{"title":"Edinburgh Fringe 2026 Playtexts","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore our selection of plays performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2026. \u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"badgers-playtext","title":"Badgers Playtext","description":"\u003cp\u003eMeles is a podcaster with a dying mother and a stalling career, and she's about to stumble into something unfathomable. A recluse, a disappearance, a mysterious folk song. This is a story that could change everything – but is it really her story to tell?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBadgers\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a shapeshifting, mercurial play: a folk tale about folk tales, an exploration of the art of letting go, and an enquiry into the ethics of true crime. Produced by Theatre Royal Plymouth in association with Bristol Old Vic, Malaika Kegode's play premiered at the Traverse Theatre as part of the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, directed by Jenny Davies and with music by Jakabol.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55620588306808,"sku":"9781839046117","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/BadgersPlaytextNationalTheatreShop.jpg?v=1785417569"},{"product_id":"buggers-playtext","title":"BUGGERS Playtext","description":"\u003cp\u003eLondon, 1963. When painter Francis Bacon meets petty criminal George Dyer, a hedonistic, sexually charged union takes hold.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut as cracks in George's mental health begin to appear, and Francis's ego becomes volcanic, their passionate and sadomasochistic relationship descends into a black hole that only one of them will survive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFearless and ferocious,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eBUGGERS\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a haunting psychodrama which tracks the lovers' turbulent relationship from its lustful beginning to its shattering end. Alistair Hall's play premiered at Pleasance during the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, directed by Alice Wordsworth and produced by Patrick Bone Productions in association with Pleasance.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55620588372344,"sku":"9781839046025","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/BuggersPlaytextNationalTheatreShop.jpg?v=1785417886"},{"product_id":"crush-playtext","title":"CRUSH Playtext","description":"\u003cp\u003eTwo Somali teens have an awkward meet-cute at an eating disorder clinic. Najma has been in treatment for years; Zakariya's just starting out. She sketches; he writes poems. Neither of them is ready to talk. Until they meet each other…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs their sessions continue, so do the chats. And the jokes. And the secrets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTender, funny and honest, CRUSH is a story about identity, connection and the messy path to healing. Hadsan Mohamud's play premiered at Oxford House, London, during Somali Week Festival in 2025, and was longlisted for the Tony Craze Award 2025, before a full-length run at Underbelly as part of the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55620599021944,"sku":"9781839046131","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/CRUSHPlaytextNationalTheatreShop.jpg?v=1785343667"},{"product_id":"pre-order-the-distance-playtext","title":"Pre-order The Distance Playtext","description":"\u003cp\u003eChris takes up cross-country running when the school football pitch freezes over, and something in him is ignited.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe enters a world of elite sport – a world where everything is measured: every meal, every metre, every moment. What happens when you push yourself as far as you can… and then further?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Distance\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a show that combines text and extreme physical workout, a sweat-drenched exploration of ambition, identity and letting go. Ben Norris's play premiered at Summerhall during the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, directed by Julia Locascio and produced by Global Creative, Grace Dickson Productions and Nic Doodson Productions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55620599218552,"sku":"9781839046124","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/TheDistancePlaytextNationalTheatreShop.jpg?v=1785418053"},{"product_id":"overtone-playtext","title":"Overtone Playtext","description":"\u003cp\u003e'It costs something to make a meaningful noise.'When two teenagers meet after choir practice, they begin the most important relationship of their lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot everyone has what it takes to succeed, but Maggie and Paul are determined to. Two decades later, a chance encounter with their old teacher forces them to confront a past they thought was long buried. Overtone is an intimate, funny and unflinching play about love getting older – the adventures we were promised, the choices we think we made, and the cost of finally being honest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTom Brennan's play premiered at the Pleasance during the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, directed by John Hoggarth and presented by The North Wall.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55620599447928,"sku":"9781839046155","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/OvertonePlaytextNationalTheatreShop.jpg?v=1785421368"},{"product_id":"pre-order-the-plot-playtext","title":"Pre-order The Plot Playtext","description":"\u003cp\u003e5th November 1605. London. A plot foiled. A trial imminent. A story rewritten.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo brothers stand accused of high treason for a plot they bet their lives to pull off. And on the other side of the Thames, a playwright weaves their story into a new masterpiece to save his own skin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Plot\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a daring, playful and quick-witted show about the power of great stories, and those who wield them. Emma Howlett's play premiered at Summerhall during the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55620607050104,"sku":"9781839046148","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/ThePlotPlaytextNationalTheatreShop.jpg?v=1785419481"},{"product_id":"shotgunned-playtext","title":"Shotgunned Playtext","description":"\u003cp\u003e'Statisticians would say we're two of the unluckiest people on the planet, but… what if we're not unlucky?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat if we beat the odds? What if this was meant to happen?'Dylan and Roz meet at a party, fall in love, and then fall out of it. Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, Shotgunned takes the audience on a journey through their relationship in a collection of fragmented scenes, like photographs in a shoebox or memories of a bygone age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA relatable and intimate piece of theatre about how the people we lose can shape who we become.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMatt Anderson's play was first performed at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, before returning there in 2026 as part of the Made in Scotland showcase.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55620607115640,"sku":"9781839045769","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/ShotgunnedPlaytextNationalTheatreShop.jpg?v=1785421266"},{"product_id":"pre-order-water-colour-playtext","title":"Pre-order Water Colour Playtext","description":"\u003cp\u003e'Your feet make the bridge creak as you wander and you wonderWhat if?What if?'Esme is at an all-time low, struggling with her studies and her art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStanding on a bridge, contemplating something she won't be able to take back, she meets Harris, a young chef whose own life is shifting beneath his feet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey may never see each other again, but in that moment their lives begin to change direction. Set along the waters of the Clyde, Water Colour is a beautifully observed and tender play about what happens when we choose to reach out – and how even the briefest meeting can become a turning point. 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Dani is his newly appointed Personal Assistant (not as fancy as it sounds). She is the latest of many, and Keron, longing for stability, needs this to work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut as their working relationship becomes a friendship and Dani's life outside of Keron threatens to harm them both, the boundaries of caring become increasingly blurred.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInspired by real events,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eYou and Me (and Whoever Comes Next)\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a touching and funny exploration of how care goes both ways. Keron Day and Alex Howarth's play, written with Helen Chong, won the Mary Dick Award, and premiered at Summerhall during the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, produced by Patch of Blue and 3 hearts canvas.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55620607181176,"sku":"9781839046018","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/YouandMeandwhoevercomesnextNationalTheatreShop.jpg?v=1785420156"},{"product_id":"pre-order-little-animals-playtext","title":"Pre-order Little Animals Playtext","description":"\u003cp\u003eAs Richard's climate concern grows more extreme, and his lifelong friend struggles with mortgages, parenthood and the stresses of modern living, a wedge is driven between them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuddenly Richard is dead, and his best friend isn't invited to the funeral. And now he can't let go, because something happened. Something he needs to lay to rest. And this is his chance…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLittle Animals\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a frank, funny and provocative one-man show which unfolds in a culture that can't stop consuming. It's about what we've lost, the stories we live by, and the ever-present chance to write ourselves a new one. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was conceived, written and performed by Paul Ready, directed by Caroline Steinbeis, produced by Fern Culture and first performed at The Lyceum Studio as part of the Traverse Theatre's 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55620607213944,"sku":"9781839046162","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/LittleAnimalsPlaytextsNationalTheaterShop.jpg?v=1785420478"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.nationaltheatre.org.uk\/zh-hans\/collections\/edinburgh-fringe-2026-playtexts.oembed","provider":"National Theatre Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}