Evangeline Brighton Fringe 2026 brings one of the more distinctive and theatrically daring shows of this year’s festival to the Lantern Theatre — a one-hour musical driven entirely by a single performer.
Running from 4–8 May 2026, Evangeline is written by Nia Williams and performed by Guy Brigg. It arrives in Brighton following a preview run in Oxford, before continuing to London and beyond.
Who Is Evangeline?
Baby Evie — sold, stolen and abandoned in a cardboard box.
Talented Eva — trained by a fake Russian prima ballerina to fall and bounce back on stages across the country.
Evangeline — a West End performer who finally finds her voice… and then dismantles her own success.
Evangeline Brighton Fringe 2026 unfolds as a fast-moving, darkly comic story of survival — a world of high kicks and high jinks, bruises and booze, where identity is constantly being rebuilt and undone.
On stage, Guy Brigg plays not only Evangeline, but every character in her orbit — constructing an entire theatrical world with a cast of one and a deliberately minimal set.
The Story Behind the Show
Evangeline first appeared as a secondary character in Nia Williams’ earlier musical Melody — a flamboyant singing teacher whose presence hinted at a deeper story.
That story was never fully explored at the time.
Melody was due to transfer to London and the Edinburgh Fringe before being cancelled during the pandemic — leaving a creative gap that this show now fills.
“I felt this charismatic but slightly mysterious character deserved some fleshing out,” Williams explains. “And I knew Guy would be brilliant at creating multiple characters and a convincing world with very little.”
Guy Brigg
At the centre of Evangeline Brighton Fringe 2026 is a performance that carries the entire production.
Guy Brigg has worked extensively as a performer, choreographer and director, and is the resident creative director of the award-winning Musical Youth Company Oxford. He was awarded an MBE in 2017 for services to education and community through theatre and the arts.
Here, he takes on the challenge of a fully solo musical — moving between characters, tones and emotional states without pause.
Three Chairs and a Hat
The production comes from Three Chairs and a Hat, an Oxford-based company with a strong track record across the UK fringe circuit.
Their previous work — including Mrs Pack, Verity and Dexter — has received critical recognition across Edinburgh and Camden Fringe festivals. Verity won Best Musical at the Scenesaver Birthday Honours Awards, while their animated musical projects have been selected for international film festivals.
Their work tends to balance humour with something more reflective — and Evangeline Brighton Fringe 2026 continues that direction.
Why This Show Works at Brighton Fringe
Brighton Fringe has always been a space for performances that sit outside traditional formats.
Evangeline Brighton Fringe 2026 fits that space precisely.
It is not just a musical.
Not just a character study.
It is a one-performer piece that relies entirely on presence, control and imagination — asking the audience to meet it halfway.
That kind of theatrical risk is rare.
And when it works, it becomes something far more immersive than a conventional production.
Final Thoughts
Evangeline Brighton Fringe 2026 is a show about performance itself — about building a persona, sustaining it, and watching it begin to fracture.
It is playful, chaotic and, at times, unexpectedly sharp.
And in a festival built on new voices and unconventional formats, it feels exactly where it should be.
Practical Details
📍 Lantern Theatre, Brighton
📅 4–8 May 2026
⏰ 7pm Mon–Thu | 5pm Fri
🎟 https://www.brightonfringe.org
For more Brighton Fringe 2026 shows, see our full Brighton Fringe guide.
See also: →Things to Do in Brighton| Events Brighton | Food & Drink in Brighton | Wellness in Brighton| Places to Visit Near Brighton | Contact|
