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I have strong feelings about how comedy shows are categorized at Edinburgh Fringe. There is an abundance of stand-up comedians, which is lovely, and many people are down to see those kinds of shows. But what gets my goat is that all other comedy shows get lumped in the same genre at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. You won’t find any stand-up on this list (in my world, that would be an entirely different post). Here we focus on theatre, clown, and improv.

Edinburgh Fringe season is almost here, do you know what shows you are going to see? With over 3,500 shows this year, the task can get a little daunting. As of right now, I’ve received over 400 pitches to my inbox; that’s a lot of flyering. I’ve spent hours scouring the fringe websites, looking at shows, trying not to miss someone. I try my best to suggest a variety of shows, at a variety of venues, and at varying levels of “clout” (if you will).

Most of us in this space are theatre kids. We were bitten by the theatre bug in our early years, and I would bet that many of you could still name the theatre teachers who got you into this whole mess. There is something special about a theatre teacher. Not only are they meeting you during the developmental years of life, but they are also intricately involved in cultivating your artistic notions and helping you learn to express yourself.

Q&A with Philadelphia Fringe Artist Donna Oblongata. Donna, you do more than perform; you direct and teach many clowns in Philadelphia. How does this impact your work? I love teaching and teach a really specific pedagogy, called Pochinko Clown, or Clown Through Mask, that comes from Canada. It's different from all the LeCoq and Gaulier stuff most people are familiar with. Teaching clowns is great because every time I'm giving them a lesson, I'm also giving myself one.

Melancholics Anonymous has become an established theater company that is fiscally sponsored, produces full seasons of theater, which include an annual new play workshop series, and has gotten some serious buzz. And yet all of our growth and incredible experience trace back to that first Minnesota Fringe opportunity, which started as a simple dream.

NESTING is the newst play from Peter McCormick playing at Summerhall this August during the Edinburgh Fringe. Peter is the playwright and will be featured in the cast. Full of heart, laughs, and, I am sure, a few tears, NESTING is sure to stir up a reminder of the people who have raised you and the love you have for them.

A few weeks ago, I got to be a fly on the wall at the World Fringe Congress, a gathering of fringe festival directors from around the world. Like, WTF?! who gets to do that?! I was one of a few delegates not directly working with a festival. We all had a blast spending the week geeking out about fringe, and seeing a few good fringe shows. While I can’t divulge all the juicy details (what happens at Congress, stays at Congress), I’d love to share a few things every fringe arti

We are thrilled to introduce a new series to the blog, Artists Q&A. It is another avenue to provide platforms for artists and celebrate all that is fringe. This week, we are featuring Canadian artist Holly Brinkman, whose newest show is A Woman's Guide to Romance Novels.

Last week, I had the honor of attending the 2026 World Fringe Congress in San Diego, CA, during the San Diego International Fringe Festival. I was fortunate enough to catch a few shows throughout the week. It was exciting to see that SD fringe secured a few new state-of-the-art venues in partnership with San Diego State University. Additionally, the Baja Fringe Bi-National Fringe Program featured a multi-day lineup and was well-received. Now on to the Reviews!

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival has long been known as a launching pad for bold and boundary-pushing theater. For Xhloe Rice and Natasha Rowland, a New York–based duo creating absurdist clown physical theater, the journey to Fringe began with little more than a duffel bag of props and a desire to share their work with a wider audience. What they discovered in Edinburgh not only transformed their careers but also reshaped their understanding of what success at Fringe really mean

From comedy to matchmaking to fringe, Olivia Raine Atwood has learned that each unexpected turn in life and work has been pointing her in the same direction. Olivia is a comedian, writer, matchmaker, fitness instructor, and award-winning fringe performer whose career path could best be described as “a series of accidental perfect fits.”

Orlando Fringe is the longest-running fringe in the United States, and has long been on my list of fringe festivals to attend. Sadly, my lottery number has never been pulled (does anyone have a hankie?), but I do keep a regular eye on the festival. I’m thrilled to give my top picks of this year’s festival. While I have to narrow down my picks, I’m gonna have some bonus picks (because you deserve it and I love you).

Penny Peyser’s journey in entertainment is a lesson in adaptability, resilience, and creative reinvention. From off-Broadway to Hollywood to Edinburgh Fringe, her career reflects a simple truth: sustaining a life in entertainment requires both flexibility and the courage to create your own opportunities.

You might be wondering: wasn’t there already a fringe festival in DC? The answer is yes, but Capital Fringe is no more. Here’s what happened and why we said yes to District Fringe.

Shelley Cooper has earned recognition in the Fringe theater world for her ability to bring historical figures to life through compelling solo performances. Her works, La Divina: The Last Interview of Maria Callas and Jenny Lind Presents P.T. Barnum, merge storytelling, music, and careful research to offer audiences a deeper, more nuanced understanding of iconic women whose legacies have often been shaped by myth rather than fact.

Fringe festivals have long been a home for the unexpected. They thrive on bold ideas, unconventional storytelling, and artists who do not fit neatly into a single category. For performers with seemingly mismatched skills, fringe offers something rare: permission to combine them all and see what happens.

Rochester is a unique Fringe. I have not seen another festival set up and run quite like this one. I participated in the Rochester Fringe Festival in 2024 and had a really lovely experience. I had a fantastic venue, found a friend to stay with (free housing always helps), and already knew quite a few touring artists, which made it feel social right away.

The arts have the power to transform not just individuals, but entire communities. This belief is at the heart of PUSH Physical Theatre’s work, as co-founder Darren Stevenson has experienced over decades of creating and performing. Darren's story illustrates how the arts can bridge divides, spark empathy, and foster collective well-being.

Adelaide Fringe is the world's second-largest fringe, and it is coming to a close on the 22nd of March. One of the highlights of this fringe is the Honey Pot, which is like a job fair for producing entities and shows.

The excitement of the world's second largest fringe festival is palpable. Pop-up venues arrive all over the city, bars turn into theatres, and theatres turn into gathering grounds. Here are our reviews for 2026, Part 1.