�鶹Լ�� Writers Feed

Popcorn Award for New Writing at the Edinburgh Fringe 2023 - Winner and Finalists Announced

2023-08-24T09:27:04+00:00

Dugsi Dayz is the recipient of the Popcorn Writing Award 2023, winning £3,000, support from the production company and �鶹Լ�� Writersroom.

Written by Sabrina Ali, this hilarious and authentic exploration of friendship between Somali girls is a joyful and rebellious snapshot of British Muslim culture.

The winner and finalists were announced at a ceremony at The Gilded Balloon Library Bar on Thursday 24th August at 12.30pm where all nominees and performers were present. The award was presented by Charlotte Colbert, Natalie Denton of the Popcorn Group as well as Jess Loveland of the �鶹Լ�� Writersroom and awarded by last year’s winner Karim Khan of Brown Boys Swim.

Sabrina Ali says, "Winning the Popcorn Award leaves me truly speechless. Just a year after writing Dugsi Dayz, I never imagined I'd be at the Edinburgh Fringe, let alone accepting the Popcorn Award. This achievement owes everything to my incredible directors and cast who breathed magic into Dugsi Dayz. Thank you all for making this journey unforgettable."

Sabrina Ali holding the Popcorn Award for New Writing at the Edinburgh Fringe 2023 with Jess Loveland (�鶹Լ�� Writersroom), Charlotte Colbert and Natalie Denton (Popcorn Group)

The Popcorn Group partnered once again with �鶹Լ�� Writersroom for this year’s awards, offering valuable one-to-one meetings with each of the longlisted playwrights with members of the �鶹Լ�� Drama Commissioning team.

Jess Loveland, Head of New Writing at �鶹Լ�� Writersroom commented, "It's been a real delight for �鶹Լ�� Writersroom to collaborate with the Popcorn Group on the Popcorn Writing Award for a second year. The calibre of plays on the longlist is truly remarkable and the bold originality of the work captures the mission of this new writing award. We want to congratulate this year's winner, Sabrina Ali, for her tender, funny and joyful play, Dugsi Dayz. Huge congratulations are also due to our three shortlisted finalists for their brilliant and inventive work. The �鶹Լ�� Writersroom team are looking forward to meeting and getting to know all the talented writers on this longlist over the coming months."

Charlotte Colbert from the Popcorn Group said, "The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a pure celebration of human storytelling in all in wondrous diversity and originality. It is a world away from the formulaic algorithmic narratives – a platform for risk-taking new voices which the Popcorn Group is so happy to support in a small way. All the submissions blew us away, but we wanted to especially congratulate the winner and finalists of this year’s award: Dugsi Dayz, Lie Low, The Brief & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria and Public – The Musical."

Winner and finalists for the Popcorn Award for New Writing at the Edinburgh Fringe 2023 with members of the Popcorn Group and �鶹Լ�� Writersroom teams

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a vital springboard for the careers of up-and-coming talent in the arts having in the past launched the careers of creatives such as Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman and Rachel Weisz. The award longlist celebrated new writing from across the Fringe, showcasing the breadth of talent available at this year’s festival.

The prize fund of £6,000 is shared amongst the winner and finalists which include a range of daring, thought-provoking and high calibre new writing from Pleasance, Underbelly and Traverse.

Ciara Elizabeth Smyth’s Lie Low is the first finalist. A dark comedy about a woman, Faye, who’s having trouble sleeping following a break-in at her home, a wild, dark and hilarious new play, directed by Oisín Kearney, that offers a theatrical exploration into the human brain.

Joseph Cullen and Sasha Wilson’s The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria is the second finalist with an energetic production exploring the suspicious circumstances of the King of Bulgaria's demise, how 50,000 Jewish people were saved from deportation and death, and how the world forgot all about it. The ensemble performs Bulgarian and Jewish folk tunes live while sharing this unique story from 20th century European history.

Stroud and Notes’ Public – The Musical has received a special mention, with this witty and sensitive new musical created by queer-led theatre collective Stroud and Notes. Through catchy bops and heartfelt ballads, Public – The Musical runs the gamut of contemporary concerns. It candidly explores gender identity, the clogged world of toxic masculinity, allyship, the climate crisis, social media and more as these four strangers have their patience pushed to the limit.

See the full Popcorn Award 2023 longlist

Popcorn Award for New Writing at the Edinburgh Fringe - Longlist Announced

2023-08-04T08:51:28+00:00

Popcorn Group, a film, television, and theatre production company founded by filmmaker Charlotte Colbert, has again partnered up with the �鶹Լ�� Writersroom and eight renowned Edinburgh theatre venues to shortlist the best of new writing coming to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Ranging from musicals exploring gender identity and sexuality, to horrors about existence and surreal political dramas, the award seeks to celebrate new writing which plays with and pushes the theatrical form.

The Popcorn Writing Award champions fearless new writing, distinctly unique voices who contribute positively to public debate while being engaging and entertaining. With a prize fund of £6,000, it also offers the longlisted writers access to �鶹Լ�� commissioners and the work we do at �鶹Լ�� Writersroom in nurturing talent into the screen industry.

Past winners and finalists of the award have gone onto be commissioned by major broadcasters in television and film; including Bryony Kimmings, who has recently had her project The Rapture greenlit with the �鶹Լ�� and Claire Rammelkamp who is co-writing the series, Immaculate, with Anna Maxwell Martin (Motherland). Last year’s winner, Karim Khan, of Brown Boys Swim has seen his show transfer to London and is in development to become a TV series after a bidding war between several production companies.

Members of �鶹Լ�� Writersroom along with the Popcorn team have created a longlist of the 20 plays below out of hundreds of submissions this year. We will now pull together the shortlist and announce the winner towards the end of the fringe. �鶹Լ�� Writersroom and Popcorn Group, meet each writer on the longlist, with the view to offer support throughout their career.

The eight partnering venues this year are: Assembly, Gilded Balloon, Pleasance, Summerhall, TheSpaceUK, Traverse and Underbelly with Greenside joining for the first time this year.

Jess Loveland, Head of New Writing for �鶹Լ�� Drama and �鶹Լ�� Writersroom commented, �鶹Լ�� Writersroom is delighted to partner with the Popcorn Group for a second year. This year’s longlist is incredible, and we can’t wait to get up to Edinburgh to immerse ourselves in the fantastic new writing there. We very much enjoyed meeting last year’s longlisted writers and look forward to developing connections with this talented collection of writers.

