifully unapologetic. 5/5 DP
Maria, 1968, C. An imaginative and spectacular meta-narrative on both maturation and writing. Trippy brilliance with lovable characters. 5/5 JH
Mark Grist, Underbelly. Poetry from the infamous word warrior/teacher. Engaging and humorous; a heart-warming tale of regret and rap. 3/5 LA
Mark Watson: The Information, Assembly. Intelligent and ticklingly neurotic, Watson has all the charm of an exuberant schoolboy. 3/5 AJ
Markus Birdman, The Stand. A small show that’s big on laughs. Charming and insightful, his views on life and death and love linger long. 4/5 JH
Martin Dockery, Gilded Balloon. Frank and gently funny tales of travel and trials of the heart. Relatable and ultimately heartwarming. 3/5 LA
Martin Mor, Stand. Beardy Irish comic banters brilliantly, and creates a cracking atmosphere with some seriously salty language. 4/5 JT
Mary Bourke, The Stand. As she states, this is a gimmick-free hour of ‘just’ jokes. Thankfully, most are as hilarious as they are sharp-tongued. 4/5 DP
Matthew Crosby, Pleasance Courtyard. One supremely entertaining hour: he hands out laughs on a plate. Interactive, observant, exuberant. 4/5 SS
Matt Forde, Underbelly. For such political material, this is remarkably fun and accessible. Played with a winning cheeky-chappy swagger. 4/5 DP
Maurice’s Jubilee, Pleasance Courtyard. A perfect quartet: Maurice, his wife, his nurse, and the Queen. Current, witty…and majestic. 4/5 SS
Max and Ivan are… Con Artists, Pleasance Courtyard. Guns, car chases and diabolical charities: a belly-busting blockbuster pastiche. 4/5 AKS
Mayday Mayday, Pleasance Dome. Tristan Sturrock recounts a life-changing experience in this captivating solo show. Witty and poignant. 4/5 AJ
Me and Mr C, St Stephen’s. Improv from a pleasant guy, but it’s quite hard to place. Slow to start, our showing strangely depressed. 2/5 JH
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, Underbelly. An amusing lecture with slightly tacky theatrics. Corny, but a bit of fun for Gen X. 3/5 AKS
The Mermaid of Zennor, C too. This eerie choral Cornish tale stirs waves of potential. It casts its net wide, but catches few fish. 3/5 KP
Message in a Bottle, Sweet Grassmarket. I’d take the grand piano playing to my desert island, but I’d leave the limp storytelling behind. 2/5 SS
Michael Legge, The Stand. Another comedian for whom ‘life is shit,’ but exquisite storytelling and animated anger lift this above the rest. 4/5 DP
Michael Redmond, Gilded Balloon. Redmond delivers his dry, observational humour with the swagger of a comedy veteran. Decidedly droll. 3/5 AJ
A Middle-Aged Man’s Uncertainty Theory, C eca. Whimsical, weird but really quite witty. New theory: recreate as a comedy sketch show? 3/5 KP
Midnight at the Boar’s Head, Zoo. Sit in the pub as the Bard’s creations talk and play around you. A unique, witty musical experience. 3/5 JT
A Midsummer Nights Dream, Assembly. An unflagging cast prove some stories never get old. An atmospheric adaption that gets the laughs. 3/5 KP
Mies Julie, Assembly Hall. Transported to post-Apartheid South Africa, the text gains fresh resentment and pathos. Brutal and beautiful. 5/5
Mil’s Trills’ Music and Stories, Pleasance Courtyard. Had us singing, smiling and shaking – a joy to watch. If only I was four again! 3/5 SS
Misanthropy, C eca. A sensitive subject dealt with bravely. Actors take hold of a well-structured script to humbling effect. 3/5 KP
Miss Marchbanks, Paradise in the Vault. Eccentric characters create ripples of laughter. Ridiculous Victorian parlour drama. Cheerful. 3/5 SS
Mitch Benn, The Stand. He’s lost weight. Lots. The subject breeds a passionate, articulate hour of hilarious music and affirming tales. 4/5 DP
Mr Braithwaite Has A New Boy, C Aquila. Pathos galore, but hammy acting and sickly writing leave this ‘raunchy’ farce rather flaccid. 2/5 DP
Mr Snot Bottom’s Stinky Silly Show, Gilded Balloon. A disgustingly funny interactive kids show. Teaches youngsters the joy of stand up. 3/5 AKS
Mod, C eca. Over-acted and underwhelming, this painfully unaware musical farce is more Sgt. Bilko than Sgt. Pepper. Help! 1/5 LA
