Amy Ambrose’s musical rom-com Dogmum made its debut at Ventnor Fringe and I was pleased to be able to review it. Billed as 'a musical rom-com for anyone whose Prince Charming turned out to be a cockapoo', Amy not only wrote the show but also starred in it herself. As the show was introduced, Amy let us know that she was filming the show to pitch it to a film director, and that most of her band members (who also doubled as actors) “missed their ferry” so she was stuck with s

Brainfools Circus visited Ventnor Fringe and I had the pleasure of reviewing Balance in the Bosco Theatre, which was the perfect venue for this show. Using a combination of acrobatics and theatre, Balance is set in 1940s London, with implied threat from air raid sirens overhead and a radio broadcast to place us firmly in this timezone. There is a story to it, however you can take what you want to from it while you’re watching which is clever – because for some of the younge

Melanie Branton is a former English lecturer and self-confessed linguistics nerd and she has created the show The Full English to share her love of the English language with audiences. It was a pleasure go along and review the show at Pier Street Playhouse, one of the venues at Ventnor Fringe. At the start of her performance, Melanie told us, alongside words, she also loves audience participation. This is a phrase that always makes this introvert’s heart sink and yet for th

Marriage Material is a work in progress, which was also the first show at Ventnor Fringe 2026, and a strong opener at that. The venue for this performance was Pier Street Playhouse which happens to usually be a church – fitting for the subject matter. Opening with a poem was a good move by Charlie Rosse, who is on the hunt for a husband and hoping to find help – or even a husband – from within the audience. The first line instantly engaged the audience and also proved to