Countdown

In brief

Dates and time - 12 to 15 August 2026, 9:05pm to 9:55pm

Venue - Studio at theSpaceTriplex

Festival - Edinburgh Festival Fringe

About the event

Countdown follows the tragicomic trajectory of a young teacher, Evie, as she grapples with the expectations and realities of the education system. Turns out, there’s a huge difference between what teachers appear to do, and what they actually have to do.

Written as a form of catharsis, the play highlights how teachers constantly deal with situations and pressures within the education system, not to mention the emotional labour involved in managing youths, all at the expense of their own wellbeing. While there is a clear culture of care directed towards the students, the same cannot be said for teachers, who are expected to simply adapt and deliver new initiatives and practices without adequate support.

Drawn from the personal experiences of teachers across the UK and Singapore, Countdown highlights the lack of support that teachers receive, demarcates the fine line separating dedication and burnout, and is a stark reminder that teachers are, at the end of the day, only human.

The show was co-written by Calvin Goh (Intermediality PhD).

How to attend

This event is part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It is costed, and tickets are available through the Fringe website.

Are you interested in studying Intermediality?

As the first UNESCO World City of Literature, home of the Edinburgh International Festival and a major cultural hub, Edinburgh is the ideal place for the study of intermediality. Our one-year taught masters programme draws on world-class teaching and research expertise across media, from literature to film, music, painting, photography and visual culture more widely.

The programme will make you conversant with intermedial theory and equip you with the critical tools and historical background for understanding and analysing a wide range of intermedial phenomena across different periods and cultures. It can also be completed part-time over two years.

Tags

Film and Intermediality