The Crimes of Pete

Pete Miller, a failing author, is being locked up by an authoritarian regime. Not for telling truth to power, because they think he’s sh*t.

Banged up with his two literary rivals – the titan Norman Black and critical darling Natasha Lichfield – he might have found a way out, but who should he bring?

The Crimes of Pete is a jet black comedy about being talentless in the struggle against dictatorship. A critical hit at the Edinburgh Fringe 2026. From the writer of The Bang Gang which came to Riverside last autumn, and directed by El Blackwood.

‘Bitingly funny new comic play… relentlessly precise in pitch and tone.’ ★★★★ The Scotsman

‘A tight fast-paced examination of free-speech, literary critique, and our pre-occupation with legacy. Shepherd-Cross’ script is near perfect, peppered with great one-liners.’ ★★★★ The Wee Review

‘Hilarious. Ripples of laughter skim around us with guffaws going like a pinball from one to the next.’ ★★★★ Broadway Baby