Comedy at the Fringe: A cheat sheet for Americans

Some of the many Americans in town for the Fringe.
Some of the many Americans in town for the Fringe.

Lots and lots of Americans visit Edinburgh for the Fringe Festival. Hopefully, many of you are here to enjoy some of the delightful British and international comedy acts performing here this month. To help you get the maximum amount of enjoyment out of these shows, we’ve put together a little cheat sheet of cultural references which are popular in Britain this year, which may not be familiar to those of you who live on the other side of the pond.

Read moreComedy at the Fringe: A cheat sheet for Americans

Edinburgh: Gay for Theater at the Fringe

Flyers and crowds as the Fringe takes over Edinburgh's Royal Mile
Flyers and crowds as the Fringe takes over Edinburgh’s Royal Mile

What a wonderful first week at the Fringe it has been. We have ticket stubs and show flyers coming out our ears, we’re sleep-deprived, and the pedometer on my iPhone is very proud of me. I’ve seen 31 shows already (just 3,162 left to go and I’ll have seen them all).

Looking at the top-rated shows on our theater list at the moment, there’s a theme that runs through many of them: gay gay gay. Some are serious dramatic works, some are hilarious comedies, and some manage to be both at the same time.

Read moreEdinburgh: Gay for Theater at the Fringe

Edinburgh Fringe: Opening Weekend and 2-for-1 days

A rainy day at the Fringe
A rainy day at the Fringe

Wheeeee, this is fun! The Edinburgh Fringe officially started on Friday (although previews had been running since Wednesday), and the crowds showed up right on time. It takes significantly longer to walk across town these days, with all the tourists and flyerers in your way (I need to stop walking like a New Yorker – it only leads to frustration). It’s relatively quiet over in our corner of New Town, but the Old Town is packed to the gills.

Read moreEdinburgh Fringe: Opening Weekend and 2-for-1 days