What to binge at Fringe: Prague's wildest English-language theater week returns

Born in Edinburgh and famed for launching careers from Steve Coogan to Mr. Bean, the Fringe Festival has become a global incubator for emerging talent. Now in its 24th year, the Prague Fringe may be smaller in scale, but it holds its own as the Czech capital’s leading English-friendly theater festival.

This year’s edition is anything but predictable. Running from May 26–31, Fringe will once again take over Malá Strana’s cobbled streets and intimate venues with a lineup ranging from British comedy royalty to bold, genre-defying performances that explore identity, culture, and form, with plenty of laughs along the way, just like its distinguished Edinburgh cousin.

"We’re immensely proud of what this year’s programme represents—a truly international celebration of creativity. From big names like Mark Watson to meaningful stories from India and unmissable Fringe classics, it’s a week that will surprise, provoke, and entertain,” said Prague Fringe Founder and Director Steve Gove.

Mark Watson, best known for his cerebral stand-up on BBC's Mock the Week and Taskmaster, headlines this year’s Fringe with his show Before It Overtakes Us (May 29–31) in collaboration with Prague’s Metro Comedy Club. Watson’s appearance marks a major coup for the festival—a signal that Fringe is still attracting heavyweight talent alongside its experimental roots.

Prague Against Humanity (May 27), hosted by Metro Comedy Club, offers a unique twist on stand-up by blending the dark humor of Cards Against Humanity with live comedy. Featuring prompts inspired by expat life and Czech culture, the interactive show promises sharp, unscripted laughs—and a fresh take on what it means to live (and joke) in Prague.

Fresh off the semifinals of Czechoslovakia Has Talent, Brian Lennon brings American Refugee to Prague Fringe on May 29—a solo show tracing his journey from a strict religious upbringing in California to expat life in Prague. Expect sharp, irreverent takes on identity, addiction, awkward sex, and embracing socialized healthcare with a wink.

The 2025 line-up also brings a strong international focus, with the Festival of India introducing a slate of new voices in spoken word, theatre, and comedy, in total, four distinct productions. Among them, Love, Laughter & Longing, a lyrical collaboration between Priya Malik and Simar Singh (May 27–30) that explores desire and identity; and The Chai Queens (May 27–31), a vibrant take on intergenerational expectations.

The Queer Fringe program dives deep into radical performance. From Scotland, Fckboy (May 26–28) offers a raw, darkly funny look at gender dysphoria and the trans experience; Czech entry Black Dress (May 29–31) goes into the challenges of gender neutral pronouns in Czech; and Deeptime Atomic Waste Pleasure Party (May 26–28) from Scotland pushes into full-blown queer eco-futurism—a party at the end of the world and maybe a vision of the one that’s to come.

Returning Fringe icons like Pip Utton and Gareth Armstrong will appear alongside brand-new premieres for a total of 42 shows and over 130 performances. Family-friendly, improv, physical theater, and musical acts are also on tap at this year’s Fringe.

Whether you come for the stand-up, spoken word, or theater, you’ll stay for that weird and wonderful thing you didn’t know you needed; this is one week where Prague lets its theatrical freak flag fly.