Pleasance Courtyard, Bunker Two • Fringe 2026 ★★★★
With a style that's almost unnervingly deadpan, Ele McKenzie tells the audience how privileged she feels to be here on this magical evening. And over the next hour, she continues to skilfully subvert social norms using material that catches us off guard with its honesty, revealing things about us even as she pokes fun at herself. It's a confessional show punctuated with her happily absurd observations and dryly hilarious punchlines.
There's a sense of childlike wonder to the way Ele talks, amazed at being here when her life seems so small. She speaks with a mix of annoyance and affection about her critical mother Jane and golden-boy twin brother Will. Her relationship with her father is even more complicated, leading to a lingering worry about housefires and questions about what it would take for them to bond. Each anecdote is peppered with witty references and twists, as little jaw-dropping details are dropped in casually. Both Spam and Bob Dylan make a number of appearances, returning for an extended bit at the end. All of this is seen through the prism of her own obsessive-compulsive personality, a trait she probably shares with her mother.
A wry smile is about as much emotion as she can muster, but Ele's turn of phrase is masterful. Punchlines are thrown away matter-of-factly, which cleverly adds a layer of awkwardness to the audience's laughter. Her big imagination finds emotion in unexpected places, including within some amusingly rude gags. And while the evidence seems to signal that her life has gone off the rails, she's so sanguine about it that we realise that maybe we're taking our own troubles too seriously. "But hey," she reminds us, "it's all good now."
For more: ELE McKENZIE • 16.Aug.26
Zoo Playground, One • Fringe 2026 ★★★
The freeform nuttiness that infuses this show is surprisingly winsome, as clowning performer Noah Seltzer engages closely with the audience to take us on a journey out of loneliness. It's all rather jolly and otherworldly, like a Ted Talk delivered by a child in pyjamas to a lineup of cuddly toys. But the point is important, so even if it feels meandering and repetitive, Noah grounds the show in a consistent barrage of joy and positivity. And by the end we can't wipe the smile from our faces.
Wearing a dragon onesie, Noah high-fives every audience member before introducing himself as sent by the World Health Organisation to find a vaccine for loneliness, which he wants to reduce from a pandemic to an epidemic. Amid rather a lot of running around, goofy wordplay and disarming crowd work, he presents protocols designed to help us feel seen as individuals, as members of a family and as connected to the world at large. He involves each one of us in this process, creating a playful atmosphere that's strongly endearing.
The endlessly smiley Noah performs this with exuberant energy, using his full physicality as he throws himself around the room, striking dramatic poses and doing a brief burst of juggling. He also plays a silly prank on one audience member. Then as we come deeper under his buoyant spell, he gets us to sing and dance along with him, while wildly cheering each achievement. All of this may feel a bit chaotic and also rather simple, but the underlying idea is profound, allowing emotions to sneak in. And the hopeful look in his eyes is hugely engaging.
For more: NOAH SELTZER • 16.Aug.26
Pleasance Courtyard, Beside • Fringe 2026 ★★★★★
A gifted character comic, Rory Marshall playfully takes the audience along with him as he dives into a rapid-fire series of scenarios, interlinking them to create his own absurdly ridiculous universe. Accompanying him on this journey is a lot of fun, as each sequence is packed with witty gags, sharp references and knowing observations about human behaviour, including a lacerating pastiche of hyper-masculinity and win-at-all-cost business.
Bounding in, Rory introduces himself as the staff social manager, promising to up the schedule from 10 social outings a year to 10 per week. And he has lots of ideas, but perhaps not quite enough funding. Further sketches feature him trying to sell special promotions, making various attempts to connect, using swagger with the boys and charm with the ladies, although some of his metaphors get away from him. There's a speed dating bit featuring a range of hilarious participants. He also becomes oblivious surfing instructor Ed, a sweary celebrity chef, an invasive server at a posh party and a heckler at his own standup show.
In character, Rory also has a riotously funny rant about the very real difficulties of performing at the Fringe, and as a climax appears he in his pants as a life drawing model at yet another staff social. Yes, all of these sketches are interconnected and packed with amusing asides, surreal humour and jaggedly outrageous touches that ground the comedy in profound ideas. It's impeccably written, boldly skating close to the edge while remaining thematically resonant, and performed with so much charm and talent that we won't be surprised by anything he gets up to next.
For more: RORY MARSHALL • 16.Aug.26
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