Big Little Sister: Holly Gifford’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival Debut
Holly Gifford’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival Debut, Big Little Sister, is a darkly funny and emotionally sharp solo play about growing up in someone else’s shadow — when that someone is your sibling
with disabilities.
Big Little Sister cuts through the cliches of “inspirational” sibling stories. Through surrealist storytelling, monologue, and multimedia, including dialogue voiced by her brother’s communication aid.
Supported by Keep It Fringe, this production is a tribute to the “glass children”— the term coined to represent ‘invisible’ siblings who grow up in the shadows of siblings with additional needs.
But what happens when this glass child cracks?
As the story unfolds, she begins to question what it means to speak on behalf of her brother. By using his literal voice, is she becoming the very filter she set out to challenge—the one that makes their lives palatable?
The show was born out of writer / performer Holly Gifford’s lived experience and desire to challenge those who benefit from the stereotypical, motivational ‘content’ we create around those with
disabilities. Equally, who are the beneficiaries of keeping these real stories silenced?
Big Little Sister is a tribute; to growing up alongside someone profoundly different, and to the defiant joy stitched in the seams of grief and guilt.
Holly Gifford is a Bristol-made, London-based writer and performer. Gifford creates new work blending theatre, comedy, and multimedia to tell emotionally complex stories with a sprinkle of social commentary. Big Little Sister is her debut solo show. Gifford’s voice is honest, self-aware, and deeply compassionate.
Big Little Sister is directed by Scarlett Stitt, a London-based actor, writer, and theatre-maker known for her bold and dynamic work across film, television, and stage. At the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe, she co-created and performed in Kissing A Fool, a queer clown-cabaret exploring George Michael’s journey through grief and creativity. The show later transferred to the Soho Theatre. Alongside Gifford, Stitt also runs and hosts drag cabaret nights at the Yard Theatre with their collective,
@haus0fintrusivethots.
Big Little Sister is produced in partnership with Stoke The Embers and Honey Theatre, and is supported by Collective Acting Studio, Soho Theatre Edinburgh Lab and was first developed with the National Youth Theatre.
Audience testimonials:
‘It was beautiful. As someone who’s sister is autistic, I could relate to a lot of the themes of siblings having to act as parents and the resentment that can build. This play navigated that experience with such thoughtfulness, that I was on the verge of tears by the end.’ – Jahrhys Greenidge
‘The truth, the originality, the story that’s what made it powerful. Holly brought realness. A raw, unfiltered connection. You felt her love for her brother in every word, every breath. There was no performance, only presence. She didn’t just tell a story she invited us into it. And we followed, willingly, because it was honest.’ – Michelle Hope
‘A beautiful, intimate and hilarious sharing of sibling love.’ – Tamara Davis
This intimate play invites audiences into a world of shared madness, lack of control, and abundant love.