We let fate (or at least the Fringe app) decide...

The Edinburgh Fringe app makes a welcome return this year, and one of its new features is 'Shake It Up', which serves up a random show if you agitate your phone. Here then are the first ten comedy offerings thrown up when we tried it…

1. Suse Steed Presents Magic Numbers

 This NATY new act of the year finalist presents a stand-up show about economics  and making things disappear - so probably a good show to be recommending to Rishi Sunak, we say!! What satire!!!  

Magical SpiegelYurt at the Bludabus Gardens, 16:00, August 18 to 23 only

2. Sam's Scriptz!

An absurdist one-man sketch show featuring Sam Jacobsen, a writer, penning scripts for the three S's... stage, screen and school assemblies. Apart from his Twitter description as ‘comedian/lefty’, there’s not much more we can tell you.

 Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 15:00

3. Stuart ​McPherson: Love That For Me

A more established Scottish stand-up who’s supported Larry Dean on tour, appeared in Scot Squad and made quite a few new act finals soon after starting comedy eight years ago. This show is described as an attempt to make sense of a crazy, hazy’ year.

Monkey Barrel Comedy, 17:45

4. Geraldine Hickey: Of Course We've Got Horses

One of the most well-known names on the Australian comedy festival circuit, Hickey won the award for most outstanding show at the 2021 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, having first been nominated two years previously. She’s appeared in lots of Aussie TV shows inckuding  The Project, Tonightly with Tom Ballard, Have You Been Paying Attention? and Hughesy, We Have a Problem. Her new show is about how things are going well for her, newly married and boasting three properties between them – and acknowledging that privilege.

Assembly George Square, 19:45 

5. AAA Stand-up

As if the cynical 'get to the front of the alphabetical  printed listings' ruse wasn't enough, this compilation show at Just The Tonic won the randomised choice, too. The nightly line-up comprises Thenjiwe (who we featured in Monday’s round-up of African shows), Feya McGhee and Jacob Hatton.

Just The Tonic At The Caves, 21:20

6. Abishek & Nirmal: The Reel to Real – Crowd Work Tour

This one's not in the printed programme, possibly because they missed the deadline, so demonstrates the importance of the app.  Produced by London’s Soho Theatre this show features Abishek Kumar and Nirmal Pillai, pictured, billed as ‘India's most watched crowd-work duo’ thanks to clips posted to Instagram, where they have about 1.2million followers between them – and have gone on to star in reality shows and feature films.

Assembly George Square, 16:40,  August 15-27 only

7. Jack ​Whitehall: Settle Down

Good to see the app recommending obscure, off-the-beaten-path comedians pushing the boundaries who really could do with the boost… Real 'spirit of the Fringe' stuff...

Edinburgh Playhouse, 19:30, August 20 and 21 only

8. The Moira Monologues 3: Moira In Lockdown 

One of three shows Alan Bissett is performing at the Fringe in the guise of his alter-ego, a straight-talking single mum and cleaner – and the hardest woman in Falkirk. The third instalment sees her surviving a pandemic with only vodka, fags and her BFF Babs on Zoom for solace.

The Stand’s New Town Theatre 15:10, August 6 and 9 only.  Other instalments are at the same time and place on August 4, 5, 7 and 8.

9. AAA Stand Up

Yep, another one of the alphabetically advantaged line-up shows gets drawn out the hat. This one, at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose,  features Lyle Barker, Aideen McQuun and Josh James

Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, 22:20

10. A Leftie's Guide To Why Everyone Hates Lefties

Jack Harris is an unashamedly stereotypical left-wing, working-class, socialist comedian. But he's noticed that not everyone in the world shares that view… Anyhting more than that, we do not know…

Just the Tonic at The Mash House, 12:35,  August 3 to 13

Published: 19 Jul 2023