International Comedy Edinburgh Previews 2025

Event information

Every year we present a selection of the top shows warming up before heading North to the Edinburgh Festival. Your ticket entitles you to see both full shows for less than the price of one in Edinburgh.
NOTE EARLIER START TIMES and any CHANGES to advertised running order.
1st show starts 8pm, 2nd show starts 9.15pm.
Check www.downstairsatthekingshead.com for details of who's on tonight.

Lucy Porter: Let Yourself Go (WIP)
Festival favourite Lucy returns with a brand new show about the power of letting yourself go – in every sense. Whether that means embracing your wrinkles and love handles whilst living in a slanket or having a couple of babychams and dancing like nobody's watching (and if you're a middle aged woman, they're probably not). It's also about letting go of the person you've always thought you are and using your mid-life crisis to pursue new goals and reinvent yourself. 'Impeccably punchlined anecdotes... delightful' (Telegraph). 'A treat from start to finish' (Herald).


Lindsey Santoro: Work In Progress
Having enjoyed remarkable success at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023, winning Next Up’s Biggest Award in Comedy for the most outstanding show at the Fringe and earning an Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer Nomination for her critically acclaimed debut sell-out show Pink Tinge Lindsey Santoro returns with a brand new work in progress for 2025.
Lindsey has recently been seen on Mel Giedroyc’s: Unforgivable (Dave) and The Stand-Up Sketch show (ITV2). Other credits include Comedy Central Live, The Joy of Missing Out (Channel 4) and Sarah Millican’s Elephant in the Room (BBC Radio 4). Tour support for Joe Lycett and Russell Kane.


‘An hour of brilliantly impish, saucy storytelling and salt of the earth comedy’ ★★★★★ (Theatre Weekly)
‘Surely only a matter of time before she becomes a television fixture’ ★★★★ (The Scotsman)

Important Notes:
Bills may alter at late notice - check on www.downstairsatthekingshead.com for any last-minute changes.
There is no reserved seating Downstairs. We can seat 70 and have 10 standing spaces. Your ticket guarantees entry, but if you want a good seat, please be with us by the advertised door opening time.
Please bring evidence of booking (i.e; your confirmation email). On phone is fine - save trees!
You can book tickets up to 6pm on the day of the show. After then, any remaining tickets will be sold on a first-come first-served basis on the door at the advertised “doors open” time.
Also please note that, as an intimate venue, we discourage large group bookings, so tickets are limited on this show to a MAXIMUM of 4 per person.
We want everyone to enjoy the show. Please don’t talk during the performance and ensure your mobile phone is turned off. You will be required to leave without refund if your behaviour is disruptive. No recording in any medium is allowed without prior permission.
Intoxicated persons will not be admitted.
The use of E cigarettes is prohibited
Note we do not allow food downstairs. If you are planning on eating upstairs before the show, please allow plenty of time to finish before coming downstairs.