Charlotte Colbert and Natalie Denton from Popcorn Group commented, The Fringe is one of the best events of the year. It is so wonderful to connect with the incredible talent who showcase their bold and fearless work there each year. The festival is a pure celebration of creativity and such a wonderful platform for new voices as well as audiences who always leave energised and inspired.

See the 20 Longlisted plays below

Karim Khan, 2022 winner of the Popcorn Award with members of the team behind the award (L>R: Natalie Denton, Charlotte Colbert, Karim Khan, Lydia Leonard, Nainita Desai)

The Popcorn Award 2023 longlisted plays are:

24, 23, 22 by Doug Deans, Underbelly

It’s just an ordinary day. At the beginning of the day, Fran is late for work. At the end of the day, Brendan is bleeding out in the street. Time flows forwards and spirals backwards. Fran progresses through the worst day of her life. Brendan rewinds through his last day alive. Soon they’ll meet in the middle, and we’ll find out what has happened to him, and what will happen to her.

Asexuality! The Musical by Rebecca McGlynn, Gilded Balloon

Asexuality! is an autobiographical musical comedy about transgender playwright Rebecca McGlynn’s pre-transition life. The story follows Robert, an asexual man navigating a hypersexual world. Through music and comedy, he explores sex, romance, love and loss… and, eventually, HER true gender identity.

Before The Drugs Kick In by Mike Lemme, TheSpaceUK

A 62-year-old in an insane asylum closes her eyes and becomes a 28-year-old stand-up comedian. But not just any comedian, a comedian who had the potential to become the greatest of all time. A tribute to the mothers society wrote off as crazy, instead of giving them an opportunity to live.

Bitter Lemons by Lucy Hayes, Pleasance

Bitter Lemons takes the form of two intersecting monologues following the lives of two women: a grieving goalkeeper and an ambitious investment banker, as they both face the biggest professional pitch of their lives. When they both fall unexpectedly pregnant, their lives shift in parallel and collide in unexpected ways.

Dugsi Dayz by Sabrina Ali, Underbelly

Four students, Salma, Yasmin, Munira, and Hani are in detention on a Saturday afternoon, but the reason remains a secret. During a power outage, they share folktales to break the ice. As they bond, they discover surprising similarities.

Green Fingers by Adam Sowter, Flo Poskitt and Ben Tansey, Pleasance

A deliciously Dahl-esque treat, about a boy born with gunky green hands. But is there more to these fingers than mayhem and mess? Maybe the answers lie within the mysterious school garden... Green Fingers is a magical, musical story exploring ideas of accepting yourself, and engaging with the natural world.

GUSH by Abby Vicky-Russell, Assembly

GUSH by Abby Vicky-Russell is a one woman show about the dynamics of a father and daughter relationship, and how they change in the aftermath of a rape. Abby Vicky-Russell plays a fictionalised version of her own father – a plumber who has come to the theatre to fix a leak so a dance troupe can perform their piece. The show then devolves into a piece of character comedy in which the plumber breaks out of his previously closed off demeanour and explores the most difficult situation he’s ever faced. GUSH is a feminist comedy that prioritizes accessibility, hilarity and truth without villainising anyone.

Her Green Hell by Emma Howlett, Summerhall

A one-woman-monologue inspired by the true story of Juliane Koepcke, the teenager who survived a plane crash and a fall of 10,000ft in Peruvian Amazon in 1971. It explores our fraught power struggle with nature, and is as much about the rainforest’s fight to survive as it is Juliane’s.

Hive by Ariella Como Stoian, Assembly

The demolition site of a 70s housing estate, reluctant Megacorp conservationist and single mum Ria has been called in to sort a hive. It's halting redevelopment, messing up the bottom line. But Ria's teenage kid Salve was just suspended. And the site manager hints at something more... unusual. More sinister.

In Everglade Studio by Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller, Assembly

In 1974 London, three musicians and their manager seal themselves inside an underground recording studio to complete an original Americana album overnight. As artistic, social, and racial tensions flare, the atmosphere grows thornier, the music grows stranger, and Everglade Studio’s mixture of creativity and claustrophobia demands its pound of flesh.

Involuntary Momslaughter by Abigail Paul, Greenside

The unique perspective of surviving narcissistic abuse through humour and wisdom can be a compelling and potentially therapeutic experience for many.

Kill The Cop Inside Your Head by Subira Joy, Summerhall

Spoken word and performance artist Subira Joy explores their experiences being targeted by the police as a Black, queer and trans person in the UK. Combining striking visual imagery with powerful language, this new work examines the impact of the police in our communities and how we internalise their role to repress and suppress ourselves into submission. Tracing narratives of police encounters while centring themes of violence, gaslighting and abuse of power, this work exposes how we impede our liberation when confronted by our inner cop.

Lady Dealer by Martha Watson Allpress, Summerhall

For Charly, every day is the same. They used to be different, when there was Clo, but there isn't Clo anymore and she doesn't want to dwell on that. She just wants to chug coffee, blast Beastie Boys and deal drugs. Simple. But when Charly suffers a power cut, she's forced back into the real world; a world of knockoff Morrisseys, disapproving mothers and, ultimately, a world she has to navigate alone.

Lie Low by Ciara Elizabeth Smyth, Traverse

Lie Low is a dark comedy about a woman, Faye, who’s having trouble sleeping following a break-in at her home. Desperate to shake her insomnia, she enlists the help of her brother, Naoise, to try a form of exposure therapy. But Naoise has a devastating secret that's about to explode.

Nan, Me & Barbara Pravi by Hannah Maxwell, Summerhall

An epic tale of love, loss and explaining how to use the microwave. In 2021, Hannah Maxwell moved back to the home counties to care for her recently bereaved grandmother. But this show isn’t about that. It’s about France’s Eurovision star Barbara Pravi, who’s just lovely. In between cooking, cleaning and Countdown, Maxwell escapes into an intensifying fantasy of ballroom dances, heartfelt ballads, fluent French and definitely-not-creepy plots to engineer a meet-cute with a random foreign celebrity.