A Modern Town, Pleasance Courtyard. A bit like an apple: easily digested, but there’s an exciting little crunch of social commentary. 3/5 ZM
Mon Droit, Pleasance Courtyard. A disturbing look into royalists, peppered with humour. Well-paced script topped with persuasive acting. 4/5 AKS
Monstrous Acts, C aquila. Seriously provocative, but overpressurised and overscored – it grips mind, body and soul a little too hard. 3/5 AKS
Montmorency, C. Aboveboard adaptation of a capacious novel. An ingenious set, a charming cast and a wealth of thought-provoking themes. 3/5 KP
More Light, C eca. A few nice moments, but this text deserves a more delicate touch than that employed in this clumsy production. 2/5
Morgan & West: Lying, Cheating Scoundrels, Gilded Balloon. A quintessentially British insight into the art of gambling/magic. Top night. 4/5 JH
The Most Dangerous Toy, the Space @ Surgeons Hall. Tedious 2D depictions of inimitable historical figures that stifle eloquent verse. 2/5 LH
Mother to Mother, Assembly George Sq. Could bring a tear to a glass eye. A powerful, wise story with a heart-wrenching solo performance. 4/5 JT
The Music Box, Paradise in the Vaults. Goes round and round with a repetitive melody of angsty clichés and nonsensical ramblings. 1/5 LA
My Elevator Days, Pleasance Courtyard. Bizarre yet charming monologue. Gently funny and often thought-provoking; had its ups and downs. 3/5 LA
My Robot Heart, Pleasance Courtyard. Heartfelt, sensitive, wise. Storytelling about love and knowing when to walk away. Utterly lovely. 4/5 JT
My Stepson Stole My Sonic Screwdriver, Gilded Balloon. Obsessive and heartwarming stand-up. Like the tardis, much more than he appears. 3/5 LH
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Naz Osmanaglu, Underbelly. Carefully crafted and filled with cheeky interaction, no one is safe from this Genghis Khan of comedy. Great. 4/5 AKS
NewsRevue, Pleasance Courtyard. Slick slices of sharp, topical, musical satire. A riot, even for this politically-challenged critic. 4/5 DP
News Smash, C nova. Dire. An awkward, misbegotten hour that hamstrings its comedy guests. I made a very pretty boat out of my ticket. 1/5
Nggrfg, theSpace on the Mile. Seamless multi-roling, engaging storytelling; holds audience in one hand, battles stereotypes with other. 3/5 KP
Nicholas Parsons, Pleasance Courtyard. An ambient hour of chat from the broadcasting legend. Amusing, in a sweet, twinkly sort of way. 3/5 JT
Nick Helm, Pleasance Courtyard. A blistering torrent of mock-testosterone. Ridiculously funny, slightly scary, and ruddy bloody rousing. 5/5 DP
Night of the Big Wind, Underbelly. An exquisitely conceived puppetry ensemble exudes heartwarming harmonies from every wooden pore. 4/5 LH
Nikotine, Paradise in the Vaults. Utterly aberrant puppet and puppeteer duo, both as wooden as each other. Bewildering beyond belief. 2/5 LH
Nish Kumar, Underbelly. A superbly rich and accomplished debut. Intelligent and irreverent, political yet farcical. He’ll go far. 4/5 DP
Nola, Underbelly. Perfectly observed verbatim piece on the ecological and emotional impact of disasters. Evocative and arresting. 4/5 LA
Nothing to Show, Space on the Mile. An improvised play with songs. Some beautifully witty lines, but impoverished by slow moments. 3/5 AKS
Not Treasure Island, Just the Tonic @ the Caves. A frenzied laugh-a-moment adventure. This trio’s 1000mph mime is infectiously funny. 4/5 LH
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Obsession: A Life with Magic, Zoo. A charming rundown of magical technique that surprises and disarms at every turn. Abraca-awesome. 4/5 ZM
Oedipus: The Hour, Paradise in Augustine’s. Great images shackled to weighty rhyme, then murdered by repetitive chair banging. Lamed. 2/5 AKS
Oh The Humanity, St Stephen’s. Glimpses into life and fallibility in which the writing shines brightest. Bold, affirming and unafraid. 4/5
Oliver Reed: Wild Thing, Gilded Balloon. A salute to an amazing figure, boozed with funny anecdotes and a nip of great acting. 3/5 AKS
