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Performers prepare for the bright lights of the Edinburgh Festival

In Short Productions

In Short ProductionsJamie Corbin

Press release issued: 4 August 2011

Actors and comedians from Bristol University are busy rehearsing ahead of appearances at the Edinburgh Festival – the largest cultural event in the world.

No less than five acts will be heading to the Scottish capital for the three week spectacular which begins tomorrow [5 August].

They will be following in the footsteps of famous Bristol University alumni Simon Pegg, David Walliams and Matt Lucas who have all performed at the festival.

In Short Productions, who received critical acclaim for their performance of modern day musical Edges last year, are taking to the stage for two shows this year.

A romantic musical called Homemade Fusion sees the company perform songs which provide an intimate snapshot into the characters’ attempts to juggle the pressures of contemporary life, while Yellow Moon: The Ballad of Leila and Lee is a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde tale that follows the fortunes of two teenagers on the run.

Producer Harriet Layhe, a Drama student at the University, said: “In Short Productions is made up of students from Bristol University and is a testament to the thriving theatrical scene at Bristol and the wealth of student talent we have.

“We’re looking forward to another successful month in Edinburgh and hope to be as well received as last year.”

The University of Bristol Pantomime Society will be performing their adult version of Aladdin which is billed as containing “humour, farce, slapstick, innuendo, and some razor sharp wit and satire”.

Little Room Productions are delivering an original modern opera set an hour before the Apocalypse called Sanctuary, which combines four voices, five instruments, atmospheric modern music and a character-driven story.

Bristol Revunions look set to win rave reviews with their collection of sketches and comedy in a show called National Friends.

Improvised comedy based around television is on offer courtesy of Bristol Improv and its Channel Hopping! show, featuring everything from spontaneous soap operas to fake news reports that are created based on audience’s nightly suggestions.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the main event and markets itself as the perfect place for attracting new talent and developing the stars of tomorrow, with many famous artists getting their big break in Edinburgh.

It’s the world's largest arts festival with over 40,000 performances and more than 2,500 shows packed into 250 venues across the city.

Pam Tait, Theatre Production Tutor in the University’s Department of Drama, said: “Each summer a contingent of Bristol drama students makes its way to perform at the festival in Edinburgh.

“There's no better way for a troupe to prove their worth and expand their horizons than to embark on the adventure that is the Festival. Here the best talent that Bristol has to offer meets the melting pot that is Edinburgh.

“It's not always easy performing in the conditions of the festival - digs are primitive, performance spaces cramped and over-heated, skills and friendships can be tested to the limit.

“Despite all this, the student is given a priceless gift - an audience. It may be in single figures, hostile, bored or even drunk, but it offers a chance to prove yourself and your material.

“As an audience member in turn, the festival provides another priceless opportunity - to compare your work against that of others, veteran or first-timer, student or professional, world famous or obscure.”

 

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