Three shows about loss and grief at the Edinburgh Festival 2024…

Alison Larkin: Grief… A Comedy | Assembly George Square Studios | 31 Jul-25 Aug
Shows about loss and grief are a regular fixture at this here festival, but the range of shows that come under that sort of header is pretty wide – you’ll often find this kind of theme being explored in comedy, for example. And speaking of which, here’s a show called ‘Grief… A Comedy’. And it’s just that – a funny and life affirming show in response to a tragic event: Larkin fell in love for the first time in her fifties, only to swiftly lose the loved one in question. Info and tickets here.

Beyond Krapp | Pleasance Courtyard | 31 Jul-26 Aug
“Cormac wanted a funeral no one would ever forget: knock-knock jokes at the prayers of the faithful, a roll call of his top shags for the first reading, and his life-size cardboard cutout of Zendaya escorted to the altar at the offertory”. Another comedy, a new and dark one inspired – as you might expect – by ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’ by Samuel Beckett, written and performed by Peter McCormick. Info and tickets here.

I Sell Windows | Assembly George Square Studios | 1-25 Aug (pictured)
Described as “one black woman’s exploration of what is birthed at the collision of grief, ambition and sex”, this solo show written and performed by Kacie Rogers follows the character of Kacie as she navigates the weeks between the sudden loss of a close relative and the funeral, which she is not sure she can bring herself to attend. The audience are invited into her dreams, therapy sessions and complicated thoughts. Info and tickets here.