Once In A House On Fire, St. Stephen’s. A hard-hitting, heart-wrenching adaptation that nevertheless sparkles with humour. Complete. 4/5 SS
On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco… C aquila. Chekhov meets new writing as couple moan about their misery. Disquieting, but sadly dull. 2/5 SS
On The Edge, Gryphon. Somewhere between naturalism and melodrama, an old man loses his house. Hangs on too long, but the ending charms. 2/5 AKS
One Hour Only, Underbelly. Finely drawn characters in this refreshing two-hander. Superb simplicity. One hour is not nearly enough. 4/5 LH
One Hour Plays, Underbelly. Audience help actors create a ten minute play – then get swept away in its unashamed ridiculousness. Fun. 3/5 ZM
One Man Lord of The Rings, Underbelly. A skilfully executed adaptation that will delight fans of the films. Surprisingly faithful. 3/5
Only A Gigolo, Assembly. A veteran performer can’t save this poorly paced, self-indulgent and inexplicably two-dimensional script. 2/5
Othello – the Remix, Pleasance Courtyard. Urban appropriation of Bill’s work. Well-produced beats and rapid rapping: accessible and fun. 3/5 AKS
Otto Kuhnle, Assembly George Square. A terrible comic who drops his kegs for a cheap laugh. It doesn’t work. I want to forget. 1/5 JH
Our Island, C Too. Abandoning language, this children’s show entertains while teaching the importance of global unity. Muy fantastisch! 3/5 AKS
Our Soldier, Zoo. Light and dark collide as Macbeth is blended with physical theatre to create a stunning, visual performance. 4/5 ZM
Oxford Gargoyles, C. Light-hearted renditions of jazz classics, with some rock and pop numbers. Syrupy sweet – watch out for cavities. 3/5 AJ
The Oxford Revue. Underbelly. Half-baked, half-arsed and half an hour too long. A smug cast bumble through endless predictable sketches. 1/5 DP
Oyster Eyes, Underbelly. An irreverent storm of deftly crafted chaos. Inventive and cruelly executed, this will make your world ache. 5/5
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Pages From The Book Of…, Summerhall. A frantic, puzzling absurd musical world of birds and tailors’ models. Odd, and disorientating. 3/5 SS
Pappy’s: Last Show Ever, Pleasance Dome. A dexterous Jenga tower of sketches. Well-crafted, well-performed and immediately nostalgic. 4/5 AKS
Parris and Dowler, Three Sisters. Witty and fun. Palpable chemistry suggests they would work even better as a committed double act! 3/5 LA
Patch and Lyons, Mood. Lukewarm jokes, but through absurd erotic readings and energetic storytelling these two start to heat up a treat. 3/5
Pattie Brewster, Banshee Labyrinth. So awkward you want to leave, but funny enough that you need to stay. The start of something great? 3/5 AKS
Paul Foot. Underbelly. A frantic, eccentric force of nature; his ramblings tireless but never tiresome. Offbeat comedy at its very best. 5/5 DP
Peacock and Gamble, Pleasance Dome. They want to be on TV, but I’d rather watch static. An inane and unintelligent sketch show. 2/5 ZM
Peep, Pleasance Courtyard. Sex, love and voyeurism combine in a cute California roll of rom-com. At under 20 mins, it’s short and sweet. 3/5 AJ
People Show 121, Assembly. A belaboured, post-modern Agatha Christie. Aims for laughs; misses. The mystery? How it ever got so dull. 2/5 JH
Perle, Assembly Roxy. A fragmented, unusual performance reignites a Medieval poem through TV, comic strip and mime. Gently fascinating. 3/5 SS
Peter Panic, Pleasance Courtyard. Confusing tale of sex, violence and social unrest that relies on shock value over good storytelling. 2/5 AJ
Peter Straker’s Brel, Assembly Hall. Painfully lurid in both sight and sound. An aggressive auditory assault on all the senses. Avoid. 2/5 LH
Phill Jupitus, The Stand. Three in-character Q&A’s breed masterful but increasingly bogged-down improv. Higher concept = lower gag-rate. 3/5 DP
Piatto Finale, Zoo. High-energy, high-octane, high-as-a-kite; this flamboyantly frenzied farce tells a gleeful tale of music and murder. 4/5 LH
Piaf, Famous Spiegeltent. A moving homage to the ‘Little Sparrow,’ delivered with skill, elegance and charming trivia. Simply superb. 5/5 AJ
