John Robertson's The Dark Room

In Comedy Published 14/05/2026

Share this article:

Best-Reviewed Comedy of Edinburgh Fringe 2025 (British Comedy Guide)

WINNER Chortle Award

RUNNER- UP NextUp Biggest Award in Comedy

NOMINATED Best International Show New Zealand Comedy Festival 2025

VIRAL AS HELL TikTok, Instagram SOLD OUT – Edinburgh Fringe 2019 - 2025

Welcome to John Robertson’s THE DARK ROOM – the legendary interactive comedy show that fuses improv, crowdwork and gaming to create an insane live-action videogame!

“An hilarious, participatory cult classic” Neil Patrick Harris

“hilarious game show” Independent ★★★★

“A Rocky Horror for nerds… reader, I howled” Telegraph, London

Come watch, and if you want – play – the choose-your-own-adventure madness! The crowd is trapped inside an inescapable dungeon with a sadistic videogame boss!

Pick increasingly surreal options off the screen and try to escape!

If you win – you get money!

If you fail – YA DIE! YA DIE! YA DIE!

Now, will you:

● Find the Light Switch ● Go North? ● Abandon Hope?

● Be sworn at by a man wearing spiked armour and a lot of leather?

(This option is permanently set to “On”)

Now its 14 th year, this high-octane interactive show is the brainchild of comedian & cult leader John Robertson. Filled with stand-up, appalling prizes and more audience chanting than you’d get at a protest – The Dark Room is a gut-busting comedy

experience for everyone who buys a ticket.

Permanently on tour, The Dark Room has headlined stages at Glastonbury, PAX,

Download Festival, MCM Comic Con, Utrecht International Comedy Festival 2000 Trees, UK Games Expo and Bluedot Festival, and sold out at Edinburgh Fringe, Soho

Theatre and hundreds of theatres around the world.

Oh, and videos of The Dark Room roasting videogames and swearing at children

keep popping up on people’s social media, which is nice.

WATCH THE TRAILER ON YOUTUBE

“NOT TO BE MISSED” Guardian

“What a marvellous, maddening concept this is from the twisted mind of Robertson” Chortle

“Will have you crying with laughter” ★★★★★ Broadway Baby

“Watching people tackle the challenge and fail is one of the funniest sights around. Don’t miss it.” The Daily Telegraph, Sydney

“One of the most innovative and original comedy shows around” Manchester Evening News

“Loud, raucous and brilliantly daft, this is unrelenting fun for everyone” ★★★★★ ThreeWeeks

“You have to see the Dark Room at least once in your life” ★★★★★The Scottish Sun

“You must see this show” ★★★★★ British Comedy Guide