Every August, Edinburgh turns into the best and most exhausting version of itself, and I get to watch it happen from home. My husband Bryan takes the lead on show selection each year, though I do get a say, and every so often I’ll bow out of something that’s definitely not my thing. That’s rare though. Mostly I just show up, notebook in hand, ready for whatever we’ve booked ourselves into.

This page is where I write it all down. The triumphs, the disasters, the shows that made me laugh so hard I lost track of the plot, and the odd one that made me question my life choices. I count laughs during stand-up because honestly, that’s the only metric that matters to me. If a show doesn’t make me laugh, no amount of clever staging is going to save it.

There’s also a running tradition worth knowing about: the first show of the festival is almost always a bit of a dud, and at this point I’ve decided to treat it as a good omen rather than a bad one. Weak opener means the rest of the run has nowhere to go but up. So far it hasn’t let me down.

Expect honest opinions, star ratings, and a lot of enthusiasm for anything strange, funny, or unexpectedly brilliant. If you’re after a guide to what’s actually worth your time at the Fringe, you’re in the right place.

2026 Season

2025 Season