Picnic Apocalyptic, Bedlam. Absorbing performance: transcendent and uncanny. A bizarre musical nightmare, as warped as it is proficient. 4/5 KP
Piff the Magic Dragon, Pleasance Dome. Curmudgeonly comedy and magic from one disgruntled dragon. Acerbic, amusing, adorable. 4/5 LA
The Pin, Pleasance Courtyard. Memento-esque ‘rewind’ hook used to sublime comic effect. A breakneck barrage of astounding plot twists. 4/5 DP
Plastic Beach, Zoo Southside. Dreary play, dull plot. I felt like I was marooned on an actual beach, waiting for someone to save me. 1/5 ZM
Porphyria, Zoo. Staccato scenes explore a failing marriage. Visually engaging direction, but the script and acting are cliche-littered. 2/5 AKS
Presidential Suite, C eca. Botoxed acting, cliched script; if you want rinsed-out ideas rent an ‘inspiring’ Hollywood film instead. 2/5 ZM
The Price of Everything, St Stephen’s. Sit, laugh, and learn as Daniel Bye talks money, milk, and eBay. Kindness comes free. Inspiring. 5/5 SS
The Pride, Underbelly. Lion King meets Men Behaving Badly; a funny tale of domesticated manhood, with one pouncer of an ending. Wild. 4/5 KP
The Prize, Underbelly. Illuminating Olympic documentary theatre. Tales of pride and determination will give you goosebumps, guaranteed. 4/5 LA
Prodigious, C. Marvellously competent and dynamic dancing, though prolonged blackouts and short scenes stunt its fluidity. Stop-start. 3/5 KP
Proof, Pleasance Courtyard. A powerfully portrayed, delicately woven tale of family and genius. Emotive, humourous, haunting. Memorable. 4/5 SS
Puellae, Summerhall. Sharp insight into growing up and moving on. Occasionally over-acted, this is a charming exploration of friendship. 3/5 LA
Punch, Underbelly. Dark, twisted and dangerously off-beat. A modern take on Punch and Judy that will leave you squirming in your seat. 3/5 AJ
Punch and Judy, Pleasance Courtyard. The content is strictly for adults but the humour is childish. Proficient cast, confused concept. 2/5 JT
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The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Assembly George Square. Charismatic duo depict working class trials with humour and skill. Superb. 4/5 SS
Rainbow, Zoo Southside. Epic monologue-driven feat; terrifyingly dark and daring, intricately crafted and unyielding performances. 4/5 KP
Razing Eddie, Underbelly. A potentially gripping modern tragedy drowns in a sea of clichéd melodrama. Everyone dies. Not soon enough. 2/5 AJ
A Real Man’s Guide to Sainthood, Underbelly. Mythical, moustachioed montages with an excitedly slapdash aesthetic. Expect soulful songs. 3/5 LH
Repertory Theatre, C eca. A playwright pitches his play to a theatre manager. This slow burner has an intriguing twist at its core. 3/5 JT
Rhys Darby, Pleasance Courtyard. Bounces across the stage like it’s a trampoline. Amazing sound effects; a refreshingly energetic set. 3/5 ZM
Rhythmic Circus, Assembly George Sq. They’ve got rhythm and energy, creating spine-tingling beats. Surprising, exciting, and explosive. 4/5 SS
Richard Herring, Underbelly. A watchable but over-rehearsed series of knob gags. Feels like ten minutes of material stretched to sixty. 2/5 DP
Richard Tyrone Jones, Banshee Labyrinth. Stories about heart failure shouldn’t be this cheering. An engrossing tale with rousing poetry. 4/5 JT
Ride of the Bluebottles, theSpace on the Mile. Novice try at indie Inbetweeners. A few funny lines, but cliched and uncontrolled acting. 2/5 KP
Right Honourable Member, C aquila. Entirely mediocre satirical comedy. It’s vaguely entertaining, but sadly lacks direction and purpose. 2/5 LA
Rime, Summerhall. Fascinating scratches at poetry-infused circus. A stimulating, diverting concept which will only get better. Special. 3/5 AKS
Ro Campbell, The Stand. This Scots-Aussie comic fires on all cylinders and gets big laughs. Needs an ending though; the set fizzles out. 3/5 DP
Robertson’s Crusoe, Zoo Southside. A tender one-man show with thoughtful monologues and precise movement. An exploration of isolation. 4/5 AKS
