Real-life stories gathered from Blackpool residents will take centre stage at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer, but first audiences can catch the show for free in parks, libraries and community spaces across the town.
Blackpool writer and performer Nathan Parker is taking local voices to one of the world’s biggest arts festivals this summer.
The Land Beneath Our Feet – a new one-man play commissioned by local arts organisation LeftCoast and presented in association with Blackpool Grand Theatre – will head to the Edinburgh Fringe after a short run of free performances across the town.
Set in the year 2050, the play imagines a future Blackpool on the brink of being consumed by rising sea levels. At its centre is Ted, an older resident whose memories of community, place and belonging become increasingly fragile as the coastline changes around him.
But while climate change forms the backdrop, the play is rooted in something much more immediate – the lives of Blackpool people today.
The script grew out of Parker’s 2025 Right to Grow residency with LeftCoast, during which he spent time speaking to residents about community gardens, green spaces and their connections to the land around them. A collection of stories about friendship, grief, mental health, recovery and resilience emerged.
“The stories that exist in these green spaces must be heard and considered because these green spaces are a matter of life and death,” says Nathan.
The result is a piece that asks difficult questions about the future while remaining firmly grounded in the voices of the people who call Blackpool home.
“This show beautifully tells the story of why our connection to land is so important to us as humans and why we can’t afford to overlook it,” adds Laura Jamieson, artistic director at LeftCoast.
An early audience member described the work as “evocative, touching and emotional”, while another said it carried “a real message delivered so brilliantly, you cannot fail to hear and be moved by it”.
Before the production heads north to Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, audiences have the chance to see it where these stories began – in local green and community spaces.
The Land Beneath Our Feet is at Stanley Park Bowling Green – 30th June; Claremont Park Community Centre Garden – 1st July; Mereside Meadow – 2nd July; and Palatine Library and Bridge Farm Allotments on 3rd July. All performances are free but booking is required here.
