It’s day three, and I have to send a massive shoutout to the Edinburgh weather for holding steady at a perfect 17°C—the absolute ideal climate for sprinting between venues across the cobbled hills of Scotland’s capital. Fuelled purely by supermarket meal deals and caffeine.
I’m still somehow surviving the midday-to-midnight marathon in a mad dash to cram in as many shows as humanly possible. So far, so good.
Ed Night: We’ll Be Alright, Darling
Despite taking the stage with a recently broken foot and admitting he wasn’t exactly “match fit,” Ed didn’t let the injury hold him back. Setting aside the cast, he delivered his set with a remarkably relaxed swagger reminiscent of Carl Donnelly.
Bouncing effortlessly between themes of sexuality, career jealousy, and nostalgia, the hour was laced with splashes of dark wit and totally unexpected punchlines. If this is the caliber of Ed’s show in week one, by the end of the Fringe, he’ll be cemented as one of the best comics of his generation and not for the first time.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
@_ednight
Sophie Duker: Hot Beef Injection
Returning to the Fringe after the runaway success of 2024’s ‘But Daddy I Love Her’, Sophie Duker is back with the fantastically titled Hot! Beef Injection. What the hour lacks in actual hot beef, it more than makes up for with a lethal injection of brilliantly crafted takes on toxic men, adolescent sex, and of course bears.
The room might have been a little quieter than she deserved, but Duker’s airtight writing and effortless confidence were more than enough to win over any doubters.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
@sophiedukebox
Jake Bhardwaj and friends host one of the Fringe’s finest late-night shows. Simply put, five rounds of quizzing have never been this much fun. A DJ in a glittery Elton John onesie gets the party started before Jake skips out of the wings to coordinate the chaos. Between each quiz round, audience members are picked at random to compete in bonus games—like the infamous “Who Can Pick the Biggest Crisp?”—for a host of prizes.
Guest appearances from a few ‘showbiz’ friends add extra flair to introduce each segment. Amidst all the onstage drama, the audience scribbles down their answers to a variety of categories, including Music, Back to School, and the ultimate Total Wipeout, all while dancing to absolute bangers. You might even find yourself sitting alongside some of the Fringe’s top comedians, all playing along for the coveted chance to win a mini-fan or a Toblerone. I didn’t win, but honestly, does it even matter?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
@notanotherquiznight