Rod is God, Pleasance Dome. Curious comedy concerning friends and faith. Generous performances lead to an unexpectedly poignant finale 3/5 LH
Rubber Dinghy, Zoo Southside. Mystifying soundscape and eerie manifestations set a surreal tone for this thriller. Short but unsettling. 3/5 KP
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Sad Faces Remember It Differently, Underbelly. A glorious hour of smart, frenetic, high-concept comedy from a bewitching young troupe. 4/5 DP
Sam Simmons, Gilded Balloon. Sam’s iconic voice-over sketches and stentorian comedy tell of a man on a bus. Hilariously unhinged. 4/5 AKS
Satan’s Playground, Underbelly. Well-crafted demonic tale tragically exorcised by uninspired storytelling. A long distance from divine. 2/5 SS
Say Something, Summerhall. Performers move through the audience as a singing shoal. This is poetry personified, melody made manifest. 4/5 SS
School of Comedy, Assembly. Few surprises in this sketch show by nippers, but their fresh faces belie sharp timing and razor wit. 3/5 ZM
School of Night, Pleasance Courtyard. Imaginative troop improvise in the style of literary greats. Amusing, intelligent and lots of fun. 4/5 LA
Script in Hand, Summerhall. This brilliantly conceived piece, of fonts and forgotten men, bitterly questions form and convention. Bold. 4/5
Scott Agnew, The Stand. Loveable (and very naughty) throughout. An hour of jovial, risqué stand-up on being openly gay. One big giggle. 4/5 DP
Sealand, Zoo. Sharp dialogue and poignant story – an exceedingly good cast, acting with authority, elevated this far above expectations. 4/5 KP
The Secrets Hidden in the Beatles RockBand, C eca. Four chords for friendship, this tenacious trio rock a touching tale on expert mode. 3/5 LH
Sedition, Zoo. An innovative storytelling device was dragged mercilessly down by bad delivery and a sloppy, unsatisfying ending. Shame. 2/5 JH
Seeing Double: Figures, Pleasance Courtyard. An innovative concept best understood by seeing this show and its twin (Vision). Hilarious. 4/5 LA
Seeing Double: Vision, Pleasance Courtyard. Young cast’s farcical ode to all things theatrical. Witty writing and polished performances. 3/5 LA
Serve Cold, Gryphon Venues. A dark thriller about revenge. While the story is intriguing, the rushed relationships fail to convince. 2/5 AKS
The Sewing Machine, Assembly. A thought-provoking monologue performed with grace. A haunting and at times upsetting exploration of loss. 3/5 LA
Sexytime, Underbelly. Woman and man dance, joke, and learn to have ‘sexy times’. Entertaining but predictable; I got it at Adam and Eve. 2/5 SS
Seymour Mace, The Stand. Daft talk based on idiotic ideas the audience offer: something you could do alone with a mirror. A forced bore. 2/5 JH
Shakespeare’s Queens, C ECA. An enchanting and alluring showcase of sex, power and desire. Fiction and history collide royally. 3/5 KP
Shane Koyczan, Underbelly. Poems of sorrow and redemption delivered with understated brilliance and a rich sense of humour. Superlative. 5/5 JT
Sheeps, Pleasance Courtyard. Claim they’re doing ‘funny sketches’. They’re half right. Poorly written and awkwardly performed. A mess. 2/5 LA
Shirley and Shirley, Underbelly. A tight sketch duo that isn’t afraid to let you cup a feel – ballsy comedy that will go far. 3/5 JH
The Shit, Summerhall. Poetic confrontation of patriarchy, but the need for nudity is unfounded; it’s not nearly provocative enough. 3/5 JH
The Showstoppers, Gilded Balloon. A uniquely hilarious whirlwind of a night. This sensationally ingenious troupe delight and surprise. 4/5 SS
Shopping Centre, Gilded Balloon @ Third Door. A well-crafted and darkly gripping monologue performed with a stirring sense of suffering. 3/5 LH
Silky, The Stand. Quickly won the room with his honest anecdotes and affable banter. The songs feel curtailed but his charm never wanes. 3/5 DP
The Silky Pair, Just the Tonic @ The Caves. A witty duo armed with some gleefully eccentric sketches. The charming script shines. 3/5 KP
Simon Donald, The Stand. A show ‘about’ swearing which contains just that. As in, JUST that. After minutes it grows f***ing nauseating. 1/5 DP
