Play Dead
Play Dead is a show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026, performing at Underbelly, Cowgate. It has 25 performances listed, running from Wed 5 Aug, 15:40 to Sun 30 Aug, 15:40. The run has finished — every listed performance has taken place.
About this show
Echo has a broken heart. A gutted-from-the-inside, cut-off-your-toes broken heart. Help is just a phone call away, but he opts for a classical (feral) form of revenge. This queer, unruly adaptation of Ovid features a dog crate, two microphones and seventeen grapefruits. 'A powerhouse performance' (TheatreWeekly.com). 'A truly haunting and exciting hour of theatre' (NorthWestEnd.co.uk).
Details
- Venue: Underbelly, Cowgate
- Space: Iron Belly
- Genre: THEATRE, Dark Comedy, New writing
- Country: UNITED KINGDOM - ENGLAND
- Running time: 60 minutes
- Room size: about 60 seats (Iron Belly) — the Fringe box office sells a share of the room, not all of it
- Performances listed: 25, of which 0 still to come and on sale
Accessibility
- Access features: Relaxed performances
- Venue notes: Accessible entry: There are 50 steps into this venue from the cowgate entrance. Stairs: 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 3 published reviews and 29 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.
4.5 Stars. Play Dead is a great piece of writing that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It has plenty of humour while it basks in a tension that is inescapable, even once you’ve left.
Following its acclaimed London run, Play Dead plays at the Edinburgh Fringe with all the same raw intensity that made it such a compelling experience first time around.
Play Dead is a bombastic, slightly absurdist contemporary play that brings human behaviour surrounding dysfunctional relationships to the forefront.
— Theatre Scotland (4 out of 5 stars)
Performance dates and ticket availability
- Wed 5 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £8.50
- Thu 6 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £8.50
- Fri 7 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £8.50
- Sat 8 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £12.50
- Sun 9 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £12.50
- Mon 10 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £12.50
- Tue 11 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £12.50
- Wed 12 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £11.50
- Thu 13 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £11.50
- Fri 14 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £12.50
- Sat 15 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £12.50
- Sun 16 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £12.50
- Mon 17 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £11.50
- Wed 19 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £11.50
- Thu 20 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £11.50
- Fri 21 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £12.50
- Sat 22 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £12.50
- Sun 23 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £12.50
- Mon 24 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £11.50
- Tue 25 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £11.50
- Wed 26 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £11.50
- Thu 27 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £11.50
- Fri 28 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £12.50
- Sat 29 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £12.50
- Sun 30 Aug, 15:40 — Already performed — £12.50