Here are the top 5 theatre shows from the Edinburgh Fringe's opening weekend - including A History of Paper

From complex explorations of grief and love to “genuine laugh a minute” productions which marry humour with drama, there is plenty of excellent theatre on offer during the Edinburgh Fringe.

With so many performances to choose from it can very quickly become overwhelming. With The Scotsman’s reviewers having been out in force over the weekend, here are the 5 top theatre shows from the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe so far.

A History of Paper: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A History of Paper, Traverse Theatre | Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

Kicking off Traverse Theatre’s 2024 festival programme, A History of Paper is among the first of this year’s Fringe shows to earn a 5 star review from The Scotsman.

Co-written by the late playwright Oliver Emanuel and composer Gareth Williams, the musical stage play follows the love story between a couple and all the sheets of paper which make up their life.

Described by reviewer Joyce McMillan as a “rare and sparkling event”, A History of Paper transforms the deceptively simple narrative of love, bereavement and loss into something “magical and strange”.

One not to be missed.

• A History of Paper is on until August 25 at Traverse Theatre - Traverse 2 (Venue 15). Tickets can be purchased via the Edinburgh Fringe website.

Batshit: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Given its UK premiere at Traverse Theatre, Batshit by Leah Shelton is a powerful 50-minute show which explores the life of the Australian theatre-maker’s grandmother Gwen.

After being unable to conform to the social norms imposed on housewives in 1960s Australia, Gwen was incarcerated at a mental hospital where she suffered horrors including electric shock therapy.

Taking details from her grandmother’s medical records, Shelton’s Batshit manages to be funny and shocking with The Scotsman’s reviewer highlighting its intense theatricality in equal measure to its ability to be deeply moving and truthful.

• Batshit is on until August 25 at Traverse Theatre - Traverse 2 (Venue 15). Tickets can be purchased via the Edinburgh Fringe website.

An Adequate Abridgement of Boarding School Life as a Homo: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Described as a “warm but playgirl celebration of difference and acceptance” reviewer David Kettle assures audiences that An Adequate Abridgement of Boarding School Life as a Homo is more than a rehashing of a tired old trope.

Instead, the play by writer and actor Ned Blackburn is a refreshing two handed take which proves both refreshing and provocative.

Exploring 18-year-old Johnny’s last year at an all boys school, and his sexual relationship with jock Harry, the play is fully capable of balancing humour and wit with heart through its pacing and story arc.

As such, Kettle describes An Adequate Abridgement of Boarding School Life as a Homo as “a thoroughly assured piece of work”.

• An Adequate Abridgement of Boarding School Life as a Homo is on until August 11 at Just the Tonic at The Caves - Just the Fancy Room (Venue 88). Tickets can be purchased via the Edinburgh Fringe website.

Shellshocked: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Shellshocked - an Explosive New Play, at the Pleasance.

The latest work from writer and director Philip Stokes, Shellshocked is an unsettling period piece starring Jack Stokes as Wesley Hepton.

Labelled as a hero upon his return to Yorkshire from the trenches, Hepton becomes an assistant to local artist Mr Lupine, played by Lee Bainbridge, in hopes of supporting his mother and sister despite his dark moods from shellshock.

Our reviewer Susan Mansfield praises the accomplished performances from both of the show’s stars – but particularly Bainbridge for his consistently disturbing take on the artist – as they tackle a tight, complex script about jealousy and the ways the human spirit can recover from the darkest of experiences.

• Shellshocked is on until August 26 at Pleasance Courtyard - Bunker Two (Venue 33). Tickets can be purchased via the Edinburgh Fringe website.

Anti-Heroine: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A new comedy from Pip Carew, Anti-Heroine follows lead star Lottie Burgess in a play about living through your mid-twenties and discovering all that entails, from bad dates and sex to realising the price of tampons.

Burgess impresses with her “beautifully subtle, clownish performance” according to reviewer Rory Ford who calls Anti-Heroine “genuine laugh-a-minute stuff”, particularly in thanks to director Emily Bunch who handles the comedic and dramatic possibilities of the play sensitively.

• Anti-Heroine is on until August 10 at Greenside @ George Street (Venue 236). Tickets can be purchased via the Edinburgh Fringe website.