Date
31 July - 24 August
Time
12:40 pm
Venue
Underbelly Cowgate
Tickets from
£8.50
Theatre
A Small Town Northern Tale
A love letter to the 2000s — and a middle finger to fitting in.
Let’s go back to the 2000s. Lets ‘ed up North.
Nokia bricks in every pocket. Myspace Top 8s. Lads mags. Kappa tracksuits…
But what if you didn’t quite fit the mold?
Meet David — 13, mixed-Jamaican-heritage, and newly uprooted from the city to a small, working-class Northern town where he sticks out like a sore thumb. As he tries to settle into his new life, dodging Myspace drama and dodgy fashion, he finds himself caught in an identity crisis he never asked for: slowly losing touch with his roots in a place that doesn’t quite know what to do with him.
Funny, heartfelt and painfully nostalgic, A Small Town Northern Tale is a high-energy, one-man autobiographical comedy-drama that explores identity, belonging and cultural erasure — all told with sharp character work, humour and poignancy.
Writer and performer Nathan Jonathan plays every character himself, celebrating the wild nostalgia of Y2K culture whilst interrogating how we remember these so-called “simpler times.”
At its core, this is a Black-British coming-of-age story — shaped by domestic abuse and life in a country wrestling with race, class, and regional inequality. It’s about growing up in a world that keeps trying to tell you who you are — and learning to finally push back.
Presented By
Northern Wind Theatre Co
Duration
60 minutes
Advice
Audience participation, Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes, Strong language/swearing
Price
Tickets from
£8.50
Accessibility
Comedy
For more information on accessibility and to book tickets, please contact the box office at access@underbelly.co.uk, or visit https://underbellyedinburgh.co.uk/your-visit/accessibility
Wheelchair Spaces
Select a performance date and time
You might also like
Theatre
CADEL: Lungs on Legs
The epic true story of the first Australian to win the Tour de France, live on stage. Performed entirely on a bike in an epic theatrical feat of endurance by acclaimed Australian actor Connor Delves. Pedalling non-stop for an hour, he recreates the thrilling journey of Cadel's 2011 Tour de France win, and all the triumphs, heartaches and sacrifices made along the way. “Connor's vision for this show is bold and exciting, and I'm thrilled to be involved from the start. He’ll be riding a BMC, just like I did (and do!), wearing the same yellow jersey I wore, and actually riding on stage every night... how cool is that? I love cycling, and I'm deeply honored that an Australian artist has been inspired to bring my story to life for audiences worldwide. I hope you enjoy CADEL, and I encourage you to support Connor and his creative journey in giving the show a long life. See you there!”– Cadel Evans
Theatre
I AM – A Walking Universe
From the creator of Most Memorable Show (Lustrum Award Winner, 2023). Part of the modular series I AM. Enter the studio of LULA.XYZ, where words come to life. As she attempts to pen the next chapter to her namesake character, the girl next door who just happens to be Eritrean/Ethiopian, life intervenes. It’s the black woman curse. A poetic reflection of overt medical racism happening now in the UK, using wearable technology MiMu gloves (as used by Imogen Heap). Neither a musical, nor drama: a new kind of storytelling.
Theatre
I AM – One of many, many of One
Winner of the Most Memorable Show, Lustrum Award 2023. Part of the modular series I AM. A first-generation immigrant straddles her Habesha (Eritrean/Ethiopian) heritage and British identity only to realise, when you leave everything behind for the promise of something better, it’s not "better". A poetic reflection on memory loss, displacement, tradition and survival, interwoven with language, customs, music and wearable tech MiMu gloves (as used by Imogen Heap). Neither a musical, nor drama: a new kind of storytelling. Outstanding Performance nominee Filipa Bragança Award, 2023.
Theatre
I Dream in Colour
Sophie has a choice: surgically remove her one remaining eye containing a tumour, or risk eye cancer. Again. No brainer, right? But her parents have done everything to save this one eye in the hope she might see again. Can she do what she wants this time? ‘I Dream In Colour’ is a semi-autobiographical one-woman show from Jasmine Thien; a fully blind writer, poet and comedian. It explores how we experience the intersections between disability, race, gender when we straddle the margins of multiple minority groups. Weaving storytelling, comedy and spoken word, it seeks to ask the question: how do we navigate a world that reminds us every day we should not even exist? Shortlisted for the Charlie Hartill Award 2025. Written & Performed by Jasmine Thien Directed by Max Percy (Baklâ) Produced by The Project People
