It’s the 20th of February, 2026, and Oliver Gallagher, writer/director of Slim For Life, has made a devastating discovery: the Edinburgh Fringe accommodation arrangements he’d struggled so hard to secure were nothing but a scam.

Over a thousand pounds stolen – a ‘pound-sign dream’ of performing at the Fringe – pooled together bit by budgeted-bit every payday, gone.

The cast – Jordan, Perdy, Charlotte, Annie, Joe, and Amanda – are horrified and broken-hearted. They try to comfort Oliver who despairingly blames himself.

Sure, everyone knows the saying, but at that moment, genuinely - no-one knew if the show could go on.

Slim for Life

A far cry from the tragedy and drama off stage, Slim for Life, written by Oliver, is a comedy both satirical and satanical. Featuring musical numbers, choreographed dances, startlingly explosive bodily functions, and Rich Tea biscuits, our heart-sore heroine Lily (Charlotte Thompson) flips the self-pitying script and attends a Slimming World meeting unlike any other. Lead by the charmingly zealous Beatrix (Annie Swift), attended by the morbidly melodramatic Morticia (Jordan Starling), the infectiously cheerful Percy (Joseph Palmer), the militantly die-hard Blaise (Perdita Lawton) and narrated by the aptly-named Narrator (Amanda Jeffrey), Lily may have expected wellness jargon and weigh-ins, but instead she’ll get exactly what she needs, wants, and ultimately, deserves.

Meanwhile…

Oliver, it turned out, was not the scammer's only victim – others emerged from Facebook groups for Fringe arrangements. Fellow ‘marks’ began to reveal the extent of the scammer’s many crimes.

A detective reached out, but very little about the cases could be discussed. Getting the money back didn’t seem to be on the table any time soon.

Scrounging together every last penny, pleading with kindly property owners, and scrambling to make arrangements far later than is wise for August and the Fringe – Oliver miraculously managed to secure alternative accommodation for the cast and crew.

But now we’re skint.

Performing Slim for Life at the Fringe will be a dream come true. It’s funny. It’s fun. It’s snappy and silly and sly. Despite the scammer, we want to take Slim for Life to Edinburgh and knock people’s socks off while having the hardwon time of our lives. A true Birmingham original, it’s charming and spunky, and now by necessity – scrappy as all hell.

We’re running on fumes and dreams because of that damned scammer – we’ve less than nothing left.

Donate, please, if you can; help us dig ourselves back out of the hole he buried us in. Help us rebuild our resilience to whatever our Fringe adventure throws at us next.

Support this scrappy band of Brummies defeating the bad guy and getting their own happily ever after – letting audiences discover if Lily and her new Slimming World ‘friends’ get a happy ever after too.