Edinburgh Fringe 2024: 13 Scottish Comics to Catch

The Edinburgh Fringe is almost upon us, with the world's comedians, actors, acrobats and knife-jugglers set to descend on the Old Town for the month of August. But there's also an great year-round comedy scene in Edinburgh and across Scotland, so we've picked out a few Scottish comedy highlights from this year's Fringe programme to get you started.

The excellent Edinburgh-based standup Sam Lake brings his third solo show to the Fringe this year – Esmérelda (Monkey Barrel (MB2), 31 Jul-25 Aug (not 12), 1.30pm, £7-12) is centred on his relationship with his mother. Kathleen Hughes brings her debut solo show Cryptid! to Gilded Balloon – it's "a show about identity, imperfection and the mortifying ordeal of allowing yourself to be seen" (Patter Hoose (Snug), 31 Jul-26 Aug (not 12), 4.20pm, £9.50-12.50). Scream Queens is a mixed bill with Kyle Samuel, Alan Jay and BBC New Comedy Award finalist Dean T. Beirne, loosely based on their horror film podcast Blood Sweat and Fears (Boteco do Brasil, 5-11 Aug, 2.30pm, £7/PWYC). In our July issue, we take a deep dive into the realities of bringing a show to the Fringe – read our chat with Sam, Kathleen and Dean here. 

In addition to Kathleen, there are a further clutch of Scottish comics with debut hours this Fringe. Chris Weir brings Well Flung (Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose (Bothie), 31 Jul-26 Aug (not 14), 2.40pm, £9-12) – a funny, flirty holiday romance. Chris recently discussed his time as a sex sauna receptionist and just released a podcast with Skinny favourite, Krystal Evans. One half of Material, Girl – the Glasgow female comic new material night (and at The Stand all month long) – makes her debut too. Amanda Dwyer: What You Thinking About (The Stand (Stand 4), 14-25 Aug, 5.25pm, £8-10) is a deadpan deep-dive into mental health.

Kimbo off TikTok, aka Kim Blythe, is also debuting (GB Patter Hoose (Other Yin), 31 Jul-18 Aug, 9pm, £9-14). Making the leap to stand-up at Glasgow Comedy Festival 2024, Might As Well sees Kim try and crack the Fringe with her charming, laidback style.

Joining her in the online gem gang is Chris Thorburn (who went viral again recently, tweeting about Capri-Sun) with Cineman (The Stand (Stand 4), 31 Jul-25 Aug (not 12), 2.45pm, £5-10), his upbeat show crammed with cinema and pop culture jokes. Also, the lads from Some Laugh come to Monkey Barrel (MB3, 20 Aug, 11.20pm, £10-12.50) – catch up with Stephen Buchanan, Stuart McPherson and Marc Jennings and special guests for a late-night one-off. The hosts all have solo shows too.

After something stranger? Rosco McClelland’s show this year sounds serious (an underlying heart condition!), but when we saw him last, he closed with a Meatloaf-esque tune about two brothers in love (Monkey Barrel @ The Hive (Hive 2), 31 Jul-25 Aug (not 12), 9pm, £7-10). David McIver’s back with a half-run WIP (PBH’s Free Fringe @ Banshee Labyrinth (Cinema Room), 18-25 Aug, 12.20pm, Free/PWYC). Silly and certainly armed with a powerpoint, Wild Horses will be no run-of-the-mill stand-up hour.

Lovely Phil O’Shea returns to solo work (The Stand (Stand 2), 31 Jul-25 Aug (not 12), 9.30pm, £4.50-10), directed by mischief maker John-Luke Roberts, whilst Northern Irishman Paul McDaniel (The Stand (Stand 4), 31 Jul-25 Aug (not 12), 1.25pm, £5-10) will impress with his quietly surreal musings. Finally, make room for Twonkey (Laughing Horse @ Dragonfly, 1-25 Aug (not 5, 12, 19), 8.15pm, Free/PWYC). Unlike anything else you’ll see all Fringe, the cult comic was once banned from The Stand for “treacle misadventure”.