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Leila Navabi: Relay

Relay is a bold, joyful punk-musical one-person show about making a queer family on your own terms, written and performed by award-nominated comedian, writer and composer Leila Navabi.

Leila Navabi: Relay

About Leila Navabi: Relay

16th May 2026
7pm
Traverse Theatre
10 Cambridge Street, Edinburgh West EH1 2ED
£15 / Concession £12 / U30s & Students £10 / Other £5
Visit the event website here

Show and Tell in association with Sherman Theatre
Directed by Elan Isaac

The critically acclaimed show was included in The Guardian’s “10 Best Shows to Catch” at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025, and was nominated for the Brighton Fringe Award for Excellence.

Relay blends stand-up, electro-pop musical numbers and hand-drawn animation into a heartfelt, hilarious hour about what it takes to start a family when the odds (and the system) are stacked against you. Leila dives into the wild ride of making a baby at home with her partner, a best mate as the sperm donor, and, naturally, his boyfriend cheering from the sidelines. Navabi unpacks love, ambition, and the chaos of building a family on her own terms.

Leila Navabi: Relay is part of the Traverse's £1 Ticket Project.

Image: Elliot Ditton

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