Edinburgh Fringe: The next big thing

Various venues, throughout August

Part of the joy of an Edinburgh August is trying to find the next big thing amid a horde of acts who quite probably won’t hit the top flight.

Once upon a time, the likes of Frank Skinner, Jenny Eclair, Al Murray, Harry Hill and Steve Coogan all arrived at the Fringe as relative unknowns but are now firmly in the household name camp.

Whether any of this little lot will follow in those esteemed and funny footsteps remains to be seen.

Some might have had Tim Key down for major success by now given he scooped the Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2009, and while he has a list of screen credits longer than a gibbon’s arm, it’s the live arena where his particular brand of leftfield poetry, improvised audience chit-chat and multimedia screen shenanigans really comes to life.

His 2018 show is all about a date that’s doomed to failure.

A former winner of the Fringe’s Best Newcomer Award, Boston’s Alex Edelman is back with a new show in which he recalls the time he went (sort of) undercover to a neo-nazi meeting in New York. A brave move for a liberal yet orthodox Jew to make. Just For Us tells us what happened next.

Last year’s Best Newcomer, Natalie Palamides, returns with Nate, a theatrical stand-up affair in which the Pennsylvanian transforms herself into a horribly bigoted man who might be trying to change his ways.

If you’re looking for the next Kevin Bridges or Frankie Boyle (ie a homegrown global success story), then Christopher Macarthurboyd might be one to watch.

Having been recently scouted on the Scottish comedy circuit to land a deal with one of the major British comedy agencies, the future is boding well.

Home Sweet Home could be the show that catapults him to the next level.

Musical comedy is one of those genres that plenty of people steer as far away from as possible but Flo & Joan are doing their utmost to make it great again.

The narrative backdrop to some excellent songs has these fictional siblings trying to not go for each other’s throats.

That stage tension is given an intriguing spin by the fact they are indeed actual sisters, going by the names of Nicola and Rosie Dempsey.

The late-night cult hit from 2017 is back in a bigger venue, as Rob Kemp mixes the songs of Elvis Presley with the storyline of comedic horror movie The Evil Dead 2.

In case you hadn’t guessed, the show is called The Elvis Dead. Welcome to the Fringe.

Alex Edelman returns with Just For Us.