I BOUGHT A FLIP PHONE Will Come to Edinburgh Fringe
Panos Kandunias's solo show explores loneliness, queer desire, and digital brain rot at ZOO Playground 2.
I Bought A Flip Phone will come to Edinburgh Fringe. Performances will run at ZOO (Playground 2), High School Yard, Edinburgh, EH1 1LZ, Friday 7th - Sunday 30th August 2026 (not 19th, not 26th), 15:35.
Ditching your iPhone for a 2002 Nokia flip phone will surely make you richer, hotter and more lovable, right? Surely?! Charlie is fed up with his iPhone. He's constantly scrolling, and for what? His best friend never replies to his messages, his mum nags him constantly, and the guy he fancies couldn't care whether he lives or dies. So, for his 27th birthday, he's making a change and buying himself an old-school flip phone. No more five-hour screen time days watching as everyone else's life looks better than his own. That'll fix everything... won't it?
Panos Kandunias's I Bought a Flip Phone is a riotous Fringe debut. Set against an increasingly familiar backdrop of digital brain rot, Kandunias examines what it means to be lonely in an ultra-connected age, how we construct our identities, and what intimacy and desire look like through a screen. At once candid, nostalgic and hilarious, Panos' sharp wit interrogates themes of loneliness, intimacy, authenticity and queer desire. As social media floods our feeds with wellness trends promising simple solutions to complex problems, I Bought a Flip Phone asks whether real change can ever be found in a device, a trend or a life hack.
On the show's vulnerability and unrestrained honesty, Panos Kandunias comments, "I spent most of my time writing this with my phone locked away. It's crazy how much that helped me. It's a bit like when a doctor tells you to drink water and eat healthy, and you roll your eyes but then it's like, oh wow, I guess I do feel better. I'm extremely proud of this show and the way it's resonated with audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Who among us hasn't felt a bit lonely at some point in our lives... that our life isn't where we want it to be and we're spending too much time on our phones. But my God, let's have a laugh about it, shall we?"
Produced by PJ Cunningham, whose credits include Golden Time and Other Behavioural Management Strategies, the show was initially developed through workshop performances at The Pen Theatre. It received its first professional staging at HOME Manchester, earning four- and five-star reviews before transferring to Oxford Playhouse and Theatre Royal Bath, where critics praised its wit, honesty and Kandunias' magnetic stage presence.
I Bought a Flip Phone leaves audiences with a fresh and deeply personal perspective on one of the defining questions of contemporary life: how on earth do we try and stay sane with these devices in our hands?
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