Story perspectives

Edinburgh Fringe show includes suicide-note excerpts and prevention links

8/23/2026

Summary

Morris Stages Suicide

Director Abigail Morris stages four actors on stools and a fifth as funeral planner.
The script weaves verbatim excerpts from suicide notes of celebrities, veterans, bullying victims, and LGBTQ+ people.
Program booklets provide direct URLs to national suicide-prevention charities for audience follow-up.
Right before I go runs through 31 August 2026, offering post-show Q&A and suicide-prevention charity links.
Samantha Streit’s letter tribute, directed by Jessica Whiley, runs at Pleasance Bunker 3 through 31 August 2026.

Summary

Fringe Opens

Edinburgh Fringe opened dozens of new productions in August 2026, attracting diverse audiences.
Mother, Maiden and Crone retells Macbeth via three gay club workers, critiquing straight women’s LGBTQ appropriation.
Linus Karp’s “Was Hit With An Umbrella” recounts his 2024 homophobic attack and anti-LGBT hate.
Prophets follows a Scottish researcher on Saint John island confronting a religious cult’s abuse and “day of paradise.”

History

Historical Context

The Laramie Project premiered in 1999, dramatizing Matthew Shepard’s murder and igniting a nationwide dialogue on LGBTQ hate crimes. Playwright Moisés Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project staged the verbatim drama, which toured 30 cities and reached 150,000 audience members. Similarly, Edinburgh Fringe’s 2026 shows “Right before I go” and “Mother, Maiden and Crone” employ verbatim testimonies to confront suicide and LGBTQ hate. These productions channel resources like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Human Rights Campaign, reinforcing theater’s role in shaping public policy and awareness.

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Morris Stages Suicide

Director Abigail Morris stages four actors on stools and a fifth as funeral planner.
The script weaves verbatim excerpts from suicide notes of celebrities, veterans, bullying victims, and LGBTQ+ people.
Program booklets provide direct URLs to national suicide-prevention charities for audience follow-up.
Right before I go runs through 31 August 2026, offering post-show Q&A and suicide-prevention charity links.
Samantha Streit’s letter tribute, directed by Jessica Whiley, runs at Pleasance Bunker 3 through 31 August 2026.

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