Adam Riches, already known for another hit show at this year's Edinburgh fringe, brings his comic talents to The Captain, a solo lecture-style tribute performed at Summerhall's Anatomy theatre. He plays Fred Beckwith, the Victorian coach who trained Captain Matthew Webb, the first man to swim the English Channel unaided, and the show blends genuine historical detail with Riches's trademark audience-involving comedy to explore why some people strive for seemingly impossible feats.

The production combines droll parody of Victorian values with interactive swimming "workshops" that pull the audience into re-enacting Webb's crossing, alongside quirky historical asides such as Beckwith's supposed "fifth swimming technique" and an American rival who beat Webb using a boat-like rubber suit. While Riches's constant need for a joke occasionally undercuts the more earnest exploration of heroism and legacy, the review finds real sincerity beneath the comedy, drawing a parallel between Webb's extraordinary endurance and Riches's own gruelling fringe schedule. The Captain runs at Summerhall, Edinburgh, until 31 August.