Don't hate the media, become the media. Jello Biafra
Sitting (In Silence)
EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW | 2026
Summerhall
Anatomy Lecture Theatre
6 - 31 Aug | 14:45
Images © Thomas Bugg
AUG, 9, 2026
Suicide shouldn’t be a taboo subject. Most people will have been affected and impacted by suicide in one way or another. The impact that this has on loved ones is immeasurable. It’s not only the guilt that consumes you, but this never-ending list of questions one is left with. As the years go by, the questions remain, and the overwhelming weight of guilt keeps you anchored to this pain. Breaking free from this cycle takes strength rooted in removing the guilt and finding the inner peace you’ve been missing. Embracing this moment isn’t about forgetting; it’s about allowing yourself to breathe, to celebrate a life, and to start living your own.
As a young woman, Kitty Falcon, walks into the space, an interesting feeling overtakes you. The minimal set, made up of white tree trunks and foliage, is instantly calming as the young woman tentatively takes her seat. Her tranquillity is broken abruptly by her Dad, Patrick O’Donnell, who seems intent, albeit somewhat unintentionally, on disturbing the peace. Dad and Daughter explore their relationship and the memories that bind them. Perhaps it took this silent retreat for them to have the conversation they truly needed.
Inspired by the loss of her Falcon’s father, Joe, to suicide in 2015, Sitting (In Silence) is a powerful exploration of grief and the control it can have. The simplicity of this production is proof that you can tell an important, impactful story without overcomplicating your set with too many gimmicks. Here, the set plays an essential role, drawing you into this metaphor-heavy world. The magic of Falcon’s text is that she’s never explicit about the meaning or the symbolism that can be interpreted in different ways.
This is highlighted by the way Falcon’s text unfolds and the switch that happens midway. You become so engrossed in their relationship, the way they talk to each other, that when the proverbial penny drops, it hits you rather hard. By drawing in her own experiences, Falcon offers her audience a rare and deeply personal insight into suicide. The silent retreat takes on a magical place that the audience feels the moment Dad appears. You’re never sure if that’s the purpose of this silent retreat, the manifestation of the Daughter’s grief or if this is the internal struggle she is experiencing. No matter where she is, the thoughts of her father always creep in. The whiteness of the space feels like a form of limbo, an in-between place that both Dad and Daughter find themselves, trapped and unable to move on. Falcon explores this again towards the end of the play when the time between Dad and Daughter is up, a bong chimes, and they share a last moment. Both unwilling to let go, another bong chimes and the Daughter looks up, sharply in the direction of the bong, and something is telling in the way she does so. As the Daughter walks towards the entrance of the meditation garden, ready to leave, she takes one final look back, a look that says everything.
Falcon’s never allows her writing to become angry or confrontational. There is frustration in every word written and spoken, but this conversation between Dad and Daughter offers a release of sorts that frees her from this grief dependence. Those who experience suicide feel an unrelenting sense of guilt, as one always feels that there is something we could have done to stop it from happening. When it is a parent who commits suicide, that guilt can be even more overwhelming. This isn’t about being selfish but about trying to understand the reasons why that person you love would take their own life. Rather than trying to answer the impossible, Falcon does something poetically ethereal with this line from Dad: ‘the stomach might be full, but the soul is empty.’
It was a line powerfully delivered and so delicately highlights the complexities of emotion, feelings, and life choices we make. It’s a line that shows how we can have everything we need to live but feel we have nothing at the same time. Dad’s shenanigans offer a touching insight into the character he was, a man with a rebellious nature who was living with a pain that he kept locked away from everyone. It’s these memories that Daughter is left with, and perhaps fear that if she moves on, she might forget these things that made Dad so special to her.
"Over the years, shows about male suicide have had a lasting impact on the Fringe, but the suicides of young men keep rising."
Isabelle Tyner’s directing is careful, non-intrusive, and meaningful, and allows the chemistry between O’Donnell and Falcon to really flourish. As writer and performer, the emotional toil this adds to Falcon has allowed for a level of authenticity to come through that is unforgettable. Some moments captivated me greatly. But there was one scene that really left me heartbroken. During an exchange between Daughter and Dad, Falcon kept looking away from O’Donnell as she delivered her lines. It was a small thing, but perhaps further highlights the immense power of the message she’s created.
On the poster for their Edinburgh Fringe show, Dad La Soul is quoted as saying ‘This play will save lives’, and they're right. Falcon and Tyner have created a show that is part of a movement being spearheaded by a need to address men's mental health. Over the years, shows about male suicide have had a lasting impact on the Fringe, but the suicides of young men keep rising. Something has to change. Falcon’s play is as heartfelt and genuine as you could hope for. There are parts of this production that will stick with you for a long time, Sitting (In Silence) will encourage audiences to have that conversation.