Let’s face it, you can’t really go wrong with a Fringe show – we don’t think we’ve ever seen anything bad. It’s a great way to discover new acts and venues or just check out something that you wouldn’t normally. But when there are over 700 shows to sift through, it can feel a bit overwhelming, so we’ve put together a little list to help you out. Our festival picks of the week will also be back from next Monday, so look out for those!
Cosmic Brainfart: An Immersive Adventure
Billed as a show about how to maintain a vague semblance of sanity (and how to use the phrase ‘self-care’ without cringing, this is where escape room meets theatre and takes us all along for a surreal and entertaining ride. And, let’s be honest, if you’re looking for a genuine underground venue, it doesn’t get much better than this: the punk theatre-makers behind the show, 2headedpigeon Theatre, found a hidden cellar beneath their normal Brighton home a few years ago and turned it into an epic venue – the aptly named Nether Regions. This will be your last chance to experience it, though, it’s going to be turned into a fancy living room this summer!
7th, 14th, 21st, 28th May and 4th June; 11am, 1pm and 3pm; from £10
59a Clyde Road, Brighton BN1 5NN
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Accidental Birth of an Anarchist
This thought-provoking environmental comedy (not two words we ever thought we’d put together) tells the story of two climate activists who’ve managed to get onto a North Sea oil rig to stage a protest. But there’s a hitch: they’re new to all this so their plan isn’t exactly fully formed, the weather’s getting worse and the situation’s getting riskier by the minute. Yikes. Luke Ofield’s play premiered to critical acclaim at London’s Space Arts Centre last year so we’re excited to see artists collective Rising Tides and Unmasked Theatre bring it to Brighton’s Rialto Theatre.
10th – 15th May, various times; from £8
The Rialto Theatre, 11 Dyke Road, Brighton, BN1 3FE
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Betsy: Wisdom of a Brighton Whore
This pacy – and sweary – one-woman show of “sex, seduction and survival” is returning to the Fringe this year after selling out in 2019, when we saw it and loved it. Set against the backdrop of 1800s Brighton, Betsy’s tale flits between her life now and her upbringing, with can’t-take-your-eyes-off-her actor Isabella McCarthy-Somerville bringing to life a multitude of typically unheard characters, effortlessly moving from saucy to chilling. Staged by Something Underground, spine-tingling musical soundscapes all help to evoke an intriguing, often-forgotten underworld.
7th May – 4th June; from £10
Brighton Fishing Museum Loft, 200 King’s Road Arches, Brighton, BN1 1NB
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Sex, Lies and Improvisation
A completely improvised dark comedy about why we lie to those we love? Consider us sold. Each show starts with the audience choosing a lie that people have told their partner (and submitted for consideration anonymously – so no revelations here). The actors take their inspiration from there to create a compelling and witty play on how that lie impacts a couple’s relationship. Probably not one to take your other half to if you’re on shaky ground, though.
20th – 21st May; 9.30pm; £10
The Rialto Theatre, 11 Dyke Road, Brighton, BN1 3FE
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Luke Rollason: Bowerbird
We saw Luke (feature pic) at a pre-Fringe show at Komedia and were immediately sold. Original and surreal with a healthy dose of Jim Carrey’s physicality and a pinch of Frank Spencer, Luke is a vision of brilliant orange bizarreness. Is his comedy utterly random? Yes. Is it bloody hilarious? Also yes. A bit like Marmite, you’ll either love it or hate it, but we very much love it in all its glorious silliness. Because when else are you going to witness an epic Australian tragi-comedy starring a pair of sieves?
2nd – 4th June; various times; £10
Brighton Spiegeltent: Bosco, Old Steine Gardens, Brighton BN1 1GY
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Séayoncé: Res-erection
Filthy and fabulous, Séayoncé is a fortune-telling, ghost-whispering mystic with a connection – a slightly messed up one – to the other side. Staggeringly quick off the mark and with a brilliant line in potty-mouthed puns, Dan Wye’s character fuses stand-up, song and drag to great effect. A golden-voiced queen with expert comedic timing and a brilliant line in outrageousness. ‘Cos ghouls just wanna have fun.
29th May; 8.45pm and 2nd and 3rd June at 9pm
Komedia (Studio) and Ironworks Studios
44-47 Upper Gardner Street, Brighton BN1 1UN and
30 Cheapside, Brighton BN1 4GD
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Head First Acrobats: Railed
Death-defying acrobatics with a Western theme? Meet the boys of Railed and discover a world of physical prowess – and we don’t just mean their finely toned abs – madcap storytelling and comic capers. This adult show is billed as ‘bare-chested circus meets bare-knuckle bar fights’ and we are here for it. If you’re looking for something more child-friendly, they’ve also got a comedy circus show, PreHysterical, which tracks three bumbling Neanderthals as they struggle to survive via a mix of slick acrobatics and slapstick.
23rd May – 4th June, Brighton Spiegeltent
Old Steine Gardens, BN1 1GY
Get tickets
Photo credits: Chloe Hashemi
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