Modern popular culture is awash with spy stories: James Bond, Jason Bourne, John Le Carre, Ken Follett, William Boyd et al, going back to Eric Ambler. The reality of spy operations is usually far less glamorous: painstaking, dull monitoring, reporting within a static hierarchical structure. But it can still be very dangerous. Special Operations Executive (SOE) was created during World War II, with the fate of the free world at stake. Their role: espionage, reconnaissance, org

A man (Tiberius) lies sleeping on a mat. Another man (James) bursts into the room, railing against unseen antagonists. It’s now clear that they are in a police cell. When James’ rant eventually blows itself out, the story of how he comes to find himself incarcerated is slowly revealed. James has been arrested at a protest. It seems that he didn’t mean to be here, perhaps the accidental birth of an anarchist. James had rather taken a shine to George, a customer in his bookshop

What does the American Dream look like in 2026? In an era shaped by MAGA, Trump and the relentless influence of social media, the answer has become increasingly fractured. Its pursuit remains a defining cultural touchstone - but some people have different aspirations. We enter the Pleasance bunker to find a topless and shoeless man, seated and evidently reflective, perhaps troubled. A dead body is discovered in Brooklyn. Tree identical brothers appear to be persons of interes

Gaudeamus Artistic Company’s stated intention is to offer the Italian community in Scotland the means to reconnect with or discover Italian culture through theatre. Indeed, the excellent cast symbolise the cultural links between Scotland and Italy, not to mention the iconic and charming venue Valvona & Crolla , a visit being highly recommended at any time of the year. The set immediately suggests literary endeavours, with piles of books everywhere, some immediately identifia

This is a love story,” Jess and Iona tell us. Well, it’s probably two love stories, in truth. Iona (Leyla Aycan) and Jess (Catriona Faint) met at an Edinburgh bus stop during the Fringe. They continued to run into each other in queues and at a box office where Iona was working, and became friends. They reconnect every August at the Edinburgh Fringe and revel in its chaotic and often frantic environment. They recount how they go to bars, clubs, random Fringe shows – all set ag

Paldem appears to be the story of a young couple, enjoying modern life with a healthy and vibrant sex life. Things take a turn, however, when Kevin (Michael Workeye) records one of these sessions with Megan (Tash Cowley) on his video camera. It is a little unclear whether this was unintentional and whether it was livestreamed via OnlyFans (a subscription-based pornography internet platform). Whatever the intention, Megan is turned on by the idea and curious to explore further

The term ‘nobody’ tends to be bandied around a little carelessly. But if your identity is systematically removed from you, it has a chilling resonance. Tilly Wedekind was an accomplished performer, married to Frank Wedekind, an acclaimed and influential playwright known for Spring Awakening . Frank wrote roles for Tilly, perhaps most famously performing eponymously in the "Lulu sex tragedies". Frank began to deconstruct aspects of their married life and dramatise them on st

Sometimes it's what’s not being said that holds the most power. Mikey Burnett’s Colours Run leans heavily into the “kitchen sink drama” movement of the 1950s and 60s, portraying the struggles of working-class angry young men. The production is set in a Leith flat, where brothers Pongo (Ruaraidh Murray) and Pete (Sean Langtree) cohabit. Both are Hibernian football fans, with Pongo a member of the hooligan firm the Capital City Service, whose motto, “These colours don’t run”

Sometimes in life, you just have to push back. Erica (Eleanor Higgins) meets Jessie (Naomi Denny); both lesbians, electricity is in the air along with pounding dance music. They bond over a shared love of Tony Soprano and Lindsay Lohan, but their lives are far from straightforward. Living in urban Croydon, Erica is constantly short of money, maxing out her overdraft. Jessie at least has steady employment in retail… that is, until events conspire against her and she is fired.

