FreshFringe 2026 Reviews - Zoe Wohlfeld: Dog Funeral

Zoe Wohlfeld’s Dog Funeral is one of the most gripping and unsettling pieces of satirical theatre at this year’s Fringe- a show that thrives on tension, audience proximity, and a razor‑sharp understanding of how discomfort can be used as a creative tool. From its opening moments, Dog Funeral establishes a tone that is both controlled and deliberately disquieting, drawing the audience into a world where humour and unease sit side by side. It’s a tightly executed hour that leaves a lingering charge in the room.

What makes Dog Funeral immediately striking is its command of satirical tone. Wohlfeld doesn’t rely on her broad parody or exaggerated caricature; instead, she builds her satire largely through precision. The show’s unsettling quality comes from how recognisable its emotional beats are within the awkwardness, the social rituals and the unspoken expectations, all heightened just enough to tip into absurdity, allowing the humour to emerge from the tension rather than from punchlines. It’s a piece that understands how to make an audience laugh while simultaneously making them question why they’re laughing.

The performance is anchored by Wohlfeld’s ability to hold the room in a state of alertness. Her deliberate delivery balances stillness with sudden shifts, creating moments that feel genuinely unpredictable. This unpredictability is central to the show’s unsettling effect. Wohlfeld knows exactly when to lean into silence, when to push the pace and when to let discomfort bloom. The result is a performance that feels alive to the audience’s reactions, shaping itself around their responses without ever losing its structural clarity.

Audience involvement is a defining feature of Dog Funeral. Wohlfeld doesn’t simply acknowledge the audience- she uses them. Wohlfeld caters confidently to a wide range of viewers by giving them roles within the emotional landscape of the piece. Their reactions become part of the rhythm, and the show’s unsettling quality intensifies as the audience realises they are not passive observers.

What sets Dog Funeral apart from other unsettling Fringe pieces is its clarity of purpose. Wohlfeld isn’t trying to shock for the sake of shock; she’s interrogating social behaviour, ritual, and the strange ways people perform emotion. The satire is uniquely unsettling because it feels so close to real life in being just skewed enough to expose the absurdity beneath the surface. The show grips not through spectacle but through psychological precision.

By the end, Dog Funeral has built an atmosphere that is both charged and strangely exhilarating. Wohlfeld’s control over tone, audience dynamics, and satirical intent makes this one of the most distinctive pieces of the festival. It’s a performance that lingers, not because of any single moment, but because of the cumulative effect of its tension, humour, and emotional acuity.

---

Zoe Wohlfeld: Dog Funeral is on at 5:25pm at Jelly Belly at Underbelly Cowgate, every day until the 30th of August (excluding the 17th). Buy tickets here.

Photo credit: Hudson Hughes.

Review written by Eva Elizabeth Mcmonigle for FreshAir Radio.