How to Win a Gameshow at theSpace Review
There is a genuinely great idea sitting at the heart of How to Win a Gameshow. Unfortunately, the execution never quite manages to match the strength of the concept.
The premise immediately caught my attention. Taking the familiar world of television gameshows and playing with their rules, conventions and audience expectations has huge comic potential. There are flashes throughout the performance where you can see exactly what the show is trying to achieve, and with a little more development there is the makings of a really entertaining Fringe show here.
The biggest issue is that it all feels rather messy.
There is clearly supposed to be an element of chaos to proceedings, and initially that works in the show’s favour. However, as things progress, it becomes increasingly difficult to tell what is intentional chaos and what simply hasn’t been organised or developed enough.
At times, proceedings feel as though they have lost any real sense of direction. One particularly strange moment came after an audience member mentioned chips and curry sauce, sparking a small, spontaneous debate in the room. Two audience members were then quickly brought onto the stage to continue the discussion, only to be sent back to their seats moments later with no apparent reason or payoff.
Spontaneity and audience interaction can be brilliant in a show like this, but here it felt less like the performers were cleverly running with an unexpected moment and more like the show had briefly wandered off course. It was one of several instances where an idea seemed to be picked up on impulse before being dropped just as quickly.
That unpredictability could have been one of the show’s strengths, but it needs a much firmer structure underneath it. The audience should feel as though anything could happen while still having confidence that the performers know exactly where they’re taking us. Too often, How to Win a Gameshow simply felt like nobody was quite sure what was coming next.
That’s particularly frustrating because the concept itself is strong. The world of gameshows offers so much to play with, and there are moments where the production taps into that potential. There are laughs along the way and the performers bring plenty of enthusiasm, but the individual ideas need to connect more convincingly to create a satisfying whole.
With tighter direction, clearer transitions and a stronger sense of where each section is heading, the same concept could land considerably better. At present, however, the show feels more like a collection of ideas being tried out than a completely finished production.
The Edinburgh Fringe is exactly the place for shows willing to experiment, take risks and try something a little different, and How to Win a Gameshow deserves credit for doing just that.
How to Win a Gameshow plays at theSpace until 22 August.
★★
Written by Liam for Theatre and Tonic, August 2026.
