Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025

Extant and ZOO are working in partnership to make ZOO the first fully accessible venue for visually impaired audiences at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2025.

Headlining ZOO’s accessible programme for the festival will be three shows featuring Extant Enhance, a pioneering programme that augments performances for visually impaired audiences, providing low-fi interventions of live programme notes and creative touch tours, presented by the theatre company one hour before the performance.

Extant will also provide all ZOO’s staff and the show’s creators with visual impairment awareness training. Visually impaired audiences will be encouraged to attend Enhance performances and we will add to this unique programme our second annual ‘Open House on Access’ event.

Upcoming:

Visually impaired access on a budget – Free Online Workshop – June 24th – 3-4pm.

A workshop on simple ways to make your Fringe show accessible to visually impaired audiences, from self-description to audio introductions, and beyond.

Led by Louisa Sanfey (Extant Artist Development Manager) and Kirin Saeed (VICS founder).

https://connect.edfringe.com/events/182197

Open House on Access – Wednesday 13 August, 11am-1pm, ZOO Southside Cab Bar

An open forum to discuss accessibility for visually impaired audiences, performers and creatives at Edinburgh Fringe and beyond. How to make work accessible on a variety of budgets, creative solutions to incorporate audio description tools and engaging visually impaired audiences.

Led by Extant and VICS in partnership with ZOO.

This is a free drop-in event so pop along any time between 11am to 1pm at ZOO Southside Cabaret bar.

Enhance Performances

Big Little Sister by Holly Gifford- Tuesday 12th August

Against a white background, a white woman with brown hair and blonde highlighted streaks kneels on the floor, with her arms outstretched and her palms touching the white floor. She wears a long sleeved white t-shirt and a black jumpsuit. At the bottom left is a silver wheelchair.

Big Little Sister, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, Photo credit: Finn Carlow

Pre-show Programme Notes and Touch Tour – 9:35am

Performance – 10:35am

Venue: ZOO Playground

1999. 2005. 2014. This sibling jumps through a timeline of growing up with a brother who has severe learning disabilities. Big Little Sister is a journey through surrealist storytelling, sketches and monologues, accompanied by the ethereal voice of her brother’s communication aid.

Tickets, £11 concessions, £12 full price, free personal assistant tickets available.

Purchase tickets here: https://tickets.zoofestival.co.uk/event/124:1822/

I Think It Could Work by Full Out Formula / Almanac Projects- Tuesday 12th August

3 people are performing circus tricks. To the left a person is wearing all red and is performing a handstand, in the middle, a person is wearing all blue, is jumping in the air, holding a tri-cycle and to the right, a person is wearing yellow and kneels with holding their arms up in the air.

I Think It Could Work, Full Out Formula / Almanac Projects, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, Photo credit Michelle Reid.

Pre-show Programme Notes and Touch Tour – 4:30pm

Performance – 5:30pm

Venue: ZOO Southside

Upside-down or right side up? On purpose or by accident? How do you like your eggs? From the mischievous minds of Full Out Formula comes I Think It Could Work, a daring and playful leap into the unexpected. With bright colours, dazzling acrobatics and unflinching trust, this Chicago-based contemporary circus collective invites you into a speculative world where your choices decide their destiny.

Tickets, £11 concessions, £12 full price, free personal assistant tickets available.

Purchase tickets here: https://tickets.zoofestival.co.uk/event/124:1756/

Small Town Boys by Shaper/Caper – Wednesday 13th August

In a club, with blue, purple lighting, a silhouetted figure stands center holding a bag, in front of them are people dancing.

Small Town Boys, Shaper/Caper, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025,

Pre-show Programme Notes and Touch Tour – 6:15pm

Performance – 7:15pm

Venue: ZOO Southside

A young man embarks on a thrilling journey from his small hometown to the big city, where he finds solace and joy in the vibrant LGBTQ+ scene. However, his adventure takes a dramatic turn as he confronts a terrifying health crisis, largely ignored by the government. Eight electrifying dancers bring the legendary Paradise Nightclub to life with a community cast, who blur the lines between performer and audience, infusing the show with the joy and chaos of the club scene.

Tickets, £18 Full Price, £17 concession, free personal assistant tickets available

Purchase tickets here: https://tickets.zoofestival.co.uk/event/124:1764/124:28750/

Visually Impaired Led and Accessible Performances

I Dream in Colour by Jasmine Thien

‘You’re fighting for equal rights or some shit: I’m still fighting for the right to exist’. Sophie has a choice: remove her one remaining eye containing a tumour or risk cancer. Again. No brainer, right? But her parents have done everything to save this eye, in the hope she might see again. Can she do what she wants this time? A semi-autobiographical one-woman show from Jasmine Thien; a fully blind writer, poet and comedian. ‘I Dream in Colour’ was created with support from Extant’s Associate Artist programme.

This production features Creatively Integrated Audio Description and an Audio Introduction will be available in advance.

Venue: Friesian at Underbelly, Bristo Square (302)

Dates: 30th July-24th August, 2:20pm.

Purchase tickets here https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/i-dream-in-colour

Tom Skelton: VIP (Visually Impaired Papa)

After losing most of his sight, Tom thought he might never become a dad. But now he is. And he’s a bit scared. From nappy changing, choking hazards and losing your toddler in the park, to not being able to read to him, see his changing face or his first goal on the football pitch, this is a hilarious, heartfelt scamper through dadhood and disability.

Venue: Daisy at Underbelly, Bristo Square.

Dates: 30th July-11th August, 1:15pm

https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/tom-skelton-vip-visually-impaired-papa