ROLEPLAY by Hannah Reilly World Premiere Set for Edinburgh Fringe

Francesca Moody Productions and Global Creatures will present the world premiere of ROLEPLAY, a new solo play written and performed by Hannah Reilly, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Directed by Paige Rattray, the production will run August 7–31, 2026, with a preview on August 6, at Tech Cube Zero in Summerhall.

The play follows a struggling feminist podcaster who reinvents herself as a provocative online persona in pursuit of visibility and financial stability, only to confront the consequences of that transformation. Through a mix of comedy and psychological tension, the work examines the intersections of identity, performance, and economic survival in a digital landscape shaped by personal branding and influencer culture.

ROLEPLAY explores themes of agency, exploitation, and the commodification of intimacy, situating its narrative within broader conversations about contemporary feminism and online economies. The piece considers how authenticity is constructed and consumed, and how visibility can both empower and destabilize.

Reilly developed the work following her recognition as the recipient of the ATYP Rebel Wilson Comedy Commission, which supported her earlier musical comedy The Deb. Rattray’s previous credits include Fangirls at the Lyric Hammersmith and her tenure as Director of New Work and Artistic Development at Sydney Theatre Company.

Reilly said, “I'm beyond thrilled to unleash ROLEPLAY at the Edinburgh Fringe with my dream collaborators. Feels like I'm going to the theatre kid Olympics. Writing this play has been equal parts joy and terror, which is the beauty of trying to make work as fearlessly as you can. When you have to crawl into bed for an entire weekend after submitting a draft, you know you're onto something. I can't wait to see what happens when it meets an audience.”

Rattray added, “ROLEPLAY is raw and unpredictable. It's the kind of piece that says the things people are thinking but are too scared to say out loud. Hannah has written something that pushes into uncomfortable territory with real precision, exposing the way we perform, desire, and hide in equal measure. I'm excited to bring it to Edinburgh Fringe, a place that thrives on risk, with a team of phenomenal collaborators who are one hundred per cent up for the experiment.”

The production marks a collaboration between Francesca Moody Productions and Global Creatures, following previous projects associated with Fleabag, Baby Reindeer, and Moulin Rouge! The Musical. The show was originally developed as part of Belvoir St Theatre’s Up Late Series and continues the companies’ focus on developing solo work.

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