Italy @ Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025

Multi award-winning guitarist and composer Antonio Forcione returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with a mesmerising solo performance. Inspired by decades of global touring, he brings to life the sounds and rhythms of the world. Blending breathtaking virtuosity, deep emotion and playful spontaneity, Sketches of the World is a heartfelt homage to a changing world, seamlessly weaving jazz, soul, Spanish, African and Brazilian influences. Hailed as ‘one of the greatest acoustic guitarists of our time’ (Guardian), Antonio delivers an unmissable musical experience.

20-24 August | 18:35

Drawing Room at Assembly Rooms (venue 20)

Fringe favourites the Black Blues Brothers are back with a brand-new show, fit for the whole family. After wowing over 50,000 fringe spectators, the Brothers make their McEwan Hall debut. Set in a smoky train station against a soundtrack of unforgettable rock and roll music, witness breathtaking acrobatic stunts, human pyramids and amazing somersaults. Featuring songs by Glenn Miller, Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, get ready to go wild as the Brothers astonish and delight. Following four successful Fringe seasons, appearances at the Royal Variety Show and The Moulin Rouge, don’t miss out!

One day only. When Ptolemy tries to usurp the throne, Cleopatra seduces Caesar to win it back. A one-hour reduction of Handel’s most performed opera, Giulio Cesare. An Operaland production featuring Michael Temporal-Darrell (baritone) as Caesar, Alice Wang (soprano) as Cleopatra, with Miguel Carranza’s inspired costume and stage design. The music will be performed on early period instruments from St Cecilia’s instrument collection, is part of The Cantata Series and all proceeds benefit the hall. Performed in Italian with English subtitles.

8 August | 11:30, 15:00

The Concert Room at St Cecilia’s Hall (venue 77)

The show was born from the necessity to translate onto the stage human frailty in the face of imposed patterns. It also takes us toward the rediscovery of nature (the deepest human one). Evelyn, the protagonist, finds herself living in an extreme situation, locked inside a cramped space, manipulated and bombarded by a constant and pressing presence of messages and information. She cannot be herself – she is alone and induced, transformed to the point of being comic and funny, but also tragic at times. An ironically dramatic journey through a daily life, punctuated by fake rituals.

A tragicomic one-woman show about the absurdity of searching for a home today. Miriam, a street artist, waitress and actress, takes the audience through a series of absurd and often hilarious encounters with real estate agents and landlords, highlighting the struggles of a young person trying to navigate an overpriced and increasingly inaccessible housing market. Facing the harsh reality that without a home, there’s no mental stability, Miriam explores the difficulty of growing up and finding a sense of belonging in a seemingly hostile world.

30 July – 24 August | 20:05

Studio at C ARTS | C venues | C aquila (venue 21)

Inlet

Dance, physical theatre, performance art

1561. Scotland. Returning from France to rule her country, Queen Mary is faced with hostility from the Protestant lords. Seen as more French than Scottish, she has much to overcome as Queen, especially as a Catholic woman. The lords choose Henry Darnley for her husband, but as the marriage frays both Mary and Darnley find respite in Italian secretary David Rizzio. Flitting between comedy and tragedy, Into Thy Hands explores the bond between the Queen, her husband and lover. This tale examines homophobia and relationships, and questions: Who decides our fate?

11 – 17 August | 13:30

Studio at C ARTS | C venues | C alto (venue 40)

Italian Horror Stories by Grand Guignol de Milan is a unique physical theater experience that reimagines the Italian inspirations behind Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Woman in Black. Combining expressive movement, dark humor, chilling tales, and moments of lively comedy, the show immerses the audience in a world of suspense and grotesque fun. The production masterfully blends comedy and horror, using vivid characters to evoke fear, laughter, and wonder. Perfect for fans of visceral performances and the macabre, Italian Horror Stories is an unforgettable celebration of Italy’s gothic roots and their impact on classic horror tales.

31 July – 3 August – 22:25

Just Up The Stairs at Just the Tonic at The Caves (venue 88)

From the Italian Jacobite court to Edinburgh’s St Cecilia’s Hall, in 1771, Charles Edward Stuart’s personal musicians, Domenico and Francesca Corri, travelled with their brother/brother-in-law, John, to start a new musical life in Scotland. Despite their Jacobite links Roman Catholic faith, and many scandals that included bankruptcy and legal battles, they emerged as one of the most important and powerful musical families in Scotland. Indeed, their story reveals much about Edinburgh’s musical history. Join Dr Brianna Robertson-Kirkland as she explores the story of the first generation of the Corris through images, storytelling and song.

Journey to Stolen Identity

Music

Experience the beauty of Italian and Neapolitan love songs and the enduring classics of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin in a captivating 30-year musical journey with Philip Contini and his six-piece Be Happy Band!

2, 7, 9, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 23 August | Times vary.

Caffè Bar & Restaurant at Valvona & Crolla (venue 67)

Two comedians, two cultures, two fresh perspectives – what could go wrong? Laura (UK) and Irene (Italy/Switzerland) bring their sharp wit and unique experiences to this split-hour comedy experiment. From millennial struggles, nostalgia (remember MSN?) and language mishaps to life’s absurd expectations, career chaos and aging. They navigate it all with punchlines, stories, and unexpected twists. They don’t have all the answers, but they’re figuring it out – live, on stage and with you. A show full of laughter, surprises and maybe even some accidental wisdom.

