Fringe highlights: Ten of the best weird and wonderful shows for 2012

With the Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme released today and the world’ biggest arts experience right around the corner, we look ahead to what are bound to be some of the quirkiest of this year’s shows.

No doubt there will be an abundance of media buzz around the acclaimed artists performing this year and they’ll be grabbing all the kudos, and the headlines. But the beauty of the Edinburgh Fringe at its conception was to bring you a diverse and eclectic melting pot of the weird and the wonderful - acts that you may not otherwise have been blessed, or cursed, with the opportunity to see.

The under-hyped acts are often the most compelling, and the most exciting aspect of the Fringe for many is the opportunity to propel themselves into a life less ordinary.

To help you navigate your way through the maze of comedy, theatre, art, music and the spoken word to find these hidden jewels, here’s our pick of the most intriguing shows on offer this year.

Munfred Bernstein’s Cabinet of Wonder

Jamie Bowen’s mind is full of fun and fantastical stories. Through the use of his alter ego Munfred, he takes us on a comical misadventure to the parallel universe which he enters through an old cabinet. The result is a mirthful and musical collection of tall tales from Munfred’s curious travels.

Venue: Gilded Balloon Teviot

Dates: 1-27 August

Fitkin Late

Two pianos, eight hands. Estrella Quartet are four pianists from New Zealand who present a modern day take on what was a popular piano-playing method in the late 1800s. The quartet will provide a beguiling listening and visual experience and will play a range of classic songs including Fitkin’s Untitled 11 and Sciosophy.

Venue: Royal Overseas League

Date: 21 August

Boris and Sergey’s Vaudevillian Adventure

This Eastern European puppet duo challenge the theory that puppet shows are just for the kids with their unique blend of rebellious exploits and risqué wit. This is a tale of two leathery puppets struggling to maintain a low profile as they attempt to flee from the evil forces to which they lost their souls in a poker game. Audiences should prepare for a night of riotous anarchy.

Venue: Pleasance Courtyard

Dates: 1-27 August

Hot Dub Time Machine

DJ Tom Loud debuts his time-travelling tune machine in Edinburgh this year. Through the power of Hot Dub, he’ll take us on a musical journey from 1956 to the present day. This era-by-era dance party will be accompanied by video imagery to transport us through the genres from the British Invasion, Motown, Hip Hop and Grunge, right through to Rave and Dubstep.

Venue: Gilded Balloon Teviot

Dates: 3-26 August

A Little Perspective

Imman Hadchitti is a disabled, short-statured Lebanese comedian. Using a mix of stand-up and video clips, he takes audiences on a hilarious and enlightening journey through his world, using footage from a hidden camera to expose the socio-political incorrectness he is subject to when he goes out in public.

Venue: Gilded Balloon Teviot

Dates: 1-27 August

Knee Deep

Combining contemporary and traditional circus techniques, Knee Deep will have its international debut in Edinburgh this year where audiences can expect to be captivated by quirky and innovative performances. Bodies will be pushed and pulled to explore the limitations of strength and fragility, including flying through the air and walking on eggs.

Venue: Assembly George Square

Dates: 2-27 August

Love in the Key of Britpop

Something for everyone who wishes it was still 1995. This poem read by Britpop fanatic Emily Anderson is a tale of girl meets boy in an indie disco in 2006 and how their budding love is fuelled by gin and tonic and a passionate debate about Britpop music. But in sobriety and in time, can a mutual passion for the soundtrack of the 90s sustain a relationship?

Venue: Fingers Piano Bar

Dates: 4-25 August

Tom Thumb

Known as The Versatile Voicebox, Tom Thumb is Australia’s most prolific beatboxer, having recently scooped an Underbelly Edinburgh Award at the Adelaide Fringe. The Guardian describes Tom as having ‘swallowed an entire orchestra and several backing singers’ and he is known for pushing his voice to seemingly inhuman limits, crafting mindboggling beats and sounds to re-create classic jams from all eras.

Venue: Underbelly Bristo Square

Dates: 2-27 August

The Curious Couple from Coney

Donny and Heather met at the Coney Island Circus Show and forged a partnership which has seen them embark on a curious seven-year expedition of gritty, oddball stunt performances. Their knife throwing, sword swallowing, flame eating and chainsaw juggling Edinburgh debut is set to render audiences awestruck.

Venue: The Voodoo Rooms

Dates: 1-27 August

Ronnie and the Other World

Ronnie is a happy puppet; he’s got the woman of his dreams, he’s the main character in a children’s TV show and life is good. That is until today, when he wakes up in the ‘other world’ and every element of life as he knows it is gone. This trippy tale of being stuck in a sinister dimension charts Ronnie’s attempts to return to his original world ‘Happydale’.

Venue: Quaker meeting House

Dates: 13-18 August

For further information and tickets visit Edinburgh Festival Fringe