Right, now I’m turning my attentions to ‘Free’, that is ‘Pay What You Can’ shows. The Free Fringe movement, pioneered by PBH, is a growing force on the Fringe landscape, and the reasons why are easy to see. The costs of mounting a Fringe run are, for most, simply too damn high! The following fabulous five I’ve seen crush it before, and expect to crush it again in 2025. So, again, in no particular order:
John Robertson: Plays with the Audience
When he’s not filling expansive rooms with his international hit show ‘The Dark Room’, Mr. Robertson has begun to explore his roots as a stand-up once again. Last year the ‘Human Hurricane’ – an extremely apt moniker for the silver-haired minstrel lunatic – had a blast roasting his audiences in a most uplifting way.
The man who can make an audience all but queue up to be picked on is a talent to pay attention to. This year, he returns to Laughing Horse’s Counting House Ballroom with ‘John Robertson: Plays with the Audience’. Well, you can’t accuse him of not thoroughly explaining the shape of his show, can you?
John is a delight to behold, a 21st-century jester who loves nothing more than skewering sacred cows and cultural taboos. If you tell him I sent you, do report back whatever cheerfully excoriating response he rewards you with.
Details HereDanny Ward: The Holiday
It’s been a while since Mrs QR and I wandered down to the Chamber Room in the Banshee Labyrinth for a Danny Ward show, but that’s only because I became your favourite Fringe reviewing legend and stopped choosing my Fringe based on what I like.
Before then, we wouldn’t have missed Danny’s Fringe visits, and neither should you. Back in 2019, I called him “the master of multimedia comedy”, with outstanding timing, who never puts a foot wrong. His 2025 show, ‘The Holiday’, is based on his experiences working on the 2006 holiday celluloid favourite, ‘The Holiday’.
I would guess that Danny hasn’t lost a step and that he still knows how to overhead project with the best of them.
Details HereAlexander Bennett: Light Entertainment (WIP)
Alexander Bennett is a very funny, witty, and refreshingly vulnerable chap on stage. I last caught him in 2023 with ‘I Can’t Stand The Man Myself’ – the man being himself, of course. Well, the first time I caught Alexander upstairs at the Waverley back in 2019, I – and other members of the audience – hugged him at the end. Trust me it was a beautiful moment.
Well, from the 10th of August, he’ll take up residence in the Banshee Labyrinth with ‘Light Entertainment’. One of these days, Alexander, will run out of dark thoughts to explore, but probably not yet. Fortunately, he’s a very funny man, who knows that his urbane brand of social and self-observation has to be funny first, and meaningful/self-excoriating second.
However, if he threatens to do an overlong toilet joke as he pulled to end that 2023 outing, tell him to stop it on my orders. Otherwise, you can expect a superb hour of dark but urbane comedic musings.
Details HereAlastair Clark: On the Record
The hugely likeable Alastair Clark has flirted with the big time before, and it’s easy to see why. He’s a real comedian’s comedian, not interested in jumping on whatever’s trending online, or in skewering low-hanging observational fruit.
I first caught Alastair pre-pandemic in what can best be described as a windowless repurposed crack den somewhere in the Cowgate. I liked him immediately, as did Mrs QR, not least for his love of good music. Fortunately, he’s much more than a walking music encyclopoedia, so his 2025 show ‘On The Record’ – based on 10 years working in a record shop is likely to be a winner.
If his pitch-perfect, thoughtful, and hilarious 2019 show ‘Dear Joananette’ is anything to go by, Alastair is at his strongest when he has a meaningful story to pin his lines to. I think this will be a cracker.
Details Here2025 Greek Comedian of the Year: The Butterfly Effect
Last year, the ridiculously funny George Zacharopolous titled himself ‘Greek Comedian of the Year’ – an award he has awarded to himself for a second year. Funnily enough, it’s probably well-deserved; that’s how good he is.
The funny thing is, he actually did win the award for Best European Comedy Performer for his 2024 show, ‘2025 Greek Comedian of the Year: Greek In the Sheets’. I hate to think how long his show name will be in 2026.
Anyway, there aren’t enough words to describe just how good George Zacharopolous is when it comes to stand-up. If his schtick is to be believed, George’s life is one big blend of adventure and misadventure, undertaken with the best of intentions, but not always a great deal of forethought.
Fortunately, he can transmute his best and worst days into comedy gold and deliver it with superhuman affability and superb timing. Time and again, you’ll think George has hit a good punchline, only to realise he’s not done with you yet, and that real kicker is yet to come.
George has all the talents to become a serious international comedy star – assuming he can stay out of trouble long enough. If not, expect Greek Comedian of the Year 2030 to still be one of the picks of the Fringe.
Details HereWell that’s the end of Part 1, so do feel free to grab a drink and some popcorn before diving into Part 2 here! Still here? In that case, is there anyone you’re excited to see who only takes the audience prisoner at the end of the show via a bucket and tap-tap-pay decide? Comment below!
By
By
By
