“A personal story […] filled with genuine emotion”
This is part of a series of shorter reviews from Edinburgh Fringe, August 2026.
Written by Stan Zimmerman after his friend Kevin killed himself, “Right before I go.” is a verbatim piece of theatre that sees a team of actors (Claire-Marie Hall, Sam Stuart Fraser, Philip Smithey and Claire Feuille) reading aloud from real suicide notes as Stan tries to come to terms with the loss of his friend. A projection behind the actors displays photos of the people who have taken their own lives, as the play tries to help us come to terms with why people might be driven to such an act, breaking down the barriers that often stop us from talking about such things. With suicide notes delivered out of context, however, it can sometimes prevent us from connecting properly with the people featured, and can leave us feeling a little empty instead of packing the emotional punch that the show is clearly striving for.
Some of the notes resonate more clearly than others, particularly notes read aloud from teenagers who have taken their lives after being bullied at school. Amanda Todd is a 15 year old schoolgirl who takes her own life after having explicit photos of herself shared online. Her section is delivered by Smithey as Amanda’s father, reading aloud from placards held by Hall. The additional backstory here, and the fact that Smithey gives an emotional performance as a grieving family member, helps us to connect to the material more. Software engineer Kate Von Roeder’s note is posted on Facebook, after she has faced relentless bullying and discrimination for being trans. This production not only reads aloud her farewell message, but the various comments underneath, showing the wealth of friends that she had, which makes the final message, stating simply that “She’s gone”, ever more poignant.
Yet elsewhere, we lack this context, and we see only a single aspect of these people’s complicated lives and emotional journeys. Some of the notes appear light-hearted, and although the actors deliver these sections with a little more levity, we cannot help but think of them as insincere – clearly the writers of these notes were not in such high spirits when they wrote them, instead they are putting on brave faces for the family and friends that they leave behind. A single note doesn’t seem to do justice to the truly complicated personalities behind the notes, and it serves to keep us at arms length rather than allowing us to properly understand their situation.
It is difficult to write about Zimmerman’s own relationship to the play, as it is such a personal story with a performance that is filled with genuine emotion. Yet, I’m left wanting to know more about Kevin – not about his death, but what he was like as a person and a friend. Again, lacking context means we cannot experience the same emotional turmoil that Zimmerman is going through – in fact, it feels wrong to do so, like we are intruding on something incredibly personal. A little more information, some light-hearted stories to allow us to understand Kevin as a person rather than simply a victim of suicide, would go a long way here to make this a truly impactful piece of theatre.
Tom Morley, August 2026
“Right before I go.” plays at 3:35pm at Queen Dome, Pleasance Dome until 31st August.
This production is supported by Andy’s Man Club, a men’s suicide prevention charity, offering free to attend peer-to-peer support groups across the United Kingdom and online.
Broken Legs Blog 