Reviewed by Charlotte Resuggan, Assistant Head (Teaching & Learning), Teacher of Drama
Ten years ago we made the bold decision to take an original performance, as a school theatre company, Hurly Burly, to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. We had no idea what to expect or how it would go. Ten years on, we performed for the 5th time to sell out audiences and once again gained 4 star reviews. Every time we go we take a different cast of present students and alumni and every time they bring something new but equally magical to these original performances. In all, we’ve performed 5 different plays during the years. Death by Shakespeare has been our signature piece but after our first venture we’ve always also taken at least one other piece of theatre, children’s plays, musicals and other Shakespeare inspired work.
What those who’ve never visited the Fringe might not know is how much of the experience isn’t about the actual performance. The company have to get up early, go out into the heaving mass of people on The Royal Mile and sell their wares against the thousands (and it really is thousands!) of other theatre companies at the Fringe. Concocting inventive and fun ways to market is one of the scariest but most rewarding parts of the process. It brings the cast together as a team and year on year, we do this brilliantly, supporting each other and having fun in fair weather and often foul! After the performances there is time to explore Edinburgh and take in other shows; it‘s amazing to be surrounded by so many exuberant people and places and to watch some really good and sometimes really bad theatre - all part of the experience.
This year 24 Sidcot students and alumni performed Death by Shakespeare and The Dead of Night. We were lucky to also have many family and friends visiting to support us. The best moment for me, was the final day where we played to full houses for both performances, the word had spread and the cast and crew’s hard work was rewarded with an upbeat vibe and huge applause at the end.
It’s a funny feeling when everything is suddenly over and the buzz and energy of the week is done. On our rather long minibus drive back there was time to reflect on what Hurly Burly had achieved and saying goodbye to our Drama family at the end saw lots of hugs and tears. We’re so proud of our motley crew, who, by the end, all knew each other so well. When I’m asked what drama in education brings to the table, you only have to point at experiences like this, in many cases, life-changing opportunities to be resilient, work collaboratively with others and know how real camaraderie feels.
Sitting in the convoy of three minibuses on the M5, reading our ‘Live Adventurously’ motto on the back of each bus, it’s fair to say, that’s exactly what we did! Well done Hurly Burly, past and present, who have built this very special experience together; what a testament to our amazing Quaker school and the people within it who really do live out the values we attest to.
Here are what some of our students had to say about their EdFringe 2023 experience:
“Edinburgh 2023; great fun, high energy, wonderful people. I was fortunate enough to be part of Death by Shakespeare, and my first time at the Fringe was certainly not a disappointment - I'd be lying if I said the rehearsals weren't tiring (and unlike others, I didn't have to do two plays), but it was certainly worth it. Across a week of rehearsals, two days of travelling, six days of marketing on the Mile and performing to two sell-out audiences (we even got two four star reviews!), I made friends, strengthened friendships, improved my acting and boosted my self-confidence in public speaking and performances. The highlight of my Fringe was the marketing; thirty actors in costume certainly had an effect on our prospective audiences, and the children both loved and feared us (sorry to any parents of terrified toddlers...). In all it was a fantastic experience, something I never thought I would get to do, and a stand-out moment of both my holidays and school life.”
- Joshua C
“The Hurly Burly trip to Edinburgh has been one of the most fulfilling opportunities I have had at Sidcot. Re-visiting Death by Shakespeare for its 10th anniversary with such a diverse cast was incredible and putting together the new musical, Dead of Night, in only six days was an utterly transformative experience for me. The intensity, hard work and passion from all the actors and participants filled the room every day – it was exhilarating. My favourite part was the preparation of all the lifts (literally, how the actors lifted and carried me through the air as my character moved through a dreamland) that some friends and I took upon ourselves months before rehearsals started, it was interesting to understand the different characters from the perspective of physical theatre. I am grateful I got to share imparting the important message and feelings of Dead of Night; that what we define as monsters can also be truly representative of human experience. The child’s adventure (the part I played) shows how you find the balance between the darkness and light that all of us have inside.”
- Diana A