Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Top 15 Fringe shows

DECIDED what to see yet? With so many shows to choose from, where do you start? Here, in no particular order, is my Top 15 comedy shows of the 2012 Fringe to help you make up your mind.

Andrew Lawrence Is Coming To Get You @ Pleasance Courtyard

The deliciously caustic comic serves up an hour of top-notch stand-up that’s not to be missed. Until Aug 26

Richard Herring: Talking Cock, The Second Coming @ Underbelly

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This year the Fringe veteran is performing one of his early shows, described as a male version of The Vagina Monologues. Until Aug 26

Phil Jupitus @ The Stand

With a sold out run and critical acclaim across the board, the star of Never Mind The Buzzcocks took Edinburgh by storm last year. Can he repeat the trick in 2012? Until Aug 27

Josie Long: Romance and Adventure @ Pleasance Courtyard

The ever excellent Josie Long is back at the Fringe in a brand new solo show about “mountain climbing, hitting 30, and how to keep going when things are tricky”. Until Aug 27

Russell Kane: Posturing Delivery @ Assembly Rooms

Kane had a lot to live up to this year, given that he was 2011’s Edinburgh Award winner. But his latest is another intelligent, thought-provoking hour of comedy. Until Aug 24

Brendon Burns: Home Stretch Baby @ Pleasance Dome The 2007

Edinburgh Comedy Award winner returns with a brand new show. This fella is Fringe royalty, so don’t miss him. Until Aug 26

Simon Munnery: Fylm-Makker @ The Stand

Experimenting with a tiny camera and big screen, “The Peter Cook of his generation” presents his 26th Edinburgh Festival Fringe offering. Until Aug 27

Daniel Kitson: Where Once Was Wonder @ The Stand

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Dan the man returns with a new stand-up comedy show about impossibility, change, not joining in, love, haircuts, loneliness, courage, defiance, knowledge, despondency, cutting the head off a pig, meaning, tattoos, obscenity, opinions, truth and something a Spanish footballer once said. Until Aug 26

Daniel Sloss: The Show @ EICC

Brand new show from Scottish comedy’s “half-man-half-Xbox.” Probably the best young stand-up on the circuit today. Until Aug 26

Dylan Moran; Yeah Yeah @ The Playhouse

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The Irish comic who has resided in the Capital for more than a decade plays two massive gigs at the Playhouse. He promises to throw in some new material as well as the best bits from his recent tour. Aug 15, 23

Shappi Khorsandi: Dirty Looks @ Pleasance Courtyard

The latest show from the Edinburgh stalwart draws its laughs from her recent, ill-fated affair with a well known rock star. Until Aug 26

Sean Hughes: Life Becomes Noises @ Pleasance Courtyard

Dealing with dad’s death the only way Hughes can, this hilarious yet poignant tale takes a look at the lighter side of dying. Until Aug 27

Stewart Lee: Carpet Remnant World @ Assembly Rooms

A new full length touring show from the acclaimed star of BBC2’s Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle. Until Aug 26

Andrew Maxwell: That’s The Spirit @ Assembly George Square

Nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award last year, Maxwell will be hoping to go one better at this year’s Fringe, where he’s back with another fiercely funny show. Until Aug 27

The Tim Vine Chat Show @ Pleasance Courtyard

As always, the audience are the stars of the show as Vine brings his sellout 2011 hit back to the Fringe. He was runner-up for the Edinburgh joke of the year last year with the line: “Crime in multi-storey car parks. That is wrong on so many different levels.” Until Aug 27

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