BEST OF THE FRINGE 2026: Hannah’s picks
Out of the 4200 shows performed this year at the Fringe, selecting a top 5 is tough, so here are some honourable mentions from Hannah:
Heart Beats Strong: smartly staged, funny and emotive coming of age story of three teenagers
Campitalism: Three Gays Try To Fix The Economy: don’t be afraid to join in drinking Huel in this satirical gem
As Far As We Know: a creative, compelling storytelling journey unlike any other Fringe show
5. Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin: Good News! It's Been Destroyed
Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin’s hour of comedy is stand-up at its best. Weaving spoken word together with absurdist storytelling, his show Good News! It’s Been Destroyed is politically astute, thoroughly entertaining and of course, very very funny. From taking on the government to Matt Lucas to Rylan Clark, Tyzack-Carlin does it all and he makes it side-splittingly hilarious. He is definitely one to watch out for in the future.
Read our 5 star review of Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin: Good News! It's Been Destroyed here.
4. Little Animals
Photo credit: Chew Boy
Paul Ready’s one man show Little Animals is a beautifully woven narrative of two friends who grow up together and go their separate ways. Centred around climate anxiety, Ready captures how people react to the world around them slowly burning in this compelling show. Well-written and paced, it is a captivatingly intelligent watch with a sharp message ringing through.
Read our 5 star review of Little Animals here.
3. Sanctuary
This two-hander is a heart wrenching tale of love and care during the 1990s as local townsfolk reject plans for an AIDS hospice in the village. Michael slowly unravels his life to a stranger around the kitchen table of the woman’s house he has moved to, to live out his days with HIV. It is a beautiful, tender exploration of humanity that will break your heart and fix it again whilst, somehow, making you laugh. Charming and witty, Sanctuary is a tremendous piece of theatre.
Read our 5 star review of Sanctuary here.
2. Werewolf
What’s the Fringe without a bit of unsuspecting audience participation? Werewolf take the concept of the well-loved game of the same name and turns it into a laugh-a-minute and slightly spine-tingling hour of silly fun. Impressive in the scale of its craft and creativity, this performance is equal parts hilarious, mad and a quiet social commentary of how people act in a state of crisis. Chilling, raucous and orchestrated by three effusively bumbling wardens, you might be allowed to leave the Safe House after seven days of quarantine, but you might be rushing right back for more.
Photo credit: Hugo Glendinning
1. Man or Bear
Man or Bear asks the viral question: would you rather be trapped in the woods with a man or a bear? Through incredible, pacy storytelling, dynamic staging and captivating acting, three generations of women tell their stories of interactions with men. Breathtaking performing, Man or Bear is theatre at its best - it is witty, sharp and thrilling and should be seen by everyone, everywhere.
Read our 5 star review of Man or Bear here.
Today marks the official last day at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe so a massive congratulations to every single person involved in bringing a show to Edinburgh this month! We’re no doubt some of the shows will go on to bigger and better things from here.