Must-see LGBTQ+ acts and comedians at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2024
The 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe LGBTQ+ acts include Rhys Nicholson, Sarah Roberts and Dee Allum. (Monica Pronk/Raphael Neal Web/Rebecca Need-Menear)
The annual Edinburgh Festival Fringe promises another year of queer comedic gold when LGBTQ+ acts arrive in Scotland.
The Fringe is the world’s largest performance arts festival, where thousands of performers are set to showcase their talents between 2 to 26 August.
And for those specifically looking for queer talent, here are the acts to look out for.
Anna Akana: It Gets Darker
Anna Akana, probably best known for Ant-Man and Jupiter’s Legacy on YouTube, is likely to channel all her anxieties onto the stage for her Fringe debut.
Her show pulls from her own experience of stalking and the loss of her sister to deliver a poignant stand-up set that shows you can transform pain and trauma into laughter.
You can buy tickets to see Anna Akana here.
Dee Allum: Deadname
Dee Allum’s story of coming out as transgender is at the heart of Deadname, her debut stand-up show.
She will reconcile with the past and her time at an all-boys school, coming out and going through two puberties.
You can buy tickets to see Dee Allum here.
James Barr: Sorry I Hurt Your Son (Said My Ex To My Mum)
In his new hour, James Barr opens up about his experience as a victim and survivor of domestic violence in a show that is a personal act of resilience.
Laughter has been a powerful weapon for James, so as he takes to the Edinburgh stage to share a deeply personal story he is using comedy to call for greater awareness of domestic violence within the LGBTQ+ community.
You can buy tickets to see James Barr here.
Paul Black: All Sorts
You’ve probably seen Paul Black on TikTok. The Scottish comedian has garnered a loyal following for his online sketches.
Paul blends stand-up and sketches, while playing fan-favourite characters as well as some new ones.
You can buy tickets to see Paul Black here.
Mhairi Black: Politics Isn’t For Me
This is former MP Mhairi Black’s Fringe debut.
In 2015, she became the youngest person ever to be elected to the House of Commons and her stage show will reflect on her time at Westminster. Her views on 21st-century politics promise to reveal her ruthlessly dark sense of humour.
You can buy tickets to see Mhairi Black here.
Kim Blythe: Might As Well
Kim Blythe, aka TikTok star Kimbo, is venturing into the world of stand-up comedy with her Fringe debut.
Might As Well is a show consisting of tales of childhood and candid anecdotes about the pitfalls of adulthood.
You can buy tickets to see Kim Blythe here.
Anesti Danelis: Artificially Intelligent
Although he garnered millions of views and followers online, Greek-Canadian comedian Anesti Danelis felt lost in his life and career.
Danelis asks Chat GPT to write him a comedy show but he has to keep feeding the AI details about himself, leading to an introspective and personal reckoning about his anxious-millennial queer identity.
You can buy tickets to see Anesti Danelis here.
Gearóid Farrelly: Gearóid Rage
Gay Irish comedian Gearóid Farrelly has come to terms with the fact that he has limited patience and a short fuse and his stand-up show is an exorcism of all the things that make his blood boil.
Even after being out for 20 years, he still finds himself struggling to be out and proud, which will be just one of the topics he reflects on.
You can buy tickets to see Gearóid Farrelly here.
Chris Hall: Girl For All Seasons
Social media sensation Chris Hall is obsessed with pop princesses. He blew up online with “background singer” sketches that include collaborations with Kylie and Shania Twain.
In his debut hour, Girl For All Seasons, Hall will recount his life as a “boy who’s a bit girly, really”.
You can buy tickets to see Chris Hall here.
Otter Lee: Princess Syndrome
Chinese-American queer stand-up and actor Otter Lee vividly remembers being four years old and weeping when Princess Diana died – while his father mocked him.
Princess Syndrome will mix stand-up, storytelling and musical comedy to make peace with racism in the gay community.
You can buy tickets to see Otter Lee here.
Olivia Levine: Unstuck
Queer comedian, writer and actor Olivia Levine has embarked on a mission to unleash her queer sexuality and that begins with being open about masturbation, shame, Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and confusion.
