Nerds musical based on Steve Jobs and Bill Gates to receive premiere

A new musical based on Steve Jobs and Bill Gates will play at the Edinburgh Fringe.

With music by Hal Goldberg and book and lyrics by Jordan Allen-Dutton and Erik Weiner, the comedy tells the story of the tech frenemies, tracing their rise from garage inventors to tech giants, bringing their rivalry to the stage with a satirical look at the digital revolution. It was previously primed for a Broadway run in 2016, with plans falling through.

Nerds was workshopped at the Other Palace’s MTFest last month, with a cast including Hannah Lowther and Dean John-Wilson. Director Nick Winston will return for the Fringe run, with the full cast and company to be announced.

The creators explained: “Nerds is a musical about two revolutionary, socially awkward geeks—Bill Gates and Steve Jobs—who accidentally reinvented civilization by building things that go beep in the garage. It’s a funny and touching dot-comedy, with bad fashion, robotic jazz hands, and a rap battle that might just redefine nerd-kind.”

They added: “We’re bringing it to the Edinburgh Fringe because no matter how wild tech gets, nothing beats the raw, analog magic of live theatre—and there’s no better place to unleash a scrappy origin story than the world’s scrappiest, boldest stage.”

Producer Paul Taylor-Mills commented: “I’m thrilled to be bringing Nerds to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer after the success of I Wish You Well and My Son’s a Queer, both having played the Fringe before taking the West End and the world by storm.

“There’s few better places in the world to premiere new work than the thrilling, creative climate of Edinburgh. Nerds is a joyous, camp and hilarious look at some of the most iconic figures in tech history, just what the world needs right now.”

It’ll play at Cowbarn from 31 July to 24 August 2025, and is suitable for audiences aged 14+.