TOP 10 TUESDAY: Edinburgh Fringe Shows
- James Tradgett
- 15 hours ago
- 8 min read
As this year's Edinburgh Fringe draws to a close, we are left to ponder over the undoubted salmagundi of new theatre that we've experienced, and what the future may hold for many of them. In the meantime, let's look back at festivals past, and some of the most successful, beloved, and iconic shows that began life at the world's largest arts festival; from west end transfers to TV series, here are my picks for the top 10 productions to have begun life at the Edinburgh Fringe.
10. THE SHARK IS BROKEN - 2019
We begin with an Olivier-nominated comedy play that has since become something of a cult classic; written by Joseph Nixon and Ian Shaw, the latter being the son of original Jaws actor Robert Shaw, "The Shark Is Broken" is a character focussed play that details the various exchanges than happen during a lengthy break in filming the iconic 1975 blockbuster, as a result of the mechanical shark used in the film having broken down, hence the name. It is highly amusing, yet surprisingly real and grounded, and there is a poignancy as Shaw portrays his father during the play in beautiful tribute.
Following the postponement of the play's west end transfer, it eventually opened at the Ambassador's Theatre in October 2021, to widespread critical acclaim, a run that garnered it an Olivier nomination for "Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play". It later ran on broadway, and though the critical reception wasn't as universally positive, it received a rapturous audience response.
9. CHOIR OF MAN - 2017
One of two musicals to feature on this list, both of which, strangely, premiered at the same year's festival and had their west end premieres at the same London theatre. Prior to becoming west end mainstays, having performed at the Arts Theatre on and off since 2021, the regulars of "The Jungle" had their world premiere at the Assembly Music Hall during the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe, bringing their unique blend of song, dance and spoken word, as well as unmatched audience interaction and immersion for. a great night out at the pub.
And it's this ethos and focus on pub culture that has made the show such a roaring success in the west end, and it has even been performed internationally, with productions in both Australia and the USA, as well as on Norwegian Cruises. Whether you're a regular, or are visiting for the first time, everyone is welcome in The Jungle, as they have been for the past 8 years.
8. FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS - 2002
Perhaps the most famous export from New Zealand since Russell Crowe, comedy music duo "Flight of the Conchords" were formed in 1998 by flatmates Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, both of whom attended Victoria University of Wellington, where both studied film and theatre. Originally they performed as a five piece called So You're A Man alongside fellow student and eventual Hollywood director Taika Waititi. Prior to their appearances at the Fringe, they made several appearances on loca New Zealand TV network "Channel 7".
The duo's first appearance at the Fringe was in 2002, which was followed by two consecutive subsequent runs in Edinburgh before they were afforded their own show in 2004 on BBC Radio 2, which was largely improvised. This meteoric rise for the pair didn't stop there, as they eventually had their own TV sitcom commissioned by HBO, which premiered in 2007, and ran for two seasons, receiving positive critical acclaim and several Emmy nominations in the process. In spite of its short run, Flight of the Conchords has become a cult classic comedy series.
7. THE MIGHTY BOOSH - 1998
It was during Stuart Lee's show Moby Dick and King Dong in 1997 that we had our first look at what would become "The Mighty Boosh", but it wasn't until the following year that the Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding-led comedy troupe would take their own show to the Fringe, winning the Perrier Award for Best Newcomer in the process. After two further shows over the next two years, it was in 2004 that Steve Coogan and his company Baby Cow Productions afforded the troupe their own TV show, following a radio special in 2001 called The Boosh.
The programme would turn Barratt and Fielding into an immediate success story, and the show was renewed for a further two series, with other comedians such as Richard Ayoade and Matt Berry also making recurring appearances. Whilst the comedy troupe have long since parted ways, their impact and enduring popularity have cemented them as all time comedy greats.
6. THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN - 1997
Almost thirty years ago, a young comedy team comprising Jeremy Dyson, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith rocked up to the Edinburgh Fringe with their new show "The League of Gentlemen" the title of which came directly from the 1960 Jack Hawkin film of the same name. The show was a roaring success, winning the ensemble the Perrier Award, and it wasn't long before it was made into a radio show entitled "On The Town with The League of Gentlemen", and subsequently into the BBC television series that has since become such a cult hit.
The show focuses around the fictional, horror-stricken town of Royston Vasey and its various inhabitants, with a series of interconnecting storylines rather than a linear plot being the driving force. There is multiroling galore, as three of the four members (Gatiss, Pemberton and Shearsmith) portray a smorgasbord of different characters between them. The TV programme ran for 4 series between 1999-2002, earning a BAFTA and a Royal Television Society Award for the troupe, as well as a series of seasonal specials between 2002 and 2017. Whether or not you are a fan if the show, you cannot deny the considerable cultural impact of this British institution of comedy.
