The Edinburgh Fringe is where some of the world’s most exciting theatre is created, and we think you deserve a front-row seat. Our team has hand-picked some of the best shows from the festival lineup that offer something a little different. Here are a few we couldn’t wait for you to see.
Man or Bear | 25 Sep | Norwich Theatre Stage Two
Man or Bear is a fast-moving, darkly comic new play about fear, friendship and survival. Blending kitchen-sink realism with movement and music, it follows a mother and teenage daughter who seek refuge with a stranger. And then there’s the bear.
Why we would recommend: Viral internet debate turned into raw, razor-sharp theatre.
Copycat | 3 Oct | Norwich Theatre Stage Two
Does AI spell the end of humanity, or the dawn of a new utopia? Fringe First Winner Joe Sellman-Leava (Labels, Fanboy) might be a technophobe, but he’s going to try and find out! Using innovative design and a whirlwind of uncanny impressions, Joe tells the story of a teacher, a student, and a copycat dictator to examine the links between art, fascism and rapid technological change.
Why we would recommend: A brilliant, funny dive into whether AI will save or destroy us.
Forget About Me | 3 Oct | Norwich Theatre Stage Two
In a remote, north-east village, something lurks in the bathroom: something Dylan struggles to remember, which even his dad’s deadly DIY skills can’t fix. Part magic show, part ghost story, this isn’t your typical conjuring act: mind-bending mentalism and spine-tingling effects blur the line between reality and fiction.
Why we would recommend: Prepare to have your mind messed with by chilling psychological illusions.
Turn Your F*cking Phones Off | 17 Oct | Norwich Theatre Stage Two
A 33-year-old, obviously gay, audibly middle-class, solo theatremaker is standing at a payphone. She needs to tell you a story. It’s about a very weird, quite secret job she had a few years ago. It’s pretty funny in parts. She needs to vent about her addiction to doomscrolling.
Why we would recommend: Multi-award-winning, hilarious, and wildly interactive theatre tackling our obsession with doomscrolling.
Crush | 25 Oct | Norwich Theatre Stage Two
A British-Somali rom-com that warms your heart and hits you right in the feels. A clinic waiting room. Two Somali teens. One awkward meet-cute. Najma has been in treatment for years. Zakariya’s just starting out. She sketches. He writes poems. Neither of them is ready to talk. Until they meet each other.
Why we would recommend: An unbelievably sweet, honest, and funny clinic-set romance.
Woodhill | 10 – 11 Nov | Norwich Theatre Playhouse
Three men at Woodhill prison are dead. The families demand answers. This is a call to arms about the crisis facing prisons. Gut-punching choreography and unflinching beats shine a light on the hidden story of HMP Woodhill. Lyrically told in their own words, three families investigate what happened to their boys. What they discover is so haunting, it turns their world upside down.
Why we recommend: A five-star-reviewed show from multi-award-winning LUNG that uses dynamic dance to tell a true and vital story.
Anyone For Tennis? | 29 Jan | Norwich Theatre Playhouse
A Wimbledon line judge for 20 years, comedian Pauline Eyre is ready to spill the Pimm’s on tennis gossip from the fragrant royal box to the musty locker room, and why line judges are OUT! Expect smashing stories, ace anecdotes and a 40-love letter to the game.
Why we recommend: Juicy, behind-the-scenes Wimbledon drama you won’t hear on TV.