Public – The Musical by Stroud & Notes, Pleasance

Public – The Musical is a pop/rock show where strangers Laura, Andrew, Zo, and Finley, find themselves stuck for an hour in a gender-neutral public toilet. Through head-bopping songs and

honest, comedic dialogue, they tackle sticky conversations, and confront their biases, exploring the power of human connection in a changing world.

Strategic Love Play by Miriam Battye, Summerhall

So they’ve both swiped right. Now they’re meeting for the first time. Facing each other. As if that’s a normal thing to do. Welcome to your hot date. With acid wit, Miriam Battye takes a scalpel to modern romance, interrogating what we really talk about when we talk about love.

Super by Matthew Radway, Pleasance

On Hollywood Boulevard, a group of actors are posing as famous characters for photos with tourists. Right now it's 100°, Batman has just punched Robin in the face and the whole thing is about to be on TMZ. Captain Jack has fainted and Catwoman is screaming. It's all gone wrong.

The Brief Life & Mysterious Death Of Boris III, King of Bulgaria by Sasha Wilson & Joseph Cullen, Pleasance

This play is about the heroic rescue of the Jewish Bulgarians during WWII by their king, country and the tenacity of Bulgaria. The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria follows the king through the political maze and to a critical moment of choice, where he stands up for what is right.

waiting for a train at a bus stop by Mwansa Phiri, Summerhall

Chilufya’s name – meaning ‘the lost one’ – makes perfect sense as lost is how she has felt most of her life. Struggling with low self-esteem and a waning sense of self she finds herself being drawn into a controlling relationship. A gripping story about cultural identity, mental health and coercive control.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Edinburgh in the last of week of August.

How I took my play Breathless to the Edinburgh Fringe - and why you should consider the Popcorn Award

2023-06-08T10:00:00+00:00

For the second year here at �鶹Լ�� Writersroom we're joining up with the Popcorn Award, which celebrates the best new writing at the Edinburgh Fringe. One of last year's finalists, Laura Horton, explains what it has meant for her and her writing.

Entries for this year's Popcorn Award are open until 10am on 23rd June 2023.

Popcorn Award - eligibility criteria and entry details

Breathless (image credit: Chris Vaughan)

Breathless started as a short play. Ben Lyon Ross at Theatre Royal Plymouth offered me space in their Lab theatre in 2021 to present three 20-minute pieces. I’d already written two, one as part of Miniaturists and the other, Giddy Tuppy, adapted from the first small commission I’d been given from The Space theatre to write a play for zoom in 2020. I needed a third and it made sense to me to write a monologue. The previous year I’d written a big surreal ensemble play about hoarding disorder, it was due to have a reading at The Bunker, but then the pandemic hit and that space sadly closed. I knew as an unknown writer no one would ever stage it; I also knew I wanted to write a semi-autobiographical piece about the sliding scale of hoarding behaviours. I initially called the piece Suffocating Stuff and we presented it as a Triptych, fundraising to pay for the creative team. I was keen to develop all the pieces, but the reaction to Suffocating Stuff was so visceral I knew I had to focus on that first.

Breathless (image credit: Chris Vaughan)

Ben Lyon Ross encouraged me to apply for the Pleasance Regional Partnership which I was delighted to be selected for. The partnership supports you to take work to the Fringe, giving you a good slot, some financial support as well as a lot of in-kind help and encouragement. I’d been to the festival many times as a freelance publicist, but this was the first time taking my own work. I’d started fundraising and knew I needed to produce it myself as I couldn’t afford to hire anyone. I was fortunate that Theatre Royal Plymouth then decided to give me the remainder of the money I needed to support the play in Edinburgh. I loved pulling the creative team together, buying the set, art directing the marketing images - it was incredibly eye opening. I always knew theatre producers worked hard, but I have so much more understanding of what’s involved now.

Breathless (image credit: Chris Vaughan)

Nic Connaughton at the Pleasance kindly circulated the details of the Popcorn Award and I promptly sent off the script for Breathless and a 50-word summary. We found out on the first day of the Fringe that I was longlisted (see the 2022 longlist here), it was an incredible boost for me and definitely helped market the show in what is a remarkable, but incredibly competitive and gruelling month. We were really fortunate that Breathless seemed to strike a chord, winning a Fringe First and being shortlisted for Holden Street and the Scottish Mental Health Awards. As the only writing competition at the Fringe though I think the Popcorn Award is tremendously important. The Popcorn team also held a drinks reception where I met the rest of the longlist and they kept in touch with us all. The awards then bookended the festival and were a glorious way to finish. Being in the final three meant the world to me, it also opened so many doors I would never have been able to find myself. I had a meeting with the �鶹Լ�� Drama Commissioning team, who were just marvellous. I had over twenty meetings with television production companies, and a lot of touring interest.

Breathless (image credit: Chris Vaughan)

Following the Popcorn Awards Breathless went on a mini South West tour with the support of Arts Council England. The Space awarded me support to run a digital project, Hidden by Things, to support our aims in digital audience development. Breathless was programmed at Soho Theatre for two weeks with an Offie nomination and was selected for Brits off Broadway at 59e59 for three weeks where it was a New York Times Critic’s Pick. I was selected to be on the �鶹Լ�� Writersroom Voices South programme and that has been invaluable in supporting me on my journey to write for television. I hope I know the group of people and mentors I’ve met on this course forever; they are the best. I’ve also been working on a number of new plays, one on the Criterion writer’s group, which I really would urge playwrights to apply for.

Laura Horton (credit: Flavia Fraser Cannon)

I would absolutely recommend writers with shows at the Fringe enter the Popcorn Awards. The Popcorn team are just wonderful, they’ve stayed in touch and been so kind to me. You’ve nothing to lose and everything to gain by throwing your hat in the ring. I spent so many years doubting myself and not applying for things, and don’t get me wrong, I have an enormous rejection folder, but I’m so glad I stuck with it as the doggedness is finally paying off.

Find out more about how to apply for this year's Popcorn Writing Award at the Edinburgh Fringe

Applications close at 10am on 23rd June 2023

Popcorn Award for New Writing - Winner and Finalists Announced

2022-08-25T13:43:28+00:00

Brown Boys Swim was today announced as the winner of the Popcorn Writing Award 2022 at the Edinburgh Fringe. Written by Karim Khan (a recipient of Riz Ahmed’s Left Handed Films and Pillars Fund inaugural fellowship and an alumnus of the The North Wall’s ArtsLab programme), this lyrical coming-of-age tale looks at the pressures that surround young Muslim men today.

