THEATRE

HESS

HESS 2026

Venue

Gilded Balloon Teviot

Dates

5–31 Aug 2026

Time

1:00pm · 60min

Price

from £9

Fifty years after its original creation, Michael Burrell's HESS returns to Edinburgh in a revival that feels startlingly, even uncomfortably, relevant. Written in 1976, the play probes the psychology of a man consumed by extremist ideology, revealing the personal and political devastation such beliefs can unleash. What once read as a historical character study now lands with renewed force in a world marked by rising hatred, deepening political division, and ongoing humanitarian crises. This revival challenges audiences to confront the unsettling truth that the forces Burrell explored half a century ago have not faded – they have resurfaced.