“Enjoyable love letter to Wikipedia”
Depths of Wikipedia is essentially a social media account brought to life on stage. An endless scroll of sight gags about weird things that are in an online encyclopaedia. Annie Rauwerda, making her first appearance at the Fringe, is an effusive host and a likeable guide. She has a clear passion for her source, that proves infectious as she curates a PowerPoint full of odd articles, novel internet images, disputed amendments and the acts of online vandals.
The show itself feels like a throwback to a decade ago, when the Edinburgh Fringe was awash with PowerPoint‑driven comedy shows about niche areas of online activity. Though it is perhaps novel to hear a story about online activity with a positive spin. Wikipedia doesn’t need an introduction – but it is worth taking a step back to appreciate how an open‑source project, with no overarching owner or referee, has become the most used reference source in human history. That it remains one of the few places left relatively immune to power and true to knowledge is wonderful story. This is covered in the show, but the next internet meme is never far away.
Overall, this is an enjoyable hour that explores these quirks in enough different ways to keep it interesting, but as a show it is quite one‑note. It doesn’t build to anything beyond this. In focusing on the depths of Wikipedia (as advertised, in fairness), but it doesn’t fully illuminate some of the highs despite nods to them, and it focuses on the silly and sometimes petty ways that people disagree rather than the bigger debates that take place. As an accompaniment to its online presence the show is excellent – there were clearly many fans in the room, with audience members offering their own editorial arguments and edits – but it’s a look down the rabbit hole rather than an immersive journey into it.
Depths of Wikipedia runs 5th–30th August 2026 (except 18th) 12:00. Tickets are available here.