Crybabies Bring Ghost-Story Sketch Comedy 'The Scaring' to Edinburgh Fringe, Then Soho Theatre
A former priest, a haunted hotel, and three performers who have to be funny and frightening at the same time. That is the setup for "The Scaring," the latest show from Crybabies, the Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominated sketch trio of Michael Clarke, James Gault, and Ed Jones, running at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe before transferring to London's Soho Theatre.
The show plays the Cabaret Bar at Pleasance Courtyard — one of the Fringe's busiest venue complexes — from 24 to 30 August, with an 8pm start time and a running time of one hour. It is listed in the Fringe programme under Comedy Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
"The Scaring" follows Arthur Holland, a disillusioned former priest who checks into a remote hotel and finds himself pulled back into the supernatural. He teams up with Gerry, the ghost of a long-dead guest, under the watch of the hotel manager Mr Lyle. The cast of three perform the whole piece, blending the trio's sketch-comedy background with a narrative structure — a departure from the standalone-sketch format that earned Crybabies their Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination WhatsonStage.
The production is directed by Jon Brittain, an Olivier Award-winning director whose credits include "Rotterdam" and work on shows featuring the comedian Fleabag's Katherine Ryan. Francesca Moody Productions — the company behind the original stage production of "Fleabag" — produces in association with Plosive Live, a promoter active on the Fringe and touring comedy circuit WhatsonStage.
After its Edinburgh run closes on 30 August, "The Scaring" is scheduled to move to Soho Theatre in London, according to the venue's own listing. Soho Theatre, on Dean Street in the West End, is a natural landing spot for Fringe comedy transfers — it programmes year-round and has a track record of picking up shows that land well in August Soho Theatre.
The Soho Theatre listing also carries a quote from the Guardian, which has previously described Crybabies as "masters of the craft" Soho Theatre.
The show has been tracked across the major comedy listings ahead of its Fringe opening. Chortle, the UK comedy guide, covered it in early August under the tagline "Heeeeeere's Crybabies" — a nod to "The Shining" that signals the show's horror-comedy lean Chortle. The British Comedy Guide lists the same synopsis British Comedy Guide.
For audiences heading to the Fringe in its final week, "The Scaring" sits in a familiar slot: a tight hour of comedy with a story attached, performed by a trio with a strong track record on the same circuit. The Pleasance Courtyard venue, the 8pm start, and the seven-day run are all standard Fringe arithmetic. What makes the show worth noting is the step-up in production — a named director, a producing company with West End pedigree, and a London date already booked before the Edinburgh run has finished. That is the pattern of a show arriving with momentum behind it.
