Ifrah Qureshi: I Read The 48 Laws of Power So You Don't Have To (a Fringe survival guide)
Power
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Power 〰️
The Edinburgh Fringe is back for 2026, and with it, our annual feature series! This year, we’re taking on POWER: Who’s got it? Where is it? Where should it be? How do you get it? Our comedians are the only ones with the answers.
By Ifrah Qureshi
(Edinburgh Local, Power aficionado and Google Local Guide Level 6)
So you're coming to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer? In August, Edinburgh is the culture capital of the world. Playwrights, comedians, theatre-makers, and critics, alongside train droves of Guardian-reading Ottolenghi fans transport into the city for their annual pilgrimage.
To help you navigate this annual gathering of the cultural intelligentsia, I have read Robert Greene's The 48 Laws of Power. This is the book that promises to teach you how to dominate every room, manipulate every social interaction and generally become the sort of person people describe as "intense".
The laws are beloved by CEOs, politicians and the father of that comedian whose Fringe run sold out in March. Below are the 6 power moves for you to maximise your Edinburgh Fringe visit.
Law III: Conceal Your Intentions
Subterfuge and deception have always been part of festival culture, until Fyre Fest took it too far. My favourite deception to do at the Fringe is taking a clipboard and pen into every show. Nobody knows whether you're a critic, a reviewer or a Victorian ornithologist. Doesn’t matter, all three are granted immediate authority here. Performers will clock you and spend the next hour sweating directly at you. Don’t write anything.
Power.
Law VI: Court Attention at All Costs
Application of this law is difficult during the Edinburgh Fringe, the Olympics of attention-seeking. The streets are full of clowns, drag queens, political satirists and a man dressed as a giant bin explaining cryptocurrency (thankfully ironically). To stand out in a crowd of people desperately trying to stand out, I recommend becoming Danish. Wear head to toe navy. Express no emotions. And if it’s cold, which it will be, park your baby in its pram outside the restaurant while you eat. No, I don't know why they do that either.
Power.
Law XXXIV: Be Royal In Your Own Fashion
To avoid pithy conversation about the rental crisis and accommodation woes, buy a flat for the month. You can live in it during August , give it a lick of paint and sell it for a profit in September. And if you invite an audience to watch you paint the walls as an immersive theatre experience for £10 a pop, well you’re basically making money whilst you’re making money.
★★★★ "Quietly devastating." — The Scotsman
You’ve now made money and got a rave review.
Power.
Law IX: Win Through Actions, Never Through Argument
If your friends insist they know a shortcut through Edinburgh Old Town, don't argue. Just follow them. Within six minutes you'll both be lost and the matter will resolve itself naturally.
Law XVII: Cultivate An Air Of Unpredictability
Wake up every morning and commute to Glasgow for the day. Refuse to explain why.
Power.
Law IV: Always Say Less Than Necessary
This is essential when approached by a flyerer before midday.
Do not smile.
Do not stop walking.
Do not accidentally make eye contact.
You think you're simply being polite. Wrong, you have now entered negotiations. Before you know it you've purchased three tickets and committed your entire Tuesday to a clown adaptation of The Wire. Again.
Ifrah Qureshi: 48 Flaws of Power is running at the Stand Comedy Club (Stand 4) from Aug 6-30th (except 17th) at 20:15. Tickets here
Read more about Edinburgh Fringe 2026:
