Just The Tonic Edinburgh comes back in 2022 with a bang – over 175 shows in 19 venues over 8 spaces. JTT has a reputation for breaking some of the best comedy talent and are really proud to be back at the fringe.
This year sees the opening of two new spaces with the 300 capacity ‘Atomic Room’ and 60 capacity ‘Sub Atomic Room’ in the futuristically named ‘Nucleus’ venue. This recently refurbished church is situated 150 metres up the road from the Pleasance Courtyard (140 The Pleasance).
The Atomic Room boasts a stellar line up that includes Daniel Sloss, Jimeoin, Craig Hill and the critically acclaimed Setlist, offering some mighty fine laughs. Also on the line up is Australian performer Cassie Workman with her show ‘Aberdeen’. Part eulogy, part fantasy, part biography, the show is an in-the-round conversation with Kurt Cobain about life and death. The Sub Atomic Room plays host to Scottish acts Jo Jo Sutherland & Bruce Devlin, Connor Burns, Liam Farrelly, and a show entitled ‘Shit Lawyer’, the cheapest hour with a solicitor you’ll get. Plus a host of other comedy offerings!
JTT owner Darrell Martin says: “After 2 very shaky pandemic afflicted years, we seriously did worry that this might not happen. But, with the enthusiasm of me and my foolish ever-the-optimist team we have cracked on and managed to pull off the biggest line up so far. Woo Hoo! Our programme for 2022 reflects our love of and bias towards comedy in all its present forms. With a rosta starting with a lot of unknowns, newcomers, first timers through to some fringe hardened, TV populating award wining established acts”.
Just the Tonic are also programming some events within a Spiegeltent, located in the St James Quarter. JTT have a nightly mixed bill show called Spiegeltastic which will include some of the best acts of the fringe, and those just passing through. In the final week they will filling a couple of slots a day with sell out shows from around the Fringe (book now before the names are announced and the price goes up - Edfringe Hot Ticket Lucky Dip). Plus, drinks will be served from a spectacular Airstream Bar. The BBC and Fringe central events will also be producing events in the tent.
Other highlights include former Edinburgh Comedy award winners and nominees John Robins, Wil Hodgson, Mat Ewins and Phil Ellis. US comedian Anthony Devito makes his debut with ‘My Dad’s Not Danny Devito’, his dad however was in the mafia and Italian comedian Luca Cupani brings his hilarious show Happy Orphan about his mother. A spoken word show called ‘Anoint My Head – The Failings of an Indie Brit Rock Star’ performed and written by Andy McCleod about his real-life band who were managed by Ricky Gervais! TikTok stars and winners of this year’s Musical Comedy Awards Best Newcomer, the Sugarcoated Sisters bring their original blend of cabaret songs performed on guitar & double bass.
It was previously announced that one of their venues The Tron will be a venue of purely female stand-ups – the first venue in the history of the Edinburgh Fringe to do this. These include Northern Powerhouse Nina Gilligan, maverick American Abigoliah Schamaun, Canadian Academy award-nominated actress and comedian Aliya Kanani, comedy powerhouse Kate Barron alongside Eryn Tett and Aideen McQueen that adds some off the wall humour.
Apart from all year-round bars at the Mash House, Caves on Cowgate and The Tron they also have their own pop-up bars. The Seedy Bar in the Caves where Up The Road and Out the Box are, that will have a free to play vinyl jukebox in it and a new bar area at Grassmarket built in the Courtyard called The Glass house. The Nucleus will have the Cooler Room, a big bar area to happily service the refreshment needs of the crowds.
This year for the first time JTT has teamed up with the big four venues at the Fringe - Assembly Rooms, Pleasance, Underbelly and Gilded with their ticket and brochure platform www.edfest.com. Also joining them are Summerhall, Zoo and Dancebase.
Just the Tonic is a highly independent comedy producer that has grown over the last 20 years from it’s director compering Big Value Comedy Shows in 1999 to now running 8 venues, with 19 spaces, 4 independent bars and over 175 shows. Started as a scrappy Sunday Night comedy club in 1994, they are pleased to still be operating and helping make people laugh and shape the future of comedy.
Click here to see the full Just The Tonic programme.
