Venue 33, Pleasance Courtyard, Pleasance One,
3rd-24th Aug (not 15, 22), 1.30pm-3.00pm
Frequently
Asked
Questions
In a nutshell, it is like the Royal Variety Show of the Fringe. A showcase of some of the best talent on the Fringe selected from all the different genres on offer, whether it be Theatre, Comedy, Dance, Clowning, Acrobats, Circus, Opera, Spoken Word, or even the indefinable. Each day seven different Fringe shows are invited to perform a five minute extract (or taster) of their show followed by a five minute interview with Mervyn. This gives the audience a true flavour of each show plus some interesting background information about the performer(s) involved. Armed with these insights, audience members can confidently pick the shows they liked and then go to see the whole performances. And do please note that Mervyn's 'Pick of the Fringe' showcases are completely different every day so you can come back more than once during the Fringe. Over the past 30 years no two mervspotfringe shows have ever been the same!
No and no! The focus of the showcase is to find truly talented performers and exceptional shows from all the different genres regardless of their showbiz status or which venue that they are in. We do pride ourselves in trying to find shows that don’t have the big budgets, management, or PR that the more established acts have, but we do not limit ourselves in any way; if the show is great and worth shouting about, we will invite it to showcase. Of course, if we can, we like to find those hidden gems of the Fringe and bring them to the attention of Fringe-goers but the number one criteria is, "it must be really good". It’s a big old Fringe these days and you may have to sit through a lot of the not-so-good-stuff to find the truly amazing. That's where we come in. We filter the wheat from the chaff for you, hopefully saving you money as well.
Each year, Merv puts together three separate teams of Arts professionals who go out onto the Fringe and, between them, sit through hundreds of shows. These teams are drawn from all parts of the Arts Industry, each with their own expertise, and each team works for one week of the Fringe. This ensures a wonderful mix of styles and influences, and it keeps the showcases fresh and vibrant for the entire run.
Where: We are at the Pleasance One in the Pleasance Courtyard, Venue 33, which is a half mile walk in a southeasterly direction from Waverley Train Station. It is clearly marked on this Google Map.
When: The show is a 90 minute early afternoon extravaganza between 1.30pm - 3pm and we start on Saturday 3rd August and finish on Saturday 24th August 2024. We have two days off which are Thursday 15th August and Thursday 22nd August. Please note: our last show on Saturday 24th August is our Awards Show, the Mervyn Stutter 'Spirit of the Fringe' Awards, aka The MERVs.
How much: All shows: £17.50. Over the 30 years of doing this show we have kept our prices as competitive as we can, even though the costs of doing the Fringe have increased every year. We think we've done it again this year with our price of just £11.67 per hour (please remember, unlike so many shows on the Fringe, this is a 90 minute show).
Yes. Scroll up to the top of this page and click the Shows link on the Menu then pick the day you are interested in. HOWEVER, please be aware that we rarely know the line-ups until the day before so if there is no information available, please check back again in the evening before the showcase date you are interested in. When a show or act is 100% confirmed, our Webby will update the website accordingly. Another way to "be the first to know" would be to join our mailing list and/or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and/or Instagram.
There are three ways to buy tickets, you can...
1. buy online by clicking here, or
2. book tickets on the telephone by calling the Pleasance Box Office on 0131-556-6550, or
3. buy tickets in person by either going to any Fringe Box Office or any Pleasance Box Office.
Just send an email to Mervyn and the Team via our Contact page.
