“A short and silly noir spoof that delivers everything promised”
Film Noir Frog returns to the Fringe after an initial run in 2024, bringing with it a knowingly silly, high-energy take on the classic film noir.
Created and performed by a four-member youth theatre company, plus one puppet, On The Fly, the show enthusiastically hops into the genre. The city is dirty, the cops are dirty and the dames are not what they seem. Morality and answer are both equally in in shorter supply, and the bowling alley has burned to the ground. Can this case be solved?
The production’s strongest quality is its energy. The cast throw themselves into it, switching between characters and maintaining a brisk pace throughout. The minimal sets leave plenty of room for theatricality, with echoes of Bugsy Malone in its blend of parody and youthful exuberance.
Yet while Film Noir Frog does exactly what it says on the tin it doesn’t do much more. It ticks off the expected noir tropes without offering much beyond a nod to the most obvious. The central joke is just about strong enough to sustain the 35-minute running time, but the brevity is welcome: stretched to an hour, the material might begin to feel thin.
The show provides a cheerful palate cleanser between more serious Fringe offerings – and the audience seem to really appreciate that. It is silly, funny and spirited, even if its ambitions rarely extend beyond the zany.
Show listing: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/film-noir-frog
Venue: Theatre 3, theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall
Dates: 7–22 August 2026
Time: 18:15
Running time: 35 minutes
Ticket prices: £8.50; concessions £7
Age guidance: Not specified
Fringe Box Office: 0131 226 0000 / edfringe.com