THE BUTTERFLY WHO FLEW INTO THE RAVE Makes UK Premiere at Summerhall

Prepare for sixty minutes of sweat, strobe lights, and ecstatic release as The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave brings its high-octane celebration of queer rave culture to Summerhall’s Main Hall this Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Running from 31 July to 25 August (excluding 6, 12, and 19 August), the show transforms the rituals of dancefloor catharsis into a physical spectacle of movement, identity, and endurance.

Created by Oli Mathiesen, the production distills the intensity of a three-day party into one relentless hour. Set to Nocturbulous Behaviour, a genre-bending soundtrack of house, techno, and funk by Detroit DJ Suburban Knight, three dancers push themselves to the brink in a nonstop pursuit of joy and transcendence. The show explores what it means to give over to the beat—to lose yourself, your inhibitions, and even your limits.

The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave has already built an international reputation following its 2024 tour through Auckland Pride, Sydney Liveworks, and Melbourne Fringe, where it picked up multiple awards. These include the PANNZ–Edinburgh Fringe Summerhall Award, Melbourne Fringe Tour Ready Award, Sydney Fringe Tour Ready Award, and the Momentous Movement Award at the New Zealand Fringe Festival.

Mathiesen, who also performs in the piece, describes the work as both personal and political. “The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave is the come-up and the come-down all in one,” he says. “It highlights the beauty of feeling alive but also the consequences that come with it. I wanted to make something that physicalises the five-year marathon of societal collapse—of losing time, love, sex, routine, everything.” He calls the piece “an acid house remix that screams f**k you to the pandemic.”

An acclaimed choreographer and dancer from Aotearoa New Zealand, Mathiesen is of Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Manu, and Ngāpuhi descent and has performed internationally with leading companies including Atamira Dance Company, The New Zealand Dance Company, Black Grace, and STRUT Dance. Their choreographic work blends physical theatre, contemporary dance, and political identity through a queer and indigenous lens.

Joining Mathiesen in choreography and performance are Lucy Lynch (Ngāti Kahungunu), Sharvon Mortimer (Ngāti Porou), and Celia Hext (Ngāti Kahungunu). The production features lighting by Shanell Bielawa and creative production and stage management by Abbie Rogers (Kāi Tahu, Te Arawa).

Performances take place daily at 18:05 (running 60 minutes), with tickets priced at £10 for the preview on 31 July, and £17 (£14.50 concessions) for all other dates. The show contains strobe lighting, haze effects, and loud music, and is suitable for audiences aged 12 and up.