The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the biggest Arts festival in the world, and the only place you can see a French clown, some ballet, six 12 year-olds do Titus Andronicus dressed as mimes and a man get his wang out all in the space of four hours. There are hundreds of thousands of shows across the city, so I've picked out the female comediennes you need to get on board with now. Because I've been here for two weeks so I know, alright?
NB: I'm also pretty much dying of scurvy and lack of sleep. If you see me, can you give me an orange and a hug? Thanks.
Natasia Demetriou: You'll Never Have All Of Me
One woman powerhouse Natasia Demetriou displays an array of totally mental characters, with increasingly mental costumes, in this surreal and fucking hilarious debut hour in the Underbelly's drippy caves. No seriously, they drip onto you - but it's totally worth it. From pizza-based business pitches to bleak (but funny) Russian stand-up routines, Tash is fearless and awesome in the true sense of the word. And her Greek dad should, off the back of this, probably get his own show. The ideal post-dinner, post-few-glasses-of-wine hour if you like laughing your tits off.
Book here
Bridget Christie: An Ungrateful Woman
The Edinburgh Comedy Award winner returns, and no, she's not 'done' with talking about feminism or gender equality. Though she's on before midday (to spend time with her family, and probably also to side-swerve any drunken heckling morons), this is a brilliant hour that sees Christie skewering the roles of women in advertising, discussing Female Genital Mutilation and ripping Telegraph journalist James Delingpole (who said sexism in Britain is a lot better than sexism in Saudi Arabia) to shreds. But all done in a funny, sensitive and thought provoking way, obvs. It's sarcastic, witty, razor-sharp and pretty much unmissable - that is, if you can snag a ticket. The run has pretty much sold out (unsurprisingly).
Book here.
READ MORE: Twats You Will Definitely Meet This Festival Season
Ellie White: Humans
Only ever speaking through the medium of her characters, Ellie White is a life guru, an Eastern European entrant into the Miss Haringay competition and a drunk mother giving a speech at an eighteenth birthday party (a personal fave). She's also one of the most exciting new character comedians at the Fringe this year, and performing in a Mexican restaurant. Which is novel. Odd venue aside, this is her debut hour and it's all about the subtle tics, the weird accent drops and the physicality - Ellie fully inhabits each personality with an energy and an enthusiasm. Catch her at The Circus performing the saddest (and funniest) double-act ribbon dance you'll probably ever see, with her mate Tash Demetriou (see above).
Book here.
READ MORE: A Few Reasons To Visit Scotland Before You Need A Passport
Beard II
A two-women clowning sketch duo on the Free Fringe, Rosa Robson and Matilda Wnek are still at Cambridge Uni but youth definitely doesn't equal inexperience here. Their 2012 show Beard (see what they did there?) was pretty much astounding, and this is no different. Beard II, the sequel, delivers hit after hit, with Rosa and Matilda demonstrating an impressive command of the room despite the fact it's in a pub. And we're all at their mercy; this much audience participation would usually make me throw up in my mouth but, in the hands of the Beard II girls, it's surprisingly comfortable amid cleverly constructed skits and physical humour. Plus, it's free. FREE. And in a PUB.
Beard II is on at The Kilderkin Pub. More informationhere.
Massive Dad
Guys look, I'm doing a show here too. It got a good review in Time Out and The Guardian and we're all girls and we're all just having a great time. Please give me an orange and a hug.
Book here.
Like this? Then you might also be interested in:
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Here's A Few Festival Lessons To Remember For The Rest Of The Summer
Follow Stevie on Twitter @5tevieM
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.