Ships
Ships is a show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026, performing at Leith Arches. It has 5 performances listed, running from Tue 11 Aug, 19:30 to Sat 15 Aug, 14:30. The run has finished — every listed performance has taken place.
About this show
A raw, intimate psychological drama set in a Leith bar, where two lost souls collide in a world built on mistrust. Connor, a merchant seaman, spiralling after a violent incident at sea, returns home intent on self-destruction. Alex, a sharp-tongued barmaid, carrying grief and a destructive history, meets him with wit and wariness until a buried connection resurfaces. Darkly funny, unflinching and thought-provoking new work from an exciting Edinburgh theatre company explores masculinity, race, mental health and the fragile possibility of redemption, asking whether love can survive when both are drowning in their past.
Details
- Venue: Leith Arches
- Space: Ground Level
- Genre: THEATRE, New writing, Immersive
- Country: UNITED KINGDOM - SCOTLAND
- Running time: 60 minutes
- Room size: about 120 seats (Ground Level) — the Fringe box office sells a share of the room, not all of it
- Performances listed: 5, of which 0 still to come and on sale
Accessibility
- Access features: BSL signed performances
- Venue notes: Accessible entry: Straight through main door, into the main cafe space, all ground level. The toilet is not wheelchair accessible, as it is not the ground level. measurement of the narrowest doorway for the wheelchair/access route into the space is 1.3m. 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 1 published review and 18 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.
Gritty realism is clearly the order of the day with new Scottish writing at the Fringe. Ships by Mark Forrest runs for a swift 60 minutes but packs in enough drama for an entire Netflix mini series.
— My Cultural Life (4 out of 5 stars)
Performance dates and ticket availability
- Tue 11 Aug, 19:30 — Already performed — £15.00
- Wed 12 Aug, 18:00 — Already performed — £15.00
- Thu 13 Aug, 18:00 — Already performed — £15.00
- Fri 14 Aug, 14:30 — Already performed — £15.00
- Sat 15 Aug, 14:30 — Already performed — £15.00