Simon Munnery. The Stand. Cutout animations snatch at Python-esque madcap glory, but this technical experiment lacks humour and structure. 2/5 DP
The Sitcom Double Bill, Pleasance Courtyard. Characters as flimsy as the plasterboard set. Unfortunately mistaking volume for wit. 2/5 LH
Slapdash Galaxy, Underbelly. Household bits & bobs create brilliantly weird puppetry & inventive shadow-play. A trippy space odyssey. 4/5 JT
Slice, Gilded Balloon. A tale of 3 sisters damaged by their mum. OTT acting, bad puns and cliched cake-eating orgasm noises. Annoying. 2/5 JT
The Snail and the Whale, Pleasance Courtyard. Poetic and musical: a humongous, imaginative adventure for everyone, no matter how small. 4/5 KP
Spaghetti Junction, Bedlam. Spirited and surprising. An eccentric, hilarious, buzzing exploration of individuality and life’s junctions. 4/5 SS
The Softening of MAO-A, Summerhall. A surreal hour of poetic science. Charismatic speaker puzzled in a lecture that left me unnerved. 2/5 SS
A Soldier’s Song, Assembly Roxy. Real recollections about the Falklands war, coloured with raw emotion and tinges of humour. Gripping. 4/5 ZM
Soldiers’ Wives, Assembly Roxy. One woman deftly portrays the fears and sorrows of a host of army wives. A moving, nuanced performance. 4/5 JT
Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, C eca. Impassioned acting, horrific story. A harrowing exploration of identity, imprisonment and friendship. 3/5 SS
Some Small Love Story, C Nova. Sentimental poetry and songs examine love and loss. Well written and performed but noticeably unoriginal. 2/5 AJ
Somewhere Under the Rainbow, theSpace @ Symposium Hall. Paints a beautifully nuanced and pitch-perfect portrait of Liza Minelli. Yes. 4/5 AJ
Songs of Lear, Summerhall. This powerhouse ensemble doesn’t touch on genius; it grasps it. Physically, aurally, and emotionally sublime. 5/5 KP
Sound and Fury’s ‘Doc Faustus’, Underbelly. An audacious parody of Marlowe’s Faustus, brimming with irresistible charm and whimsy. 3/5 AJ
Square Eyed Pair, Gilded Balloon. Auckland’s own Bill and Ted come alive in this oddball theatrical comedy. Zippy, geeky and animated. 3/5 KP
The Static, Underbelly. A pinwheeling kaleidoscope of movement, light and sound. Truly inspiring fusion of physicality and multimedia. 4/5 LH
Still Life (or Brief Encounter), C aquila. Burgeoning young cast in an innovative adaptation of Noel Coward’s classic. Charmingly dry. 3/5 LH
Story Shakespeare: All’s Well That Ends Well, C too. Simply splendid, streamlined Shakespeare. I know of few better ways to start a day. 4/5
A Strange Wild Song, Bedlam. Looks like child’s play, but this tale of war and youth has delicate poise and a powerful final motif. Go. 4/5
Strawberry Sauce, C aquila. Annoying farcical comedy about Justice that thinks if you’re being loud, you’re being funny. You’re not. 1/5 JH
Street Cries, C. A grungy metropolitan landscape painted through song. Gorgeous music and lyrics, but it misses dramatic progression. 3/5 AKS
Strong Arm, Underbelly. An emotionally charged play about achieving superhuman strength. Brilliant writing, an overpowering performance. 4/5 ZM
Stuart Goldsmith, Pleasance Courtyard. This spunky comic, with a bright view on life, attempts to instigate an orgy. Yes. It’s terrific. 4/5 JH
The Submarine Show, C too. Be swept away by side-splitting, masterful physical theatre. Sound-effects, mime, mayhem. I’m still smiling. 4/5 SS
Superbard, Merchant’s Hall. A time-travelling storyteller seeks to save the world. Romantic, funny, finely crafted wordplay. A delight. 4/5 JT
Superjohn, Pleasance Courtyard. An adventure of outer space delights, with a gigantic heart of a story. Teaching all to be brave enough. 3/5 KP
Suzi Ruffell, Pleasance Courtyard. A cracking comedian, who dances over an array of topics with complete ease. She’s a delight to watch. 3/5 ZM
Swamp Juice, Underbelly. Wonderfully quirky and original shadow puppetry, with a sensational, interactive finale. Utterly brilliant. 5/5 AJ
T