Considering how systemic racism and societal pressures push certain people along a relentless current, Brown Boys Swim examines how we can be prevented from being and understanding our most authentic selves. This exhilarating play looks deeper at the communities who are consciously and unconsciously forbidden from spaces like pools – where the strange looks and other micro-aggressions they receive are possibly a sign of something more insidious.

Karim Khan with the Popcorn Award 2022

This year, the Popcorn Group partnered for the first time with �鶹Լ�� Writersroom, offering valuable one-to-one meetings with each of the longlisted playwrights with members of the �鶹Լ�� Drama Commissioning team.

Jess Loveland, Head of New Writing at �鶹Լ�� Writersroom commented, “It has been a real privilege and pleasure for �鶹Լ�� Writersroom to partner with the Popcorn Group on the prestigious Popcorn Writing Award for the first time this year. The quality of all the longlisted plays has been outstanding, and the range of stories and issues explored through the writing nothing short of inspiring. We want to congratulate this year’s winner Karim Khan, on his subtle, nuanced, and funny play looking at the experiences of young Muslim men coming of age today. Huge congratulations also go to the three shortlisted finalists for their brilliant, thought-provoking work. We can’t wait to meet all the talented longlisted writers over the next couple of months and chat to them about their work and writing ambitions.”

The judges for this year’s awards included Bridgerton’s Luke Thompson (Hamlet, Almeida and West End; King Lear, West End), Olivier Award-winning producer Francesca Moody MBE (Fleabag, West End), globally celebrated portrait artist Jonathan Yeo, award-winning comedian Jack Rooke (Big Boys, Channel 4), star of stage and screen Lydia Leonard (Ten Percent!, Amazon/AMC; Wolf Hall, RSC), BAFTA and two-time Emmy and Ivor Novello nominated composer Nainita Desai, and award-winning director and artist, Charlotte Colbert, BIFA-nominated producer Jessica Malik (She Will, Funny Woman), Development Executive Natalie Denton and members of the �鶹Լ�� Writersroom team led by Jessica Loveland.

Francesca Moody MBE said, “Brown Boys Swim is a beautiful and tender piece of writing full of heart. Dynamic and original. A story I’ve never seen on stage and one that I was delighted to read and then watch on stage. I loved it.”

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is vital for launching the careers of up-and-coming talent in the arts, and the Popcorn Writing Award champions new voices from all over the world. Not only does the Popcorn Group award the winner a prize fund of £3,000, but also offers the three shortlisted finalists a share of a remaining £3,000. The shortlisted plays included a range of daring new writing from Pleasance, Summerhall and Traverse.

This external content is available at its source: Image of actors from plays shortlisted for the Popcorn Award for new writing at the Edinburgh Fringe 2022

Awarded £1,500, Jenna Fincken’s one-woman thriller Ruckus is the first finalist. Sending a shiver down your spine with its visceral sound design and exploration of coercive control, each moment of the play has been inspired by real women and real stories. Presented by the award-winning Wildcard at Summerhall, we see how a loving relationship can sometimes be anything but, and how the side effects of coercive control kill up to three women every week in the UK.

From Plymouth Laureate of Words Laura Horton and playing at the Pleasance, Breathless is the second finalist, and recipient of £1,000. This funny, honest and stylish exploration of the knife-edge of hoarding asks: what happens when the things we covet hide us from ourselves? Opening up to new experiences in her late-thirties, Sophie is exploring long repressed sides of herself. When a secret she’s keeping from those she loves, and even from herself, threatens to unravel it all, she has to make a choice. Who or what will she decide to give up?

At Traverse Theatre, Happy Meal by Tabby Lamb transports audiences to the quaint days of dial-up and MSN in a funny, moving and nostalgic story of transition. From teen to adult, from MySpace to TikTok, from cis to trans, the world premiere of this online show irl is a joyful queer rom-com where Millennial meets Gen Z and change is all around. Happy Meal is the final finalist for the award, winning £500.

Popcorn Group commented, “Brown Boys Swim is a vital and moving play. It is the epitome of what we look for with the award – we’re overjoyed for Karim! The standard of work at the fringe has been nothing short of extraordinary this year and it has been particularly hard to narrow down the longlist to 4 plays: it just shows how vital Edinburgh is for new writing and we’re delighted to play a small part in highlighted such brilliant work of Karim, Jenna, Laura and Tabby. They have written some wonderful pieces and we are excited to see what they do next."

See the full list of twenty plays longlisted for the Popcorn Award 2022

Find out more about the entry criteria for the Popcorn Award and the partner venues

Popcorn Award for New Writing - Longlist and Judging Committee Announced

2022-08-04T13:29:08+00:00

Top row (left to right) Francesca Moody, Jonathan Yeo, Luke Thompson, Lydia Leonard Bottom row (left to right) Charlotte Colbert, Jack Rooke, Nainita Desai

Popcorn Group have announced this year’s judging committee along with their longlist of new plays for the Popcorn Writing Award. Partnering for the first time with �鶹Լ�� Writersroom, Popcorn offers a prize fund of £6,000. Opening the door for emerging writers, �鶹Լ�� Writersroom are reading all of the longlisted plays and members of the �鶹Լ�� Drama Commissioning team will offer valuable one-to-one meetings with each of the playwrights.

Judging the award this year will be Bridgerton’s Luke Thompson (Hamlet, Almeida and West End; King Lear, West End), Olivier Award-winning producer Francesca Moody MBE (Fleabag, West End), celebrated portrait artist Jonathan Yeo, award-winning comedian Jack Rooke (Big Boys, Channel 4), star of stage and screen Lydia Leonard (Ten Percent!, Amazon/AMC; Wolf Hall, RSC), BAFTA and two-time Emmy and Ivor Novello nominated composer Nainita Desai, and award-winning director and artist, Charlotte Colbert.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is vital for launching the careers of up-and-coming talent in the arts, having been a springboard for the likes of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman and Rachel Weisz. After two years of cancellations and setbacks, the Fringe is returning with a bang this year to bring theatre back to the forefront of the festival circuit.

Jess Loveland, Head of New Writing commented, “�鶹Լ�� Writersroom are delighted to be partnering with the Popcorn Writing Award for the first time in this exciting year for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It has been a real privilege for the �鶹Լ�� Writersroom team to read the longlisted plays and immerse ourselves in the work of these talented emerging voices. We are looking forward to returning to Edinburgh this month and seeing the writers’ words brought to life on stage.”

