Sadly another Brighton Fringe is over. The twentieth anniversary of the Fringe presented a diverse bunch of fabulous shows, as always, for the whole month of May. Comedy continues to be front and centre of the programming but theatre, spoken word, dance, circus, cabaret and the indescribably odd all get a look in at Fringe time.
This year’s Reviews Hub team reviewed 54 shows from across the spectrum of what was on offer, and there were plenty of wonderful productions to ponder as contenders for the 2025 Reviews Hub Best Show of the Fringe.
Our Short list is as follows:
The Arms: Moon Kim Theatre Company
Moon Kim is a South Korean theatre maker living in London; a surrealist who wants to reach a wider audience. Her creative endeavours focus on blending various art forms and experimenting with unconventional approaches. Her work is surreal, physical and dream-like.
The Arms: Domi has been making extra arms to help people all over the world. She’s become a local hero and everyone is calling her the “eight- armed woman”! But Sora, Domi’s next door neighbour is suspicious… and starts spying on Domi, determined to prove that she’s a threat to their community.
Our reviewer Lela Tredwell said: “Moon has a unique way of depicting the warring neighbours that must be seen to be fully appreciated. The show extends well beyond its borders. We leave feeling enchanted, invigorated, and that we have just witnessed something truly original.”
Dad Jokes: Bertie Hodd
Bertie Hodd is an award-winning multi-skilled hyper-hyphenated performer and live artist working across comedy, drag, theatre, clowning, directing and producing. Bertie’s work is based in political comedy, mundane cabaret and audience connectivity. They like to make work that is inherently stupid and surprisingly resonant and always, full of heart.
Dad Jokes is a love-letter to the queer community and parents who perhaps don’t ‘get it’, but really try to. It is an exploration of softer masculinity, utopian visions of parenting and the queer reinvention of family.
Our reviewer Polly Bishop said: “Delivering a show with a message that manages to be incredibly funny too is a tall order, but Hodd matches this challenge, and more. A must-see blend of clowning, musical comedy and divine drag king antics with real heart. Don’t miss this.”
Landlord’s Wet Dream: Verity Sharpe
Verity Sharpe is a queer, working-class comedian and theatre-maker. She performs high-energy stand-up comedy and punk poetry based on true events she has been unfortunate enough to be involved in.
Landlord’s Wet Dream is a solo comedy show that dives deep into the absurdities of the housing crisis, blending political theatre with razor-sharp humour and autobiographical storytelling.
Our reviewer James Walsh said: “This is performance as Riot Grrrl testament: serious AND funny, and with actual useful information too, if – as most here seem to be – you are a person who works to pay off your landlord’s mortgage…this might actually be the most important show you’ll see all month.”
Julia After1984: Within Theatre
Bringing together actors with lived experience in totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, Within Theatre creates politically urgent work. They Specialise in physical theatre, documentary performance, and the integration of contemporary media, crafting bold, immersive productions that confront systems of control and censorship and reflecting on their own histories of surviving systems of repression.
A recrafting of George Orwell’s classic, Julia After 1984 is the story of Julia, who, after enduring torture in the Ministry of Love is joyously reunited with her sister only to realise they are being closely monitored by a telescreen and are unable to speak freely. Nonetheless, Julia is determined to seek revenge.
Our reviewer Lela Tredwell said: “This is a play for the people, for all people…. It is a reminder that 1984 truly is one of the greatest speculative fiction predictions, that a re-centring of perspective can give us a fresh new take on the world, and how Big Brother is watching us, still.”
And Our Winner is: Dad Jokes: Bertie Hodd.
It is with great delight, after much deliberation, that we can say that Dad Jokes: Bertie Hodd is declared the 2025 Reviews Hub Best Show of Brighton Fringe 2025.
Bertie wins our fabulous Certificate Award to hang wherever they may choose and one year of free advertising on The Reviews Hub website.
And so on to 2026!
