Sweet

Sweet is a show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026, performing at The Royal Scots Club. It has 6 performances listed, running from Mon 10 Aug, 18:30 to Sat 15 Aug, 18:30. The run has finished — every listed performance has taken place.

About this show

Edinburgh, early 19th century. The struggle for the abolition of slavery gathers pace. Widowed matriarch Nelly is newly converted to the cause, even though her family’s fortunes, along with much of the city, are built on the slave trade. Fighting powerful men with vested interests, including Nelly’s sons, who will stop at nothing to protect their wealth, Nelly must choose between conscience and family. Through her maid Jeanie’s eyes, we witness that struggle. Might the resourceful women exploit the notorious Scottish sweet tooth to advance the cause? 'A superb piece of theatre' * (ArtsReviewsEdinburgh.com praise for A Singular Deception).

Details

  • Venue: The Royal Scots Club
  • Space: The Hepburn Suite
  • Genre: THEATRE, Historical, New writing
  • Country: UNITED KINGDOM - SCOTLAND
  • Running time: 60 minutes
  • Room size: about 80 seats (The Hepburn Suite) — the Fringe box office sells a share of the room, not all of it
  • Performances listed: 6, of which 0 still to come and on sale

Accessibility

  • Wheelchair access: lift
  • Access features: Step-free access, Accessible toilet
  • Venue notes: Wheelchair access type:Lift (Building Lift) 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 2 published reviews and 3 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.

  • Sweet from EGTG for week one of the Fringe only, explores a spirited and original tale of Edinburgh’s complicity in benefiting from the slave trade, and some of the women who stood up to campaign against it. 4 Stars

    AllEdinbrughTheatre

  • Written by novelist, award-winning short story writer and playwright, Hilary Spiers, Sweet has strong characters, sharp dialogue, and tells an important story seen through the eyes of women, who at the time were given…

    Arts Reviews Edinburgh (5 out of 5 stars)

Performance dates and ticket availability

  • Mon 10 Aug, 18:30 — Already performed — £15.00
  • Tue 11 Aug, 18:30 — Already performed — £15.00
  • Wed 12 Aug, 18:30 — Already performed — £15.00
  • Thu 13 Aug, 18:30 — Already performed — £15.00
  • Fri 14 Aug, 18:30 — Already performed — £15.00
  • Sat 15 Aug, 18:30 — Already performed — £15.00

View on the official Fringe site

More shows at The Royal Scots Club

Plan the rest of your Fringe

Still building a day around The Royal Scots Club? These are the rest of the Edinburgh Fringe 2026 programme's shows at the same venue, in the same genre, and on the same dates.

Ed Fringe Guide is an unofficial, fan-made guide. Not affiliated with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society or edfringe.com.