Creative Scotland Crowdmatch has provided £2,000 of match funding
Prophets @ Edinburgh Fringe 2026
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Aim
To help bring PROPHETS to the Edinburgh Fringe 2026 - a brand new drama by Fringe First winning playwright Jack MacGregor
“You think of the Pacific.
Beaches. Water. Sand.
Saint John’s not like that.
It’s a rock.
The first people who came here burned their ships.
They stood on the land and watched them burn.
They knew they were here forever.”
When Kerris, a researcher, arrives on a tiny British Overseas Territory in the South Pacific, she finds a colonial outpost gripped in the thrall of a charismatic and growing religious sect. As memory and nightmares mix, and the ‘Day of Paradise’ draws closer, Kerris begins to unravel, caught in the riptide of this forgotten colony on the edge of the world.
Prophets is the latest play by playwright Jack MacGregor (Nightlands, Everything Under the Sun, Our Brother) and director Fraser Scott (Common Tongue, Athens of the North). The play explores systemic abuse and colonial violence, as well as the interplay between faith and cult. It is a story about the limits of justice and the search for hope in a world of darkness.
In 2026, we will present a full-run of Prophets for national and international audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe and in order to make this happen...
We need your help
We are a team of freelance artists who want to take new work to the Edinburgh Fringe. A lot of this is off our own backs, but we can't do it all alone. We need your help.
Mounting work at the Fringe is really expensive. The financial barriers of the Fringe have grown exponentially in recent years, and Scottish artists struggle to find visibility and viability in their own capital - and at the biggest theatre event of the year. The reality is that we need to clear around £4000 - £6000 just to have a shot at meeting the fixed costs of a full length run.
The funds raised from this Crowdfunder will go towards venue and registration costs, as well as other fixed costs like travel and PR for the show's marketing.
These fixed costs are the single largest barrier to mounting new work at the Fringe.
Why this play?
We're a team with a passion for new writing and a track record of delivery at the Edinburgh Fringe. We want this show to stand shoulder to shoulder with the best of visiting work from down south and from abroad.
Topically, it is a super ambitious play about the intersection of faith and cult, it's a lightweight two-hander that we want to develop for touring. It embraces the radical spirit of the Fringe in its reliance on a statement set, an exciting script, and two excellent central performances.
Audience feedback from our sharing @ Capital Theatres
"Goes crazy... feels like something I've not experienced before"
"The scenes trap you... really powerful - a play that keeps secrets"
"Clear and dramatic... a labyrinth. We are trapped with Kerris. The piece is intimate and brilliant. I want us to get even closer to them"
"Isolating... permeated with cynicism, enjoyed the physical transitions. Very striking."
"Succint and artful, loved it... use of choral sound and lights was super dramatic and interesting... It felt subtle yet clever dialogue very naturalistic"
Prophets - the journey so far
Initially developed under the title "Catching a Falling Knife", early developments of this play has been platformed by Page 2 Stage (Scottish Storytelling Centre) and Capital Theatres Open@TheStudio Scratch.
We are so excited to bring this new play to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2026.
This project successfully funded on 30th April 2026