Several shows at this year's Edinburgh Fringe are tackling fatherhood in unexpected depth, moving beyond stereotypical dad jokes to explore pride, grief and the ache of children growing up and leaving home. Reviewed together, they show a trend of comedians using autobiographical and character-based material to portray fatherhood's full emotional range, from goofy camping trips to quietly devastating moments of connection and loss.

Well-Balanced Dads, from Chicago's Whisper Theatre Collective (created by Richie Schiraldi and Britt Anderson as characters Dick and Dale), uses audience participation, classic rock and physical comedy to follow two dads on a family-style holiday without their now-grown children, blending broad humour with genuine melancholy as they call their kids and reflect on missing them. At Summerhall, US company Lightning Rod Special's show Lions, performed by Alice Yorke and Scott R Sheppard, takes a more autobiographical approach, aiming to dismantle "the myths our fathers told themselves about becoming great men" through a mix of character comedy and personal storytelling, with echoes of A Christmas Carol in its staging.