Chris Neville-Smith's blog on theatre

Now for a catch-up on a bit of news that broke during Edinburgh Fringe that got buried. And it’s not as much of a shock as the news might have been five years ago, but it still marks the end of an era. Sweet Venues is leaving Brighton ...

Okay, with all things Fringe wrapped up for 2026 (except the roundsup, stop smirking, I’ll start doing those shortly), I thought I’d turn my attention to something not really fringe-related or theatre-related. But it’s a frequently heard discourse, especially amongst the older generation that “pop music sure ain’t as good as it used to be”. This argument has been going on for...

And that is the conclusion of my Edinburgh Fringe live coverage. I’m not quite finished with reviews, because there were two shows I saw on press tickets that are at the back of the queue. But for now, this comes to a close.

To recap what went down this time.

We leave you with news that the Festival Fringe Society has already decided they’re not moving the dates of Fringe 2027.

Probably the right decision, I think. In the long run, there is a case to be made for different dates. However, I agree it’s already too late to move the dates for next year’s fringe. Planning for next year has already begun in some quarters, with...

The final review of Edinburgh Fringe is also a Brighton Fringe review. Will BF is best known for The Last Gun and Moon Team IIIV, but alongside that he is also one half of a sketch duo Will & Noah. I caught this in Brighton as a gap-filler, but not as a review request. (I try to write up all shows eventually, but paid tickets can stay at the back of the ...