The greatest show on earth is back. The line-up for this year’s Edinburgh Fringe has just been announced and it’s the most impressive yet, featuring over 50,000 shows and performers from more than 50 countries. By last count, that makes it the biggest and most diverse arts festival in the world.
The comedy programme has been criticised in recent years for chasing headlines and profit, but this August’s calendar sees a shift in focus toward the original spirit of the Fringe, with ethics and gender issues emerging as key themes.
Even the mainstream names have a political edge. Ricky Tomlinson promises a no-holds-barred account of his 1973 imprisonment over strike action, Al Murray appears fresh from his election battle with Nigel Farage, plus long-standing feminist Jo Brand and professional agitator Mark Thomas feature as high-profile additions to the bill.
As ever, the more intriguing acts are a little harder to find, but just as likely to sell out. With this in mind we’ve scoured the line-up to find five of the most vital comedy acts to catch over the month. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Bridget Christie
Fast-becoming one of the most important names in stand-up comedy, Bridget Christie’s show is based on her literary debut, A Book For Her, which covers her experiences on the comedy circuit since the turn of the millennium. Sparked off by a man farting in the Women’s Studies section of a bookshop, Bridget skillfully connects the dots between this and the global feminist struggle. Expert at treading the line between ideology and comedy, judging from her previous shows, this is the frontrunner for the stand-out stand-up gig of the festival.
tickets.edfringe.com/bridget-christie
Luisa OmieIan
Another act on a seemingly unstoppable rise is Luisa Omielan. Following her raved-about debut show What Would Beyoncé Do? – a thoroughly non-corny account of her journey towards self-acceptance – her new production Am I Right Ladies?! is an unashamed manifesto about mental health, body image and sex. Hilariously brazen and fiercely confident, Luisa might reject being described as feminist but it’s hard to think of a more empowering female comedian on the circuit today. And with strong TV and stateside interest, this may well be the last chance to see her on a stage this size.
tickets.edfringe.com/luisa-omielan
Michelle De Swarte
From growing up on a London council estate to working as a runway model in New York, it’s fair to say Michelle De Swarte has some gripping stories. And her show Jewish Cockney Caribbean Female is the place to hear them. A self-described “British-born brown, Jewish, modern day feminist”, De Swarte has a unique take on class, race and sex, and delivers it with wit, charm and swagger. One of the most promising new stand-ups around.
tickets.edfringe.com/jewish-cockney-caribbean-female
Fern Brady
Disturbing, surreal and obscene, often all at the same time, Fern Brady is one of the few working-class women to break into the TV panel show closed-shop. She’s as incisive as she is funny, as evidenced in her excellent articles about class and gender for the Guardian. Despite building a cult live following this is her debut full-hour set at the Fringe, titled ‘People Are Idiots’. And let’s face it, if most TV commissioners are anything to go by, she’s probably right.
tickets.edfringe.com/fern-brady
Trevor Noah
South African comedian Trevor Noah won endless acclaim for his last show at the Fringe, The Racist, in which he discussed growing up mixed-race under apartheid (“That’s racist! – but I see what he means”). Since then he’s gone from strength to strength, most notably with his replacing Jon Stewart as host of the Daily Show. It remains to be seen if he’ll address the scandal over some dubious tweets from 2011, but in the subsequent years Trevor has established himself as not only a consummate stand-up, but someone who addresses the issues of power and privilege in a thoughtful and entertaining way. The eyes of the world will be on this one.
tickets.edfringe.com/trevor-noah
Credits
Text Ian Jones