Entertainment company Avalon have announced their promoted line-up of artists who are performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025. This year’s line-up includes the return of last year’s Best Newcomer Joe Kent-Walters as well the latest offerings from award winning musical comedian Katie Norris, Adelaide Fringe Emerging Artist Award winner Kate Dolan and critically acclaimed comic and writer Andrew Doherty. Additionally, audiences will have a chance to see festival debuts from US comedians; Emmy nominated writer and internationally touring comedian Sam Jay and comedian, actor, writer and star of hit stand-up special Hijabs Off Zainab Johnson. Also coming back to the festival are Fringe favourites including one of the country’s most in demand political satirists and comics Matt Forde, rising star and star of Live at the Apollo Chloe Petts, comedian, podcaster and author of ‘Why Can’t I Just Enjoy Things? A Comedian’s Guide to Autism’ Pierre Novellie, multiple-award-winning stand-up, writer, actor and podcaster Rob Auton, comedian and star of BAFTA award winning Friday Night Dinner Tom Rosenthal and Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Glenn Moore.
During the last 35 years, Avalon have worked with more Edinburgh Comedy Award winners and nominees than any other company including: Chris Addison, Greg Davies, Dave Gorman, Frank Skinner, Harry Hill, The Mighty Boosh, Al Murray, Russell Kane, Alex Horne, Roisin Conaty, Kristen Schaal & Kurt Braunohler, Garth Marenghi, Lucy Beaumont, John Kearns, Bilal Zafar, Glenn Moore, Ciarán Dowd, Sara Barron, Sophie Duker, Huge Davies, Lauren Pattison, Phil Ellis, Ania Magliano, Ahir Shah and 2024’s Best Newcomer Joe Kent-Walters, as well as three of only seven female winners of the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Award; Jenny Eclair, Laura Solon and Rose Matafeo.
Avalon’s promoted line-up for 2025 includes:
Andrew Doherty – Sad Gay AIDS Play
Chloe Petts – Big Naturals (pictured)
Glenn Moore – Please Sir, Glenn I Have Some Moore?
Joe Kent-Walters – Joe Kent-Walters is Frankie Monroe DEAD!!! (good fun time)
Kate Dolan – The Critic
Katie Norris – Go West, Old Maid
Matt Forde – Defying Calamity
Matt Forde – The Political Party
Pierre Novellie – You Sit There, I’ll Stand Here
Rob Auton – CAN (An Hour-Long Story)
Sam Jay – We The People
Tom Rosenthal – Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am
Zainab Johnson – Toxically Optimistic
Andrew Doherty – Sad Gay AIDS Play
This year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe will see rising star Andrew Doherty return with a brand-new hour, ‘Sad Gay AIDS Play’. The comedian and writer relaunches himself with a ground breaking piece of tragic theatre which sees him throw the book at AIDS and ask the Arts Council to pick it up. The month long run follows a triumphant sell-out solo debut at the Fringe last year with ‘Gay Witch Sex Cult’, where he was picked as one of the funniest comedians at the Fringe (The Guardian). Andrew is known as co-founder of sketch comedy duo Megan from HR alongside One Day actress Ambika Mod. “a comedic tour de force… the queer folk horror comedy you didn’t know you needed” ★★★★ (Kirstyn Smith, Fest Mag). “tickles the funny bone and shivers the spine…consistently hilarious” ★★★★(Kevin Ibbotson-Wight, The Wee Review). "I can only regret that I saw this show so late in the Fringe that I had no possibility of returning. Andrew Doherty has created something incredible here and I will look out for his future projects."★★★★★ (Ed Fringe Review).
