Beth Wants the D

Beth May brings Beth Wants the D to Summerhall on Thursday 29 October, her first return to Scotland since the show won the Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe. It's an autobiographical comedy about living with bipolar disorder, written and performed by May herself. The show is part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival's (SMHAF) three-week Summerhall programme, which runs from 19 October to 8 November 2026 and marks the festival's 20th year. This year's theme is Reflections.

May describes the show as candid and very funny, and it doesn't shy away from the heavier side of the subject: it's recommended for ages 16 and up, with references to bipolar disorder and suicide and suicidal ideation. The comedy comes from her own experience, so it's her story told in her own words rather than a dramatisation. After the performance, there's a Q&A with the creative team, so you'll get a chance to hear more about the work and the people behind it.

It's a small team on this one. May wrote and performed the show, with Riley Rose Critchlow directing, Mahayla Laurence as stage manager, Olivia Cade as associate producer, and Alison Zatta producing. The Q&A brings those voices into the room after the curtain goes down, which changes the night from a one-way performance into something more of a conversation.

The show runs from 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm in the Red Lecture Theatre at Summerhall, 1 Summerhall, Edinburgh South EH9 1PL. Tickets are pay-what-you-can, with options of £12, £10, £8, £6, or £4.