Gilded Balloon has announced the world premiere of SLAY, a bold new co-production with Gobby Girl Productions, running at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026. Written and performed by Offie-nominated North-East artist Lois-Amber Toole, and directed by Fringe First winner Anna Morris, this fiercely contemporary solo show marks the beginning of a major new three-year partnership between the two companies to champion regional voices and underrepresented artists.
Launching at a time when conversations around consent, misogyny and online identity continue to dominate cultural discourse, SLAY is a visceral, darkly funny reckoning with trauma, survival and self-mythologising in the digital age.
Following a PTSD diagnosis, Kit escapes the North-East for London, until a text from her ex detonates her recovery, sending her spiralling through therapy, chaos and questionable coping fantasies. In the TikTok trauma-dump era, Kit is determined to stay the main character (because if she doesn’t laugh, she’ll cry and post it). As symptoms, triggers and disordered eating collide, she must confront her past or keep avoiding it.
SLAY is a darkly funny North-East reckoning by Offie-nominated writer-performer Lois-Amber Toole (ITV’s Vera, Amazon Prime’s Killers Anonymous), directed by Fringe First winner Anna Morris (SON OF A BITCH) and produced by founder of Gobby Girls, Gina Lyons.
“It’s funny, relevant, important and, sadly, incredibly timely,” says Gina Lyons about the production. “Think Euphoria meets I Hate Suzie, with a dash of Alexis from Schitt’s Creek.”
Writer and performer Lois-Amber Toole talks frankly about getting the show into production: “The concept for SLAY came from my frustration of not being seen or heard as an actor-writer from the North-East. That lack of representation sits alongside ongoing conversations around consent, misogyny and accountability. This show is about trying to make sense of all of that, while still finding humour in the chaos.”
Developed from Toole’s earlier work Post Traumatic Slay Disorder, which premiered at the King’s Head Theatre before transferring to Seven Dials Playhouse for a sold-out run, the piece has been reimagined and expanded into SLAY following critical acclaim and industry recognition, including an Offie nomination and longlisting for the North East Playwriting Award. Toole is also a recipient of the 2026 Keep it Fringe Fund.
The production sits at the heart of a new three-year partnership between Gilded Balloon and Gobby Girl Productions, focused on amplifying regional voices and creating meaningful pathways for underrepresented artists. The collaboration will extend beyond the Fringe, with a shared ambition to develop work for screen and support artists in building sustainable, long-term careers.
Talking about the partnership Karen and Katy Koren, Artistic Directors of Gilded Balloon, said: “SLAY is exactly the kind of bold, urgent work we want to support. This partnership with Gobby Girl Productions allows us to invest in artists beyond a single festival run, creating opportunities that extend into the wider industry, including screen, and ensuring these vital voices are heard.”
Alongside this, Gilded Balloon has introduced its new Gilded Balloon Show Support Fund for 2026, and SLAY is one of five shows selected in its inaugural year. The fund offers essential and practical financial support to artists bringing work to the Fringe as part of a wider commitment to improving access and sustainability within the festival landscape.
Tickets and more information about SLAY can be found here!
