Women+ on the Edge of Democracy

Women+ on the Edge of Democracy comes to the Traverse Theatre on Wednesday 28 October, with a second reading at the Tron Theatre on Thursday 29 October. It's a collection of short plays and monologues by 36 women+ playwrights, curated and directed by Zinnie Harris, with Gareth Nicholls co-directing. On the night, a company of professional actors will perform them as informal readings, so it's more about hearing the words than a full-blown production.

The project started as a partnership between the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts and the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, and the 36 playwrights come from all over the world. They've each contributed a short piece to a larger collection that looks at American democracy, with the writing running from comedy to tragedy, rage to tenderness, hope to fear. The whole thing is built around two questions: what's the current state of democracy in America, and what can history, global context or futurism offer right now, as the US approaches the 2026 Midterm Elections.

It's not just an Edinburgh thing, either. These readings are part of a wider programme taking place in communities across the globe between 23 October and 3 November, so the Edinburgh shows are one stop in a much larger global conversation. The Traverse reading is on Wednesday 28 October at 7:00pm, and it runs for an hour and a half. Tickets are free but you'll need to book them in advance.