{"id":1061402,"date":"2026-07-01T08:16:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T08:16:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1061402\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T08:16:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T08:16:17","slug":"fringe-2026-acts-of-contrition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1061402\/","title":{"rendered":"Fringe 2026 – Acts of Contrition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fourteen years after leaving Glasgow in the aftermath of a traumatic sexual assault, Bargeddie-born performer Jon Gerrard McFaulds (JG) is returning home with his critically acclaimed autobiographical play, Acts of Contrition, making its UK premiere at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026.<\/p>\n

The powerful show tells the remarkable true story of how a working-class Catholic boy from Glasgow\u2019s East End became one of Spain\u2019s best-known drag performers, Bonnie Oui Laddie, transforming shame and secrecy into self-acceptance, sequins and stardom.<\/p>\n

Already a sell-out success in Barcelona, where it has enjoyed four sold-out runs, Acts of Contrition explores Catholic guilt, queer identity, family expectations and the transformative power of drag through a deeply personal lens packed with millennial nostalgia, humour and emotional honesty.<\/p>\n

Raised in the east end village Bargeddie within a devout Catholic family, McFaulds spent years battling feelings of guilt and shame around his sexuality. Now 37, he reflects candidly on coming to terms with his sexuality during the 1990s and 2000s.<\/p>\n

McFaulds said: \u201cI grew up in the east end of Glasgow with my granny in a quite an old-fashioned Catholic family, but from a young age I carried an enormous amount of guilt about being gay.<\/p>\n

\u201cI actually play my granny in the play, and another actress plays a nun that was also my granny\u2019s best friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up as a gay kid in 90s Glasgow was tough. I became very good at pretending to be straight because I genuinely believed there was something wrong with me. Looking back now, I realise how exhausting it was living a life that wasn\u2019t mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

McFaulds did not come out until he was in his 20s in 2013 and soon afterwards made the life-changing decision to move to Barcelona, following a traumatic assault.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter that, I felt I had to leave Glasgow behind,\u201d he said. \u201cBarcelona gave me the freedom to rebuild myself and discover who I really was. That\u2019s where Bonnie Oui Laddie was born. In many ways, drag saved my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

The show charts that journey from schoolboy to internationally celebrated drag performer, blending comedy, confession, music and theatrical storytelling. Audiences meet a cast of vivid characters including Madonna, a formidable nun and the fabulous queen McFaulds was always destined to become.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t a poor me play \u2013 this is my full-circle moment,\u201d he says. \u201cEdinburgh will be the first time I ever take the stage in Scotland as Bonnie Oui Laddie. Fourteen years ago, I left the country still hiding. Now I\u2019m coming back completely at peace, in full drag, back to the scene of the crime \u2013 and I\u2019ve never been happier to own every single chapter of that story.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alongside the Fringe production, McFaulds has also been filming a documentary charting the creation of the play and his journey back to Scotland. While celebrating progress for LGBTQ+ communities, he also hopes the show will spark conversations about the challenges facing queer people today.<\/p>\n

McFaulds continued: \u201cMaking this show has been pure therapy. Every performance feels like another layer of healing. The documentary captures that process and what it means to return home after spending years trying to outrun parts of your past.\u201d<\/p>\n

Described by audiences as \u201cheartbreaking, heartwarming and humorous\u201d, Acts of Contrition is ultimately a story of survival, self-forgiveness and finding pride in every chapter of your life.<\/p>\n

PERFORMANCE DETAILS Venue: Braw Venues (Hill Street), Edinburgh AoC Tickets Dates: 7\u201330 August 2026 Time: 13:00 Duration: 60 minute Tickets: \u00a314 \/ \u00a312<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Acts of Contrition: The Drag Origins of a Guilty Catholic<\/p>\n

UK Premiere \u2013 Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026<\/p>\n

Written and performed by Jon Gerrard McFaulds \/ Bonnie Oui Laddie.<\/p>\n

Born and raised in Glasgow\u2019s East End, Jon McFaulds is now based in Barcelona, where he has spent more than a decade performing as Bonnie Oui Laddie, a tartan-flamenco, saxophone-playing Scottish drag queen and cabaret performer.<\/p>\n

Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bonnie.oui.laddie\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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