The Edinburgh Fringe is experiencing a notable surge in explicit, sex-positive performance art this year, ranging from high-profile comedy comebacks to intimate storytelling sessions. Among the most prominent figures is Julian Clary, who has returned to the festival after a 17-year absence with his new show, Fully Dilated. Performing at the Assembly Rooms until August 23, Clary describes the title as a metaphor for opening up to his audience, noting that once he is fully dilated, everything comes out. While he remains famous for his 1993 British Comedy Awards quip about fisting Norman Lamont, his latest performance balances his signature smut with reflections on personal loss.
Clary’s approach to humor is deeply rooted in his upbringing, where his mother often incorporated risqué language into family life. He suggests that gay comedians are particularly adept at this style of comedy because they often prioritize directness and immediate gratification. Despite his reputation, Clary notes that his material is not always about shock value; he recalls performing in Harrogate, where an audience of older women—many of whom knew him from his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing—responded warmly to his material.
The festival’s appetite for the explicit is also being met by international acts like Cameryn Moore, a former phone sex operator who is bringing her Smut Slam to the Banshee Labyrinth until August 30. Moore, who launched the event in a Boston Irish pub in 2011, offers a unique service: for £20, she writes bespoke erotic fiction for audience members on a typewriter. She describes her process as a stream-of-consciousness exercise, noting that she is constantly fascinated by the variety of human sexual experiences. Her storytelling sessions often highlight contemporary social anxieties, such as the common discovery that a romantic partner holds radically right-wing views.
Moore’s commitment to raw, unfiltered storytelling is shared by other performers who view smut as a tool for both comedy and catharsis. Bryn Woz, a Californian performer, is presenting her show Smut at the Assembly Roxy until August 31. Woz utilizes a burlesque alter ego named Entendre to deliver lewd singalongs and striptease, navigating the complexities of sexual expression. She suggests that British audiences are particularly skilled at navigating the nuances of smut, perhaps due to a culture of repression that makes the release of such humor more impactful.
For some, the use of explicit material is a deliberate departure from the comedy they once avoided. Chelsea Birkby, who is performing at the Pleasance Courtyard until August 30, admits that she used to dislike stand-up comedy as a teenager because of its reliance on sexual humor. However, after discovering the confessional style of Simon Amstell while studying philosophy, she realized that sexual honesty could be transformative. Her current show, In Full Control The Entire Time, incorporates self-help guides and explicit PowerPoint presentations to explore themes of domination and control.
The tradition of bawdy humor in Britain has long roots, stretching from music hall and pantomime traditions to modern social media. Tom Read Wilson, whose show The A-Z of Me begins touring on September 6, uses an alphabetical structure to explore the lexicon of smut. While he acknowledges that the crude nature of such language can be difficult to shake from one’s mind, he argues that his approach remains erudite and playful. Whether through the therapeutic lens of personal confession or the theatrical flair of burlesque, these performers are proving that the appetite for explicit comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe remains as robust as ever. The report also notes that a woman I’ve only just met is quizzing me on my sexual fantasies, o n a street in Edinburgh. The report also notes that a former phone sex operator turned playwright from the US, along with other, less printable, questions, what positions do you prefer?” asks Cameryn Moore. The report also notes that punters can tell Moore what turns them on, her business plan is simple: for £20. The report also notes that “I listen to their content then spit it out on paper – no punctuation, very stream of consciousness,” she says. The report also notes that so that’s what I do every day at the fringe: sit down for four or five hours a day and crank out dirty shit.” She calls the service Sidewalk Smut. The report also notes that her nightly session of dirty storytelling that has travelled the globe since she started it in a Boston Irish pub in 2011, that’s not all Moore is doing – her custom erotica stand is an innovative way of drumming up support for Smut Slam. The report also notes that there’s a segment in the show in which anonymous sex stories are dropped in a bucket and picked out to be read aloud.
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