Tea with the Old Queen, C aquila. If you are royal-mad, this gossip fest is for you. If not, the repetitive structure is quite wearing. 2/5 AKS
Teeth In Eggcups, Three Sisters. Ramshackle sketches are kept afloat by a rollicking live score. A few rehearsals away from hilarity. 3/5 DP
The Tempest, theSpace on Niddry Street. Annoying spirits writhe about screeching, assaulting your ears more than the horrid music. 1/5 JH
The Temps, Pleasance Courtyard. Some laugh-out-loud follies in this insightful, exaggerated sketch show. Repetitive – but so is temping. 3/5 SS
Tenderpits, Underbelly. People have emotional breakdowns; most aren’t given a stage to do it. Should have left when he farted sparkles. 1/5 LH
Therapy, C nova. An unfulfilling end smothers this harsh, ambitious play, but the performances are seriously intense. No chaise longue. 3/5 SS
This is Soap, C. Improvised soap opera creates plenty of giggles. Pure, guilt-free escapism for all – and the cast have buckets of fun. 3/5 KP
A Thousand Shards of Glass, St Stephen’s. Fetching storytelling about a freedom fighter. An imaginative piece, superbly staged. Sharp. 4/5 JH
Threads, theSpace on the Mile. An unsettling play injects a strong anti-drugs message with its violent plot and chilling conclusion. 3/5 ZM
Thin Ice, Pleasance Courtyard. An icy treat for the senses. Although it falls short physically, its dramatic storytelling captivates. 3/5 AKS
This Land… ZOO Southside. This fantastic folk musical had me dancing in my seat. Incredible story, glorious portrayal. Captivating. 5/5 SS
This Way Up, C. A light-hearted look at post-graduation blues. The vibrant, able cast work around an imaginative cardboard-box set. Fun. 3/5 JT
Three Englishmen, Pleasance Dome. Jam-packed show full of topical sketches (my favourite character: Elton John’s wig). Boundless energy. 4/5 KP
Tiddler and Other Terrific Tales, Udderbelly. A collection of vibrant fables with a myriad of animal friends that wont fail to delight. 3/5 AKS
Tim FitzHigham, Pleasance Courtyard. Engaging, energetic and unusual. Eclectic mix of pigeons, cricket and lords combine in a mad bet. 3/5 SS
Tim Key, Pleasance Dome. Exquisitely funny poetry from this debonair shambles, featuring an on-stage bath. Sink into comedic perfection. 5/5 JT
Tim Lee, Assembly Roxy. Stand-up comedy from a scientist. A routine as weak as whatever type of molecular bonding he was talking about. 1/5 LA
Tissue, Bedlam. Quirky but judicious depiction of physical and psychological battle with cancer. Vivid imagery cuts deeply, and scars. 3/5 KP
Tokyo Trilogy, C eca. East meets west – and it works! A successfully comic adaptation; this young cast are bursting with mature ideas. 3/5 KP
Tom Cottle’s These Twisted Folk, Underbelly. Crippled monstrous puppet, mariachi music, and a clog dancing landlady. Gloriously bonkers. 4/5
Tom Thum, Underbelly. This beatboxer defies the limits of the human voice. So spectacular, he’s in danger of self-combusting. 4/5 ZM
Tony Jameson and Katie Mulgrew, The Stand. Pleasant humour, like listening to funny stories from a funny friend. A joy to have giggled. 3/5 KP
Tony Law, The Stand. Parental advice. Vikings. Elephants. Hey. Woah. Bewildering, enthralling stand-up that deconstructs its own form. 4/5 AKS
Towards the Moon, C. A tight plot explores the perils of jealousy and power of creativity using angelic harmonies. Finger-clicking good. 3/5 JT
Tranquility, Serenity, Calm, Zoo. Intriguing concept, but stops unfortunately short of comedy, instead arriving at irritating melodrama. 2/5 SS
The Trench, Pleasance Courtyard. Phenomenally poetic, visually outstanding, musically invigorating. A continual reinvention of form. 5/5 AKS
Trevor Browne, Gilded Balloon. Faux-cocky musical stand up as awkward as a cow on roller skates. But not nearly as funny. 2/5 AJ
Truth, Underbelly. Ingeniously structured with an array of ludicrous characters. A beautifully cyclical ending keeps you laughing. 4/5 KP
Tumble Circus, Underbelly. For once, a circus act whose stunts are secondary to character. Two veterans with irresistible chemistry. 4/5 DP