2 – 9 August | 14:10

The Vault at Paradise in The Vault (venue 29)

24 July 1943. Rome. The Grand Council of the fascist government convenes to discuss the removal of the Duce. Inside a small study-room of Palazzo Venezia, the authoritarian leader, tired and overwhelmed by the failures of the Italian army, reflects on how destiny drove him from poor and humble origins to be crowned Italy’s supreme leader – and how much of his sanity he lost along the way. This solo tour-de-force by Tom Corradini offers a satirical journey into the mind of the sentimental and deeply human man who became Italy’s greatest modern statesman.

11 – 24 August | 17:25

Theatre at C ARTS | C venues | C alto (venue 49)

Inspired by a true story, this meta-theatrical dive into Italian culture follows desperate actors scrambling to stage a Fringe show. Experience the beauty of Italian literature and the terror of looming deadlines. Performed in Italian with English subtitles.

14 – 16 August | 18:00

Caffè Bar & Restaurant at Valvona & Crolla (venue 67)

Philip Contini brings to life the timeless love songs of Italian composer Francesco Paolo Tosti (1846-1916) in a heartfelt hour of enchanting 19th and 20th-century Italian melodies, accompanied by Anne Evans on piano.

5, 8, 12, 22 August | 13:00

Caffè Bar & Restaurant at Valvona & Crolla (venue 67)

The critically acclaimed team of McDonald and Kitchen perform virtuoso works for recorder with continuo and obbligato harpsichord by Bach, Vivaldi, Telemann and Corelli, which also exist in alternative versions. Ever commercially astute, Telemann often specified idiomatic alternative instrumentation for his works. Arranging Italian violin sonatas for recorder was almost a cottage industry, and Bach’s recycling of his own music resulted in masterworks such as a solo violin movement becoming a full-scale cantata. Featuring the 1709 Barton harpsichord. ‘Pure delight’ (Scotsman). In support of the FoSCH bursary fund.

23 August | 15:00

The Concert Room at St Cecilia’s Hall (venue 77)

Award-winning Stefania Licari, expat and medic-turned-comic, promises to make the audiences a little bit more Italian, 10% sexier and 100% happier in her new show. After sell-out runs of her previous work at Edinburgh Fringe 2022, 2023 and 2024, Stefania has established herself as a rising star and one of the most exciting international acts in the circuit. This is your unique chance for comedy, pizza and endless love all rolled into an authentic Italian drama. ‘A never-to-be-forgotten experience’ (BroadwayBaby.com). ‘Thoughtful and inspiring comedy’ (LondonTheatre.co.uk).

30 July – 24 August (no 11) | 16:15

Dexter at Underbelly, Bristo Square (venue 302)

Tale of a Potato is an original show set on a wooden table, with dirt, a knife and real vegetables. We follow the life of Protagonist, a potato, observing its feelings and relationships in a world inhabited by other tubers, characters in a quirky and engaging narrative. We see Protagonist being born, falling in love, working: enormous steps, especially for a vegetable. A new immersive tabletop show by Batisfera, authors of the miniature epic drama The Gummy Bears’ Great War, a moving tale on the seasons of life.

1-24 August | 16:00

Playground 3 at ZOO Playground (venue 186)

An autobiographical one-woman drama-comedy show blending comedy characterisation and football performance to tell the unique journey of Lucia Mallardi, a Berlin-based Italian former semi-professional footballer and artist. Travelling the world as a street artist with her football and her hat, she has created poetic dialogue between two seemingly distant worlds: football as an art and art as a discipline of sacrifice and passion. Inspiring audiences across Europe and beyond from the football field to the stage, Lucia’s story is empowering – challenging boundaries, merging sports and theatre in a way that only she can.

30 July – 24 August | 14:50

Studio at C ARTS | C venues | C aquila (venue 21)

At dawn, the nation of the Gummy Bears declares war against the nation of the Dinosaurs. There will be a battle, and the gummies will prepare for war, and the dinosaurs will win the fight. But even if the outcome is tragically obvious the question remains: what makes the candies so obstinate? The Gummy Bears’ Great War is an object theatre show that takes place on a table, with real candies, small lights and few spectators; an existential tragicomedy about our search for meaning. ‘A midget gem of a show’ (Telegraph).

Slow-motion boxing, tape measure tangles, wild pizza dancing. In a playful and absurd crescendo, a hopelessly romantic (and a little naughty) clown tries everything to get the only thing he wants. To be loved? Tonight! confronts one of the most classic challenges faced by every human: the urge to find love. In a whirlwind of comic absurdity, the audience is carried joyfully, and sometimes literally, through this bizarre quest. Winner of ‘A Moontagna Fest Award, Catania Fringe 2024. ‘A little spa break for the soul’ **** (List).

7-24 August | 21:20

Just the Club Room at Just The Tonic Legends (venue 27)