Popcorn Group commented, “We are thrilled to be back with the Popcorn Award this year and to be able to champion these wonderful emerging writers bringing their unique voices to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.”

Francesca Moody MBE said, “Popcorn Group have been instrumental in championing emerging writers despite the continuing challenges that the pandemic has bought, and the Popcorn Writing Award provides a much-needed platform for creatives.”

The Popcorn Award 2022 longlisted plays are:

Assisted by Greg Wilkinson, The Space UK

Jordan and Connie want their next-generation AI voice assistant – Alivia – to make their perfect lives just that little bit better. But what happens when the technology starts to take control? A funny and searching exploration of love and domesticity in the near future.

Blanket Ban by Davinia Hamilton & Marta Vella, Underbelly

“Sometimes, I’m afraid of this play.” Malta: Catholic kitsch, golden sun, deep blue sea, Eurovision – and a blanket ban on abortion. Propelled by three years of interviews with anonymous contributors and their own lived experience, actors and activists Davinia and Marta interrogate Malta’s restrictions on women’s reproductive freedom. Winner of the Edinburgh Untapped Award 2022.

Breathless by Laura Horton, Pleasance

What happens when the things we covet hide us from ourselves? Breathless is a funny, honest and stylish exploration of the knife-edge of hoarding, from the joy to the addiction and suffocating shame. From Laura Horton, Plymouth Laureate of Words, own experience of clothes hoarding.

Brown Boys Swim by Karim Khan, Pleasance

Mohsen and Kash are gearing up for the biggest night of their lives – Jess Denver’s pool party. Except they can’t swim. Fierce, funny, and brimming with heart, Karim Khan examines the pressures faced by young Muslim men in this exhilarating new play about fitting in and striking out.

Caste-ing by Nicole Acquah, Summerhall

Caste-ing explores the experiences of three black actresses using beatboxing, rap, song and spoken word. An entertaining and rhythmic showcase of the realities, structures and pressures of the acting industry, and how black women navigate these situations.

Cassie and the Lights by Alex Howarth, Underbelly

When Cassie's mother disappears, the teenager wants to care for her sisters on her own. Is she the right person to be a parent now, or should she let foster parents adopt her sisters and create a new family? Based on real-life events and interviews with children in care and with live music, Cassie and the Lights examines our ideas of what makes a family.

Daddy Issues by Anna Krauze, Pleasance

Natalia is a Polish immigrant and an unsuccessful painter who works on a sex line, getting calls from older men seeking a “girlfriend experience”. Nat shares insights of her work, slowly revealing details of her own affairs with men, her emotional baggage and troubles of navigating one's life where dreams are overshadowed by family traumas carried from childhood into adulthood.

Godot is a Woman by Silent Faces, Pleasance

Since Samuel Beckett wrote Waiting for Godot, he and his estate have notoriously challenged – often legally – non-male companies that wish to perform it. In Godot is a Woman, Silent Faces playfully explore authorial copyright, gender barriers in the arts and the cultural significance of Madonna’s 1989 album, Like a Prayer.

Happy Meal by Tabby Lamb, Traverse

Happy Meal is a joyful queer rom-com. Travel back to the quaint days of dial-up and MSN, and meet two strangers on their journeys to become who they always were. A funny, moving and nostalgic story of transition. From teen to adult, from MySpace to TikTok, from cis to trans.

How to Build a Wax Figure by Isabella Waldron, Assembly

Bea’s older neighbour was her first love, her first cigarette, her first prosthetic eye. When Bea is invited to the Wellcome Collection to speak about her expertise making glass eyes, she must unpack her mentor’s effect on her work to find who and what she really loves.

Look at Me, Don’t Look at Me by Rash Dash, Pleasance

A cabaret-style two-hander in which Lizzie Siddal and Dante Rossetti join us in the modern day to hash out the finer details of their artistic life and toxic relationship through dialogue and song with the aid of a synth and a piano.

Manic Street Creature by Maimuna Memon, Summerhall

A modern day love story, this show takes the audience through the euphoria and distress of two people dealing with their own and each other's mental health. Ria is working hard to complete a new album, but the more she progresses, the more she’s drawn back to the darkness of her past.

Poles: The Science of Magnetic Attraction by Amelia Pitcher, Pleasance

The Science of Magnetic Attraction is a dark comedy about stripping, loneliness, and the stigma of monetising your body. One night, seemingly by chance, Cora runs into her estranged BFF-turned-GF-turned-ex, before embarking on a mission to prove that she doesn’t push people away, she attracts them.

Ruckus by Jenna Fincken, Summerhall

Lou is a primary school teacher who’s aware the audience are watching her. She wants to show them exact moments in her relationship, breaking down the progression of coercive control. From establishing love and trust, isolation, monopolising perception, inducing debility and exhaustion, enforcing trivial demands, punishments, rewards, threats and degradation.

Surfing the Holyland by Erin Hunter, Underbelly

When a wide-eyed American moves to Tel Aviv, how does she navigate the wild waters of the Middle East? She learns to surf! Colourful characters, comedy songs and one woman’s search for chutzpah, blending bighearted storytelling, electrifying ukulele riffs and fearless physicality. A fast-paced solo show, exploring female empowerment.

Svengali by Eve Nicol, Pleasance

A promising young woman rises to supernatural heights on the tennis court under the hypnotic thrall of a master coach. Mentor and protege battle for dominance – on the courts and off. A one man show performed by one woman, Svengali explores an erotic dynamic of power and control.

The Beatles Were a Boyband by Rachel O’Regan, Gilded Balloon

Violet's scared walking home. Daisy fights to make the streets safer. And Heather? She's just over it. How do you stop male violence when you can't even see how far its roots go down? The Beatles Were A Boyband is an urgent and unapologetically feminine response to misogyny.

The Mistake by Michael Mears, The Space UK

An urgent new drama about the first atomic bomb. Through the lives of a brilliant Hungarian scientist, a daring American pilot and a devoted Japanese daughter, The Mistake explores the dangers that arise when humans dare to unlock the awesome power of nature – dangers that continue to this present day.

