Frequently Asked Questions

A few frequently asked questions about
Mervyn Stutter’s Pick of the Fringe Show.

Tell me more about this show

In a nutshell, it is like the Royal Variety Show of the Fringe. A showcase of some of the best talent on the Fringe selected from all the different genres on offer, whether it be Theatre, Comedy, Dance, Clowning, Acrobats, Circus, Opera, Spoken Word, or even the indefinable. Each day seven different Fringe shows are invited to perform a five minute extract of their show followed by a five minute interview with Mervyn. This gives the audience a true flavour of each show plus some interesting background information about the performer(s) involved. Armed with these insights, audience members can confidently pick the shows they liked and then go to see the whole performances. And do please note that Mervyn’s ‘Pick of the Fringe’ showcases are completely different every day so you can come back more than one time during the Fringe. Since 1992 no two Pick of the Fringe shows have ever been the same!

No and no! The focus of the showcase is to find truly talented performers and exceptional shows from all the different genres regardless of their showbiz status. We do pride ourselves in trying to find shows that don’t have the big budgets, management, or PR that the more established acts have, but we do not limit ourselves in any way; if the show is great and worth shouting about, we will invite it to showcase. Of course, if we can, we like to find those hidden gems of the Fringe and bring them to the attention of Fringe-goers but the number one criteria is, “it must be really good”. It’s a big old Fringe these days and you may have to sit through a lot of the not-so-good-stuff to find the truly amazing. That’s where we come in. We filter the wheat from the chaff for you, hopefully saving you money as well.

Each year, Merv puts together three separate teams of Arts professionals who go out onto the Fringe and, between them, sit through hundreds of shows. These teams are drawn from all parts of the Arts Industry, each with their own expertise, and each team works for one week of the Fringe. This ensures a wonderful mix of styles and influences, and it keeps the showcases fresh and vibrant for the entire run.

Where: We are at the Pleasance One in the Pleasance Courtyard, Venue 33, which is a half mile walk in a south easterly direction from Waverley Train Station. It is clearly marked on the Google Map here.

When: The ‘Pick of the Fringe’ show is on at 1:30pm every day except two. We start bang on 1.30pm so please be ready to take your seat at 1.20pm. Thank you.

2nd – 23rd August 2025
1:30pm – 3:00pm

NO SHOW DAYS
13th & 18th August

How much: All shows are £17.50

Since we started in 1992 we have kept the prices as competitive as we can. We think we’ve done it again this year with our top price of just over £10 per hour*!

* Remember, it is a 90 minute show, not one hour!

Yes. Scroll up to the top of this page and click the Shows link on the Menu then pick the day you are interested in. HOWEVER, please be aware that we rarely know the line-ups until the day before so if there is no information available, please check back again in the evening before the showcase date you are interested in. When a show or act is 100% confirmed, our Webby will update the website accordingly. Another way to “be the first to know” would be to join our mailing list and/or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and/or Instagram.

 
 
 

There are three ways to buy tickets, you can…

1. buy online by clicking here, or

2. book tickets on the telephone by calling the Pleasance Box Office on 0131-556-6550, or

3. buy tickets in person by either going to any Fringe Box Office or any Pleasance Box Office.`

Just send an email to Mervyn and the Team via our form below.

How much are tickets?

All shows: £17.50

Over the 32 years of doing this show we have kept the prices as competitive as we can.

We think we’ve done it again this year with our top price of just over £10 per hour*!

Buy Tickets

* Remember, it is a 90 minute show, not one hour!

Have we answered your question?

If there is any other information about Mervyn Stutter’s Pick of the Fringe show, please get in touch via the form below.

    MESSAGE FOR AGENTS, PERFORMERS and PRESS REPS

    If you would like your show to be considered to appear on one of my ‘Pick of the Fringe’ showcases, please send us your information to perform@mervspick.com, writing your show title in the subject box. Within the body of your email please be sure to include your show title, venue name and number, show genre, a summary of your show, and any video clips or links to videos that you might have.

    Please note, due to the high number of requests we receive we are only able to reply to you if we can offer you a spot on the showcase.

    Many thanks

    Merv