Chloe Petts – Big Naturals
After three consecutive smash-hit, sell-out Fringe runs, rising star Chloe Petts returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with a brand-new show… and she’s delving where she’s never delved before: this is a show about sex. The problem is that she blushes every time she says that word. From Page 3, to the time she was cast as a sex offender, to the not-niche-at-all phenomenon of vagina dentata, join Chloe for her most titillating hour yet. It’s been a big year for Chloe; earlier this year she made her debut on Live at the Apollo (BBC), before selling-out her third UK tour and being selected once more to perform at the prestigious Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Last year saw Chloe appear twice on Have I Got News For You (BBC), having also starred in Hannah Gadsby's Gender Agenda (Netflix), appeared on The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice (Channel 4), and landed her debut BBC Radio 4 show, Toilet Humour. “She holds her audience with inventive authority throughout.” ★★★★ (Dominic Maxwell ,The Times). “When it comes to comedy Petts is very much Premier League” ★★★★ (Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard).
Glenn Moore – Please Sir, Glenn I Have Some Moore?
Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominee Glenn Moore (Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown) returns to the Fringe with his highly anticipated, brand new show, Please Sir, Glenn I Have Some Moore?. One of the most prolific joke writers in the country, Glenn has written too many jokes again and has another 300 for you. Glenn’s last show was one of the best-reviewed shows at the Fringe 2022 (British Comedy Guide), going on to enjoy a sell-out national tour and week-long run at London’s Soho Theatre, along with a Chortle Awards, Best Show nomination. Elsewhere on television and radio Glenn is a regular on The News Quiz (BBC Radio 4), The Great American Joke Off (CW) and The Stand Up Sketch Show (ITV), has appeared regularly on Mock The Week (BBC), with writing credits that include Fantasy Football League (Sky) and The Mash Report (BBC), as well as writing and performing in his own series Almanac (BBC Radio 4). Glenn can also be heard daily on The Dave Berry Breakfast Show on Absolute Radio. “the best showcase of pure joke-writing skill I’ve seen on the fringe” ★★★★ (Brian Logan, The Guardian). “This is classy, gag-driven comedy at its most intense, and funniest.” ★★★★★(Steve Bennett, Chortle).
Joe Kent-Walters – Joe Kent-Walters is Frankie Monroe: DEAD!!! (good fun time)
Winner of Edinburgh Comedy Awards’ Best Newcomer 2024 Joe Kent-Walters returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with his sophomore show, ‘Joe Kent-Walters is Frankie Monroe: DEAD!!! (good fun time)’. Yorkshire's biggest bastard Frankie Monroe is back but this time he's dead. But don't worry, he'll be delighting audiences from beyond the grave with an explosive variety hour of laughs, tricks, music and more. As well as winner of Best Newcomer, Joe is also the winner of BBC New Comedy Award 2023 and won Best Show at Leicester Comedy Festival 2024 for his debut hour ‘Frankie Monroe: LIVE!!!’. “Ghoulish absurdity at its classiest” ★★★★★ (Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard). “this is just the sort of breakthrough you come to Fringe to see… its exciting to share a room with him” ★★★★ (Dominic Maxwell, The Times).
Kate Dolan – The Critic
Winner of the Adelaide Fringe Emerging Artist Award 2024, rising star Kate Dolan is bringing her second hour to this year’s Fringe. The Critic is a rare sighting into the sleepless comedian's mind, unravelling, in real time, for all to hear… LIVE ON STAGE! If you’ve ever wondered ‘what was she thinking?’, now is your chance to find out. It’s about time to bring Kate back down to earth, and who to keep her most humble than her own inner monologue. Kate’s critically-acclaimed debut show, A Different Kind of Unhinged, cemented her reputation as a comedic force, for which she was also named as one of the Metro’s ‘Names to Remember from the Fringe’ 2024. As a live-performer, Kate’s appearances include the Sydney Comedy Festival Gala and Best of the Fest: New Class (UK), as well as being selected to perform at the prestigious Melbourne International Comedy Festival for the past two years. Kate co-hosts the podcast Becoming Best Friends alongside fellow comedian Danielle Walker. “A phenomenal emerging comic… she is exactly where she’s meant to be and you should be too, if only to be able to say you were there at the very start.” ★★★★ (Jo Laidlaw, The List). “winning over audiences with their unique brand of stand-up comedy… eschews the safety of palatability in an effort to make deeper connections in her comedy” (Mariela Summerhays, The New York Times Australia).
