THE DISTANCE World Premiere Set for Edinburgh Fringe
Ben Norris stars in the physical theatre show, directed by Julia Locascio at Summerhall
Part play, part extreme workout, this adrenaline-fuelled feat of endurance is based on BEN NORRIS's real-life experiences as an elite athlete with Team GB. Performed on a treadmill throughout, the world premiere sees the Archers star play a range of characters. Performances will run Thursday 6 - Monday 31 August 2026.
The Distance follows Chris who, when the football pitch freezes, is forced into cross-country. Everyone hates it, but something in Chris ignites. This coming-of-age story is set in the world of elite sport where everything is measured - every meal, every metre, every moment, asking why we push ourselves as far as we can… Then further.
The Distance limbers up ready to take on the Edinburgh Fringe hot on the heels of the buzz around the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Writer and performer BEN NORRIS said: "I'm incredibly excited (and nervous) to bring The Distance to the Fringe and be back in front of Edinburgh audiences for the first time in 9 years, particularly at Summerhall where I have seen so much work I hugely admired. This show means a lot to me, forged from many of my own experiences, and it's been a long time coming - first conceived around 2013, first workshopped back in 2018 - but really beginning when I first laced up a pair of cross-country spikes at 13 years old. It feels like a conversation between those two times, between the dreams we had then and the ones we have now, and I hope it will speak to people whose dreams looked entirely different to mine.
Returning to Edinburgh with new work is always very special. It's where I properly fell in love with theatre not just as an artform but as a community of makers taking risks and being silly weirdos. I felt immediately at home. I'm also a huge fan of the macaroni pies.”
Producers Wendy and Andy Barnes of Global Creative said: “From first discovering Six at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017 and championing its journey to the world stage, to encountering The Choir of Man that same year and later bringing it to the West End, we've seen firsthand how powerful new writing can be when it begins here for fringe audiences. Having worked with BEN NORRIS on The Choir of Man, we're thrilled to support his latest work — a brilliant example of the bold creativity that makes this Festival so special.”
Producer Nic Doodson of Nic Doodson Productions said: “Having spent two decades at the Edinburgh Fringe—bringing shows, discovering talent, and helping take work from those stages to the West End and beyond—I know how rare it is to find something truly special. The Distance is exactly that. BEN NORRIS is an exceptional writer, as I've seen firsthand on The Choir of Man, and here he delivers something deeply moving, thrilling, and utterly original. It's not just a beautifully written piece, but an extraordinary feat of performance. I'm incredibly excited to see where this journey begins—and how far it will go.”
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