Who Murdered My Cat by Roann Hassani McCloskey, Assembly

Are we reliable narrators of our own stories? What if those stories are never interrogated and redefined? An intense subtext for what is a one-woman show, both hilarious and heart wrenching, about being gay, Muslim and growing up in Wembley in the 90’s. Oh, and a murdered cat.

You’re Safe Til 2024: Deep History by David Finnigan, Pleasance

Deep History looks at six key turning points in the history of humanity since the last ice age. That deep time story is placed against the story of the 2019-20 Australian bushfires. 75,000 years of human history meets 75 hours of escalating danger on one New Year’s Eve.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony on Thursday 25th August at The Gilded Balloon Library Bar.

The Popcorn Writing Award at the Edinburgh Fringe

2022-06-21T14:58:01+00:00

Popcorn Group set up the Popcorn Writing Award in 2019 as the first award of its kind at the Edinburgh Fringe which solely celebrates the writer. We wanted to champion new writing at the fringe with the writing at the heart. The award includes a prize fund which provides the writer with financial space and time to write their next piece of work so that they’re able to build on the success of their last.

This year we are partnering with �鶹Լ�� Writersroom for the first time and as part of that collaboration, �鶹Լ�� Writersroom have generously agreed to every shortlisted applicant getting a one-on-one session with a representative from the �鶹Լ�� Writersroom team. We hope that this will further help to develop these writers and for most of them, give them their first introduction to the screen industry.

Once we have the scripts we go through the process of reading and shortlisting. A shortlist is then delivered to our brilliant committee who come from all walks of life. Past committee members have included: Golden Globe winner Ruth Wilson, Tony-winning Enda Walsh, Oscar-winning Gonzalo Maza and BAFTA winner Wunmi Mosaku as well as columnist Fatima Bhutto and editor Penny Martin.

Bryony Kimmings, winner of the Popcorn Writing Award at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2019 (Photo credit: Euan Cherry)

Previous winners have gone onto to do so much with their careers. 2020 Finalist Matilda Ibini was chosen as a Screen Daily Star of Tomorrow in the same year, 2019 Winner Bryony Kimmings has gone onto write for screen as well as performance, most notably co-writing Last Christmas with Emma Thompson and 2019 Finalist Claire Rammelkamp was part of �鶹Լ�� Writersroom's Comedy Room development group.

We have already had a record-breaking number of scripts in this year but there is still time until the deadline of Friday 24^th June at 10am to get yours in.

All plays submitted will be considered provided they are:

A new piece of writing which has not had a significant run before the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe. (A significant run is deemed as no more than 7 performances or a play that was shown online.)
A play that is being produced at this year’s 2022 fringe at one of the partnering venues:

Assembly
Gilded Balloon
Pleasance
Summerhall
Traverse
The Space UK
Underbelly

Please send your piece of new writing and a 50 word summary of your play to your respective venue with “Popcorn Writing Award 2022// Title of Play // Writer’s Name // Venue Associated” in the subject heading.

Further details of this year's awards event will follow.

The Edinburgh Fringe - My Experience

2019-08-30T14:21:36+00:00

Chris Cantrill is a comedian and writer from the north west. He’s one half of critically acclaimed sketch duo, The Delightful Sausage along with comedy partner Amy Gledhill. As part of a short series of blog posts about performing at this year's Edinburgh Fringe we asked Chris to sum up the experience and pass on any advice for anyone who is thinking of giving it a try.

The Delightful Sausage (Amy Gledhill and Chris Cantrill) in Ginster's Paradise

How many times have you done the Fringe?

Ginster’s Paradise is the third show which Amy and I have taken to the Fringe as The Delightful Sausage.

When were you first involved and why did you decide to do it?

I did my first Edinburgh run in 2015 with a show called ‘Welcome to Tiddleminster’. I’d been performing stand up for a few years at that point and have always wanted to work on longer-form projects. A handily timed redundancy gave me the time and capital to finally take the plunge.

Amy first went to Edinburgh in 2014. She did a two-hander* in the back of a sports bar, separated from the rest of the pub by a curtain. When she was performing the staff would crank up the volume on the telly!

What considerations do you have to make before taking it on?

The biggest consideration is undoubtedly the money. Even if you’re doing it on the ‘cheap’, you’ve still got to consider accommodation, food, drink and production costs. The reality is that most performers don’t make money from their shows, especially when they’re starting out. That means you have to brace yourself for a tough September.

I’m also a dad to a young lad. We’ve been doing Sausage shows ever since he was born and each time it gets a wee bit harder to leave him for the month. My partner becomes a single parent. I really couldn’t do this without her support.**

What are the positives and negatives?

The fringe is an amazing experience. The best bit is getting to perform, learn and hone your act every day. You’re also surrounded by fantastically talented friends and there’s always some mind-bending show to catch. There’s also a chance it can open up exciting opportunities for the future.

That said, at times it can all be incredibly overwhelming. You’ll experience extreme highs and lows, often in quick succession. I find you can often feel very lonely, even if you’re surrounded by people. There’s also no guarantee that you’ll have a good time. You can work hard and plan but at the end of the day you could end up playing to nobody for the month.

Chris Cantrill (credit: Andy Hollingworth)

Would you recommend it to new writers and performers?

For me personally, doing the fringe has been one of the most valuable experiences I’ve had as a writer and a performer. My 2015 solo show was on almost every level, a failure. However, the lessons I learnt have been invaluable and the first Sausage show benefited from that experience.

It’s also one of the best ways to improve at what you do rapidly. You get to do 20+ shows (plus all the extra spots and stuff) which really helps you develop.

That said, I do think an hour-long show is something you should work towards before committing the investment. I think broadly, most acts do their debut after they’ve been performing a few years.

Any advice for first-timers?

If it’s your first Edinburgh then you’re most likely inexperienced, lacking a reputation or any sort of following. You’ll be up against people who’ve been doing it for years and big-name celebs.

That probably sounds incredibly depressing. But the question you should be asking is; what do you got?

When we did our first Sausage show we realised that what we had was:

Time
Organisation
Lots of jokes

So, if you don’t have thousands of pounds for PR and production companies you need to take responsibility for that stuff yourself. Research who’s best to contact and do it in good time.

The festival is a huge gamble. The main thing you have direct control over is the show itself so make sure you’re not going up there half-cocked. When the festival is finished, you just want to know you did everything that was within your power to do.

