It was an extraordinary 2018 Edinburgh Fringe Festival for OSD graduates

There were awards and accolades aplenty for our graduates at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe which finished earlier this week.

Wildcard Theatre’s ELECTROLYTE at The Pleasance

This gig theatre production was written by James Meteyard and Maimuna Memon, starred Ben Simon and was produced by Joseph Dawson. It garnered an ecstatic following on social media and from the critics, among them:

★★★★★ – The Scotsman

★★★★★ – Edinburgh Festivals Magazine

★★★★ – The List

★★★★ – The Stage

Listed by The Stage as one of the best Fringe shows

Listed by The Scotsman as one of the top 10 shows of 2018 Fringe

Listed by The Voice Magazine as one of its Pick of the Fringe Awards

Not only that, it also won three awards:
Winner of The Indies ‘Best Theatre, Family, Music or Dance Newcomer’
Winner of Les Enfants Terrible’s Stepladder Award 2018
Winner of 2018 Mental Health Fringe Award awarded by Mental Health Foundation Scotland

Keep an eye out for it, as it is sure to be back – it will be performed at the Tron Theatre as part of the 2018 Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival and is likely to tour in Autumn 2019.

Lung’s TROJAN HORSE at Summerhall

This production starred 2017 graduate Annice Boparai and was much anticipated. LUNG Theatre is a company renowned for their challenging verbatim work. Trojan Horse charts the Operation Trojan Horse controversy which gripped Birmingham in 2014 in a piece that looks behind the media headlines to the personal ramifications of a moment in which teachers were accused of radicalising their students in a city-wide plot.

It had a huge amount of press coverage and a great reaction from the critics:

★★★★★ -What’s on Stage

★★★★★ -The Skinny Mag

★★★★★ – To Do List LDN

★★★★★ – Ed Fest Mag

★★★★★ – BritTheatreGuide

★★★★1/2 – The Reviews Hub

★★★★ – The List

It also won two awards:
Winner of Amnesty Freedom of Expression award
Winner of The Scotsman Fringe First award

It, too, looks like it will be seen again in 2019….

Living Record’s THROWN by Jodi Gray at Underbelly

This starred Jill Rutland and was written by Jodi Gray who has been commission to write for students at the school several times over the last few years.

The production used binaural sound technology to create a sensory, cinematic reverie on consciousness and mortality.

★★★★★ – Edinburgh Fringe Review

★★★★ – The Scotsman

★★★★ – Fringe Guru

During the festival is was announced as the winner of the Brighton Fringe Award for Excellence.

Tom Ratcliffe’s VELVET at the Pleasance

Tom’s one man show was presented by Work Theatre and addressed issues around the ‘casting couch’ in a time of social media, sexual power politics, and exploitation of young actors desperate for their first break to high critical acclaim:

★★★★ – The Scotsman

★★★★ – The Stage

★★★★ – Edinburgh Forty Nine

★★★★ – Edinburgh Fringe Review

★★★★ – The List

★★★★★ – Theatre Weekly

★★★★1/2 – Edinburgh Cultural Review

Winner of Theatre Weekly’s ‘Outstanding Monologue’ in the Best of the Fest list

Lewis Doherty’s WOLF at the Underbelly

Lewis’ one man show had 14 consecutive sell-out performances and received ecstatic reviews:

★★★★ – The Stage

★★★★ – Three Weeks

★★★★★ – The Wee Review

★★★★★ – The Mumble

It will be back at The North Wall in Oxford on 12th October.

Willy Hudson’s BOTTOM at Summerhall

Willy’s one man show dissected the way stereotypes from within the LGBTQ+ community can define sexual roles. Bottom played to 1500 people and got fantastic reviews:

★★★★ – BritishTheatre.com

★★★★ – The Skinny

★★★★★ – Gay Review

★★★★ – The Skinny

★★★★ – British Theatre

★★★★ – Culture Fix

★★★★ – Broadway Baby

★★★★ – LGBTQ Arts Review

★★★★ – Broadway World

★★★★ – Theatre Reviews Design

It was also shortlisted for the Brighton Fringe Award for Excellence 2018.

In addition to the above there were:

★★★★★ and ★★★★ reviews for Free and Proud starring Michael Gilbert and long listings for both the Amnesty Internation Freedom of Expression Award and the inaugural SIT-Up Award. It is currently on at The Kings Head Theatre in London.

A nomination for 2018 Best Musical Award by Musical Theatre Review for Callum McGuire, Ben Simon and Jonty Weston’s Catch of the Day

Sell out performances and ★★★★ reviews for Wildchild Production’s Kensuke’s Kingdom starring Gabriella Margulies

★★★★ reviews for the comedy Courtroom Play starring Emily Lloyd Saini and Katherine Rodden at The Pleasance