STAY
STAY is a show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026, performing at Gilded Balloon Patter House. It has 26 performances listed, running from Wed 5 Aug, 15:00 to Sun 30 Aug, 15:00. The run has finished — every listed performance has taken place.
About this show
Sally loves her organized, independent, private life. She answers to no-one but herself... until one day a small act of kindness, for a kid she barely knows, sends her head first into the orbit of a grieving widower and his strong-willed child. Suddenly everything changes. Stay is a sharply funny, deeply moving solo show about love arriving unexpectedly, grief rewriting the rules and family being made in real time. With wit and candour, Sally charts an unexpected journey from bystander to caregiver, discovering that staying, through chaos, sorrow and love, may be the bravest act of all.
Details
- Venue: Gilded Balloon Patter House
- Space: The Penny
- Genre: THEATRE, Comedy, Drama
- 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: 26, of which 0 still to come and on sale
Accessibility
- Access features: Accessible toilet
What the reviewers said
We have captured 5 published reviews and 28 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.
Funny and heartwarming one-woman show about the ups and downs of step-parenting.
— The Wee Review (5 out of 5 stars)
Stay is ultimately about transformation – and the courage it takes to stop running, to open yourself to love and to simply stay.
— one4review (5 out of 5 stars)
Sometimes the biggest changes in life begin with the smallest acts of kindness. STAY is Sally Brooks’ true story, written and performed by the woman who actually lived it.
— EdFest Reviews (4 out of 5 stars)
Performance dates and ticket availability
- Wed 5 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £10.00
- Thu 6 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £10.00
- Fri 7 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £10.00
- Sat 8 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Sun 9 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Mon 10 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Tue 11 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Wed 12 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Thu 13 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Fri 14 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Sat 15 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Sun 16 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Mon 17 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Tue 18 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Wed 19 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Thu 20 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Fri 21 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Sat 22 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Sun 23 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Mon 24 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Tue 25 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Wed 26 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Thu 27 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £11.00
- Fri 28 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Sat 29 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £12.00
- Sun 30 Aug, 15:00 — Already performed — £12.00