Fresh-faced, with fire in their bellies and shiny brand new punchlines they’ve been polishing to perfection, those arriving at the Edinburgh Fringe with their debut shows are a treasure to unpack. They come from everywhere, to share their stories, their philosophies, histories, catapult their ideas and show us the particular way their unique minds work. And if it’s done right, it’s pure shiny magic in a box venue.
Abby Govindan takes stock in ‘Pushing 30’, blowing open rigged dating apps, breaking of generational curses, and just getting older. The apps have moved from finding matches to retaining users, feeding dissent between generations and genders, Govindan argues, in her signature storytelling style. Throw in generations of arranged marriages for the women of her family, only broken by her doctor-mother, and you’ve got a brand new take on an age-old question.
https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/abby-govindan-pushing-30
Another subversion of familial expectations comes from Ting Lim, most recently seen making a deliciously funny impact on TV comedy ‘Fisk’. Growing up in the Far East with a Singaporean Dad and a Malaysian Mum there was a definite recipe for offspring success: work hard, get a degree, financial stability, win approval. Lim explains in ‘Asian But Wrong’ that she followed it, but still ended up elsewhere. Tune in for failed relationships, a family-arranged demon cleansing ceremony and other off piste adventures.
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/asian-but-wrong
A familiar face for all ‘Ted Lasso’ fans, is Sapphire McIntosh. She is a footballer-turned-actress-turned-comedian, but not to worry – she’s been performing and fine tuning her comedy chops for over a decade so she’s pretty hot at it. Covering tough times experiencing homelessness, estrangement, ambition, and issues of identity – plus football. How did a working class criminology graduate from Leeds end up here? Pop along and find out.
https://underbellyedinburgh.co.uk/event/sapphire-mcintosh–squeaky-bum-time
One promising new voice coming from Edinburgh’s doorstep in Leith is Ruaridh Miller. Longlisted for an ISH comedy award last year and returning with his very first full length solo show ‘Autocorrect Thinks My Name is “Rubbish”’. Ruminating lightly on the perils of living a middle class existence while trying to hang onto working class values, Miller’s storytelling and observational humour has gained him all of the right kind of attention on the Scottish comedy circuit
https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:6734
Leo Hincks has packed a lot into his tender 22 years, not least being a finalist in the Chortle Student Awards two years ago. He’s back to the scene of the near miss determined to create a hit show of his very own with ‘Emotional Cowboy’. Mixing a glimpse into his own real-time anxious mind and reality as documented by his dreams, nightmares and notes app, with storytelling as well as his childhood envy of ‘Matilda’ , expect something totally original.
https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:7092
Taking real life drama and turning it into a blend of stand-up, character comedy, storytelling and clowning is Josh Pickar, drawing on his past professional life as a US capital defence attorney arguing against the death penalty. My goodness – here’s a show packed with incredible truths delivered in unbelievable ways! Not least the story of the lap dancer that caused the largest COVID outbreak in the federal prison system. A fresh and totally informed unique perspective here.
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/josh-pickar-getting-off
Hotly anticipated after featuring prominently in several rising stars competitions in the last couple of years (2024 BBC New Comedy Award winner, Channel 4 Sean Lock Comedy Award 2025 finalist, 2026 Chortle Hotshot) Paul Hilleard brings his debut Fringe show ‘Grogg’. Not so fondly named after the unique figurines made in his hometown of Pontrypridd, Hilleard has packed his bag and left for the Big Smoke – but is it really for him, or will he always be a grogg? Likely to strike a chord with anyone who has ever left home and wondered if polyamory is for them.
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/paul-hilleard-grogg
Stay At Home Son’ shows Jonathan Rudge in the process of moving back in with family as a fully fledged adult. It also gives a peek behind the mid-morning-telly curtain as he shares the tea on his career working at primo TV magazine show ‘This Morning’ – NDAs and all! Plus, dating tips for when you’re living with Dad, having a foodie influencer ex-husband, and the yummy gourmet tastes the experience left him with.
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/jonathan-rudge-stay-at-home-son
Making the jump from viral online content to live performance, Imogen Andrews combines sketch, character comedy, song, and ten minutes of being herself, In her Fringe show‘The Unlikeable Worms’, she imagines that all the best things happen underground and figures out what worm people deep in the earth might be up to. She’s racked up an impressive 300 million views of her online sketches and characters, and over 500,000 followers, so… no pressure.
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/imogen-andrews-the-unlikeable-worms
This may be Guy Branum’s Edinburgh debut, but he’s no comedy ingenue. He’s an Emmy- and Golden Globe-wining writer and producer (Max Comedy’s ‘Hacks’), talk show host when he’s at home in Los Angeles, and has a number 1 comedy album ‘Effable’ on iTunes. So this time he’s tackling the meaning of life ‘Be Fruitful’. Yes, the actual meaning of existence addressed, including religion, philosophy, science, and a queer love story.
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/guy-branum-be-fruitful
Off the back of being named Time Out’s Comedian to Watch in 2025, Jamie Wolf turns his writing skills and attention to the American healthcare system with his show ‘Psycho’. It is something he’s had considerable personal experience of, not least of which was being involuntarily locked up in a psych ward. Wolf compares and contrasts the systems in the USA – his home country – with others from around the globe. In case you needed another nudge to appreciate the NHS.
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/jamie-wolf-psycho
And finally, something completely different comes in the form of Harriet Richardson’s ‘Creep’, mixing stand up with alternative comedy, performance art and her own special elixir. Playing with dark humour and the ambiguity of her title as both person-with-the-ick and something insidious, Richardson promises to mine the dark humour in obsession and shame. Guaranteed to scratch that itch you’d been steadfastly ignoring.
