Scottish talent at the heart of the new Love the Fringe scheme
Love the Fringe is a brand new membership scheme at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with local Scottish talent and businesses at its centre. Starting at £20, the membership provides festival-goers with free tickets and exclusive offers on 1,000s of shows as well as discounts at local hospitality favourites.
Designed to maximise value for audiences while supporting the artists and the local businesses that make Fringe possible, Love the Fringe is for everyone.
In this article, EdFest explores some of the great Scottish talent at the heart of the Love the Fringe scheme this August. Scottish performers are taking this year’s Festival by storm, their acts brimming with talent, artistry and unique takes on Scottish identity and storytelling. These highlighted acts span across comedy, mystery, music and magic, bringing new and established voices alike to Fringe’s stages this summer.
The spotlight is also on Edinburgh-based businesses. Local bars, restaurants, cafes and more are an integral element of the city’s unique Festival spirit, and Love the Fringe is putting them centre stage this August through their membership scheme. The scheme is open to any and all local businesses – if you’d like to promote your business while showing your support for the artists that make Fringe possible, you can read more about the scheme or sign up here.
Read on to see just a sliver of all the local talent Love the Fringe has to offer this year. And if you decide you want to be part of this initiative – in supporting local artists, businesses, and the city of Edinburgh - you can sign up for your own Love the Fringe membership here.
Must-See Acts
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Mary, Queen of Rock – Pretty Knickers Productions at Assembly
Edinburgh Fringe 2024 sees the world premiere of Mary, Queen of Rock! at the Fringe. You think you know the story of Mary, Queen of Scots? Think again... The year is 1561. The Scottish Reformation has enforced an outright ban on rock'n'roll. Cue the arrival of Mary Stuart, one of the world's biggest and most iconic musical artists, who happens to be the undisputed Queen of Rock! With the Scottish nobles and her cousin in England against her – can Mary get the country rocking? Or will heads roll?
This musical take on a classic story includes a live band, comedy and characters you’ll love. A rock opera, it will incorporate music inspired by acts as diverse as Stevie Nicks, Avril Lavigne, ACDC, The Rolling Stones and more.
Chatterbox – Lubna Kerr at Pleasance
How do labels define us? This one-woman show tells the semi-autobiographical account of Lubna, a Pakistani girl who found herself at primary school in Glasgow in the 1970s. In it she tells the story of how she was labelled ‘stupid’ because she couldn’t speak English – by people who couldn’t speak Urdu. It’s at once a touching and humorous story which explores the impact of labels and how those we are given as children can persist into adulthood.
Jay Lafferty: Bahookie – Jay Lafferty at the Gilded Balloon
This is where comedy and pole dancing collide! Following on from a critically acclaimed, sold out 2023 Fringe run, Jay brings her Bahookie back to the Fringe for five nights only.
BBC Breaking the News star Jay Lafferty combines comedy and pole dancing in this jam-packed hour tackling everything from ageing to internalised misogyny, celebrating the power of movement, body positivity and finding joy.
Colin Cloud: Consequences – Colin Cloud at Underbelly
Prepare to have your mind boggled! This show promises to expand your mind and forever transform your perception. Acclaimed stage mentalist Colin Cloud is the Sherlock Holmes of entertainment –if Holmes had a flair for comedy!. His astounding deductions and outrageous stunts have stunned audiences and intrigued sceptics from New York to Australia; from London’s West End to Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
His Edinburgh Fringe shows sell out annually and have been voted in the top three of over 4000 acts each year.
An Unexpected Hiccup – Lung Ha Theatre Company at Zoo
Comedy and chills await in An Unexpected Hiccup. Murdo is caught in a storm and knocks at the door of an old, dark house. A bizarre quintet of siblings is waiting for their father to die and Murdo is somehow involved… The production treads a fine line between surreal and sinister, with comic misunderstandings, wit, wisdom and dangerous eccentricities along the way.
Local businesses
Eve: This sophisticated bar offers a vibrant drinking, dining and entertainment experience and can be found at 18-20 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH 1 1JR within Virgin Hotels Edinburgh.
Shezan: If you’re looking for authentic Indian cooking then Shezan is the place to be. Satisfy your curry cravings at 25, Union Place, Edinburgh EH1 3NQ, where they have been dishing up delights to diners for over 40 years.
Indigo Yard: This West End bar and restaurant provides the perfect setting to enjoy some of the best food and drink in Edinburgh. They are passionate about produce, from the rustic-style food to the fantastic selection of beers, wines and cocktails. Find it at 7 Charlotte Ln, Edinburgh EH2 4QZ
Tigerlily: Describing itself as ‘Edinburgh’s most talked-about bar, restaurant and boutique hotel’ Tigerlily is a place to see and be seen. Sumptuous surroundings and food and drink to match, every part of it has the ‘wow’ factor. Head to 125 George St, Edinburgh EH2 4JN