Naked Splendour, C Central. Bittersweet and utterly genuine, Herbert is a charmer. One of the most unique things you'll do this Fringe. 5/5
Nick Mohammed, Pleasance Courtyard. An enjoyable and inventive set, but lacking in knockout gags. Expect better things to come. 3/5
Nicki Hobday Conquers Space, JTT @ The Caves. Rewarding exploration of theatre and impossibility. Funny, surprising and vital - see it. 4/5
Obama Mia, Just the Tonic. Light hearted irreverence, with a nonsensical plot, sharp one-liners - and Joe Biden steals the show. 3/5
Of Women And Horses I Have Known, Underbelly. Unfocused but frequently hilarious. Some truly impressive ensemble sequences. Promising. 3/5.
101, C Soco. Truly imaginative, but violent and careless interactions make it difficult to square with. Desperately needs hospitality. 3/5
Only One Wing, Zoo. Touching if disjointed look at how ME effects a young girl. Great central characters but fairy narration grating. 3/5
Operation Greenfield, Zoo Roxy. Overwhelming, funny and positive - Little Bulb nail total theatre again. It's just a delight. 5/5
Others, Pleasance Above. Tenderly examines similarities with those unknown. Unassuming, beautifully staged and touchingly truthful. 4/5.
Ovid's Metamorphosis, Pleasance Dome. Slick and imaginative direction. A deeply talented cast perform musical and visual treats. 4/5
Oyster Eyes, Just the Tonic. Sketch comedy has a bizarre love-child with performance art. Crude, absurd, very intelligent. 4/5
Pappy's, Pleasance Courtyard. Their material is as sharp as ever, but the constant pissing about can grate at times. Epically silly. 3/5
Paul Foot, Underbelly. Not for everyone, but you'll struggle to find a more out there and inventive set. Bananas, but in a good way. 4/5
Pedal Pusher, Zoo Roxy. Overly long, a trifle too dense, but brutally exhilarating. Epic drama, solidly constructed. 4/5
Pedestrian, Underbelly. One man's personal battle against modern commercial existence brilliantly & absurdly realised, with a goldfish. 4/5
Penelope, Traverse Theatre. A startlingly original meditation on life, love and manhood that will leave you speechless. Truly superb 5/5
Penny Dreadfuls, Pleasance One. Old favourites still have it. Top-quality writing, big performances, but they're yet to top Faversham. 4/5
Photo 51, Zoo. Story of DNA pioneers neatly staged but overly democratic character sharing grates. Great physicality & jenga metaphor. 3/5.
Rachel Rose Reid: I'm Hans Christian Andersen, Pleasance Courtyard. Enchanting tale adds a fairytale touch to real life love affairs. 4/5.
Reel to Real, Pleasance Grand. Gimmicky guilty pleasure for old movie lovers. Awful script, great dancing. 3/5
The Retreat, Zoo. Sparklingly written but structurally awkward. Had real emotion, but could have been heightened further if clearer. 3/5.
Reginald D Hunter, Pleasance Grand. Winning charm offset by sloppy structure and some recycled material - but it's still previews! 3/5
Righteous Money, Pleasance Courtyard. Some sharpness in this simple script, but live-feed muddies the humour. Unsure of where it is. 3/5
Rhythms With Soul, New Town Theatre. Some basic narrative sections disappoint, but the intensely sustained flamenco truly astounds. 4/5
See You Jimmy, Duddington Kirk Manse. A wry and truthful look at the stigma of mental illness. Warmly performed and gently moving. 4/5
The Seven Deadly Sings, Meadow Bar. Very good music gags and rapport. Light and entertaining, but not as structured as it needs to be. 3/5
Sex Idiot, Zoo Roxy. Bawdy, bare-faced and redemptive. Fresh look at relationships from a very personal viewpoint & top performer. 4/5
Singles Night: Over Fifties, Kiwi Bar. West Yorkshire karaoke the highlight in this endearing solo show. Drifts, could be more direct. 3/5
6 And A Half Loves, Pleasance Courtyard. Sweet story, witty script and lovely animation let down by an under-rehearsed performer. 3/5
Shakespeare's Mothers, C Central. Over-the-top and ridiculously fast-paced SparkNotes Shakespeare. More fun than it has any right to be. 4/5
A Slacker's Guide to Western Theatre, Bedlam Theatre. Fast paced escapade misses some of the laughs in its comic documentary style. 2/5
Something About Jumpers, Sweet Grassmarket. Decent youth theatre, with good visual eye. Too vignetty, but with a very strong ending. 3/5
Sophie Black, Pleasance Courtyard. Despite being an engaging performer, she can't paper over the cracks of a woefully gagless script. 1/5
Spring Awakening, Pleasance Courtyard. Angsty musical executed with energy. Some weak acting tempered by powerful ensemble pieces. 3/5
Stationary Excess, Underbelly. Short and surprising, deeply felt solo exercise. Sometimes difficult to watch - but that's the point. 4/5
Sticks, Stones, Broken Bones, Underbelly. Charming short stories told with creative ingenuity, modesty and an honest smile. Magnificent. 5/5
Stitched Up, Spaces @ Venue 45. Light and witty deconstruction of Frankenstein, with a carefully clever script. Guaranteed giggles. 4/5
Story Shakespeare: King Lear, C Too. Superlative storytelling and beautiful harmonies - reaffirms young theatre. Clear, confident stuff. 4/5
Success: A Success Story, Voodoo Lounge. Laugh out loud satirical seminar by 3 top comics w. great gags and songs. Best in free fringe! 5/5.
