In true Fringe tradition, I headed to the Voodoo Rooms to get my Creative Martyrs fix with CABAPOCALYPSARET, and I’m really glad I did (to be honest, I’m never NOT glad, or ungrateful, for their presence during Fringe times, especially nowadays where it really does feel like the End Times – and, well, they’ve now made a lovely show about it).
Vibe
If you’ve not heard of The Creative Martyrs before, they are responsible for some serious satirical silliness, in the form of vaudevillian cabaret that often gets more than a bit political. However, this year is also a bit different! Yet the same. But different! Yet lovingly familiar for those in the know. Wait… what am I saying?
Well. It turns out Jakob and Gustav Martyr have finally decided, after many years of singing about how it’s all about to happen, we’re all about to die… that it actually happens. The apocalypse, that is! It’s happened, and now we’re all stuck in a dark room at 21:05 trying to deal with the aftermath. That’s the vibe of this show.
Performance
The show kicks off directly where the last one left us (roughly, I think), with the end of the world having just occurred. I mean, they HAVE been warning us for years, so we probably shouldn’t be that surprised. The room is dark, the Martyrs are looking around with lamps. They find each other, and we get a heartwarming moment of connection, in a hug.
The show starts, and the characters of Jakob and Gustav are back with their fun, intriguing and sometimes mischievous energy. What would we like to see in an apocalypse? Probably not massive mad mutant molluscs, that’s for sure. This is new territory for the Martyrs, and as such, we’re treated to some new songs.
As you might expect for the end of the world, it’s a bit of a darker vibe than usual, but it’s still a funny, captivating and intellectual performance that leaves you smiling. In my last review I commented on how impressed I was at some of Gustav’s accomplished cello moments; this time around, he went in even harder with some truly powerful and outstanding moments.
Along with the new songs, there’s also the return of Where Are All the Zombies? with some hilarious crowd work, along with other, older favourites Ban Those Books and The End of the World. The Voodoo Rooms is a great venue for the Martyrs, but it does mean you need a much bigger crowd to fill the room, and I still feel this act doesn’t get anywhere near the full crowd it deserves. Let’s change that!
Overall
Although the Martyrs joke that they chose a show title most people have trouble pronouncing, CABAPOCALYPSARET is definitely a very welcome return of The Creative Martyrs to the Edinburgh Fringe – after all, at this point, it feels like it wouldn’t be Fringe without them. So, go along, and make sure you’re ready for some bumming (bum-bum-bum, bum ba-ba-bum…).
Curious to hear some songs from The Creative Martyrs? You can always check out their Bandcamp – go on! You know you want to.
CABAPOCALYPSARET
Summary
Unmissable Fringe vaudevillian cabaret comedy favourites return for 2026 with a new show, new songs, and some bumming. Still on the fence about whether they’re the best act to get stuck in a room with during an apocalypse, but for a Fringe show on the subject, it’s fabulousy fun.
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