Edinburgh Fringe 2026
A Costume Drama
Play the Field Productions
Genre: character comedy, Comedic, Theatre
Venue: Playground 3 at ZOO Playground
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
With the 2026 Mascot Grand National rapidly approaching and her shell-suit sporting dad indisposed, reluctant Ella must fill Eddie The Egg’s incredibly big boots in this heartwarming, hilarious story about one extraordinary race for glory. Written and performed by Best Solo Performance nominee (The Stagey Place) Claudia Fielding,
Review
A Costume Drama is a love letter to family tradition, legacy, and the ridiculous things we do for the people we love. But more than that, it’s a masterclass in what a solo performer can achieve when the writing, direction, and performance just works.
From the moment Fielding steps on stage, you’re hooked. It’s not just that she’s funny, though her comic timing is genuinely exceptional. It’s the way she makes you believe in Ella. She shifts between outright hilarity and real everyday emotion without ever losing the thread of who this person is.
Her vocal work, the physicality, the mannerisms, the gestures; there’s something of Miranda Hart in how she lets you in on the joke while keeping genuine feeling beneath it. She knows how to be self-aware and vulnerable at the same time, which is harder than it sounds. Watch how she moves through a moment of comedy into one of emotion; it feels effortless, but it’s not. It’s craft.
The writing has a strong, distinctive voice. This isn’t a sketch stretched out to fill time; it’s a fully realised story that knows exactly what it’s doing. The comedy jumps in and out of the emotional beats with ease, never undermining the stakes of what Ella’s actually going through. Her reluctance to step into her dad’s shoes is played with genuine emotional weight alongside the comedy, and you believe she cares. That matters. The dialogue feels natural, intriguing, clever without ever becoming clever for its own sake.
Anna Rastelli’s direction is equally assured. She knows when to lean into the comedy and when to give space for genuine feeling. The music, voiceovers and sound effects sits perfectly throughout without ever intruding. The pacing is tight and confident; nothing feels baggy or unnecessary. This feels like a show that’s ready to tour on a bigger stage, and frankly, it deserves to.
What’s particularly clever, and what marks this as genuinely outstanding, is the ending. Without spoiling it, there’s a moment where you think you know where this is heading, and the writing pulls off both an unexpected but genuinely helpful joke and a bit of real poetry. It’s the kind of ending that makes you want to see the show again, knowing what’s coming but still delighted by how it lands.
What makes this outstanding isn’t just technical excellence, though that’s clearly there. The writing is sharp and heartfelt, the direction is precise, the concept is absurd and perfect, and Fielding’s performance is second to none. She creates a whole world with just herself on stage, makes you care about an egg mascot and a reluctant daughter, and does it all with such warmth and skill that you leave wanting more. Even the venue’s limitations become a testament to her presence; she makes something small feel expansive.
This is exactly the kind of show that deserves a sell-out audience.
