Britney In: John (Country Mile Productions)
At the age of just eighteen, Charly Clive and Ellen Robertson (a.k.a. sketch duo Britney) travelled to America to make a documentary about John Hancock, first signatory of the Declaration of Independence. Six years on, they're retracing their steps through The States to see whether it all meant anything. In an hour of sketches and storytelling, with clips from the documentary weaved throughout, the pair gamely poke good-natured fun at the sincerity, overconfidence and incompetence of their teenage selves. The show works best when tightly focused - it's hard not to feel impatient with the more tangential sketches, wanting to get back to the narrative. It ends, though, on a touching note - as heart-warmingly sincere as the film that inspired it.
Bedlam Theatre, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Jon Stapley]

David Trent: Here's Your Future (Phil McIntyre Entertainments)
The internet is a brilliant and strange thing, and David Trent's romp through some of its darkest bits shows it with contempt and wonder in equal measure. It seems apt that 'Here's Your Future' takes place in a dank cave, mirroring the grubby corners of the internet that Trent likes to shout about (and he shouts a lot). The likes of smart forks, vibrating alarm clocks and the never-ending echo chamber of Twitter all come under the spotlight. There's echoes of Adam Buxton's 'Bug' about this show, which mocks comment sections and the self-important trolls who inhabit them. It's a good chuckle and, if nothing else, you'll learn about the quantity of Harry Styles' nipples.
Just The Tonic at The Caves, until 26 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Daisy Malt]

Graham Dickson Is The Narcissist (Berk's Nest in association with PBJ Entertainment)
Rehearsing with his director, Hamish, Graham Dickson is bringing to life the works of Russian writer Grigoriy Alexeivich Dhukov in this riotously funny character comedy. Playing on the pretentiousness of overly theatrical performers, Dickson's showcase features increasingly daft caricatures of both Dhukov's creations and his own personality. The darker sketches include a child suffering at the hands of his abusive father and a worryingly emotional country singer. However, everything is not quite as it seems and the line between fiction and reality becomes ever finer; whose arrogance is the spotlight really on? Packed with plenty of self-mockery, brilliantly eccentric characters and even a cameo from Dickson's mother, this show tickled me to the point I almost choked on my own laughter.
Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Daisy Malt]

Kwame Asante: Open Arms (CKP and ROAR)
Kwame Asante is a doctor with a twist, as he's also a stand-up comedian. Recently moved to a new city for his first medical job, he successfully straddles the two worlds of medicine and comedy, drawing out the humour in this fertile ground. We hear tales of terminally ill patients whose prognosis is explained with comical aplomb, all told with a clean-cut congeniality that wins us over from the start. There are some deeper undercurrents, like entering the terrifying world of adult responsibilities, as well as a laughably insightful section about what it feels like to be Adele. Generally the material feels quite safe and the ending is slightly incoherent, but this is a smooth debut from a likeable young comic.
Pleasance Courtyard, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Anna Williams]

DANCE & PHYSICAL THEATRE

Kin (Barely Methodical Troupe in association with Underbelly)
Circus is combined with theatre and comedy in this new piece from Barely Methodical Troupe. Set in a kind of 'Hunger Games' meets 'Britain's Got Talent' tournament, five contestants battle it out like their lives depend on it, all hoping for approval and recognition from the mysterious judge. Demonstrating incredible feats of physical strength, the contestants perform both solo and as a team in increasingly dynamic, striking displays you would be wise not to try at home. Through lifts, spins, leaps, throws, a bit of dancing and a very tall woman, the acrobats thrill the audience with their astonishing feats. 'Kin' is an outstanding show that will leave you marvelling at how the human body can possibly be capable of such breathtaking tricks.
Underbelly's Circus Hub on The Meadows, until 26 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Daisy Malt]

MUSIC

Ensemble Kla_Vier: Four Men, Four Pianos (Ensemble Kla_Vier)
OK, two pianos, eight hands, but total impact in this medieval cathedral: Beethoven's Fifth Symphony arranged for eight hands was quite something to hear! The popular interpretation of the famous theme of this symphony is Fate knocking at Beethoven's door, prophesying his impending deafness, so the percussiveness of the pianos was extraordinarily apt. These South Korean players were flamboyant and unrestrained, jumping in their seats and ending dramatic phrases with their hands flourished above their heads. The programme included 'Seoul Arirang', composed by one of the quartet members, Ki-Su Bang, and it was highly expressive. One of the encores (the packed audience requested two) was Rimsky-Korsakov's 'Flight of the Bumble Bee' - even stranger than usual on two pianos!
St Giles Cathedral, until 10 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Louise Rodgers]

THEATRE

Enterprise (Americana Absurdum Productions)
'Enterprise' is frequently funny. Very funny, in fact. The humour ranges from the satirical to the absurd, by way of witty wordplay and sharp observations. Though a comic success, as a play it falls apart: the scenes are tied together by the loosest of plots (a group of panicky businessmen trying to save their company), but really it is more a series of disjointed sketches with little in common. Funny, yes, but not really coherent and ultimately less than the sum of its parts. The actors are certainly skilled - one particular highlight being a rousing monologue on the virtues of architects - but the material (it's not really a play) lets them down.
Assembly George Square Studios, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Andy Leask]

Games and After Liverpool by James Saunders (Blind Elephant)
'After Liverpool', the first of the two plays performed, is a slight affair, a rapid montage of scenes featuring interchangeable couples struggling to communicate. Though ably performed, when one character noted that "it's all been said before", I couldn't help but agree. Luckily, the second play, 'Games', is far superior. A clever, self-aware deconstruction of the theatrical process, it keeps bringing ideas and insight to bear, only to subvert its own sincerity as the actors break character, playfully critiquing their line-readings, and their meaning and impact. It circles back on itself, delightfully toying with audience expectations, and with its own existence, or lack thereof. A little self-indulgent, perhaps, but a lot of fun.
Underbelly Med Quad, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Andy Leask]

A Gym Thing (Working Cast Productions / Small Things Theatre)
'A Gym Thing' is a well-told story that tackles contemporary themes of self-obsession, body image and a man's inability to vocalize his emotions. Will is just another guy, lost in his early twenties and still living with his mum, until his friend Rav introduces him to the gym. What follows is a complex love affair between Will's newfound desire for self-perfection and his childhood crush. The show is full of pumping physical routines, and Will appears to grow physically throughout the performance, his muscles swelling and bulging as his addiction, and his body, grows. The performance is modestly structured which allows the story to be told simply, but it ultimately fails to challenge its audience. This is a balanced performance offering fun, energy and catharsis.
Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [James Napleton]

Just William's Luck (Shedload Theatre)
Naughty schoolboy William Brown and his mischievous sidekicks 'The Outlaws' come to the stage as "gnites" armed with bread-knife swords, shoe brush moustaches, and wicked crook puppets, as part of Shedload's crowdfunded adaptation of the Richmal Crompton novel. Staged in a charmingly shabby barn filled with childish trinkets and misspelt signs, the gang deliver an energetic "play within a play", animated by magnificently crafted physical theatre and Foley sound effects. Occasionally the performances lack the childlike charm necessary to prevent it from seeming like just a bunch of grown men in tiny uniforms thumping about on stage. However, Violet Elizabeth "wrights" this "rong" after they let her play, lisping her way through a splendidly spoilt performance. Overall, a jolly fine adventure.
Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Stephanie Stapleton]