Edinburgh Fringe 2024: 8 theatre shows to watch

This year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival programme offers over 1,500 theatre (and theatre-related) shows for audiences to enjoy.

Fringe favourites Xhloe and Natasha, who won their second consecutive Fringe First award last year, return with What if they ate the baby? (theSpace @ Niddry Street, 2nd – 10th August) and their new show, A Letter to Lyndon B Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First (theSpace @ Niddry Street, 2-10 & 12-24 Aug) The new show showcases more of the duo’s signature, captivating style, promising a heady mix of slapstick, physical theatre, comedy and devastation.

Also playing on theSpace Gospel of the Rat King (theSpace on the Mile, 4-24 Aug) by Cup of Teatre and New Celts Productions. Created by four Edinburgh Napier students, the play explores the way our childhood play and fantasies follow us into adulthood. As three reunited childhood friends unravel what happened to them at school, mysteries and memories of a monstrous headmaster and a fictional Rat King are intertwined.

James Rowland concludes his Songs of Friendship trilogy with James Rowland dies at the end of the show (Summerhall, August 1-26, except 12 and 19). Following its critically acclaimed predecessors, Learning to fly It is WorkpieceRowland’s new show is an hour-long one-woman play about joy, life and death.

Summerhall will also host Cosmosa solo show by contortionist Ashtar Muallem. Through the piece, Muallem seeks a connection with the Divine and explores memories of growing up between Palestine and France. This multi-genre show blends comedy, movement and storytelling (Aug 1-11).

At the Scottish Storytelling Centre, audiences can expect an ambitious and original mix of storytelling, theatre and poetry for Fringe-goers aged 2-6. Niall Moorjani’s children’s show, To growreturns after a sold-out season last year (August 1-25). Sinéad O’Brien combines Irish epics and personal narratives in Hero/Banlaocha heartfelt play about myth and family (August 1-25). Jess Aquilina brings her multi-genre show, The Tree and Its Talefor the George Mackay Brown Library. Told through puppetry, music and narrative, the play explores friendship and the bonds built through stories (Aug 1-13).