The Edinburgh Fringe kicked off yesterday for another year, with thousands of entertainers from around the world coming to perform in every possible venue in Scotland’s capital.
It’s my 14th time up in Edinburgh, and I celebrated watching my 500th Fringe show today. It’s getting harder by the year for artists and audiences to attend the festival for a variety of reasons, mainly financial. So, I am very glad to see people being able to play this year, and these are my picks of the day:
A Fringe favourite, Rob Auton is the perfect act for anyone who wants their stand-up served with a side of reflective poetry, without ever feeling out of their depth. He revels in creating highly original angles for his hour-long shows, and this year is no exception: he takes on the role of an estate agent on Jupiter trying to sell Earth to prospective buyers. It’s a brilliant, high-concept excuse for Auton to discuss life on our planet through his delightfully offbeat lens, offering a fantastic vision that gently challenges you to look at the world a little differently.
Seamlessly shifting gears between incredible wordplay, moving poetry, and some genuinely great animal impressions, Auton delivers a uniquely charming hour that cements his status as one of the most imaginative performers of his generation.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
@robauton
Fringe legend, Carl Donnelly is celebrating 20 years of coming to the festival. He uses the lunchtime slot to ease into his brand new show, spending just the right amount of time getting to know his audience before effortlessly gliding into his signature compelling storytelling.
The hour is packed with brilliantly observed anecdotes that highlight his evolution as a comic and a person, featuring hilarious reflections on the wild early days of the Fringe compared to now, the changing effects of drugs and alcohol on his stand-up, the realities of fatherhood, and the surprisingly messy logistics of what to do with your late father’s ashes.
He may no longer be larging it with the naughty boys, but Donnelly hasn’t lost his edge; he remains one of the coolest, most effortlessly funny comedians on the scene today, proving exactly why his laid-back, honest style has influenced a whole host of young talent.Carl Donnelly is only doing a short run this year before heading back to Australia, so catch him quickly before he wraps up his Fringe run.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
@carldonnelly
Amelia Hamilton: Moral Support
This was my first time seeing award-winning comedian Amelia Hamilton, performing at one of my favourite venues at the Pleasance: The Baby Grand. It’s the perfect room for rising stars to explode onto the scene, and Amelia did exactly that.
She commands the stage with tales of exes’ wardrobes, trying to be moral, and navigating relationship standards, all seamlessly woven between instantly catchy raps and sharp catchphrases.A few mid-show interruption by some vocal Americans could have easily derailed another performer’s flow, but it didn’t even break Amelia’s stride.
It’s not easy to blend stand-up and music this naturally, but watching her, it’s incredibly clear why she took home Best Newcomer at last year’s ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards. Amelia is undeniably moving on to bigger things very soon. The Pleasance Grand awaits.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
@ameliahamiltoncomedy
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