Amy Gledhill

Do you make any money from it or is it more about profile?

After three consecutive years, we’re now in a position where we’re probably breaking even. That said, we do have a penchant for waxing anything which looks even vaguely like a profit on nightmarish costumes.

Overall, we view it like a trade expo. You’re there to showcase yourself, so often the financial opportunities come later in the year, if you play your cards right.

What has your experience been like this year and how did you decide on your show?

We’ve had a pretty wild year. Following last year’s fringe, we’ve been selected for the �鶹Լ��’s Comedy Room scheme and experienced writing for broadcast for the first time. Amy has also won the �鶹Լ�� Caroline Aherne bursary.

The truth is, we’ve just not bloody stopped. It’s amazing and we’re incredibly grateful but it has been very full on. This gave us an idea for our show which has oddly made it the most personal one yet .

Has your experience of the Fringe changed over time?

Absolutely! Over the last few years of playing the fringe we’ve gone from playing to single-figure audiences in a venue that was almost certainly just a corridor with a lamp in it to playing Edinburgh’s coolest venue (Monkey Barrel comedy).

Putting bums on seats isn’t the challenge it used to be but each year we’ve tried to scale up the production which comes with its own challenges. We’ve got costumes, videos, animations and sound design all going on which means we’re working with a larger team than ever before.

We’ve also been doing it long enough that we know all the hiding places where you can get away from the crowds!

The Delightful Sausage (Image Credit Andy Hollingworth)

Do you think the Fringe itself has evolved?

It feels like it gets bigger and bigger every year. It’s a huge commercial juggernaut and it feels increasingly hard to have a good fringe without pulling out all the stops.

What are your other top tips for getting your work out there and noticed?

Here are the lessons we’ve learnt over the last three years***:

Ask people for things! I think this might be the secret of the universe. If you want something, ask for it clearly and professionally. This is probably incredibly obvious to people but it’s taken me a long time to figure it out.
Work hard! There are tons of talented people out there but it’s the ones who consistently work hard that gain traction.
Get another pair of eyes on it! Standup is often a solitary affair which you figure out in front of an audience. With a show, it’s really useful to get an outside perspective. This involves trusting someone with your half-baked ideas and being ready to receive notes.
Research! Don’t fire off emails to busy people without knowing they’re the right person to contact and what you want to say. I would argue that it’s more valuable to target people than sending out blanket emails.

*Most shows at Edinburgh are an hour. Newer comedians often split this time doing a half hour each.

**And let’s be honest, money.

***Distilled to save you thousands!

Find out more about our Comedy Room writer development scheme

The Edinburgh Fringe - My Experience

2019-08-16T16:34:06+00:00

In the second of our series of blog posts from writers and performers at this year's Edinburgh Fringe we spoke to comedian (and member of our Belfast Voices development group) Mary Flanigan about why she is back for her third year and how to make the most of the experience.

Mary Flanigan

How many times have you taken part in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe? When were you first involved and why did you decide to do it?

This year was my third performing stand-up at the Fringe, this year for two weeks. Like a lot of stand-ups, I was drawn to the Fringe because performers I admired had done it, because performers I wanted to see were there, and because I wanted to talk about comedy until 5am in damp Edinburgh smoking areas.

What are the positives and negatives?

The things that drew me to the Fringe originally are still my favourite things about it – the community, the atmosphere, the bizarre acts you might never see at normal gigs but who are out there and who will make you radically rethink comedy. The negatives are the flipside – to be at the Fringe is to be constantly convinced all of your friends are having a better time at a cooler show without you, that you are always about to miss something that will somehow be The Thing To See. And of course, you have the running calculator in your head of how much every fun chaotic second is costing you.

What considerations do you have to make before taking it on?

The main consideration everyone makes is how much the Fringe costs (brochure registration, accommodation, print, transport) but I would recommend first-timers to also take time to unwind, decompress. Try not to be aware of whether other people are making money and focus on whether your show is the best it can be.

Do you make any money from it or is it more about profile?

For me the Fringe has been less a money-making enterprise and more a comedy training ground. If you push yourself, you can gig more than 10 times a day and each gig makes you better (yes, even the awful, waste of time gigs you do to one unsmiling bartender).

What has your experience been like this year?

I used to be so focused on getting to the Fringe I forgot to actually enjoy it while I was there. But this year I took time to watch more comedy and had an incredibly enriching time intellectually (while having an incredibly enpoor-ing time in all other respects). If you’re still at the Fringe, stop and smell the roses – the damp, smoky, really expensive roses.

Follow Mary on Twitter @ourladyofflan

Follow Mary on Instagram @mazflaz

Find out more about our Belfast Voices groups

The Edinburgh Fringe - My Experience

2019-08-15T13:55:57+00:00

Thinking of taking a show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

We spoke to several writer/performers from our development groups across the UK to get the low-down. First up, Kevin P. Gilday, writer and spoken word artist (and part of our Scottish Voices development group) who shares his experiences, good and bad, of taking shows to the Fringe, and his advice for anyone who is thinking of taking a show there.

Kevin P. Gilday

How many times have you taken part in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe? When were you first involved and why did you decide to do it?

This is my fourth time taking a show to the Edinburgh fringe. The first time was in 2014. I honestly didn't even think about it, it just seemed a natural progression. I had a one hour long show, why not take it to Edinburgh and see what the world made of it? (Not a lot, it turns out!).

What considerations do you have to make before taking it on?

There's a definite time commitment but also a financial one. Do you have the time to develop, write, rewrite, test, rewrite, rehearse, rewrite and preview a piece before you even get there? Because if you don't then it's not going to hit the ground running and you'll be giving yourself a significantly lower chance of breaking through.

What are the positives and negatives?

The positives are that you're putting yourself in the biggest shop window in the world in terms of the performing arts. You can be recognised to be the genius you are. The negatives are that there are another 4000 people who are thinking exactly the same thing and a massive infrastructure of competing interests waiting to swallow your money.

Would you recommend it to new writers and performers? Any advice for first-timers?

I think I would recommend it as long as they go in with their eyes open. It can be an incredible experience that really enriches you as an artist but it can also be a disaster - and you have very little control over it if it does. My advice to first timers would just be to lower your expectations. You're most likely not going to have a sell-out, award-winning show first time round. But you can certainly improve a lot as a writer and performer.

