A Dark Line Upstairs
A Dark Line Upstairs is a show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026, performing at ZOO Playground. It has 24 performances listed, running from Fri 7 Aug, 14:40 to Sun 30 Aug, 14:40. The run has finished — every listed performance has taken place.
About this show
Italy, autumn 1951. Heavy flooding causes the Po River to burst its banks, turning the Polesine area into a huge lake. People flee with no time to choose what to take with them, they flee so they can return, they return so they can start over. Autumn 2021. A woman is moving house for the umpteenth time. Searching through the rooms she decides to take EVERYTHING with her. Two tragedies intertwine in this monologue about deliberate and unintentional uprooting and the big and small events that change our lives, asking: could we ever really lose everything?
Details
- Venue: ZOO Playground
- Space: Playground 3
- Genre: THEATRE, Storytelling, Poetry
- Country: ITALY
- Running time: 60 minutes
- Room size: about 20 seats (Playground 3) — the Fringe box office sells a share of the room, not all of it
- Performances listed: 24, of which 0 still to come and on sale
Accessibility
- Wheelchair access: level
- Access features: Step-free access, Accessible toilet
- Venue notes: Accessible entry: Through main door and down a short corridor Wheelchair access type:Level Access Stairs: None Number of stairs is provided as guidance and is not in addition to any wheelchair access type (lift/ramp etc) stated above.
What the reviewers said
We have captured 4 published reviews and 5 audience reviews for this show from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s own listing. The excerpts below are the reviewers’ words, not ours — follow each link for the full review.
It’s a compelling piece, which reminds us of the importance of what is dearest to us, and yet still the stark reality of how simply the very land we rest upon can be swept out from under us.
— British Theatre Guide (4 out of 5 stars)
The River Po stretches the width of Northern Italy, from the Alps across to the Adriatic south of Venice. The River Adige flows from the Dolomites, hitting the Adriatic a little further north.
— Rialto Arts (4 out of 5 stars)
This compelling monologue forces you to think about the vicissitudes of our lives. Life can be more precarious than we think.
— Counter Culture (4 out of 5 stars)
Performance dates and ticket availability
- Fri 7 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £15.00
- Sat 8 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £15.00
- Sun 9 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £15.00
- Mon 10 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £14.00
- Tue 11 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £14.00
- Wed 12 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £14.00
- Thu 13 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £14.00
- Fri 14 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £15.00
- Sat 15 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £15.00
- Sun 16 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £15.00
- Mon 17 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £14.00
- Tue 18 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £14.00
- Wed 19 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £14.00
- Thu 20 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £14.00
- Fri 21 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £15.00
- Sat 22 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £15.00
- Sun 23 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £15.00
- Mon 24 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £14.00
- Tue 25 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £14.00
- Wed 26 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £14.00
- Thu 27 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £14.00
- Fri 28 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £15.00
- Sat 29 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £15.00
- Sun 30 Aug, 14:40 — Already performed — £15.00