The conspiracy theory that became a musical - Interview with writer of theatre show The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth

The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth is a poignant and very funny new musical comedy centred on a grieving woman who finds friendship, purpose and unexpected online fame after accidentally becoming a flat-earth influencer. Packed with humour, it also takes a thoughtful look at why so many people fall down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole, We chat to writer, Alex Moneypenny about musicals, misinformation and the mystery of human connection.

Why flat earth? Of all the conspiracy theories out there, what made this the one you wanted to build a musical around?

Good question! We think it’s because we were initially drawn to the theatricality of flat earth theory - a ready-made world of theatre. There’s bad guys (NASA, obviously), there’s DIY science, there’s secret military patrols, there’s a fight between good and evil and, supposedly, a massive great wall to go and look at somewhere.

A fight about the shape and nature of the universe, arguably the most fundamental aspect of what we accept to be true about our lives, felt like the perfect place to ask the biggest questions from an emotional perspective too - and the characters we meet along the way all bounce off the theories with varying degrees of humour, heart and heartbreak.

Sharon joins the movement because it offers acceptance and purpose. Did you always see the emotional centre of the story as human need rather than about misinformation?

We absolutely did, right from the start.

Despite its ridiculous premise, we knew the show had to be rooted in real human struggle in order for others to relate to it – as is all the theatre we love. We all feel the need to belong on some level, and Sharon’s need is supercharged by her grief for her mother, which is the real emotional driver that provokes the events of the play.

Everyone will have a different perspective on flat earth or misinformation more widely – but while that’s the hook, we wanted the show’s core to be about empathising with and understanding why someone might believe something, no matter how “ridiculous”… and that all starts with seeing ourselves in someone else.

Conspiracy culture is often treated as absurd, but the show also finds poignancy in it. How difficult is it to balance comedy with compassion?

That’s life though, right? One morning we’re laughing and in a great mood, by the afternoon we’re worried we’ve wasted our lives writing silly musicals. It’s the reality of being a complicated and flawed human. Or maybe that’s just us. The flat earth community are (we think!) deeply wrong about a lot of things, but they are also on the whole lovely, quirky, generous people. A lot of them seem to be in quite desperate need of being heard and having a community at this particular point in their lives, but they’re also free thinkers who challenge authority, which all societies need on some level. All of it can co-exist.

We think that by simply telling the story of a woman in a time of need, the comedy and tragedy balance themselves out naturally… that’s the hope, anyway!

The show arrives at a moment of widespread anxiety about misinformation. Do you think this story feels particularly relevant in 2026?

Yes, we hope so. Some of the AI deepfakes we see are terrifying – this morning we saw Trump as Saul Goodman in a scene from Breaking Bad. Now there’s some stunt casting!

We live in a time where we’re more exposed to different sources of information than ever – so the show asks, we hope, an increasingly important question… how do we reach out and understand those who we so vehemently disagree with on the surface?

We’re increasingly less of the opinion that we get there by debating at the rational/logical level, but more by trying to understand the emotional, cultural and sociopolitical context that led our interlocutor to their conclusion. When we forget the person opposite us is a human who has come to a set of opinions in the same way we have – that’s when we get into trouble.

Which moments [Or one particular moment] in the show absolutely had to become songs?

There’s a pair of songs in the show that we love called ‘On The Edge’, split into two parts. The first time we hear it, it’s Sharon’s turning point - full of anger and frustration, she resolves to prove the doubters wrong, full of resentment. But by the second part, she’s arrived at a more vulnerable place, recognising what has been truly driving her - her grief. Both are powerful ballads in their own ways, and create a symmetry for both sides of the emotional journey that Sharon goes on. Adam (Adam Tuffrey co-writer) would also like us to let you know that they are incredibly musically complex & anthemic. You be the judge of that.

What do you hope audiences leave thinking about: conspiracy culture, loneliness, online life, the need for community itself or something else entirely?

The great thing about theatre is there’s space for many interpretation. The need for belonging, friendship, love, joy, the need for empathy, fear and so much else is present in the show. We know our angle, but we’re also excited to see how the piece develops and what audiences take from it - perhaps something totally different from what we intended! We just hope we haven’t accidentally done a recruitment drive for the flat earth community… because at points, it does look a lot of fun…

The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth will be performed at 2:05pm at Pleasance Dome from 5th – 30th August at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Booking link: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/shocking-truth-about-flat-earth