Katie Norris – Go West, Old Maid
Following a tremendous debut last year, award winning musical comedian Katie Norris returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, inviting audiences to accompany her on an exciting journey with her brand new show ‘Go West, Old Maid’. The stand-up, actress and singer won Best Show at the Leicester Comedy Festival Awards 2025, won at the Musical Comedy Awards 2023 and was a semi-finalist in the BBC New Comedy Awards 2023. She has been compared to Phoebe Waller-Bridge (The Telegraph) and heard on BBC Radio 4’s The Now Show, Newsjack and DMs are Open. “the wit and panache with which Norris delivers her songs, the poise she displays with her expressive comic physicality, well, it's a sublime, witch's brew of ingredients for a first-rate debut” ★★★★ (Jay Richardson, The Scotsman). “intense, unpredictable and hilarious...sensational performance” ★★★★ (Steve Bennett, Chortle).
Matt Forde – Defying Calamity
Fresh from delivering last year’s best-reviewed show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (topping 1,638 others, per the British Comedy Guide) and wrapping up his biggest tour yet, leading political comedian and satirist Matt Forde (The Royal Variety Performance, Spitting Image, HIGNFY, British Scandal) returns with his new hour trying to find positivity in life despite the rising tide of populism in the UK, the actions of Donald Trump and Matt's own ongoing health battles. “flying the flag for satire…a meaty hour of impressions, gags and reflections…so much to admire here” ★★★★★ (Mail On Sunday) “An outstanding hour…nobody else serving up party-political humour at this level…perhaps the best routine in town. Stunning.” ★★★★ (The Times). “firing on all cylinders… His impression of the past and future President is easily his, well, Trump card… sublime portrayal” ★★★★ (Evening Standard).
Matt Forde – The Political Party
Hot on the heels of his return to the West End with his acclaimed Political Party residency- following an 18-month hiatus due to a bone cancer diagnosis - Matt Forde (Spitting Image, HIGNFY, British Scandal) is set to bring three live podcasts to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with guests to be announced. With over 11 million downloads, The Political Party has earned multiple nominations from the British Podcast Awards and Chortle Awards and is regularly highlighted as a top podcast pick in the press. Previous guests include: Keir Starmer, Nicola Sturgeon, Tony Blair, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Angela Rayner, Michael Heseltine, Anthony Scaramucci, Alastair Campbell, Gordon Brown and Gary Neville. “Forde’s Political Party podcasts have become essential listening for both comedy fans and Westminster wonks” (Evening Standard) ,“our foremost satirical stand-up” ★★★★ (The Sunday Times), “smart, funny ideas” ★★★★ (The Times).
Pierre Novellie – You Sit There, I’ll Stand Here
Critically acclaimed comedian, podcaster and author of ‘Why Can’t I Just Enjoy Things? A Comedian’s Guide to Autism’, Pierre Novellie makes his return to the Fringe with ‘You Sit There, I’ll Stand Here’. This follows being listed as one of the best reviewed shows of the Fringe for a third year in a row and a sold out full festival run last year. Pierre is one of the co-hosts of Frank Off The Radio: The Frank Skinner Podcast and co-host of BudPod, which has reached 5 million downloads to date. “packed full of belly laughs”★★★★★ (Sharon Lougher, Metro). "Novellie is master of traditional stand up, able to ramp up the absurdity of his everyday observations until they erupt into side-splitting flights of fancy” (Rachel Aroesti, The Guardian).
