HESS
HESS is a show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026, performing at Gilded Balloon Teviot. It has 27 performances listed, running from Wed 5 Aug, 13:00 to Mon 31 Aug, 13:00. The run has finished — every listed performance has taken place.
About this show
Fifty years after its original creation, Michael Burrell's HESS returns to Edinburgh in a revival that feels startlingly, even uncomfortably, relevant. Written in 1976, the play probes the psychology of a man consumed by extremist ideology, revealing the personal and political devastation such beliefs can unleash. What once read as a historical character study now lands with renewed force in a world marked by rising hatred, deepening political division, and ongoing humanitarian crises. This revival challenges audiences to confront the unsettling truth that the forces Burrell explored half a century ago have not faded – they have resurfaced.
Details
- Venue: Gilded Balloon Teviot
- Space: Billiard Room
- Genre: THEATRE, Drama, Historical
- Country: UNITED KINGDOM - SCOTLAND
- Running time: 60 minutes
- Room size: about 100 seats (Billiard Room) — the Fringe box office sells a share of the room, not all of it
- Performances listed: 27, of which 0 still to come and on sale
Accessibility
- Access features: Accessible toilet
- Venue notes: Accessible entry: Please be aware this venue can only be accessed by stairs. Once inside there is lift access to Basement level and then 12 steps up to venue. Stairs: 11- 20 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 6 published reviews and 24 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.
HESS is a seriously impressive piece of solo acting coupled with an excellent psychological script that explores the complexities of the German Nazi leader Rudolf Hess, friend and confidante of Adolf Hitler.
I highly recommend this play for the magnetic performance and the insight in to our own minds.
— George's Theatre Review (5 out of 5 stars)
A superb piece of theatre in its own right, this is also a reminder of the recent history that the world has been so quick to forget.
— Broadway Baby (5 out of 5 stars)
Performance dates and ticket availability
- Wed 5 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £9.00
- Thu 6 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £9.00
- Fri 7 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £9.00
- Sat 8 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Sun 9 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Mon 10 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Tue 11 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Wed 12 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Thu 13 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Fri 14 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Sat 15 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Sun 16 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Mon 17 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Tue 18 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Wed 19 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Thu 20 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Fri 21 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Sat 22 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Sun 23 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Mon 24 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Tue 25 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Wed 26 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Thu 27 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Fri 28 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Sat 29 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Sun 30 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Mon 31 Aug, 13:00 — Already performed — £11.00