Join Matt Forde and Rory Cargill for a hilarious evening of comedy as they humour you for an hour each, adding some much needed spontaneity into your Thursday evening, all to test their material before the famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer!
DATE CHANGE TO TUESDAY 28 JULY
Matt Forde
"I'm telling you this, mainly just to get you on side! Because I'm going to impersonate a few politicians now and if I insult one you like, just remember, I've been very brave." Matt Forde
Matt Forde dabbles into the realms of comedy, writing, presenting and entertaining others through brilliant impressions. Political jokes and satire are at the forefront of his comedic specialty. His resilience is extremely evident through enduring what he perceived as sciatica pain throughout Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023 to his discovery of a cancer diagnosis. Just 12 months following a spinal removal surgery Matt went onto announce one of his most monumental stand-up shows The End of An Era Tour prior to a month long presence at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2024. Matt is also the host of the crowd-puller podcast The Political Party which has featured several notable guests including Sir Keir Starmer, Nicola Sturgeon, Tony Blair, Eddie Izzard, Jacob Rees-Mogg, and Angela Rayner. Additionally, Matt has a great history of media appearances including Have I Got News For You (BBC One), The Royal Variety Performance (ITV), 8 out of 10 Cats (Channel 4), Newsnight (BBC Two) and Daily Politics (BBC Two).
“A first-class comic.” The Guardian
“Smooth as silk. Brings confidence and energy to political satire.” Edinburgh Festivals Magazine
“Forde is as gratifyingly sane as comedians come…smart, funny ideas.” Times
Rory Cargill
“It’s good practice to sleep in the front row of a show so the performer can clearly see not to disturb you.” Rory Cargill
Rory Cargill is a known master of the detailed art of silly storytelling and crafting visual extravaganzas. The repertoire of skills goes on from writing, performing, acting and producing films. He is able to adapt well when taking on the persona of characters and clearly has a gift for tactfully delivering parody both live and in film. He has accumulated a massive viewership, exceeding over 7 million views for online skits such as his ‘Indie Boys’ series (co-created with Pete Rugman & Dave Durkan) alongside US comedian Kyle Gordon and musicians Kate Nash and The Hoosiers. A comedy short he produced called The Astonishing Adventures of Alfred screened at the BAFTA-recognised Aesthetica Short Film Festival and had its debut US premiere at the LA Comedy Festival.
“A blissful 60 minutes of silliness.” Broadway World
“A pitch perfect homage to classic TV that’s a must-see.” Lothian Life
“An absolute delight.” Comedy To Watch
About Edinburgh Fringe Previews at DAC
Our Edinburgh Fringe Previews are a series of live stand-up comedy shows that provide a fun and dynamic prelude leading up to the opening of The Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026. Whether you are new to comedy or are a seasoned comedy show attendee you can expect exposure to fresh humour within an uplifting local community setting.
Edinburgh Fringe Festival is one of the biggest and most globally renowned festivals that takes place across August in Scotland. It celebrates all things creative from comedy and theatre to dance, children’s shows, musicals and more.
Dugdale Arts Centre’s previews will bring incredible well recognised comedians to share their talent with you against the backdrop of our intimate theatre. We have three months packed with captivating shows with each event having its own flair. We are very grateful to host entertainers so passionate about their craft.
Click here to explore the full series and check out our line up.
