Social media stars on stage

Can social media success translate into success in the real world? Coming out of lockdown more viral creators than ever are heading to the Edinburgh Fringe to try to prove their mettle. Here are ten of them,,,

Sugarcoated Sisters

Real sisters Tabby and Chloe Tingey actually make their own music for TikTok, rather than lipsynching to existing hits – a policy which has won them 35million views on the platform. They were drawn there after both were dumped last year and it seemed the perfect outlet for their heartbreak and anger. They also song about their diabetes (Tabby) and bipolar disorder (Chloe). Their mum Hester is also a creator, racking up 26million views for her Facebook series Doreen Doily’s No-Brainer Lectures.

@sugarcoatedsisters Tag your fave female comedians! #newmusic #womenincomedy #maiselchallenge #womenarentfunny #femalecomedian #misogyny #womenempowerment #relatable #downwiththepatriarchy #women #funnywoman Women arent funny - Tabby and Chloe

Finlay Christie

The 22-year-old has more than 100million TikTok and YouTube views, but is also developing a parallel stand-up career. He won So You Think You’re Funny? at the last full Fringe in 2019, when he was also a Chortle Student finalist. His debut show promises a Gen Z perspective on a world in which uni courses are taught remotely and the future looks bleak… Gilded Balloon Teviot 6pm

@finlaycomedy I’ve only seen the mainstream ones #parody original sound - Finlay Christie

Fabulous Father Lee

Father Lee describes himself as 'TikTok's favourite priest', with a total of 23million likes on the platform. The creation of Irish comic Lee Brophy now comes to the stage with a show promising improvised confessions and intimate chats with the voice of God. Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 10.15pm

@leebroph Easy storage, no gag reflex #fatherlee #ikeepmineinhere #irishcomedy #irishhumour #edfringe2022 #edinburghfringe I keep mine in here - Max Foster - news journalist

Tom Lawrinson: Cheeky Monkey

Tom Lawrinson claims more than 100million views on TikTok and Instagram. But in the real world he is part of the successful Pottervision show, and a stand-up who featured on BBC Radio's New Comedy Award in 2016 and 2019. He’s not in any unseemly rush to capitalise on his online audience, either, as his show the Fringe is a 45-minute work-in-progress. Laughing Horse @ 32 Below, 4pm

@tomlawrinson Round at your friends house but the dad thinks you stink #comedy #pov #dad Tom Lawrinson"> original sound - Tom Lawrinson

Rosie Holt

Rosie Holt was a lognstanding comedian before she found online success during the pandemic for her parodies of tone-deaf, self-righteous Tory MPs defending the indefensible – attracting 6million views and winning a Chortle Legend Of Lockdown award in the process. Her Fringe show features a number of her characters, also including a right-wing ‘opinionist’ distorting the news (now the host of her own podcast NonCensored)and a left-winger wanting to say the right thing but scared of getting it wrong. Pleasance Courtyard 6pm

Kylie Brakeman Presents: Linda Hollywood's Big Hollywood Night

Kylie Brakeman went viral on Twitter with a video parodying all the mad excuses people came up with not to wear a mask. Her Fringe show is based on another alter-ego, Linda Hollywood, an sass-talking producer/agent who runs this town… Like something out of Bojack Horseman but in the flesh… Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose 7pm

pardon me, simply making a greatest hits thread for my pinned tweet, carry on about your business https://t.co/q1nKxdkdlH

— kylie brakeman (@deadeyebrakeman) December 9, 2020

My name is Linda Hollywood and I run this fucking town pic.twitter.com/dwmoJiJyb0

— kylie brakeman (@deadeyebrakeman) June 3, 2021

Marc Jennings

The former Scottish Comedian Of The Year has done pretty well online, not by creating any special content but just by releasing clips of his stand-up – which has attracted more than 5million views and helped him, sell out his 2019 Fringe debut. He’s also a regular on topical Scottish panel show Breaking The News. Monkey Barrel Comedy (Carnivore) 5.25pm

George Fox

The Irish comedian has found online fame in very internet way, as one of the stars of the YouTube channel Irish People Try in which… well Irish people try things, like strong alcohol, 'weird American tuna' or beef jerky. It's proved a winning formula with more than 1million subscribers and a billion views. His Fringe stand-up show is all about the dread of embarrassing memories and the intrusive thoughts that keep us awake at night. Monkey Barrel Comedy, 7pm.

Rachel Parris

Perhaps it's a bit of a cheat to include Rachel Parris in this list, as she’s a well-established comedian and improviser, one of the talented Austentatious troupe. But there’s no doubt her appearances on The Mash Report and subsequently Late Nigh Mash (which she will host when it returns later this summer) took her to new levels of fame, more from her segments that went viral than the original TV airings. The below clip has 2.4million views on YouTube alone, let alone all the other platforms. She brings All Change Please, her latest collection of stand-up and songs about sudden love, relationships, family and the baffling state of society, to Edinburgh for a brief run after its UK tour. Underbelly George Square 7.40pm, August 10 to 13 only

Published: 22 Jul 2022