Current Show

Ego Tourism: How The Tao Made Me A Bit Less Weird


Dates: Aug 2-24th 2025 - not Tuesdays
Location: Venue 180 - Carbon, Room 3 at 208 Cowgate EH1 1NQ

A one-man show mixing comedy, cringe memoir and ineffable philosophy.

American comedian and author Mark Saltveit debuts his first theatrical show as part of the PBH Free Fringe this year, relating how his discovery of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) and Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi) as a troubled teen led him into a series of pictaresque adventures that helped recover his footing.

The show's first preview was in June at the International Conference of Daoist Studies in Braşov, Romania, where he also presented an academic paper on whether there could be such a thing as a Dao of Evil. Saltveit's reflections on the Tao (or Dao) have been published in The Journal of Daoist Studies, the academic blog Warp, Weft and Way, his own blog Taoish.org, and his popular book about American football, The Tao of Chip Kelly, as well as his comedy act.


Previous Show

Palindrome Fight!

New original palindromes -- every show



-- 3 audience suggestions
-- 3 to 5 panelists
-- 30 minutes of comedy and lurid palindrome history while they create
-- and then the audience chooses the best new palindrome.

Warning: the results may be rude or weird. In fact, it's pretty likely.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival -- August 5th - 27th 2023 at 16:55 (aka 4:55 pm) except Tuesdays at the venue 102, Brewdog Lothian, 50 Lothian Road in the heart of Old Town Edinburgh EH3 9BY.
We're part of the PBH Free Fringe. No charge, no tickets, just turn up! (We'll pass the hat at the end.)

Want to be a panelist?

Just show up! Everyone at the show is invited to make palindromes fitting the 3 audience suggestions, and the winner gets a genuine Roman coin. In 2022, punters from the audience won about 1/3rd of the shows!

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