Edinburgh Fringe 2026: The Recs' Top Picks Round 2

The Recs already made its first Picks of the 2092 titles already on sale for this year’s Edinburgh Fringe – HERE – but with the next wave of 1,508 shows announced today, we’ve sifted through them and have chosen our Next Edinburgh Fringe Shows Worthy of Your Attention (in no particular order)

ROLEPLAY

“Hey slut! A broke feminist podcaster reinvents herself as a provocative slutfluencer in pursuit of fame, only to lose herself in the performance. Darkly hilarious, gripping and surreal, ROLEPLAY is a ferocious interrogation of modern sex, the commodification of feminism and the era of the personal brand. Writer, actress and comic Hannah Reilly brings her ‘fresh, female-first approach’ to the Fringe in this NSFW one-woman show directed by Paige Rattray. “

There’s been a bit of an accusation hovering over the Edinburgh Fringe in recent years that it has lost its edge, that it’s playing everything a little too safe.

Thank goodness then for the world premiere of ROLEPLAY which promises fearlessly to explore the contradictions of contemporary feminism, where empowerment, sexuality and capitalism collide.

Marking a major collaboration between the Fringe solo show pioneers, Francesca Moody Productions (Fleabag, Weather Girl, Baby Reindeer), and Tony-Award winning producers, Global Creatures (Moulin Rouge The Musical), ROLEPLAY is definitely one to watch at Fringe 2026.

Linus Karp Was Hit With An Umbrella

“Just before Fringe 2024, queer theatre maker Linus Karp was the victim of a homophobic attack. The case never went to trial… Until now. Linus Karp was hit with an umbrella. The attacker shouted that he would’ve killed him. The show retells the events and the aftermath – the police investigation, the public response, performing at Edinburgh Fringe days after and the heroic acts of Joseph Martin, and then dramatises the trial that never came to be…“

The Recs has been supporters of Awkward Productions from the comic-sans Ted talk How To Live a Jellicle Life through queer fantastias of Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story and Gwyneth Goes Skiing, to last year’s excellent The Fit Prince with bigger production values.

On the surface, this looks something of a departure tackling more serious subject matter, namely real-life homophobia. While exploring how to navigate through a traumatic hate crime, it will still mix Awkward Prods’ humour and absurdity. We couldn’t be more enthusiastic about this new direction – get your tickets now!

The Distance

“He’s been running his whole life. Time to catch up. When the football pitch freezes, Chris is forced into cross-country. Everyone hates it, but something in Chris ignites. A coming-of-age story set in the world of elite sport where everything is measured, every meal, every metre, every moment, asking why we push ourselves as far as we can… Then further. “

Given the success of Cadel: Lungs on Legs and before that Richard Gadd’s 2016 hit Monkey See, Monkey Do, former Team GB runner Ben Norris will follow an energetic Edinburgh Fringe path by performing on a treadmill throughout The Distance.

Given that the show has producers with (ahem) a track record including Six The Musical and Choir of Man, we are expecting big things.

The Real Kyle McCarren

“Welcome to Upstate Wherever, USA. Way back in the year two-thousand-who-cares, Kyle and Andy were more than friends. More than brothers, dammit! They were bandmates! But the real Kyle McCarren was a complicated dude. A bit of an asshole. Worst of all, he’s dead – and he won’t let Andy forget it. Sometimes the easiest way to tell people about a buddy of yours is to write a musical. In this musical séance that’s equal parts Bo Burnham and Tick, Tick… Boom!, you’re invited to meet the legend himself: The Real Kyle McCarren.“

Here’s a tip if you are looking for potential hits of the Edinburgh Fringe – if you see the words ‘Avalon’ and ‘musical’ in the same sentence, buy your tickets at the earliest juncture.

Mostly comedy producers, their first foray into musical theatre was the delicious Jerry Springer: The Opera. Their second was the global smash Operation Mincemeat.

Those are big shoes to follow but judging by The Last Snow, a song previewed on their socials, this could be all kinds of wonderful. You heard it here first!

You Talkin' to Us?

