Totnes Fringe Festival: One Week To Go

With just one week to go until Totnes Fringe Festival 2026, the Fringe Festival's creative director Danielle McIlven shares some of her picks for the weekend from the packed Fringe programme of theatre, comedy, cabaret, spoken word and performance.

Running from 9 - 12 July, the festival will bring more than 70 performances to venues across Totnes. Dannielle said:

"Coming to a Fringe Festival ready to watch something you know nothing about is one of the joys. Pick a show that challenges you, watch dance for the first time, find and explore a new perspective with one of our local artists or those visiting us farther afield.

"You can experience theatre, poetry, cabaret and dance all within a few hundred metres and a couple of hours."

Friday: International Adventures and Late Night Cabaret
Start with the hilariously raw and heartbreakingly real Niplash, before experiencing Drawing on the Bottle which, through live projected drawing, storytelling, music and humour, follows one drinker’s journey from childhood to adulthood, exploring what alcohol can be, how we use it, how we say goodbye to it, and the art of becoming unstuck.

Then head to Zonga, where Jipe Lukusa, joining us from Brussels, blends movement, physical comedy and visual storytelling in a wildly inventive international performance.

Stay in Europe with fellow Brussels-based artist Davis Freeman and Nothing Happens Without You, before ending the night with either Doom and Glitter: A Tribute to Tom Waits or the wonderfully absurd How I Went to Every Supermarket in the World.

KarlaShacklock in Niplash - Totnes Fringe Festival 

Saturday: Adventure, Comedy and Epic Tales
Saturday begins with The First Men in the Moon, bringing H.G. Wells' classic adventure to life for a new generation.

Then there's the fast-paced comedy of Look Busy asking when robots take our jobs, what happens next?; the sharp observations of You Need More; and the relatable brilliance of Work.

Finish the day with Blame of Thrones, an improvised period fantasy where you decide what will happen when the monarch is dying. A comedic performance filled with corruption and conspiracy. 

WORK - Claudia Jefferies at Totnes Fringe Festival

Sunday: Improv, International Theatre and Fringe Chaos
Sunday offers perhaps the biggest challenge of all: choosing what to leave out. There's the spontaneity of Improvisation Now, the folklore-inspired storytelling of The Werewolf, and Paperweights, travelling from Poland with a sharp satirical take on bureaucracy and modern work culture.

A performance about work-in-progress people, drowning in tons of paperwork and moving towards the light through a labyrinth of office absurdities.

Catch The Skin Show, create a brand-new musical with the cast of This Is Your Musical, enjoy the brilliantly offbeat Superstar in Therapy, or join Brussels-based artist Davis Freeman for the participatory experience of Karaoke (ART).

How I went to every supermarket - Dan Kelly - Totnes Fringe Festival

And no Fringe weekend would be complete without finishing with An Evening with Roberta Calamari.

Alongside the ticketed programme, audiences can enjoy free family performances in Leechwell Gardens, Roving Poets popping up across the town, and free Fringe “in conversations” exploring everything from climate action and rave culture to work, death and community.

Several performances have already sold out and organisers are encouraging audiences to book ahead. For full listings, venues, performance times and tickets visit: www.totnesfringe.uk