Through stand-up storytelling (including anecdotes about vaginas), Levine shines a light on misunderstandings at the intersection of OCD and queerness.
You can buy tickets to see Olivia Levine here.
Catherine McCafferty: (Not) That Bad
Catherine McCafferty draws on comedy to process trauma, truly laughing through the pain to reflect on the stories and journey of her life.
In her show, she will reveal how she came out on stage and will rifle through personal anecdotes to work through the bad things that have happened to her.
You can buy tickets to see Catherine McCafferty here.
Rhys Nicholson: Huge Big Party Congratulations!
Former RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Rhys Nicholson is bringing his new hour-long, stand-up comedy concert to Scotland’s capital.
Now he’s married, Aussie Nicholson will reflect on his long engagement and their “happily ever after” as a queer couple, noting the expectations that come with that step in life.
You can buy tickets to see Rhys Nicholson here.
Will Owen: Like, Nobody’s Watching
Will Owen absolutely loves watching TV. A pop culture and reality TV fanatic, the comedian considers himself a professional watcher.
His new stand-up show will reflect on his obsessions and the relationship he has with the characters he sees and loves on screen.
You can buy tickets to see Will Owen here.
Hannah Platt: Defence Mechanism
Hannah Platt’s show will reflect on the defence techniques we use to cope with bad experiences and keep people at arm’s length.
Discussing her diagnosis of body dysmorphia, Platt will break down faux self-help trends and show how empty mantras have become accepted by her northern family.
You can buy tickets to see Hannah Platt here.
Pop Off, Michelangelo
What if besties Da Vinci and Michelangelo set out to become the greatest artists of all time so that God would forgive them for being gay?
A wildly historically inaccurate but extremely high-camp adventure, the show will follow as one of them tries to gaslight his way into the Vatican, while the other goes on about helicopters!
You can buy tickets to see Pop Off, Michelangelo here.
The Queer Comedy Club: Best of the Queer Fringe
The Queer Comedy Club is the UK’s first LGBTQ+ stand-up comedy club.
Featuring a line-up of the best LGBTQ+ comedians at the Fringe – you can’t be sure who you’ll get – the show’s past stars include the likes of Larry Dean, Sarah Keyworth, Kemah Bob and Felicity Ward.
You can buy tickets to The Queer Comedy Club here.
Sarah Roberts: Silkworm
Sarah Roberts discovered she was pansexual as she entered her thirties and she’s taking to the stage to talk about it.
In her Fringe debut, Roberts will tell her audience that she’s lived a thousand lives: she was Henry VIII, ate her twin in the womb and got facial reconstructive surgery.
You can buy tickets to see Sarah Roberts here.
Sex, Camp, Rock ‘N Roll
Featuring diva duo The K*ntz! and rock band The Gruntz!, Sex, Camp, Rock’n’Roll is a musical cabaret fantasy that will weave together story, song and sensuality to call for the decriminalisation of sex work.
From celebrated queer cabaret performer Ryan Patrick Welsh, aka the eighth-best legs in San Francisco, the show will navigate their relationship with masculine and feminine in this theatrical experience.
You can buy tickets to see Sex, Camp, Rock ‘N Roll here.
Chris Weir: Well Flung
Scottish comedian Chris Weir’s debut Fringe hour will chronicle his first holiday fling, in Gran Canaria.
The show sets out to explore the grey areas of romance with the ups and downs of sudden monogamy and gay romps, asking if it is really worth it.
You can buy tickets to see Chris Weir here.
Dan Wye: Dan Wye Am I Sam Smith?
When Dan Wye realised they were a Sam Smith doppelgänger, their life changed forever.
A deep dive into fame, accidental celebrity identity theft and discovering their new queer identity, Dan Wye Am I Sam Smith? promises to be a loving exploration of identity and the absurd reality of comparison.
You can buy tickets to see Dan Wye here.
If you’re an LGBTQ+ act not included in this article, and you would like to be added, please email [email protected]
