Fringe Monkey

This is the website for the Fringe Monkey Bluesky and X accounts.

Each year I see over 200 comedy shows. Around 110 of these are at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and I try to post reviews of as many as I can. I'm not affiliated to any publication and I don't have anyone else seeing shows or writing reviews for me. It's all the work of just one comedy nerd. 

Any spelling mistakes are my own.

In the past I've assisted in judging various comedy competitions, including the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, So You Think You're Funny and the Amused Moose National New Comic. I also occasionally help Monkey Barrel Comedy Club pan for comedy gold at their fortnightly open-mic, Free For All.

I'm well aware that comedy is hugely subjective, but a few people have asked me to help them find shows and I'm happy to give some pointers via social media. If my opinions are wildly different from yours, don't get too agitated. No one really cares what I think.

During the 2017 Fringe, admittedly somewhat fuelled by alcohol, I decided to create the Fringe Monkey Awards. Initially there were three categories, recognising Nicest Venue Staff (self-explanatory), So Bad It's Good (which highlighted something fun but far from commercial) and Talented but Ignored (for those who had received disproportionately little attention from other publications).

Inevitably I lost interest in the first two categories but felt that the third was worth pursuing. I stand by my selections to date:

2017 - Richard Brown

If you like dark, bleak, intelligent standup then seek out this wonderful, surprisingly-nice Scottish man.

2018 - Oliver Coleman

For what was an all too brief period the Scottish comedy scene was blessed with this charismatic Aussie performer. He's back in Melbourne now but finally seems to be getting the recognition he deserves.

2019 - Robbie McShane

Robbie had only been going since 2017 but showed a huge amount of promise, particularly in his writing. In 2022 he moved from Belfast to Glasgow and then after that on to London. He's smart and great fun.

2022 - Aidan Jones

Aidan is an Edinburgh regular, often doing two shows per day, plus spots on compilations. 2024's Fringe show featured him playing and explaining a classical piano piece by Chopin and was definitely his best work to date. Look out for him, he deserves to be better-known.

2023 - BRAINGYSTICS: Seize the Mind!

The basement of Home bar in Tollcross is an ideal Fringe location to put yourself in with a shout for the FMTBI award! Peyton Brown and Jared Jeffries presented a creepily-convincing seminar, packed with jokes and silliness.

2024 - Ajahnis Charley

Ajahnis did a show called Thots and Prayers at Surgeon's Hall. It was terrific fun but they definitely didn't get the audience they deserved.