10 shows to see at the Edinburgh Fringe 2022
Are you travelling to Edinburgh for the Fringe this August? Are you still not sure which shows you should fit into your short time in the city? Maybe (like us) you're local, want to fit in as many shows as possible, but haven't quite got time to see all 3,171 of them. Don't worry! We've put together a second guide to shows you'll definitely want to see at the Edinburgh Fringe 2022.
Take a look at our first guide to must-see shows at the Edinburgh Fringe here.
Now here are some more great shows you won't want to miss at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2022...
1. The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much
In this fast-paced, Offies-nominated whodunnit, Lecoq-trained company Voloz Collective delights and stun with live original music and astonishing acrobatics. Wes Anderson meets Hitchcock, meets spaghetti western in this multi award-winning, intercontinental, inter-genre, cinematic caper of accusations, accidents and accents. Winner of the Les Enfants Terribles and Greenwich Partnership Award 2020, The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much is raucously funny and endlessly inventive, igniting audiences’ imaginations with a whirlwind of images and sounds.
Where: Pleasance Dome - Jack Dome
When: 3rd-29th August (Not 17th) at 13:10
Click here for tickets.
2. The Mistake
1942. On a squash court in Chicago, a dazzling experiment takes place, which three years later will destroy a city and change the world forever.
An urgent new play written by former Fringe First winner Michael Mears, partly using verbatim testimonies, and directed by Rosamunde Hutt. Featuring two actors –Mears and Emiko Jane Ishii – The Mistake explores the circumstances surrounding the explosion of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, observing the event that launched our nuclear age through the eyes of a brilliant Hungarian scientist, a daring American pilot and a devoted Japanese daughter.
As 6 August marks the 77th anniversary of what the Hiroshima Peace Memorial describes as ‘the mistake’, the play is a timely reminder of the dangers that arise when humans dare to unlock the awesome power of nature.
Where: theSpace on North Bridge - Argyll Theatre
When: 5th-27th August (Not 14th) at 10:45
Click here for tickets.
3. How To Build A Wax Figure
Bea's older neighbour was her first love, her first cigarette, her first prosthetic eye. When Bea is invited to the Welcome Collection to speak about her expertise making glass eyes, she finds herself unable to untie Margot from all that she does. As she tries to unpack her mentor's effect on her work, Bea must dissect for herself what love really looks like. November Theatre launches in the UK with Isabella Waldron’s electric new play, how to build a wax figure, bringing a fresh perspective on queer love, age-gap relationships, and ocularistry.
Where: Assembly George Square Studios - Studio 4
When: 4th-29th August (Not 10th, 16th, 23rd) at 12:55
Click here for tickets.
Edinburgh Pubs and Bars
Before we get to number 4 in our list of must see shows at the Fringe 2022 we're taking a quick break to talk refreshments. Visiting some of Edinburgh's pubs and bars in between shows is essential for soaking up the culture and buzz of the festival!
One bar you don't want to miss is Cask. It's located on the rooftop of Waverley Station - and their Secret Domes are a truly unique experience that should be on your Edinburgh bucket list. You get your own private transparent dome that looks out onto all the famous landmarks, from Arthur's Seat to the Old Town to Edinburgh Castle.
Enjoy afternoon tea in Edinburgh, or delicious drinks from the bar with small plates made with local Scottish produce. The Secret Domes are open until midnight every night of the Fringe, so you can even watch the fireworks light up the sky over the castle from the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Find out more about Cask's Secret Domes here.
If you like to drink with locals and tourists alike, check out Malones pub. Quirky décor and an electric atmosphere make this a great place to visit during the Fringe, and they even have live music every weekend. If you want to try a sustainable, Scottish gin or vodka, ask for Smugglers Spirits at the bar! When in Edinburgh right?
Now: back to the shows...
4. Lost and Found: A Cellist's Journey
Scotland’s leading cellist in the contemporary and classical experimental scene, Justyna Jablonska returns to live performance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with the premiere of her most intimate work to date. In Lost and Found: A Cellist’s Journey, she invites audiences to accompany her on the personal and musical journey she made from Poland to Scotland after finishing high school in her hometown of Lodz.
Evoking the physical space of a train station’s Lost and Found office, she blends the raw melancholy of Roma and Jewish folk music with electronica and the otherworldly tonal textures of the Communist era’s Warsaw Autumn. This compelling new show combines virtuoso work on the cello with video and spoken word to create ethereal soundscapes where composed and improvised unite, exploring how identities are made, unmade and remade in music. Part of the Made In Scotland Showcase.
Where: theSpace @ Niddry St - Upper Theatre (Round)
When: 22nd-27th August at 17:50
Click here for tickets.
5. Boorish Trumpson
A hilarious look at the laughable "politicians" of our time - if you can call them that...
