A number of high-profile figures will compete for honours at next month’s ceremony

Here’s a round-up of the must-see theatre from the Edinburgh Fringe 2026: those awarded four or five stars by The Stage’s team of critics, and updated daily

Five productions on offer!

A review round up for Death Note the Musical, now playing at the Barbican Theatre, starring Xander Pang, Colin Ryan, Grace Mouat and Telly Leung.

Actor Keron Day draws on his experiences of getting along, or not, with live-in carers to give a pithy account of a complex relationship

I AM JOHNNY, performed by Tessa Parr, humorously critiques performative masculinity through spoken-word poetry, intertwining audience interaction and charm, albeit lacking narrative depth.

A thought-provoking work in progress, examining the dynamics of friendship

This jaw-dropping sensation returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with an outrageously talented cast and heaps of entertainment. 

Immigrants. They come here, take our jobs, and… they even take our allotments. The audacity. In Elizabeth Wood’s clever debut musical, the fictional, change-averse allotment town of Lyminghurst is thrown into disarray by the arrival of Karwan, a teenage asylum seeker reluctantly there because of

Murder, mayhem and mistaken identities are all tangled together in a cynical comedy from two of British TV’s finest writers, as part of this year’s Classic Thriller Season…

Jermyn Street Theatre and Glass Mask Theatre today announced full casting for the UK premiere of Simon Stephens’ A Slow Fire, a remarkable post-apocalyptic story of hope and survival.  Glass Mask Theatre’s Artistic Director Rex Ryan directs Ross Gaynor (Ashton), Fionn Ó Loingsigh (Presley) and Ian Toner (Reece), who reprise…

National Theatre Live has announced that the Almeida Theatre’s upcoming and highly anticipated revival of Golden Boy, led by Emmy and Golden Globe winner Josh O’Connor will release to cinemas worldwide from 5 November.

The revival of Into the Woods, a sell-out success at the Bridge Theatre, transfers to the Noël Coward Theatre in the West End

Bonnie & Clyde meet the Desperate Housewives in the funniest way possible.

Sublime puppetry graces a performance that’s missing a few strings.

Writer: Ivan Menchell, based on the original manga series by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata Composer: Frank Wildhorn Lyricist: Jack Murphy Director: Stephen Whitson There is a phrase doing heavy lifting throughout the marketing for Death Note as it makes its international debut: “reimagined for the London stage.” That word, “reimagined,” is working rather hard.

Ensemble Orchestra’s production asks the audience to vote for the show’s singers, but the conceptual approach can’t disguise the flaws

Now playing at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Boogie on the Bones is a political musical play set in Soviet-era Moscow, where a youth subculture resists conformity through jazz, dance and underground culture.

If you had told me that there was a theatre in a sauna… I would have been confused and told you you were lying. Why would anyone think that (albeit genius) idea up? Well, in come Sauna Theatre, who have done just that and triumphed beyond anything.  I love a sauna like anyone else, but … Continue reading Review, Mysteries of the Picts, Sauna Sessions, Sauna Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe by Hannah Goslin →

Rehearsal images have been released for the UK premiere of leading American playwright, Tracey Scott Wilson’s seminal newsroom thriller, The Story.  Directed by NT Associate Artist, Clint Dyer (the Death of England trilogy), this gripping and adrenaline-fuelled examination of racial politics and journalistic ethics will debut at the National Theare’s Olivier theatre. Check out the photos!

Welcome to Operation Blank, the subversive dark comedy debut from up-and-coming Scottish writer, George Grant, now playing at Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

BAFTA winner Letitia Wright makes her National Theatre debut in the UK premiere of Tracey Scott Wilson’sThe Story. Take a behind the scenes look at the production in rehearsals ahead of its opening this month. Directed by Clint Dyer (the Death of England trilogy), The Story is set to make its UK premiere at the

A play where nothing actually happens yet it keeps you gripped throughout, as mother and son go through an eternal game of accusations and regrets.

The Orange Tree Theatre has cancelled an open-air matinee performance of Love’s Labour’s Lost due to concerns about the heat. Guildford Shakespeare Company is currently presenting Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing.

A witty and bold retelling of one of mythology’s most familiar stories

Park Theatre has announced their Park200 Christmas show, a return to the world of Pride and Prejudice for a festive gathering told from the perspective of Mary Bennet, the novel’s most overlooked sister.

