A review of Julian Clary: Fully Dilated, Fringe 2026

A self-described “prominent homosexual” and “camp old mincer”, Julian Clary makes a triumphant return to the Edinburgh Fringe after 17 years away! It’s a very fun show, and my first experience of live Julian Clary saying things that would get him “flogged in Dubai, pointed at in Peckham” – so I didn’t really know what to expect at first.

Vibe

The vibe is Julian Clary opening up to his audience; hence the name Julian Clary: Fully Dilated. Apparently it’s very on-trend, with acts like the great Alan Davies doing it – this rings true, because Simon Amstell is definitely doing it! There’s crowdwork, lots of laughs and filth, whilst also delving into serious topics, such as end of life and HIV/AIDs which gets more to the heart of Clary’s own story.

Clary makes it clear heterosexuals are welcome to the show, because how else would he get things like directions to Kirkintilloch. He declares he’s as tough as old boots and somewhere on the dontgiveafuckism spectrum.

Performance

As Clary takes to the stage, introduced by an Attenborough-style monologue, he’s welcomed with great applause. He’s wearing a silver sparkly jacket, and seems in great spirits, despite the fact he seemingly can’t remember agreeing to even do these shows.

Clary quickly establishes a great rapport with the audience whilst giving a little bit of grandmother energy, with comments like: “Try not to slouch!” and: “That shirt could do with an iron”. That energy is delightfully crossed with questions like “Can I talk to you about butt plugs?” and “Are penis fillers a thing here?”.

We get past the quips and the filth to hear about Clary losing his virginity at 19, the sordid times, the dangerous times when he lived through the HIV/AIDs crisis, and when his partner Christopher passed away in the early ’90s – just as Clary was rising to fame. We also hear about Fanny the Wonder Dog, who loyally did what she was told and lived until his 40th birthday (RIP Fanny).

This really does help us feel like we get to know Clary a bit better, so job done. He also takes the time to talk fondly of Paul O’Grady (AKA Lily Savage), sharing some memories of working together – which is quite lovely. He takes a moment to have a dig at Simon Cowell‘s appearance (that’s fine – I have zero sympathy for S’Cowell.

To my surprise, there are some really fun musical numbers in addition to the standup, with a heartwarming, uplifting ending – and yes, Julian, I’m really glad you’re still here. It’s delightful.

Overall

Clary is ready to open up to his audience, and it’s about time. It’s overall a funny, lighthearted show that touches on deep, personal subjects, giving us the impression we leave having gotten to know him a bit more. There’s a lot of heart in amongst all the smut and filth, and I’m 100% here for it.