Take Us To Hollywood, Voodoo Rooms. Charismatic and bizarre musical duo with sucker-punch humour. The structured silliness delights. 4/5
Tales From A Cabaret, Fingers Piano Bar. Disarming, fun, and oh-so-slightly political. Smartly written, lovingly performed double-act. 4/5
Teenage Riot, Traverse. Intensely challenging, wildly provocative. Hair-raising, seminal theatre that chews you up and spits you out. 5/5
The Terrible Infants, Pleasance Grand. Endlessly inventive theatrical feast. Great visual storytelling with wonderful live music 4/5
The Terrible Tales of the Midnight Chorus, Bedlam Theatre. Magical and musical extravaganza of gothic storytelling. A tea-time treat. 4/5
They Shoot Horses Don't They?, Spaces on the Mile. Simple and entertaining, performed by a solid and talented ensemble. Great singing. 3/5
The Three Englishmen, Just the Tonic. Patchy sketch show fell flat too often. Some original ideas, but sadly just not funny enough. 2/5
The Track of the Cat, C +2. Wordy intergenerational drama. Atmospheric squeeze-box music overused but some strong performances. 3/5
Trojan Women, C+3. Brave production by young ensemble. Beautiful choral singing but at times missing the real gut-wrenching tragedy. 3/5
2 Episodes of Mash, Pleasance Dome. Endearing performances and some wildly imaginative sketches. Lack of material disappoints, though. 3/5
Unshakeable, Spaces @ Surgeons Hall. An uncomfortable experience: the dogged and rambling tone undermines any emotional involvement. 1/5
The Vanishing Horizon, Zoo. Stunning props & exquisite stage-craft makes this tale of aviation & family ties something very special. 4/5
The Wake, Bedlam. Absurd, meta-theatrical farce and a lesson on life, love & legacy. Sharply performed with a sparklingly witty script. 5/5
Wealth, C Soco. An obfuscating script leaves actors and audience in confusion - any pathos is smothered by metaphysical pretence. 2/5
A Wee Home From Home, St. Brides Centre. Keenly observed and well-constructed, with wonderfully natural choreography. Worth the walk! 4/5
What Would Helen Mirren Do?, Hill Street. Slick, well-observed and
charming. Wears its heart on its sleeve, but wears it well. 4/5
charming. Wears its heart on its sleeve, but wears it well. 4/5
When in Rome, Spaces @ Surgeons Hall. Frothy musical romp with some strong performances. Script and ending fall flat. 3/5
When We Meet Again, Forest Fringe. Take 10 minutes to be totally transported by this extraordinary one-on-one gem. Exhilarating work. 4/5
Whodidit?, Spaces @ Surgeons Hall. Extremely funny play, but it asks too much of the (promising) young actors. Entertaining, but batty. 3/5
Whoopdebleedinshit, Opium. Demonic, energetic and often shouty dark sketches performed with a maniacal vigour. Worth a look. 3/5
Wild Allegations, Bedlam Theatre. Frank and honest portrayal of unlikeable characters with hidden agendas. Hilarious yet touching. 4/5
WitTank, Just The Tonic. Smart but still safe, this clever trio displays great promise. Hit sketches bring the house down. 4/5
Women Laughing, Spaces on the Mile. A little unevenly paced, but with some cracking bits of dialogue. Likely to improve over time. 3/5
Your Dream Wedding, Assembly Rooms. Richly funny fairytale bridal experience, with strong comic actors. Go with friends for most fun. 4/5
You're Not Like All The Other Girls, Chrissy, Pleasance Courtyard. Won't blow your mind, but might break your heart. Well-scripted. 4/5