Michael is a 17–18‑year‑old boy navigating the messy terrain of social media, mild neurodiversity, intense teenage peer pressure, sexuality and the deep need to be truly seen. In his bedroom, surrounded by LEGO bricks, screens and half‑formed dreams of space, he unpacks his life and asks what being “a normal boy” really means.
Devised and performed by 18‑year‑old local actor Izaak Hutton, A Normal Boy offers a rare, honest look inside the head of a young man growing up today. The storytelling is powerful and intimate, at times sharply funny and at times heartbreaking, including a pivotal scene around Michael’s first sexual experience and the pressures that surround it.
The piece shines a light on topics that are vital for a contemporary Fringe festival in the Highlands: male mental health, neurodiversity, consent, online culture, bullying, and the gap between how young men are seen and how they actually feel. A facilitated post‑show Q&A (optional) opens space for audiences – especially young people, parents and educators – to talk about mental wellbeing, expectations of masculinity and what it really means to belong.
Created through an ecological apprenticeship with Theatre of the 7 Directions, A Normal Boy champions local youth voices and invites the Inverness Fringe audience to sit close, listen deeply and piece together a future that hurts less.
Doors open at 5pm
Performance begins at 5:30pm
Suitable for ages 13 plus