Edinburgh Fringe 2022: The Best Theatre Shows

We'll be collecting our review team's favourite theatre from this year's Edinburgh Fringe – find our four- and five-star reviews here

Feature by The Skinny | 05 Aug 2022
  • The Skinny August 2022 Theatre Crop

The Edinburgh Fringe is a hotbed of experimental, exciting and engaging theatre, and after a couple of pandemic-affected years, it's back in full force. With so many shows to choose from, it can be hard to work out where to start.

Hopefully this page can help – we'll be updating it throughout the Fringe with the best reviews from our Theatre team. Highlights so far include immersive theatre in a shipping container, an exploration of the modern world of work, and a genre-busting queer rodeo...

Two rodeo clowns stand under a purple light, one offering the other a light for their cigarette.

And Then The Rodeo Burned Down @ The Space (★★★★★)

Chloe and Natasha's And Then The Rodeo Burned Down is a delightfully queer, sexy and foolish mix of clowning, physical theatre and dance. Read our full review here. Photo: Chloe and Natasha

A microphone stand sits on a stage covered with wooden blocks arranged in a variety of configurations; some resemble office furniture. Text projected on the wall reads 'The audience: As the lights rise the city hums with the sound of work'

work.txt @ Summerhall (★★★★★)

Written by Nathan Ellis, work.txt is a play with no actors that shines a light on the pointlessness and mundanity of modern work culture. It's for those who hate their boss, who are a boss, and for those who are wondering what they are doing with their lives at work. Read the full review here. Photo: Alex Brenner 

A woman, smearing mustard on her face and shoulders with a butter knife, while standing in a field of wheat.

Mustard @ Summerhall (★★★★★)

A stunning piece of performance art about heartbreak and mental health, Mustard is both a triumphant tour de force and a timely reminder of the ways we can thread our lives back together in the wake of even the most searing sadness. Read the full review here. Photo: Eimear Reilly

A scene from The Importance of Being... Earnest? A woman in a shirt and dress is held from behind by a man in a tuxedo, while two other men stand nearby.

The Importance of Being... Earnest? @ Pleasance Courtyard (★★★★★)

Say It Again, Sorry? present a delightfully interactive and uproariously funny take on Oscar Wilde's Importance of Being Earnest. A feast for Fringe-goers of all levels of experience. Read the full review here. Photo: Dylan Silk

An abstract view of two rows of cabinets, divided by a yellow and black hatched area on the concrete floor.

Eulogy @ Summerhall (★★★★)

The Edinburgh Fringe's resident 'immersive theatre in a shipping container' experts are back. Darkfield's latest experience, Eulogy, blends an eerie and anxious mood with an extraordinary attention to detail. Read our full review here. Photo: Susanne Dietz

Photo taken during a performance of 'This Is Not A Show About Hong Kong'.Three people, their faces blurred, sit around a table pointing their chopsticks towards the centre.

This Is Not A Show About Hong Kong @ Underbelly Cowgate (★★★★)

This Is Not A Show About Hong Kong lays bare the disturbing realities of life in a surveillance state – a vital and groundbreaking piece of work. Read our full review here. Photo: Tangle Photography

Two people – on wearing a rainbow-striped top and dungarees, another dressed in a red dragon costume, stand back to back in front of a painted backdrop.

The Girl and the Dragon @ Scottish Storytelling Centre (★★★★)

A kids’ show with the thematic depth to appeal to child-free adults too, The Girl and the Dragon is a joyous adventure in storytelling performed by Niall Moorjani and Minnie Wilkinson. Read the full review here. Photo: Harry Elletson

Alok Vaid-Menon stands on stage under a purple light.

ALOK @ Traverse Theatre (★★★★)

Alok Vaid-Menon blends vulnerability with humour in an unapologetic and defiant hour of performance. Read our full review here. Photo: Lottie Amor

A woman in a yellow anorak holds two suitcases beneath a rain cloud. A yellow hexagon is visible in the background.

A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain @ Summerhall (★★★★)

Sami Ibrahim's latest show is a captivating story depicting the callousness of our immigration system. Ultimately, the performances in Violent Burst... compose a powerful odyssey of both humour and moving sentiment. Read the full review here. Photo: Conor Jatter

For all the latest from across the Edinburgh Fringe, follow us at @theskinnymag on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and take a look at our sister magazine Fest – their dedicated team are all over this year's Edinburgh Festivals with reviews, interviews and more.