Rob Auton – CAN (An Hour-Long Story)
Multi-award-winning writer, podcaster, actor and comedian Rob Auton (The Change, Marching Powder, Starstruck, The End of the F***ing World) brings his debut story to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Having written eleven critically acclaimed shows on specific themes, Rob is now keen on telling you a story about a man he made up called CAN in, CAN (An Hour-Long Story), written by and performed by Rob Auton. At one point in his life CAN was the world’s number one motivational speaker... and then something happened. The past year has seen Rob release his first stand-up comedy special The Time Show with Plosive and Turtle Canyon Comedy, star in the second series of Bridget Christie’s critically-acclaimed menopause comedy, The Change, on Channel 4, embark on his biggest UK tour yet and mark his second consecutive win for his daily and critically-acclaimed podcast, The Rob Auton Daily Podcast, picking up the gold award for Best Daily Podcast at the British Podcast Awards. Rob is currently in cinemas starring in Marching Powder alongside Danny Dyer. “eccentric observation and wonderment… the show reeled me in… a hymn to the preciousness of life” ★★★★ (Brian Logan, The Guardian). “You will walk out feeling transformed. And fully alive.” ★★★★ (Claire Smith, The Scotsman).
Sam Jay - We The People
US comedian and writer Sam Jay (Pause With Sam Jay, Bust Down) will be crossing the pond to delight audiences with her Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut with ‘We The People’. In this show, Sam will be exploring how a black woman who never truly felt a part of her country grapples with its certain demise. Sam’s Fringe debut follows 2 critically acclaimed specials, ‘3 In The Morning’ (Netflix) and ‘Sam Jay: Salute Me or Shoot Me’ (HBO). She is also an internationally touring comic, having toured across the US, UK and Europe. In 2018, Sam was named one of Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch and has been nominated for a Writer’s Guild of America Award as well as the Emmy’s for her writing on Saturday Night Live. “one of the best comics working today” (Will Digravio, Time). “Sam Jay is operating at a high level of craft and confidence” ★★★★ (Emma Sullivan, The Skinny).
Tom Rosenthal – Whatever People Say I am, That’s What I Am
Award-winning actor and comedian Tom Rosenthal is set to bring brand new show, ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am’, to the Fringe this year, marking Tom’s return to the festival after 5 years. His previous show, 'Manhood', was praised for being a "striking show, raising questions and laughter in equal measure" (Brian Logan, The Guardian). Tom is best known for his work in the Emmy/BAFTA winning Friday Night Dinner (Channel 4) and Plebs (ITV2), as well as Lloyd of the Flies, Broadchurch (ITV), Bridget Jones’ Baby and the titular role in The Government Inspector at the Chichester Festival Theatre. “a hugely likeable and energetic on stage presence… a well-crafted hour” ★★★★ (Veronica Lee, The Arts Desk). “totally riotous... sharply written punchlines” ★★★★ (Greg Stewart, Theatre Weekly).
Zainab Johnson – Toxically Optimistic
Following her hit stand-up special Hijabs Off (Amazon Prime), and her first UK run with her sell-out and critically-acclaimed show at London’s Soho Theatre last year, comedian, actor and writer Zainab Johnson makes her highly-anticipated debut at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Quickly propelled as one of the most unique and engaging performers on stage and screen, Zainab has become known for telling stories about dating, alongside her identity as a Black female Muslim and being one of 13 siblings. In her new show, Zainab explores growing up in Harlem, as well as gun ownership, purchasing her first home, being too nice on dates, and revealing her toxic trait: Optimism. Zainab’s special was named as one of the ‘Best Comedy Specials of 2023’ (Vulture), and elsewhere on TV, she stars in the hit comedy sci-fi series Upload (Amazon Prime), and has appeared on Ramy (Hulu), A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO), and Late Night With Seth Myers (NBC). “charisma and charm personified” ★★★★ (Steve Bennett, Chortle). “enlightening and cracking up audiences by riffing on her roots” (Megan Jordan, Rolling Stone).
