Crowds throng Durham Fringe Festival's third installment
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023 is witnessing a vibrant presence of student and alumni-led theatre groups, following their successful performances at the Durham Fringe Festival. This year's Edinburgh event showcases a variety of productions, with several companies making their international debuts.
Durham Fringe Festival Alumni at Edinburgh
Notable alumni groups gracing the stages of Edinburgh include Captivate Theatre, a collective of Royal Conservatoire of Scotland alumni and students. They are presenting multiple shows, such as Sunshine on Leith, directed and featuring alumni Hazel Beattie and April Beattie, Sweeney Todd, featuring Hazel and Violet Beattie, and the Les Misérables School Edition, performed entirely by students including Violet Beattie.
Another alumni group, Kellogg Community College Theatre, is presenting the international premiere of the abbreviated original play Pando. Nearly 20 students, alumni, and community members will take part in this production, which had its first performances in Battle Creek.
Student-led Companies at Edinburgh Fringe
From the United States, Interlochen Arts Academy Theatre Division brings Brave Irene, a musical adaptation of William Steig’s children’s book, featuring 12 students from the academy. The company has previously showcased their productions off-campus.
A youth theatre group from Shanghai, QFun Theatre Children’s Experimental Troupe, is performing Youth and Poetry at Edinburgh Fringe, following their international festival experience, including the Avignon Arts Festival.
Durham Fringe Festival Highlights
The Durham Fringe Festival, which took place from 26th to 30th July, served as a stepping stone for these groups. The event, part of the Summer of Shakespeare festival marking the 400th anniversary of the publication of the First Folio of the complete works of Shakespeare, was held in six venues across Durham City.
Highlights of the Durham Fringe Festival 2023 included Watson: The Final Problem kickstarting the festival in the newly re-named Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre, Macbeth in the Palace Green stretch tent, and The Quality of Mercy: Concerning the life and crimes of Dr Harold Frederick Shipman in the same venue.
Student-led Companies at Durham Fringe Festival
Six student-led companies from Durham Student Theatre and Music Durham performed at the Durham Fringe Festival 2023. Among them were Northern Lights A Cappella, Woodplayers Troupe, Sightline Productions, KEITH. Sketch Comedy, Shellshock! Improvised Comedy, and The Durham Revue.
One of the standout performances was Two bards and a Songbird with Jessa Liversidge at Cafédral, while Sherlock Holmes: The Last Act at Fabio's Bar and Buckets of Blood - Fairy Tales Not For Kids with storyteller Eden Ballantyne in Cafédral also drew praise.
The festival was supported by a partnership with the organisers and Durham University. A new venue, a stretch tent, was added to the historical heart of Durham on Palace Green for the Durham Fringe Festival 2023.
As these student-led companies continue their journeys at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this month, they bring a fresh energy and innovative spirit to the world's largest arts festival.
Amidst the vibrant Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023, home-and-garden have been redefined as the Sheraton Grand Hotel Edinburgh and the newly added stretch tent on Palace Green, providing a picturesque outdoor-living setting for several student and alumni-led companies.
Captivate Theatre, one of the notable alumni groups, not only exhibits their shows, such as Sunshine on Leith and Les Misérables School Edition, but they also advocate for a lifestyle where home-and-garden merge, with students like Violet Beattie showcasing their talents in multiple productions.
