Plaything
Plaything is a show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026, performing at Hoots @ Nicolson Square. It has 23 performances listed, running from Fri 7 Aug, 13:10 to Mon 31 Aug, 13:10. The run has finished — every listed performance has taken place.
About this show
A five-year-old pageant contestant, an ex-Etonian turned delusional DJ and a mute schoolgirl whose entire personality is her ginormous rucksack. The link? Pending. But they’re all played by a girl. She’s 25 but she’s got no tits. Plaything is a masterfully crafted hour of clown and character comedy. Satirical, infantilising, absurd, this is what happens when you combine spectatorship, a youthful appearance and existential dread. With 'girl' written all over her body, this woman's work is yet to be taken seriously. Developed at Soho Theatre Labs, Plaything is an unconsciously hard-hitting product of unbridled play.
Details
- Venue: Hoots @ Nicolson Square
- Space: Nic 9 (Nicolson Square Gardens)
- Genre: THEATRE, Clown, Character comedy
- Country: UNITED KINGDOM - ENGLAND
- Running time: 55 minutes
- Room size: about 40 seats (Nic 9 (Nicolson Square Gardens)) — 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
- Wheelchair access: ramp
- Access features: Step-free access
- Venue notes: Wheelchair access type:Temporary Ramp
What the reviewers said
We have captured 1 published review and 19 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.
The comedy is clever without taking itself too seriously. Thompson brings a wonderfully playful energy to the stage, with moments that catch you off guard and have the audience laughing together.
— A Youngish Perspective (4 out of 5 stars)
Performance dates and ticket availability
- Fri 7 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Sat 8 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Sun 9 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Mon 10 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Tue 11 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Wed 12 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Thu 13 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Fri 14 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Sat 15 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Sun 16 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Mon 17 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Wed 19 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Thu 20 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Fri 21 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Sat 22 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Sun 23 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Mon 24 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Wed 26 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Thu 27 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Fri 28 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Sat 29 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Sun 30 Aug, 13:10 — Already performed — £5.00
- Mon 31 Aug, 13:10 — Cancelled — £5.00