5. FLEABAG - 2013
The only solo show to appear on this list, Phoebe Waller-Bridge was already a respected theatrical practitioner and writer before she first performed an initial draft of "Fleabag" at the London Storytelling Festival in November 2012, later taking the full version of the show to the Fringe the following year. The show tells the story of a witty, free-spirited but grief stricken woman living in London, attempting to run a struggling guinea pig-themed café after the death of her friend and business partner. The solo show received widespread critical acclaim, praised for how it portrays the complexities of how trauma manifests itself on the individual.
After a subsequent run at Soho Theatre, a TV series was commissioned by Damian Kavanaugh for BBC Three, airing in the summer of 2016. Its universal critical adulation afforded the show a second series in 2019, which aired on BBC ONE, and catapulted Waller-Bridge to national recognition, making her a household name. Across its two series, Fleabag's cast included several major stars of the stage and screen, such as Hugh Dennis, Andrew Scott and Olivia Colman; its second series earned four Primetime Emmy Awards, including three for Waller-Bridge, as well as a coveted Peabody Award.
4. ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD - 1966
Before he became both a five-time Tony winner and Oscar winner, Sir Tom Stoppard was an up and coming British playwright searching for his big break. It was in 1964 when a Ford Foundation grant enabled Stoppard to do the bulk of his writing of a new work that would eventually become his first Tony-winning play "Rosencrantz and Guildernstern Are Dead", which tells the story of two courtiers from the Shakespeare masterpiece "Hamlet". This later premiered at the 1966 Edinburgh Fringe, the considerable critical acclaim of which afforded him a transfer to the Old Vic, making Stoppard an overnight success.
The following year, the play transferred to the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon) on broadway in October 1967, where it ran for three months before moving to the Eugene O'Neill theatre for its final nine months; during this period it won 4 Tony awards from 8 nominations, making it, to this date, the most successful broadway show ever to have premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It has since been revived a number of times, most notably at its original home the Old Vic, in a 2017 production starring Daniel Radcliffe and Joshua McGuirein.
3. STOMP - 1991
Prior to it becoming one of the longest running shows in the history of New York theatre, this Steve McNicholas and Luke Cresswell work of physical theatre and percussive performance had its humble beginnings at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh during the 1991 fringe, during which it became The Guardian's "critic's choice" for the festival. The premise of the show is simple, they use everyday objects such as dustbin lids as percussion, to create physical theatre using rhythms, acrobatics and elements of pantomime.
During its first three years of life, the show performed all over the world, and this culminated in a run at Sadler's Wells in London in 1994, during which it became a multiple Olivier award winner. Subsequently it opened at the Orpheum Theatre off-broadway, where it ran for over 29 years, closing in 2023; additionally the show has collaborated with everyone from Jimmy Fallon and Paul Simon to Mr Rogers and The Muppets, and even today are an instantly recognisable force of nature.
2. SIX: THE MUSICAL - 2017
Who could have known that a one act musical about the wives of king Henry VIII would go on to become such a global phenomenon; since the show's first introduction at the 2017 festival, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss musical "SIX" has performed at three separate west end theatres, with its first two runs at the Arts Theatre and the Lyric Theatre respectively being halted due to covid, before it finally found its permanent home at the Vaudeville Theatre on the Strand, where it has run non-stop since 2021.
The show subsequently opened at the Lena Horne Theatre on broadway, first pre-covid in 2020, before reopening the following year and earning 2 Tony awards from 8 nominations. It has also become something of a career springboard for stage performers, having successfully launched the careers of a healthy number of actors who have become west end and broadway mainstays, such as Jodie Steele, Adrianna Hicks, Lauren Drew and Samantha Pauly. From humble beginnings, SIX has now been performed all over the world, including in Australia, Japan, Canada and South Korea, and is showing no signs of letting up.
1. MR BEAN - 1980
There are few comedy writers as world renowned as Rowan Atkinson, and the universal appeal of everyone's favourite bumbling, largely nonverbal buffoon has seen this British institution become an instantly, internationally recognisable figure. The character of "Mr Bean" first appeared in a sketch performed at the 1980 festival fringe, and later at the "Just for Laughs" festival in Montreal, where Atkinson performed his show for a French speaking audience, in order to gauge how a non-English speaking audience would react to the character. The name of "Bean" was not actually decided on until after the first episode of the iconic TV show had been recorded, with other vegetable related working names such as "Mr Cauliflower" considered.
Atkinson has cited a number of influences for the character, including Peter Sellers' character Inspector Cluseau of the Pink Panther series. Since the TV series was commissioned by ITV, Bean has gone on to global superstardom, having been viewed in 245 different countries and territories, with much of its universal appeal coming from the nonverbal nature of the character; we have even seen an animated series, and a performance at the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony. Whether you are 8 or 98, there is something to love about Mr. Bean, and this self-confessed "narcissistic anarchist" is one who will likely continue be beloved by generations to come.
What is your favourite show that began life at the Edinburgh Fringe? Let me know below, or on my Instagram page.
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