Turn of the Screw, Zoo Southside. Menacing music and puppetry bring a twisted tale to life. Strong performances ensure haunting effect. 3/5 LA
Twentysomething, Spotlites @ Merchants’ Hall. Estranged frenemies reunite in a deliciously catty comedy with a marshmallow centre. 3/5 AJ
U
Uncoupled, Gilded Balloon. A heart-rending monologue performed with subtlety and grace. Truly engaging in its frankness. 3/5 LA
Unhappy Birthday, Assembly George Square. A pass-the-parcel performance party that surprises, warms, and even charms, but never excites. 2/5 SS
Uninvited, Bedlam. Amusing, talking wallpaper tells the absurdity of a lonely suburban existence. Abstract and awkward, in a good way. 3/5 KP
Unmythable, Zoo. Ancient Greece meets the Godfather, with a dash of blues guitar – this gem is truly ‘Unmythable.’ Chirpy and warm. 4/5 JH
Unplugged, Zoo Southside. Fresh and invigorating. A musical, theatrical experience based on an open-mic night that feels like reality. 4/5 JH
Up and Over It, Assembly. From domestic tap disputes to alcoholic ballet, this intriguing spectacle finds new potential in Irish dance. 4/5 AKS
US Beef, Pleasance Dome. This lively, talented young cast can’t disguise the fact that their message is old. Yes, corporations are evil. 2/5 DP
V
Vikki Stone, Underbelly. Hilarious, exuberant piano ballads played with a contagious grin. Shades of Adele, had she never been dumped. 4/5 DP
Visiting Time, Gilded Balloon. A bland and stagnant script. Juddering injections of exposition combine to create rather foul medicine. 2/5 LH
W
Waiting for Stanley, Assembly Roxy. One woman’s imaginative use of props creates an enchanting world of worries. Beautifully executed. 4/5 LA
Walk Like A Black Man, C eca. A fast-paced foray into ethnic identity. Littered with the racial stereotypes it purports to challenge. 2/5 LA
Watch It!, Zoo Southside. A chilling look at TV addiction. Beguiling dance, fused with psychedelic video: step away from the remote. 3/5 JT
We Are Chechens, Summerhall. A challenge, this: nearly incomprehensible, but its volume and conviction violently compel. Great staging. 3/5
We Are Not Here, Summerhall. An intense impression of Beckett. All the ingredients for the absurd, leaving no existential rock unturned. 4/5 KP
What I Heard About The World, St Stephen’s. Fiery, fast-paced arrows that provoke and unsettle. Striking, creative, brutal storytelling. 4/5 SS
The Wheelchair on My Face, Pleasance Courtyard. A lighthearted solo comedy show: quirky, intimate and fun. One for both kids and grans. 3/5 AKS
When Alice (Cooper) Met (Prince) Harry, Free Sisters. Surreal physical theatre. I got wrapped in foil and smeared in Nutella. Bonkers. 3/5 JT
Wild Allegations, theSpace on North Bridge. An overly simple script is plagued by technical traumas, in this brave-faced student show. 2/5 LH
Wild West End, Pleasance Dome. A quick-witted cast parodies the world of musical theatre with sharp, catty humour. A guilty pleasure. 3/5 AJ
Will Marsh, Just the Tonic at The Caves. Marsh gives a Grandad-style rant with intelligent humour that’s wasted on poor material. 2/5 JH
WitTank, Pleasance Courtyard. Silly sketches and fun-poking from comedic trio. Cleverly structured and written with a polished delivery. 3/5 LA
Work Songs, Zoo. Athletic duo works tirelessly towards funny, profound truths about office life. Music and movement powerfully matched. 4/5 KP
Woza Albert!, Assembly Hall. Explosively animated and playfully lyrical, this bombastic duo lead us on an exciting biblical journey. 3/5 LH
X
XXXO, Pleasance Courtyard. Two girls make themselves cry doing what all newly single girls do: watching sad films. Oddly unexciting. 2/5 ZM
Y
You Left Me In The Dark, theSpace @ Surgeons Hall. This Seagull progeny soars at times with touching moments; at others, it waddles. 3/5 AKS
You Obviously Know What I’m Talking About, Underbelly. A chaotic exploration of isolation and longing. Unfocused, but imaginative 3/5 LH
Z
Zelda, Greenside. An elegantly written portrayal of a tortured soul. Melodramatic in places, but ultimately compelling and challenging. 3/5 LA
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