“A Fringe institution always worth the annual pilgrimage to see”
It is said that if Simon Munnery does not come to the Fringe, then the Fringe will fall1. Now in his 40th year at the festival – and 27 years at The Stand and counting, the godfather of alternative comedy returns again – still experimenting and testing the boundaries of the absurd and silly.
Characters, sketches, props, songs and blues-y musical interludes are meshed together, punctuated by random attacks from the staff and a ten‑minute sketch about two men being crucified. There is a song about a Bedfordshire B‑road and a short lecture for good measure. But if there is a discernible theme amongst it all, it is that Munnery is recently sober. Stories and anecdotes about AA meetings and stopping drinking are sprinkled through the hour, but it would be wrong to say this is a show reflecting on that.
Munnery remains a cult figure of British alternative comedy; words like veteran, legend and institution abound when discussing him. But he is certainly no museum piece, he is an unconventional and esoteric presence able to put together a brilliant hour of comedy.
The show is fiercely funny, mad and adventurous – a reminder that while things change and the world moves on, every summer in a small Edinburgh basement there is some top-class bafflement taking place each and every single year without fail.
Show listing: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/simon-munnery
Listings information:
Venue: The Stand
Dates: 5–30 August 2026
Time: 12:50
Running time: 60 minutes
Age guidance: 14+ is not stated; the venue notes “Strictly 18+ after 21:00; under 18s must be accompanied by an adult,” and the show is listed without a specific age rating, so 14+ may be reasonable but isn’t confirmed on this page.
Fringe Box Office: 0131 226 0000
- A line a friend tells me can be attributed to Munnery himself! ↩︎