Friday August 7th 2026
11 1/2 Angry Men at Pleasance EICC
Written by Glasgow View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Edinburgh Fringe 2003’s legendary comedian-packed show ‘12 Angry Men’ has returned 23 years later spoofed as ‘11 1/2 Angry Men’, making its world-wide premier at Pleasance EICC.
Featuring a stacked lineup and directed by award-winning director producers, despite the clear talent portrayed on stage, the portrayal of a 1950s jury is not for everyone’s taste.
Set in the hottest day of the year with a storm brewing outside an imagery window, 11 men and one smaller man (the 1/2 in the spoof) attempt to decide the fate of a boy accused of the murder of his father.
With 12 actors on stage and a simple plot, it allows for the casts talent to shine through, using a set consisting of a large table and a building blueprint on the ground, that is made to believe to be separate rooms, to create a show that ends quite complex.
Despite this, at some points the show drags on with some areas lacking either dialogue or a plot twist.
Having 12 actors (or 11 and a half) on stage at one time could cause confusion in many productions, especially considering they are all on stage through the entire performance, but in the case of 11 1/2 Angry Men it seems to work smoothly with only a handful of mistakes which can just be chalked up to it being the productions 2nd performance so far.
The simple plot combined with detailed dialogue is rounded effectively at the end with a funny twist that almost reverts the whole show back to the beginning, ending the performance on a funny note similar to how it began.
Returning the 2003 hit but spoofed, the show is a good example of comedy theatre, littering laughs throughout string dialogue. With the actors talents shining through and a high level of talent being portrayed, it’s important to note that 11 1/2 Angry Men isn’t for everyone’s taste, it is neither a strong comedic show or theatrical performance but the clever mix of the two makes for a effective show.
11 1/2 Angry Men is a 3/5 performance, displaying talent that is on offer across the festival but it is a show that may not be up to most people’s taste, being slow in nature and not containing quick hitting comedy that can be see across the Fringe’s comedy circuit.
11 1/2 Angry Men is on everyday at 2:30pm at Pleasance EICC.
Tweet Share on Facebook
