...in the animated show's latest episode

Lisa Simpson visits the Edinburgh Fringe in the latest episode of The Simpsons.

In  Ae Bonny Romance, which aired in the US on Sunday, the family fly to Scotland for the wedding of Groundskeeper Willie to his young sweetheart, Maisie, played by Karen Gillan.

And while wandering the city, Liza stumbles across the world’s biggest arts festival, which she praises as a ‘celebration of theatrical irony and self awareness’.

Walking up to ticket booth she requests: ‘One for Musical: The Play, please.’

But the man behind the counter, played by Paul Higgins, says: ‘Sorry darling, this ticket booth’s is Ticket Booth!  a one-man show about a ticket booth. 

‘If you want to buy a ticket for Ticket Booth!, the Ticket Booth! ticket booth is over there…

‘It's so clever without being good,’ trills the excited Lisa – who is later seen watching play called The Fourth Wall, in which the audience watch the back of some stage scenery.

A marquee also reveals some other shows on offer at the fictional Fringe, including Eddie Izzard In: Pants; Wordle: A Tragedy In Six Tries, Hamlet With Real Dogs’  Stephen Fry Is Hugh Laurie’  The Play That Goes Wrong Goes Wrong; Car Crash: A Love Story and Three Tall Men Eating Cereal.

The episode’s writer, Mike Price, attended the Fringe this year, and on social media posted another image suggesting some possible titles that didn’t make it ot the show, such as Non-Improvised Shakespeare and Cunk On Parodies.  ‘Sadly, none of the shows featured Cunk on anything,’ he posted.

I had the great pleasure of attending this years @edfringe. It was incredible. Though, sadly, none of the shows featured Cunk on anything. pic.twitter.com/zWCJLD3qle

— Michael Price (@mikepriceinla) December 4, 2023

Simpsons star Harry Shearer is also a regular visitor to the Fringe, and in 2000 the entire cast, except for Marge’s voice, Julie Kavner, staged a reading of a classic episode at the festival,

In the episode – available on Disney+ in the UK – Lisa also breaks her 18-year vegetarian streak.

Before heading to the festival, she checks off traditional Edinburgh experiences, including eating a Scotch egg. Although she says it filled her with ‘deep regret’, it appears to be because of the taste, not of the sausagemeat. It could possibly have been a veggie version of course.

 David Tennant also features in the episode, as the distillery-owning father of the bride with Belle and Sebastian as the wedding band. 

And last word on the Edinburgh experience has to go to Homer, who faced with the city’s terrain grumbles: ‘Why can’t all hills go down?’

Published: 7 Dec 2023