The Stand’s Fringe line-up: Dylan Moran, Limmy and more

The venerable Stand comedy club is Edinburgh’s stand-up mecca all year round, and that includes during the Fringe. Even when much bigger operators flock to Edinburgh every August, the local mainstay can always be relied upon to more than match the competition. This year’s lineup is no different, with many of the most respected veterans of the circuit choosing to once again set up shop in a Stand venue at this year’s festival.

Hottest ticket this year – and basically any year he performs at the Fringe – will likely be Dylan Moran. The 46-year-old Irishman will be doing six nights of new show Dr Cosmos at the Stand's New Town Theatre from 14 to 19 August before embarking on his 49-date UK tour. We’re told the new set sees the master of misanthropy “offer his unique take on love, politics, misery and the everyday absurdities of life, all served with poetical panache”. Sign us up.

Tickets for local hero Limmy should be similarly in-demand. After Limmy’s Show, his genius sketch show on BBC Scotland, came to an abrupt end the Glasgwegian comedian has had a lot of time on his hands, which he’s spent wisely: on his phone, recording six second video after six second video. When the much-loved platform Vine came to an end, Limmy turned his nightmarish mini-sketches and improvised videos into an hour long show, Limmy’s Vines. It’s been touring Scotland and beyond for a while now, but the chance to see Limmy back at the Fringe introducing his Vines on the big screen is not to be missed.

Another Glasgow wildcard and Fringe stalwart is comedian, magician and the utterly terrifying Jerry Sadowitz, who’s back in Edinburgh this August to Make Comedy GRATE Again!. “With his unique combination of comedy, absolute hatred and card tricks, every moment is guaranteed to make you feel better about yourself as he bangs on about some pish,” say The Stand. Even if his blistering approach to standup is not for you, you have to admit his card tricks are bloody amazing.

If you’re after something more whimsical there’s always surreal wordsmith Simon Munnery. For a taster of his unique style, here's one of Munnery’s razor sharp oneliners: “I went to a funeral the other day. Caught the wreath…” This year’s show, called Wreath, gives audiences the etymology of that the joke and what happened next.

If you’re after some fresher talent, there’s our Comedy Editor’s tip, Jessie Cave. The former Harry Potter actor (she played Lavender Brown) is a rising star of the standup world thanks to her painful, toe-curlingly honest comedy that’s seen her dubbed like “Lena Dunham’s Girls but with more self-deprecation and better jokes”. Her previous Fringe shows were sell out, so get your tickets quick.

Our Comedy Editor also asked us to give a shoutout to Paul Sinha, who’s back in Edinburgh with another great-sounding show. Now that Paul’s reached 48 he’s asking himself the unthinkable: “Is he past it?” Given that he’s one of the sharpest standups on the circuit, we very much doubt it.

For the full Stand lineup, which also includes other Fringe favourites like Alun Cochrane, Andy Zaltzman, Jo Caulfield, Jessimae Peluso, and Stephen K Amos, head to https://www.outstandingtickets.com