“Three vaguely incompetent gangsters decide to unionise against their tyrannical boss. With the help of a recently graduated, unemployed lawyer, the fight begins to bring about a more stable work environment despite no one knowing what that actually means. But after a failed robbery, personalities clash, loyalties are tested and it becomes clear that forming a union isn’t going to be as straightforward as they thought.“

The Edinburgh Fringe should always offer a platform to new and developing talent.

Last year, The Recs was delighted to be able to support Scottish-based production company, Authentically False Productions, making their Fringe debut with Cornermen.

So we are excited to see what they do next with You Talkin’ To Us? It is a limited run of 9 performances so make sure to book early.

Liberace and Liza – A Tribute

“Liberace and Liza brings together two of entertainment’s most flamboyant legends in a show that never was – but absolutely should have been. Direct from acclaimed runs at iconic venues including New York’s 54 Below, Feinstein’s at the Nikko in San Francisco and The Purple Room in Palm Springs“

You want camp? You got a double dose of camp with a whole load of sequins thrown in.

Liberace and Liza Minnelli never performed together, but thanks to David Saffert and Jillian Snow we can now enjoy the giddy thrill of what might have been.

With iconic songs such as Cabaret, New York, New York, and Over the Rainbow as well as unimagined covers of Lady Gaga and Britney Spears, Edinburgh – you are not ready for this!

The Jolly Fisherman

“The story of Alan, Amir and England. Inspired by true events in London’s East End, two boyhood best friends must hold tightly to their friendship as their worlds pull them further apart. This is a play about who we are now and the places we call home.”

Boyhood best friends Alan (Alex Hill – Why I Stuck A Flare Up My Arse For England) and Amir (Jonny Khan – The Shitheads) must hold tightly to their friendship as their worlds pull them further apart in a brand new drama based on true events.

You have to trust, Kick It Anywhere, not least as they are a nine-times Fringe Award nominated production company.

The Pitch

“Robbie is a sports-mad Belfast boy. When his favourite pitch is refurbished into a Gaelic football ground, he sees it as an invasion of his culture. But for GAA player Deren, it’s a chance to play the sport he loves, in the home where it was never accepted. As Robbie’s sister, Melissa, starts playing Gaelic football in school, and a United Ireland referendum looms, can all three of them find common ground?“

This seems a really interesting and different way of exploring the political impact of a post-troubles Belfast on young people in Ireland today – coming at an interesting juncture where the conversation around a United Ireland feels like it has never been stronger.

As a theatre company that supports new work, this is Moya Jane Productions’ first show at the Fringe – and one that The Recs is happy to draw your attention towards.

Woodcutter

“Returning from the USA, only child John Anthony Gorman clears out his late parents’ home in Glasgow in this autobiographical one-man show. Armed with cardboard boxes, he tackles each room layered with traditions, celebrations and heartache. Between the dust and daft keepsakes, every object sparks a story – from stealing his mum’s diamond earrings to be like David Beckham to pouring his dad’s last Guinness. As the house empties, the past grows louder.”

Autobiographical, one-person dramas that populate every Fringe often run the risk of audiences not finding the subject matter as interesting as the performer finds their own life.

On this occasion, though, The Recs is suitably intrigued by this new work by Glasgow-born actor, John Anthony Gorman – who you may know from US dramas such as The Blacklist on NBC, Lioness (alongside Nicole Kidman) on Paramount+ and Daredevil Born Again on Disney+.

Concerts of the Future

“What if anyone could play in the concert hall? Concerts of the Future is a cutting-edge VR experience that invites you onto the stage to perform alongside the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra – no musical experience required. Join us and play Beethoven’s Symphony No 7 using new musical instruments from the future and step out of the audience and onto the stage.“

This sounds fun! Rather than the usual dystopian nightmares conjured up by VR experiences, this one sounds like a hoot!

Who wouldn’t want to play alongside the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra! In this VR experience, you are given a choice of five “gestural instruments”. These are AirSticks that will translate your movements into music…hopefully!

You’ll play one of the following: Lumivox (shimmering pads), Gravitone (deep drones), Velaphon (crystal plucks), Aetherharp (rhythmic spikes), and Cellaris (breathy strings) as you join the rest of the orchestra to play Ludwig’s most rhythmic symphony!