The Scottish Plays: Edinburgh 2011

For a month, the gothic spires of Edinburgh crown a city swelling to twice it’s populous, covering itself in flyers and reviews on every surface. Edinburgh in August is the most incredible experience of theatrical freedom of expression with every room in every location in Edinburgh being turned into a space for the arts. Edinburgh 2011 was my first year, and it certainly will not be the last. Having only viewed Edinburgh as a university or a holiday destination, to finally step into the Shangri La of the stage was a dream come true.

I was at Edinburgh reviewing for Broadway Baby, a major body of young reviewers from an acting background. Everyday there were new and exciting shows to see, on top of all the exciting productions I was paying to watch. For eighteen days I was saturated with theatre, and it was the most educational and enlightening experience you could ever ask for.

But it seems churlish to speak of Edinburgh from only my perspective; Edinburgh was a tour de force of Warwick talent. Generation upon generation of Warwick Drama alumni crept back onto the stage for two weeks. Dumbshow, one of the companies of Warwick graduates, had three shows on at C Venues this summer- Clockheart Boy, Roar and Oedipus (which comically got confused with Berkoff’s performance of the same antiquated story in the Guardian.) Freshblood Theatre Society took up a production of a new student written play called ‘Fool’s Gold’. Curious Directive, a theatre company formed of Warwick graduates that Lyn Gardner called ‘serious, intelligent theatre and deserves a serious, intelligent audience.’

Two other shows also came from Warwick; one was The Nose, brought to the Fringe by burgeoning theatre company and Warwick graduates Fat Git. The Nose, an absurdist adaptation of Gogol’s eponymous story, received wonderful reviews including a 5-star review from Broadway Baby. Emma Jane Denly, who was one of the six actors in the production, had this to say of her experience at Edinburgh:

From seeing world-class shows before they become world-class, to face-painted madness and Russian accents, to walking up cobbled hills at least twice a day, to jacket potatoes from the renowned Vegan and Veggie shop, to five star reviews and the thrills of the press: the Edinburgh fringe is and has always been the student thespian’s ultimate goal. To reach the pinnacle of amateur or semi-professional theatre is something that many twenty-somethings aspire to, and for the company of Fat-Git Theatre it was no different. The company took “The Nose” (of Birmingham Custard Factory and WSAF fame) up to the Fringe for the final two weeks of the festival, and although there were trials, tribulations and the occasional improvised line, collectively the overriding experience was deemed to be overwhelmingly positive. Although exhausting, the hours flyering on the Mile and the draining extended run of the show, the Fringe is certainly a platform for theatre-makers – and Warwick traditionally has a wealth of these that go on to great things in London and elsewhere – and as a means of getting experience for actors, designers and musicians. Perhaps the only downside of the whole thing was the cost… But what are student loans for?

Arguably the real success story of the festival though was Fellswoop Theatre’s Belleville Rendezvous, which appeared at the Arts Centre last year. Originally a studio show by student drama society Codpiece, it came to Bedlam this year and won the Methuen Drama, The Pleasance, IdeasTap and NSDF Edinburgh Emerging Artists’ Competition in association with Royal Shakespeare Company and Spotlight, resulting in a transfer to the RSC and then the Pleasance in London.

Inspired by Sylvain Chomet’s animated film (and endorsed by him as well) the production was an incredible success. Stephanie Taylor, a third year English student at Warwick and a member of the cast, shares her tips for the perfect Edinburgh experience:

If you’ve always wanted to visit the Fringe, then deciding what you want most out of your trip will indicate when during the month-long Festival you should go. If you’re interested in maximising what you can get for your money, going at the very beginning is probably best. Previews normally cost around £5, then on top of that the next couple of performances are most likely on a 2for1 offer (this means shows at The Traverse are particularly good value, as they’re big budget and professional, costing you anywhere up to £20 on a normal day!) However, if you’re more interested in seeing the best shows, then the final weeks might be more suitable. Word of mouth means you can look for the general consensus on something on twitter, or you can scan through reviews.

Having said that, it doesn’t mean that if you go towards the end of the festival that your trip has to consist entirely of quality and not of quantity. My one piece of advice to anyone going towards the end to become a ‘Friend of the Fringe’ and split the £25 fee with a fellow fringe-going companion. That way, you can still get 2for1s on a huge range of shows – as well as a whole load of other perks! See www.edfringe.com/friends for more information.