Boy in a Box
Boy in a Box is a show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026, performing at Gilded Balloon Patter House. It has 23 performances listed, running from Wed 5 Aug, 13:40 to Sun 30 Aug, 13:40. The run has finished — every listed performance has taken place.
About this show
Through the lens of a brilliant, cancelled Professor of American History, Boy dissects and exposes the systemic racism that built the United States. Through abstract realism and historical analysis, it is a stark warning of what lies ahead if we 'let the boy out of the box'. Directed by Thomas Zoeschg and developed at The Actors Studio™, writer/performer Coates has performed in New York, Off-Broadway and throughout the US with fifty years of theatrical experience.
Details
- Venue: Gilded Balloon Patter House
- Space: The Penny
- Genre: THEATRE, Satire, Political
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Running time: 60 minutes
- Room size: about 43 seats (The Penny) — the Fringe box office sells a share of the room, not all of it
- Performances listed: 23, of which 0 still to come and on sale
Accessibility
- Access features: Accessible toilet
What the reviewers said
We have captured 1 published review and 7 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.
There is something wonderfully unsettling about Paul Coates’ Boy in a Box. This is a single hander that treads a remarkably fine line between humour and some very dark places indeed, including suicide, while somehow…
— North West End UK (4 out of 5 stars)
Performance dates and ticket availability
- Wed 5 Aug, 13:40 — Already performed — £10.00
- Thu 6 Aug, 13:40 — Already performed — £10.00
- Fri 7 Aug, 13:40 — Already performed — £10.00
- Sat 8 Aug, 13:40 — Already performed — £18.00
- Sun 9 Aug, 13:40 — Already performed — £18.00
- Tue 11 Aug, 13:40 — Already performed — £18.00
- Wed 12 Aug, 13:40 — Already performed — £18.00
- Thu 13 Aug, 13:40 — Already performed — £18.00
- Fri 14 Aug, 13:40 — Already performed — £18.00
- Sat 15 Aug, 13:40 — Already performed — £18.00
- Sun 16 Aug, 13:40 — Already performed — £18.00
- Tue 18 Aug, 13:40 — Already performed — £18.00
- Wed 19 Aug, 13:40 — Already performed — £18.00
- Thu 20 Aug, 13:40 — Already performed — £18.00
- Fri 21 Aug, 13:40 — Already performed — £18.00
- Sat 22 Aug, 13:40 — Cancelled — £18.00
- Sun 23 Aug, 13:40 — Cancelled — £18.00
- Tue 25 Aug, 13:40 — Already performed — £18.00
- Wed 26 Aug, 13:40 — Cancelled — £18.00
- Thu 27 Aug, 13:40 — Cancelled — £18.00
- Fri 28 Aug, 13:40 — Cancelled — £18.00
- Sat 29 Aug, 13:40 — Cancelled — £18.00
- Sun 30 Aug, 13:40 — Cancelled — £18.00