#MakeMusicGreatAgain. YOU are the orchestra. Boorish Trumpson is your rehearsal-conductor. Just your rehearsal-conductor...just for rehearsal...absolutely no other ambitions. None. Nope. An interactive, music and clowning-filled interrogation of power and those who wield it from critically acclaimed Lecoq-trained clown Claire Parry.
Where: Assembly Rooms - Front Room
When: 4th-26th August at 15:30
Click here for tickets.
6. Red Rover Theatre's Visiting Cezanne
The show takes audiences back in time through failing painter Nora Baker to the studio of Paul Cezanne, where she finds a man wracked with self-doubt but who displays a fierce determination to paint every day and master his craft. The play is written by award-winning author Duane Kelly. Unknown artist Nora visits the Metropolitan Museum in New York in 2016, where things get really weird. From there she travels back to 1900 and Southern France, where she meets Cezanne, burdened with his own issues.
Visiting Cezanne explores what represents failure and success for artists. How ‘failing’ can actually give us something to learn from. It’s also about fortitude and determination. Says Duane; ‘I was inspired to write the play after my own visit to the Metropolitan Museum to see a Cezanne exhibition. I started to wonder how Cezanne would feel if he could see how famous he became after he died. I have always thought of him as a role model: despite his lack of confidence he continued to paint every day. This shows real fortitude and determination and it paid off, but sadly not in his lifetime. I really get the concept of self-doubt and I know others do too.’
Where: Hill Street Theatre - Alba Theatre
When: 5th-28th August (Not 17th) at 14:50
Click here for tickets.
7. Luke Wright: The Remains of Logan Dankworth
The third (and arguably best) of acclaimed poet Luke Wright's verse play trilogy finally getting its Fringe debut after its 2020 postponements. The first two plays were met with universal critical and audience acclaim. What I Learned from Johnny Bevan winning a Fringe First and a Stage Award for Acting Excellence.
Set as the EU referendum looms we meet the titular Logan, newspaper columnist and Twitter warrior, who grew up romanticising the political turmoil of the 1980s. He is determined to be right there in the fray of the biggest political battle for years. As tensions mount across the nation and in his marriage, something is set to be lost forever.
Where: Pleasance Courtyard - Above
When: 3rd-29th August (Not 15th, 16th, 17th) at 15:45
Click here for tickets.
8. Happy Meal
Roots is extremely excited to announce its first production, the world premiere of Happy Meal by Tabby Lamb (They/she), directed by Jamie Fletcher (She/her) fresh from her acclaimed production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Leeds Playhouse/HOME) and co-produced with Theatre Royal Plymouth. Performed by Allie Daniel (She/her), this joyful queer rom-com is performed and led by a trans creative team and is presented by the queer touring company Roots in five venues this autumn.
Where: Traverse Theatre - Traverse 2
When: 4th-28th August (Not 8th, 15th, 22nd) at various times
Click here for tickets.
9. Rapsody
As 2022 recipient of the Pleasance’s Charlie Hartill Theatre Reserve, Vision Production Company take a raw look at inner-city life in Britain today with their debut show Rapsody. Join Elz, Jams, Toni and latest arrival Jaime, as they confront and question the realities of our modern-day class system through live rap, trap and drill. Yet, as the dynamics of the hostel begin to shift, all four struggle to get by, using the music of rap to speak their truth when words just aren’t enough.
Where: Pleasance Courtyard - Above
When: 3rd-29th August (Not 16th) at 17:20
Click here for tickets.
10. Luca Cupani: Happy Orphan
Italian comedian Luca Cupani has performed all around the world, regularly performs in comedy clubs in the UK and Italy, and won the competition So You Think You’re Funny? at the Edinburgh Festival in 2015. Now he’s set to deliver his best and most personal hour yet at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival. His show, ‘Happy Orphan’, will be at Just The Tonic – The Spare Room for the month of August.
In Happy Orphan, Luca Reflects on his childhood, his love-hate relationship with his mother and the effect of her death on his life. According to his therapist, It is now time for Luca to overcome his guilt, to free his inner child from his inner mother and to admit that his life as a grown-up orphan is much better! In this show Luca entertains us through the lens of a sweet, gentle, dark wit. What if your mum's death turns out to be one of the best things that have ever happened to you?
Where: Just The Tonic - Just The Spare Room @ The Caves
When: 4th-28th August (Not 15th) at 14:20
Click here for tickets.
Experience The Spirit Of Edinburgh
If you're in the market for drinks as well as shows, check out Smugglers Spirits - we're a Scottish brand based in Edinburgh and all our spirits, from our Scottish vodka to our botanical gin, are made with only the best natural Scottish ingredients.
Click here to check out our new Scottish Vodka, the perfect way to kick off your Edinburgh Fringe experience. Right now you can get 10% off with the code PERMACULTURE