Leila Navabi: Relay

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.  

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

Reviews

★★★★ 'Smart and sharp punk musical comedy … Navabi handles the warmth with care … Relay leaves us with hope in the enduring generosity and support of our loved ones.' - Fest Magazine

★★★★ 'What is perhaps Navabi’s greatest talent, aside from her clean, high vocals and her whip-like wit, is her ability to put an audience at ease' - The Skinny

★★★★★ 'The audience was lit up with smiling, teary faces.' - The Student Newspaper

'A delightful and comic meditation on what it means to be a family… It's impossible not to fall for Leila Navabi’s story' – The Stage

If you have access requirements, please contact our Sales and Welcome Team on boxoffice@traverse.co.uk or 0131 228 1404 so we can arrange reserved seating for you and discuss how else we can best support your visit.