BEST OF THE FRINGE 2026: Jacob’s picks
Besties, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 is rapidly coming to a close - but there’s still a few days left to catch some shows! This year, we’ve had three reviewers up in Edinburgh covering as many shows as possible and they’re each going to take it in turns to share their Top 5 must-sees of this year’s Fringe.
First up, reviewer Jacob shares his highlights from this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Honourable mentions:
It’s virtually impossible to narrow it down to just 5 shows, so a few honourable mentions go to:
atticwife - a timely play, performed by two powerhouse actors, with plenty of laughs.
Derek Demko’s Last Day of Camp! - a joyous hour away from the chaos of Fringe, filled with fun, laughter and a dose of nostalgia.
What Happens in the Dark - an incredibly inventive play, packed full of laughs and boasting a perfectly timed lighting design.
5. One Man Musical
Flo & Joan’s comedy musical is taking the Fringe and the nation by storm and it is no surprise. It’s incredibly cleverly written and very very funny - although it may not quite be so funny if you don’t have prior knowledge of Andrew Lloyd Webber and his back catalogue (both the hits and the flops!).
Read our 5 star review of One Man Musical here.
One Man Musical runs at Beyond at Pleasance Courtyard until 30 August.
4. Penelope
Whilst there’s room to tighten the book up a little, Penelope earns its place onto this must-see list thanks to Alex Bechtel’s sublime score and Grace McLean’s outstanding performance. It feels a true honour to witness this huge Broadway talent pour her heart and soul out on stage in such an intimate venue.
Read our 4 star review of Penelope here.
Penelope runs at Belly Button at Underbelly Cowgate until 30 August. If you can’t catch it in Edinburgh, it will also play at Underbelly Boulevard Soho in London for one night only on 4 September .
3. We Had Fun
This debut play from Emmeline Hartley and Jack Mullings is just remarkable. It is incredibly rich and a fantastic example of how to write complex, flawed characters. Hartley and Mullings are also amazing actors in this show, elevated by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille’s innovative staging and inclusion of movement. It’s not for the faint of heart, but we’re sure this is not the last we’ll be seeing of this duo.
Photo credit: Megan Goldsman (We Had Fun)
Read our 5 star review of We Had Fun here.
We Had Fun runs in the Old Lab at Summerhall until 31 August.
2. MIND ER3CTION
MIND ER3CTION is one of the best hidden gems we discovered at this year’s Fringe. Andy Needham is no stranger to the Fringe having been a choreographer at Stamptown for a while, but this solo show has certainly put Needham on the map as an exceptional talent who has many strings to his bow. It’s not a show for the easily offended but what a privilege it was to catch this brilliantly creative show so early in its development. To paraphrase a popular musical set in New York City, where Needham hails from, “baby, remember his name”!
Read our 5 star review of MIND ER3CTION here.
MIND ER3CTION runs at Just Up The Stairs at Just The Tonic at The Caves until 30th August 2026.
1. Lisa! The Mona Lisa Musical
Lisa! The Mona Lisa Musical was one of the best new musicals we discovered at this year’s Fringe. It’s a clever concept for a story, brought to life by a cast of talented comedic musical theatre actors. It boasts a catchy score and is one of the few musicals we saw at the Fringe that we could hum songs back to you from. Whilst there’s a lot of buzz around another comedy musical that is debuting at this year’s Fringe, Lisa! The Mona Lisa Musical is the musical we saw that is most ready for another life. The musical, sadly, only had a short run this year but whenever it returns, or theatre company We’re Gonna Be A Dad returns to the stage, get your tickets quickly!
Read our 5 star review of Lisa! The Mona Lisa Musical here.
And there you have it, Besties! Stay tuned for James and Hannah’s picks of the Fringe…