The Edinburgh Fringe 2025 ignites with a riot of rhythm and wit, as Baby Wants Candy and Shamilton, the Hip Hop Improvised Musical, hurl audiences into a whirlwind of spontaneous beats and laugh-out-loud narratives.
BABY WANTS CANDY (9:15pm, Assembly George Square – Studio 1)
Now in its 19th year at the Edinburgh Fringe, one of the world’s most celebrated improv shows and one of the festival’s now favourite staples returns with a brand new and as-yet unknown run of original, hilarious, and unpredictable one-off musicals.
With the audience choosing the title of the show, the masters of musical-improv, alongside their excellent full live band, sing, dance, ad-lib and more often than not laugh their way through musical extravaganzas like Forrest Trump, Jurassic Pork and Dracula Love Island.
After years of sell-out runs and critical acclaim, Baby Wants Candy (the team behind international hit sensations Thrones! The Musical, 50 Shades! and Shamilton!) has now long been a Fringe institution with fans coming back night after night (believe us, some do).
TICKETS: https://assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/926-baby-wants-candy
COUPLET: Honey Honey Moon Moon (6:25pm, Assembly Front Rooms)
Marnina Schon and Micah O’Konis had a pitch-perfect wedding, minus the venue burning down. Oh, and the bed bugs. And the judgemental couples therapist. With catchy songs and Muppet-y energy, “there’s nothing they can’t sing and laugh their way through” (New York Times). Think Flight of the Conchords… if they had sex.
A Jewish, genderqueer couple, whose folk-pop anthem ‘ People Think We’re Straight’ will, well, set people straight, sing smartly stupid songs that are full of heart and packed with jokes in this gloriously positive, funny, and original hour of musical comedy.
‘Our Wedding Venue Burned Down’ is a surprisingly touching ballad that landed them a piece in the Mini-Vows section of the New York Times earlier this year. Both classically trained musicians, Marnina Schon (she/they) and Micah O’Konis (they/them) are directed by Fringe favourite Chris Grace and his husband Eric Michaud, the couple behind Fringe hits Thrones! The Musical, Voldemort and the Teenage Hogwarts Musical Parody and Chris Grace as Scarlett Johansson.
TICKETS: www.assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/946-couplet-honey-honey-moon-moon
MC HAMMERSMITH: Hippity Hoppity Get Off My Property (1:55pm, Monkey Barrell 1)
Multi-award-winning hip-hop comedian MC Hammersmith is the world’s leading – and only – rapper to ever emerge from the ghetto of middle-class west London.
Performing improvised hip-hop comedy based on audience suggestions, he freestyles through the hour at lightning speed with absolutely no preparation whatsoever in a mind-blowing, hilarious, and completely different show every single time, selling out his Fringe runs every time so far!
His scripted hip-hop comedy tracks have gone viral on numerous platforms, most notably racking up 200 million views on TikTok ( https://www.tiktok.com/@mc_hammersmith ) and is the only freestyler to have performed in an arena.
TICKETS: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/mc-hammersmith-hippity-hoppity-get-off-my-property
PHIL GREEN: A Broken Man’s Guide To Fixing Others (2:30pm, Banshee Labyrinth – Cinema)
One of the circuit’s most personable comedians delves into the psyche of the middle-aged male and sets himself the simple task of guiding them into the world of self-help.
Having 100%, completely recovered from his own breakdown, Phil will advise, counsel and mentor his audience through their own crises – exonerating guilt, regrets, and all the things that we hold on to in life. Delivered in his warm and amiable tongue-in-cheek way, which has so far helped him to pack out every single show he has performed at the Fringe to the literal rafters, this is an hour for anyone who has ever found themselves ‘broken’.
TICKETS: https://www.philgreencomedy.com/
SAANIYA ABBAS: Hellarious (8pm, Gilded Balloon Patter House)
In a landmark moment for the UAE comedy scene, Saaniya Abbas is set to become the first local comic to officially debut a solo show at the Edinburgh Fringe this August.
With a truly unique story to tell, Saaniya traces her evolution from a sheltered upbringing in a New Delhi Muslim family (via a Catholic convent boarding school) to carving out her own controversial path. Diving into the cultural taboos of divorce, the absurdity of internet fame and her deliciously irreverent take on the concept of hell itself, this is a bold celebration of resilience, defiance and self-discovery, told in Saaniya’s unfiltered, independent voice.
Her first venture into the comedy world came after her divorce led her to find an outlet and, after only a short time performing, she has become an original pioneer of the Dubai comedy scene.
TICKETS: https://www.saaniyaabbas.com/comedy
SHAMILTON THE IMPROVISED HIP HOP MUSICAL (7:35pm, Assembly George Square – Studio 1)
One of the most popular shows at the Edinburgh Fringe festival is back after selling out its previous three years and accumulating a Fringe fan-base that has never been seen before.
Based on a little-heard-of off-Broadway musical called Hamilton, this hour of completely unchoreographed choreography and unrehearsed hip-hop delights has become THE smash-hit sensation of the festival and often opens nightly to endless queues and closes to standing ovations. They also toured the show post-Fringe last year to sell-out venues across the UK.
TICKETS: https://assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/1006-shamilton-the-improvised-hip-hop-musical
WOODY FU: One-Man John Wick (8:50pm, Assembly Crate)
One of the most talked-about shows to hit the festivals last year is making its way to ours this summer with “Guns. Lots of guns” (well, fake ones of course), elaborate fight choreography, death-defying stunts, and a plot device called “undeveloped dead wife character.” We are transported onto the set of John Wick Chapter 5: E Pluribus Unum where Keanu needs the audience’s help to recreate all the hallmarks of this billion-dollar franchise.?
This show sold out at both last year’s Hollywood Fringe and this year’s SF Sketchfest, with extra dates added due to demand.
One of LA’s hardest working actors, Woody has appeared in numerous TV series and movies including The Other Two (Max), Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens (Comedy Central), Spirited [alongside Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell] (Apple TV+), Life And Beth (Hulu), Lucky Grandma, Companion (New Line Cinema), No Good Deed (Netflix), For Life (ABC) and Pose (FX).
TICKETS: 0131 623 3030 / https://assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/1035-woody-fu-one-man-john-wick
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