A man who contorted his body through a tennis racket. Clowns disguised as business men. A rockstar magician. A carrot tapped to a bin. A taxidermy squirrel.

Just a typical day at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival - a truly a uniquely magical place filled to the brim with brilliant, talented performers and creative inspiration around every corner.

For the past few years I’ve been creating posters for magician and storyteller Chris Cook and his long-time creative collaborator Rhys Williamson (who happens to be my long-time partner). Every year they produce a new show and take to the stage as part of the PBH Free Fringe. I’m brought in early on to create the poster and flyers and also head up to catch lots of brilliant shows.

This year was a bit different. I’ve had the opportunity to be much more hands on with the visual identity of the show and create the promotional materials as well as some of the key props featured.

A bit about the show:

Fake is a true story of an art forger told by a professional liar. In the show, Chris tells the story of Han van Meegeren, a Dutch art forger who faked artworks by Johannes Vermeer. The show is inspired by Orson Welles's "F for Fake" and like with that film Chris mirrors his experience as a magician with Han van Meegeren and other famous fakers. The show questions how much authenticity truly matters.

My idea:

The core visual idea used across the assets leans into irony and visual play to reflect the show's themes of fakery, trust, and storytelling. A parody of a classic Vermeer painting reveals a portrait of Chris Cook instead. Bold typography and satirical text amplify the humour. The aim was to grab attention quickly, invite curiosity, and set a mischievous, thought-provoking tone aligned with the spirit of the show.