Six Edinburgh Fringe performances that will make you give up on the arts forever

YOU like to think of yourself as a patron of the arts, because why else would you spend the best part of a grand on three nights in Scotland? Here are the shows you will most bitterly regret booking.

Student written play

When a sodden teenager thrust a disintegrating flyer into your hand, you couldn’t help but take up the call to be their hero. But you rue your kindness now. All the money in the world (which their accents imply their parents possess a great deal of) couldn’t save this piss-poor analogy for the pandemic told through monologues and shadow puppetry.

Something ‘immersive’

As much as you’re a liberal thinker, you’re of the firm belief that watching a show is a sedentary activity. They didn’t make you ‘vote for who you think is the true villain’ when you watched Top Gun: Maverick, and you didn’t have to take part in a shit flash mob dance that almost made you cringe your colon out either.

Improv (any)

Nothing can replicate the deep sense of dread you feel when they close the doors and you realise that not only are you sat on the front row, but the crowd is outnumbered by the cast, so you’re definitely going to be on stage at some point in the proceedings. You’ll be considering faking a heart attack just to escape it.

A 90s comic’s big comeback 

You should be on solid ground here, you worshipped this guy when you were younger because he was so edgy and cool. Except he’s aged really badly and you can’t help but be distracted by the constant reminder that the passage of time must have ravaged you too. Plus, all his material on his kids is mediocre.

A circus with a message

Of course you’re against animals in circuses, it’s completely cruel and unethical. But when that clown starts up yet another bit of mask work about climate change, would you really object that much to a tiger pulling a Siegfried & Roy and getting this whole experience over much faster?

The Fawlty Towers dining experience

Why the f**k did you even book this? What is wrong with you?

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Man claiming to be nice guy in dating profile feels no pressure to back that up

A MAN who has explicitly stated that he is a ‘nice guy’ on his dating profile does not feel the need to follow up this claim by being pleasant in real life.

Tom Booker believes that claiming to be an agreeable human who is fun to be around makes him an incredible catch, rather than being a normal way to interact with other people.

Booker said: “My date last night was clearly put at ease by my repeated insistence that I am nice, unlike most guys out there. I understand what it’s like for beautiful women like Kelly, feeling that men overlook their minds to objectify their bodies. But not me.

“I think Kelly also liked the fact that I made an effort to remember and use her name. As a nice guy, I understand the need for women like her to be listened to and valued.

“So I’m surprised and disappointed that at the end of the night, she didn’t want to sleep with me. I’m a bit of an expert on women, so it’s confusing really. I guess it just goes to show that nice guys finish last.”

Kelly Howard said: “Yeah, he’s nice. To women he thinks will sleep with him on the first date. But when that turns out not to be the case he’s just your bog-standard dickhead.”