The Second Best School Shooting arrives at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as a bold and darkly comic new play tackling one of the most urgent issues of contemporary life in America.
Written by Alice Stanley Jr., the play follows two teenage best friends navigating the aftermath of surviving a school shooting that is quickly overshadowed by a more high-profile tragedy elsewhere. In a culture where trauma is measured and compared, the pair struggle with visibility, identity and the need to be heard.
Drawing on Stanley Jr.’s experience as a public school teacher and developed in collaboration with survivors, the play offers an unflinching yet deeply human perspective on how young people process fear and trauma. Through sharp satire and unexpected humour, it creates space for dialogue around an issue that is too often avoided.
Produced by an acclaimed creative team, the production balances emotional depth with incisive commentary, exploring the normalisation of violence and the inadequacy of institutional responses. It captures a generation grappling with fear while still searching for connection and meaning.
The Second Best School Shooting runs at Pleasance Courtyard (Baby Grand) from 5 – 30 August at 12:45. Tickets are on sale here hereÂ