Hadestown: The Musical, filmed live in the West End, hits UK cinemas 13 October for a limited run.

As Into the Woods prepares to transfer to the West End following an acclaimed run at the Bridge Theatre, Simbi Akande, Gracie McGonigal and Keith Ramsay talk all things Into the Woods and what they love about Sondheim.

Bryony Kimmings’ “Bog Witch” at the Traverse Theatre blends humor and vulnerability, exploring ecological collapse through her transition from city life to rural existence in a captivat…

Origins – Nova Astro & Earth Live will bring astronomy, geology, storytelling and holographic imagery to Worcester’s Swan Theatre.

Theatre Royal Plymouth brings Badgers, a new play by Malaika Kegode, to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it has its world premiere. Badgers plays at the Traverse Theatre until Sunday 30th August as part of TravFest26. Read my review below. Badgers ★★⯪☆☆Review: 9 August 2026 | Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh If you’re as obsessed with true crime podcasts and theatre as I am, then booking to see Badgers, the new play from Malaika Kegode that promises a hybrid of both, is an obvious decision. Badge

An updated version of Arthur Hull’s musical cabaret FLOP! The Best Songs from the Worst Musicals, plays at Gilded Balloon Teviot at Edinburgh Festival Fringe through August 2026. Read my review here.FLOP! The Best Songs from the Worst Musicals ★★★★☆Review: 11 August 2026 | Edinburgh Fringe, Gilded Balloon Teviot This is such a brilliant idea for a show! Even the worst, most unsuccessful financial and critical failures on Broadway and in the West End all have at least one redeeming feature, right

Having heard that Half Trick Theatre have put on some excentric shows in the past, I expected Waiting For Wonka to be a silly, goofy and hilarious satire. It was. But it also surprised me with how …

The 27th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards, in association with AudienceView, will return to The London Palladium in 2027, marking the fourth

It’s easy to admire the skill involved, but the gimmick feels half-baked.

It’s likely not many were surprised to see Mischief Comedy revive last year’s smash hit The Comedy About Spies, especially when it was named Best New Play at the 2026 WhatsOnStage Awards. Based on previous universal acclaim, however, it’s also likely many were delighted for the return of this love letter to espionage over another […]

Turn the Cloth peaked my interest in merely its synopsis; promising scares, music and viewpoints on tradition updated for modern audiences.  1989. The first storm of winter hits a small Scotti…

The Distance at Summerhall (Main Hall) Review: “Thrillingly staged, impeccably performed and emotionally resonant throughout”

Clint Dyer directs the UK premiere

Sevrin Fay is an enchanting, immersive performance blending haunting music, ancient folklore, storytelling and rune symbolism to create a soothing escape from the many threats experienced in our modern world.

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley is the winter offering

A tale of finding nirvana on the dancefloor with echoes from throughout the ages, Lilly Walker and Alfie Jones’ The Late Utopians is one of the four-star standouts of our latest round of Fringe theatre reviews, also including Patch Of Blue’s deftly touching You and Me (and Whoever Comes Next).

Following the journey of loss and grief, two sisters navigate hurt, sadness and pain. With an excellent soundtrack, some script revisions would see this play thrive.

Bryony Kimmings brings her latest show Bog Witch to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe where it plays at the Traverse Theatre until Sunday 30th August as part of TravFest26. Read my review below. Bryony Kimmings: Bog Witch ★★★★★Review: 9 August 2026 | Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Bog Witch is the real-life story of how performance artist Bryony Kimmings, at forty-something, moved herself and her family out of the city and into a remote countryside cottage in a last-ditch attempt to be happy. A beautif

Knox was falsely imprisoned for the murder of her friend Meredith Kercher

A petition for Knox’s comedy show to be cancelled has been signed by over 6,000 people

This exuberant revival fizzes like a shaken can of soda, capturing the round-the-clock toil of aspiring performers

An absurd, hilarious comedy show about trees, nature and community that brings audiences together for an hour of silliness and fun.

A campaign to save a 250-year-old theatre from closure backed by the likes of Olivia Colman has succeeded, raising more than £100,000

A story about fronting, friendship, masculinity and the people who find us when we have completely lost ourselves Meet Rek. Real name Derek. But don’t call him that if you want to keep your limbs, mate. Rek has big dreams, big chat and absolutely no idea what he is doing.…