A love letter, a warning, and a call to act before the tide comes in.
A seaside town we all adore. On the brink of being washed away. Time travel to 2050, where Blackpool is on the cusp of being consumed by climate change and the rising tides. Hear real life northern stories from the people who live in the town today as The Land Beneath Our Feet calls to both audiences and decision-makers to make a change before it’s too late.
“I never thought I’d live to see the day Cambridge became a seaside town. Not sure how well the kiss-me-quick hats would go down over that way, mind…” This summer, in association with the Blackpool Grand Theatre, the real life stories of Blackpool residents will travel to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in The Land Beneath Our Feet, a powerful one-man play written and performed by acclaimed poet and writer Nathan Parker.
Commissioned by LeftCoast and produced and directed by Karen Metcalfe, the show will tour Blackpool from 29th June to 3rd July, before heading to the Fringe’s Royal Mile – where LeftCoast volunteers will carry these stories into new places and conversations.
The play entwines the urgency of the climate crisis with the quiet resilience found in community gardens. At its centre is Ted. An old-timer. A storyteller. A man so grounded in the soil of a place that it refuses to let him go, even as it disappears. His memories are funny, fragile, and fiercely human as audiences are drawn into a reflection on the necessity of green spaces.
The script is taken directly from conversations Parker held with Blackpool residents during his 2025 Right to Grow residency with LeftCoast. What he uncovered was that these places are not simply a ‘nice to have’, but lifelines that support mental health and rehabilitation; offer connection after loss and grief; and provide a sense of belonging in a rapidly changing world.
“It is literally life saving,” Parker reflected. “The stories that exist in these green spaces must be heard and considered because these green spaces are a matter of life and death.”
Laura Jamieson, Artistic Director at LeftCoast, said: “This show beautifully tells the story of why our connection to land is so important to us as humans – and why we can’t afford to overlook it.”
This is not a distant future. This is not someone else’s story. This is ours. These Blackpool voices uncover something deeper than climate headlines… they reveal what we stand to lose.
“Evocative, touching, and emotional.” – Audience member
“It has a real message delivered so brilliantly, you cannot fail to hear and be moved by it.” – Audience member
The Blackpool pre-Edinburgh tour commences the week beginning the 29th June. More information TBC. Tickets will be free, but booking is required. The Land Beneath Our Feet will then travel to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe:
Venue: theSpace @ Niddry Street
Dates: 10-14 August 2026
Time: 15:00 (0hr45)
Tickets: £10 // available on theSpaceUK website
Fringe box office: 0131 226 0000 / www.edfringe.com
Suitable for ages 14+
