Chortle's Fast Fringe returns! | First names announced for London showcase

Chortle's Fast Fringe returns!

First names announced for London showcase

Chortle’s Fast Fringe is returning to London this summer – and it will also be live-streamed to those who can’t make it in person.

Arthur Smith will be hosting a jam-packed showcase of 28 comedy and variety acts heading to the Edinburgh festival at the Bloomsbury Theatre on July 7.

The frenetically paced gig – which offers a snapshot of the Fringe in all its variety, insanity and hilarity in one night – will also be available via NextUp, either free to subscribers or as a one-off purchase.

Stand-ups taking part include Chortle best newcomer Celya AB, 2015 BBC New Comedy Award winner Yuriko Kotani and circuit stars Garrett Millerick, Red Richardson, Finlay Christie, Morgan Rees and Richard Stott, whose credits include ITV2’s Stand Up Sketch Show

Musical interludes will be provided by Sugarcoated Sisters, Flat & The Curves, Musical Comedy Awards 2021 winner Christy Coysh and Frank Sanazi – the crooner you would get if you combined Adolf Hitler with Frank Sinatra

And more off the wall-acts include Ada Campe – former winner of the Naty new act of the year competition – Fringe favourite Joz Norris, offbeat standup Eryn Tett, physical comedian Luke Rollason, character act Christian Brighty, whose show sees him perform as a  ‘saucy libertine’, and outrageous cabaret star Simon David.

More acts are yet to be announced.

Tickets for the show, priced, are available from the Bloomsbury Theatre box office, priced £18 (£15 concs). Streaming tickets are available here. priced £6 plus £1.06 booking fee.

Some of the proceeds of the show will go Mama Biashara, the charity set up by The Scotsman’s comedy critic Kate Copstick that helps the poorest families in Kenyan slums set up businesses to support themselves, as well as running health and education projects.

Chortle’s Fast Fringe will also be returning to the Edinburgh itself, with an hour-long showcase at the Pleasance Dome at 6.50pm every day of the festival from August 3 to 28.

Each bill – compered by a skilled circuit MC – will comprise 12 comedy and variety acts from across the festival and each providing a bite-sized sample of their full shows and tickets are available from the Pleasance box office.

Published: 27 May 2022

Live comedy picks

We see you are using AdBlocker software. Chortle relies on advertisers to fund this website so it’s free for you, so we would ask that you disable it for this site. Our ads are non-intrusive and relevant. Help keep Chortle viable.