December 21 is always the longest night of the year. In 1988, it was the darkest. In the mid-1980s, tensions were rising between some Middle Eastern and North African countries and the United States. In 1984, Libyans acquired timers for bomb detonators. In 1986, a discotheque in West Berlin was bombed, killing three Americans. Shortly afterwards, the US retaliated by bombing Libyan bases, killing an estimated 60 people. In 1988, various reports criticised lax security at Fran

Charlie Chaplin is perhaps the greatest physical comedian of all time. But he was so much more than that. Smile: The Story of Charlie Chaplin shines a light on some of his life. Born in South London poverty, he was sent to a workhouse aged just seven. Anyone familiar with his later tramp-pathos work will not have to look far for the inspiration. He later lands work at a circus, which tours to Vaudeville, USA. He is spotted by Max Sennett of Keystone Studios, signed up, and

Some German Jews managed to escape the Nazis. Clare Fraenkel’s grandfather Heinz was one of them. Heinz Fraenkel was at a Berlin cinema on 27 February 1933. This proved to be a momentous night historically, as the Nazis burned down the Reichstag, effectively bulldozing German democracy a mere four weeks after Hitler had come to power. While the second world war was still some time off, persecution was already rife in Germany. The film he went to see was interrupted by stormtr

Relationship management. No, this is not corporate jargon – this is more serious: just how does she get her boyfriend to take the rubbish out? Unusually for the Edinburgh Fringe, Clean Slate is staged in a traverse setting – in other words, audience members sit in rows on either side of a catwalk-style stage. The set initially is a kitchen island, with our protagonist, Louisa Marshall, cleaning vigorously. The set, incidentally, proves to be ingeniously mobile. The reason f

To say there is a housing crisis in Britain is something of an understatement, with successive governments proving unwilling or unable to reverse a generationally disturbing trend. Rents have spiralled beyond affordability, especially in city centres. The tightening of lending criteria following the banking crisis, along with the inability to save for a deposit, have proven to be stubborn barriers to homeownership. Resentment has grown, therefore, towards the wealth division,

Know thyself.” This hubris-fuelled throwaway snippet of pop psychology is proffered by our protagonist’s boss. It does come from the Oracle of Delphi, though, so there may be something to it. Referred to as the ‘CumEx-Files’, Teater Katapult’s The Insider casts a light upon a £50 billion tax fraud, spanning multiple countries, involving international banks, many of which are household names. The scheme hinged on the premise that the same tax refunds could be claimed multip

Have you got a home for me?” To say there is a housing crisis is something of an understatement, with successive governments proving unwilling or unable to reverse a generationally disturbing trend. Rents have spiralled beyond affordability, especially in city centres, and ownership is a distant dream for many. Resentment has grown towards the wealth divide and the damage to communities caused by short-term holiday-let platforms, subduing an entire generation. Which brings us

What's in a name? This Fringe story is set in the Uttar Pradesh city of Kanpur. Except for some, it wasn’t – the British renaming it Cawnpore, as they had renamed Mumbai and Chennai, among others. The causes of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 were myriad: hubris, misjudgment, cultural insensitivity, and plain incompetence. Rumours of pig and cow fat being used to grease cartridges were not adequately addressed. The distribution of chapatis – a form of signposting discontent – wa

Lolo (Lauren O’Brien) is on stage – this is her boyfriend show… or is it? The opening depicts a conversation with a loving boyfriend. They’re making plans and this looks like the real deal. She then circles back to her beginnings and recounts her backstory. As a child, she failed to read the popularity room, effectively marginalising herself. She is far from immune to cultural influences, however, and realises that she can reposition herself socially in a more accessible vein

A classical piano awaits us. And… a feather coat. The stage alludes to something left field, and we are not disappointed as Valentina Tóth sweeps the stage with a shock of red hair. She says that she is “very good at playing the piano.” Well, in the words of Muhammad Ali, it’s not bragging if you can back it up. She is, in fact, a former child prodigy. However, Fatal Flower is not a classical concert – far from it. It is a series of vignettes, all on the theme of ‘hysterica

Protests are planned in support of Hong Kong’s fragile democracy. Millie, while along for the ride, is more keen on partying. Millie is the daughter of ex-pats, a “third culture kid” – raised in a different environment than that of their parents. She is used to being uprooted and is a Hong Kong resident without a sense of belonging. Her lack of British identity is laid bare at her school’s International Food Event. She is described as a “gweilo”, a Cantonese term simultaneous