Fringe First-winning company Lightning Rod Special return to Edinburgh with Lions, an inventive new work blending comedy, clowning and true-life experience.
Written and performed by Scott R. Sheppard and Alice Yorke, the show explores the deaths of their fathers through a sharply observed and often funny theatrical lens. Developed alongside director Sarah Blush, Lions examines the rituals, logistics and emotional complexities surrounding loss, while interrogating the idea of legacy and masculinity.
The production combines surreal imagery with grounded storytelling, inviting audiences into a world of hospital rooms, Christmas ghosts and fragmented memories. Drawing on influences from Kafka to A Christmas Carol, the piece deconstructs traditional narratives of grief and remembrance.
Sheppard said: “We focused on the business of death: the routines, the logistics, the unexpected micro dramas that hold the weight of an entire person’s legacy.” Yorke added: “We wanted to lionize these men… but also to remember them the way they were: flawed and finicky.”
Lightning Rod Special have built an international reputation for bold, collaborative work, with previous productions receiving major accolades including an OBIE Award and Edinburgh Fringe First.
Lions runs at Summerhall from 6 – 31 August at 19:30. Tickets are on sale here
