The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth sounds like the sort of title somebody might invent at two in the morning during the Fringe. Instead, this new musical from writers Alex Moneypenny and Adam Tuffrey is a remarkably smart, accomplished proposition that may have considerably further to travel.
First, a word about the room. The Queen Dome at Pleasance Dome is a beautiful little theatre, nicely proportioned and with really no bad seats. Its onboard lighting and sound kit is among the best I have encountered at the Fringe, and certainly the sound here, in my experience, is never bad and frequently excellent.
For a change I sat in the front row, and on this occasion that was probably a mistake. Much of the action spills into the wings and around the front of the audience, meaning actors can occasionally end up behind you. My tip would be the back row, somewhere close to the sound desk. You’ll be higher, you’ll see the whole thing unfold, and musically and visually I suspect you’ll get the production at its best.
The premise is deliciously ridiculous. Emma Norman’s Sharon Hargreaves has disappeared down the conspiracy rabbit hole and persuades her long-suffering best friend Debs, played by Emma Thornett, that they are heading to Las Vegas to see Adele. They aren’t. They’re going to a Flat Earth convention. From there, conspiracies multiply, dots connect that really shouldn’t, and even the possibility that Jeffrey Epstein might still be alive and hiding in Hawaii doesn’t seem entirely beyond consideration.
Norman throws herself into Sharon’s conspiracy-fuelled world with tremendous energy, while Thornett provides the necessary counterweight. Beneath all the absurdity, their friendship gives the musical its heart.
What makes it work is that the musical is clever enough to be self-aware without constantly nudging you in the ribs. At one point a character announces that a particular piece of dialogue will be considerably longer when they get to the West End, where presumably they’ll have two acts to fill. Elsewhere another complains that this is the only solo she gets in the entire show. These are lovely little punctures in the fourth wall, used sparingly enough to remain funny.
And, actually, the West End joke may not be so ridiculous.
Karl Steele’s direction keeps everything moving at a cracking pace, no small achievement in a musical juggling songs, farce, audience interaction and an ever-expanding collection of conspiracy theories. The music is excellent and the performances have energy off the scale.
I particularly enjoyed watching the musical director at the keyboard to one side of the stage, beaming throughout and visibly feeding encouragement towards the singers. That connection matters. You can feel when everyone involved wants a show to fly.
Underneath all the silliness is also a genuinely interesting idea about loneliness, friendship, misinformation and the seductive appeal of belonging to a group that appears to have all the answers.
This is a very smart little musical with great catchy songs and a great score, a terrific concept and very little wrong with it at all. The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth may concern people convinced the world isn’t round, but I’d be shocked if this show’s journey ends in Edinburgh.
Playing until August 30th 2026, https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/2026SHOCKIN
Reviewer: Greg Holstead
Reviewed: 17th August 2026
North West End UK / Theatre Muse UK Rating:
Running time – 1hr