Photos: First Look at BACON at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Hannah Farley-Hills for HFH Productions’ multi-award-winning production of Bacon by Sophie Swithinbank has opened to sell-out performances at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The production runs at Summerhall’s Cairns Lecture Theatre until 27 August ahead of transferring to Bristol Old Vic from 12-16 September.

Check out production photos below!

Following five consecutive sold out shows and 92% sales across their first week, the production has become a regular on the Summerhall’s sold out board.

Farley-Hills said of the news, “I couldn't be prouder of Bacon and the public recognition it is getting at the Fringe. Every day I stand in the Summerhall courtyard and listen to people saying how moved they are by the show. The word of mouth that has been generated is extraordinary. It is a privilege to present something that has touched so many people and it is a credit to Sophie's writing and the brilliant work of the whole Bacon team.”

Winner of the Tony Craze Award and receiving a Special Commendation at this year’s Bitesize Awards for its run at London’s Riverside Studios, Bacon is an unflinching and unexpectedly humorous look at masculinity, sexuality, and power, through the dizzying lens of youth. Matthew Iliffe (Breeding – King’s Head Theatre), who received the Off West End Award for Best Director for the play’s extended critically acclaimed debut at London’s Finborough Theatre, directs the remounting.

It’s Year 10’s first day back at school. Mark is new and too scared to make friends; Darren is out of control and too scary to make friends. The two of them need each other – but neither would ever admit it.

Corey Montague-Sholay (Wendy and Peter Pan – Leeds Playhouse, The Whip, King John - RSC) and William Robinson (Britannicus – Lyric Hammersmith, Julius Caesar - RSC) reprise their Off West End Award-winning performances as Mark and Darren respectively.

Alongside Iliffe on the creative team are Natalie Johnson (Rupture - West End Women and Girls, John & Jen – Southwark Playhouse) as Set and Costume Designer, Ryan Joseph Stafford (Weight of It – New York City Center, To Start With – Sadler’s Wells) as Lighting Designer, Mwen (Wreckage – Harlow Playhouse, Edinburgh Fringe & Turbine Theatre, Who’s Holiday! – HOME & Southwark Playhouse) as Sound Designer, Jess Tucker Boyd (Hakawatis – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Shakespeare’s Globe, Nothing in a Butterfly – Omnibus Theatre) as Movement Director, Chloe Stally-Gibson as Production Manager and Ella Godbold-Holmes as Stage Manager.

Swithinbank, who won the 2023 Peggy Ramsay/Film4 Award for Bacon, said of the show’s return, “the murky and grey area of sexual exploration within friendships does not get wide representation on stage, because it is not a love story, and therefore has no specific genre. But during the run at Finborough Theatre, many people spoke to me directly about how much they connected with the story, and saw themselves in it. I am so thrilled that HFH Productions is re-mounting Bacon for the 2023 UK tour as it feels urgent and essential to share this story with audience members across the country.”

Bacon was developed as part of Soho Theatre’s Writers Lab and first performed at The Finborough Theatre, London. The production’s return is presented by Hannah Farley-Hills for HFH Productions with support from HOME, Manchester.

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