The Middle,
Edinburgh Fringe 2026
10:00 AM
6-16 August 2026
Las Vegas Room, City Cafe
Bios
Long bio (150 words)
Award-winning writer, comedian, and tech journalist Mat Smith’s jokes have been featured on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Scotland. He has performed at major clubs and festivals across the UK — including Komedia, Hot Water Comedy Club, the Bill Murray, and Backyard Comedy Club — as well as Bi Pride (He’s bi, it wasn’t a booking error.)
He is a semi-finalist in the Komedia New Comedy Award and the West End New Old Act of the Year, and co-founder of Gigl Comedy, which runs shows across multiple London venues.
By day he writes about the future for a major US tech publication. By night, he thinks about the middle. He speaks Japanese, holds a black belt in judo, and has failed his driving test three times.
He is not Matt Smith. He has been asked.
The Middle (of the morning) — Edinburgh Fringe, City Café, 10am, 6–16 August.
Short bio (50 words)
Award-winning writer, comedian, and tech journalist Mat Smith has been featured on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Scotland. He's performed at major clubs, festivals, and Bi Pride. He speaks Japanese but can't drive. Join him at The Middle (of the morning) at Edinburgh Fringe @ City Cafe, 10am, August 6–16.
Press release
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAT SMITH: THE MIDDLE (OF THE MORNING)
6–16 August 2026 | 10am
Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026
City Café, 92 West Bow, Edinburgh EH1 2JP
Tickets: EdFringe.com (Free Fringe, Pay what you can)
Award-winning writer, comedian, and tech journalist Mat Smith brings an hour of standup to the Edinburgh Fringe — a show about being exactly where you didn't expect to be, and working out whether that's a problem. (It’s not about the show being at 10am, but it’s also not not about that.)
The Middle (of the morning) is a show about middle seats, middle children, and the quiet suspicion that you are, actuarially, somewhere in the middle of your life. It is also — somehow — about rail replacement buses, fine Japanese dining that leaves a bad taste in your mouth and a mother who made an unexpected dash past two cruise ship security guards after consuming a medically inadvisable quantity of space cake.
Come with a coffee, stay for the standup.
"Precise, direct and unwavering." — Mumble Comedy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
About Mat Smith
Mat is a bad bisexual who can’t drive. The award-winning writer, comedian, and tech journalist’s jokes have been featured on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Scotland. He has performed at major clubs and festivals across the UK — including Komedia, Hot Water Comedy Club, the Bill Murray, and Backyard Comedy Club — as well as Bi Pride (He’s bi, it wasn’t a booking error.)
He was a finalist for Hastings New Comedian of the Year, a semi-finalist in the Komedia New Comedy Award and the West End New Old Act of the Year.
By day, he writes about the future for a major US tech publication. By night, he thinks about the middle. He speaks Japanese, holds a black belt in judo and has failed his driving test three times. Brag.
His short film Lanyard, which he wrote, produced and starred in as part of a diploma last year, won awards at the Wrap Film Festival, London International Filmmakers Festival, Vienna Indie Short Film Festival, Dublin Movie Awards, Cannes Lumiere, Pigeon Laughs Short Film Comedy Festival, Paris Short Film Festival, London Lift-Off Film Festival and Florence Film Awards.
About the show
Mat Smith is 41.7 years old — the statistical median age of a British man, to the decimal point. He didn't think this is what the middle would look like.
The Middle (of the morning) is a show about doomed self-improvement, some male loneliness and the gap between where you thought you'd be and where you actually are.
Listings information
Show: Mat Smith: The Middle (of the morning) |
Venue: Las Vegas Room.City Café, 92 West Bow, Edinburgh EH1 2JP
Dates: 6–16 August 2026
Time: 10am daily
Duration: 60 minutes
Age guidance: 16+
Tickets: Free/ Pay What You Can
Ticket Link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/mat-smith-the-middle
Press contact
Review tickets and press photography available on request.
Instagram: @thatmatsmith