...from the comedy section, at least

Comedians only get a very limited number of words to promote their shows in the official Edinburgh Fringe programme, with the title counting towards the tally. So you'd think they would be super-efficient in keeping the language tight, right? Well not these mavericks....

Jodie Mitchell: John Travulva Finds His Father (But Only To Get An Irish Passport) [Work In Progress]

A work in progress, whose status tips the title into 17 words. Mitchell's been at the Fringe before with their macho Glaswegian drag alter-ego, John Travulva, and this show explores the performer's Catholic upbringing, daddy issues and more as he searches for a father they have very little interest in knowing more about.

Monkey Barrel Comedy at O'Neill's, various times 17-19 only.

Olaf Falafel Presents: I Used To Work In A Helium Balloon Factory Until They Let Me Go

The Swedish one-liner merchant – a regular on all those 'jokes of the Fringe' lists  is one up on most comedians, giving you a gag before you even get in the door. Also taking him 17 words to do so.

Laughing Horse @ The Pear​ Tree, 14:30 

 Emoji: The Hieroglyphs Of Our Time, Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Send The Risky Text

New York-based comic and musician Aarushi Agni uses 18 words to set up a story, which takes her 180 PowerPoint slides to tell. And even the full description's wordy, 'an ADHD-friendly TED Talk / serenade [and] as much a pop concert as it is an intellectual existential crisis.' Quite an achievement for a show about a form of communication that uses no words!

 C Aquila, 15:00

 Will Adamsdale: AI, AI, Oh... (Or How I Wrote A Hit Sitcom With ChatGPT But We're Not Talking Now)

The 2004 Perrier winner takes 19 words to explain his dalliance with artificial intelligence, with some spoiler as to how it all worked out.

Underbelly George Square, 13:45

Mark Watson: Sometimes People Are Being Over-Cautious When They Say Work-In-Progress, But This Truly Is Rough

Also at 19 words – counting hyphenated words individually – there's no denying the Fringe veteran is being very clear about the nascent nature of the works being presented here.

The Stand 3, 14:00 from 19th

Guy Williams: Rich People Are Stealing From You And Blaming Brown People And Trans People And Some People Believe Them Aaahhhhhh!

'Probably shouldn't have given everything away in the title,' says the Kiwi comic of his 21-word monster, but at least there will be no mistaking his politics. He occupies a precarious position, being as shouty and outraged as the most vitriolic right-wing foghorn, but from a liberal point of view. You can read our review of his show from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival here

Assembly George Square, 18:15 from 19th

Cobin Millage: I Promise That I Am Banksy, And There's No Reasonable Way For You To Prove That I'm Not (WIP)

...just don't tell the Canadian-born, Edinburgh-based comedian (also using 21 words) about Robin Gunningham...

Dragonfly, 17:45

John Tothill: Close Your Eyes With Holy Dread For He On Honey-Dew Hath Fed, And Drunk The Milk Of Paradise (WIP)

At 22 words, he takes the bronze, even missing a trick by not spelling out the work-in-progress abbreviation in full. The former Cambridge Footlighter was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award for best show last year and has appeared on Leo Reich's Channel 4 comedy It Gets Worse and Have I Got News For You.

Kate Smurthwaite Writes and Performs a Brand-New Full-Length Stand-Up Show Every Single Day for the Entire Edinburgh Fringe Based on Audience Suggestions from the Previous Day (Not Tuesdays)

Yes, she does. We explained in it rather more than the 31 words of the title here

PBH's Free Fringe @ Banshee Labyrinth, 19:40 

John Achkar: His Country Is Collapsing. He's Having A Baby. So Obviously, This Is the Right Year For A Lebanese Comedian You've Never Heard Of To Try English Stand-Up for the First Time

A runaway winner at 34 words. If that leaves no space in the Fringe programme for any description, then no fear, as the show very much explains itself in the title. He's from Beirut and has a very international outlook, having gigged around the world – so despite his titular reservations, it was almost inevitable he would wash up in Edinburgh at some point...

Just The Tonic at The Caves, 15:40

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Published: 13 Jul 2026