Do you make any money from it or is it more about profile?

I've never made money from it and I'm probably not going to again this year. It's mostly about the profile, yeah. I hate the term, but it is about building that 'brand' of who you are and what makes you unique.

What has your experience been like this year and how did you decide on this year’s show?

My experience has been much improved this year. I'm working with Assembly and part of their Disruption series of shows in association with High Tide. This has added to my chances of getting those reviewers in and getting those much needed start ratings. My show 'Suffering from Scottishness' has been in development for a while now. From the start of the process I was aiming for a fringe run and thankfully my timeline was right and we had the show in a great place for the start of the festival.

Has your experience of the Fringe changed over time? Do you think the Fringe itself has evolved?

I've definitely relaxed and allowed myself to enjoy it more, to take the (perceived) failures less personally and to enjoy the victories a little more. If anything I think it gets more competitive every year. There seems to be an exponential growth (based on money) that just never stops.

What are your other top tips for getting your work out there and noticed?

I think a great PR person is the key. I've been very lucky this year to have a great team behind me. It just makes getting those interviews, previews and reviews that much easier. When those start coming, and of course when you have a great show, then you start to get a bit of momentum and the whole thing begins to feel a bit more doable.

Find out more about our Scottish Voices

“How On Earth Are You Going To Make That Funny?” By Lou Conran

2017-08-30T11:34:37+00:00

When I lost my baby, in April last year, I wrote an article about the process of ‘Medical Management’ (the procedure I had to undergo) as I’d never heard of it before. It wasn’t until I had to go through it myself that friends then told me their experience with baby loss. When the article went out I realised just how many people go through it on a daily basis, and just how little it’s talked about.

In November, I was approached by an actress who had read it, and asked if she could perform it at a Mothers' festival in Manchester. I was a little reticent at first as it’s such a personal story. However, after I’d agreed and gone to watch her performance, I realised the impact of my story and just how important it is to talk about it and it was from then that I began to craft my Edinburgh show, using the structure of the article, which had taken months to put together as it was still very raw

Lou Conran's show for the Edinburgh Fringe 2017

The one thing that had come from readers, was how they had been moved, but how they had enjoyed the humour in the piece, and being a comedian, I was in a unique position to be able to tell my story using that humour. Comedy is such an important genre. Yes you can tell jokes to a (hopefully appreciative) crowd, but to be able to tell a tragic story, using comedy is a challenge, but has more of an impact, and can hopefully reach more of an audience. I don’t think any subject is out of bounds in comedy, if it’s done respectfully and in the correct tone.

My mum’s first reaction, when I told her what I was doing, was “How on earth are you going to make that funny?” (Except with a few more swear words). That was the initial worry, but I knew I could do it. The tragic event wasn’t funny and never will be, but the events surrounding the build-up, and afterwards were and that’s what the show concentrated on. It was an Edinburgh show, advertised in the comedy section, and so therefore that is what I had to do, write a comedy show. I was worried people would think I was being flippant, but I was never going to do that, this awful thing had happened to me, and so I was never going to make light of the event itself.

Watch an interview with Lou for �鶹Լ�� Radio 4's Woman's Hour

Initially I had too much material, which is a great problem to have. I had to cut it down. I’d been to a talk with Jimmy McGovern earlier in the year, and he said, with regards to editing, “If you don’t miss it, then it was never meant to be there.” And that was invaluable advice as I realised that there were bits I had added in, just to bulk out the show, and once I’d taken them out, I had the decent bones of the show, and I could then start looking at it for areas to put more jokes in.

The section about the event itself was hard to tackle. I didn’t want to give too much detail but there had to be enough to inform. And the responsibility, knowing that’d I’d probably get people in the audience that had had a shared experience, was incredibly daunting as I didn’t want to upset, or offend them, I just wanted to share my own story. I had a responsibility to them, but more importantly to myself. If I was going to be talking about the event on a daily basis I had to make sure that I wasn’t going to make myself ill in the process. In this case less is more, and it seemed to work.

The feedback, and the reviews were very positive, and I’ve had people thanking me for talking about it. So it’s been a really worthwhile experience. I’m just wondering how the hell I top it for next year!

Lou has also written about her experience for the Guardian and spoke about it on �鶹Լ�� Radio 4's Woman's Hour - Listen here

The Woman's Hour website has links to organisations which provide support for miscarriage and baby and infant loss

Visit Lou Conran's website

Lou Conran is a graduate of our Comedy Room writer development scheme and on the �鶹Լ��'s New Talent Hotlist 2017

Why is Edinburgh Fringe such a great place for writers? Tash Marshall explains.

2017-08-21T15:16:13+00:00

Tash Marshall is a graduate from our 2016 Comedy Room writer development group and on the �鶹Լ��'s New Talent Hotlist 2017. She brings her first play Half Breed to the Edinburgh Fringe this month where it's been getting some great reviews. We caught up with Tash to find out more about the development of the show and why the Edinburgh Fringe is such an exciting place for new writing.

Tash Marshall

What was the origin of your play Half Breed?

Half Breed started as a poem which I would read on spoken word nights. The play is loosely based on my experiences of growing up in rural Wiltshire. It examines the complexities of being half black in a predominantly white area, where casual racism and ignorance confronts you every day. I built the poem into a play through Talawa Firsts and the Soho Theatre's young writers' group.

How did taking Half Breed to Edinburgh come about?

My play is co-produced by Soho Theatre and Talawa Theatre company, who offered me the opportunity of talking my play to the Edinburgh Fringe festival. It's always been a dream of mine to do it. I feel really blessed to be here with a play I feel so passionate about and backed by people who believe in me.

Tash Marshall in Half Breed

What was your experience of the Fringe before this year and how does it feel different now?

I first came to Edinburgh Fringe festival years ago, fresh from graduating from drama school. I was in a play called 'Thugz and Tearz' (my character died in the first scene). I remember our living accommodation was cramped so me and my friend had to alternate sleeping under a table for a month... it was an experience!

So yeah as you can imagine Edinburgh this time around is... flipping different! I'm on stage longer than the first scene, playing my whole village, speaking on topics I would have never dared to before. And... I'm not sleeping under a table! Amen! I never thought I would be doing this again, let alone with my own show. So I'm just making the most out of this experience.

What’s good about the Fringe as a showcase for a writer or performer?

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is one of the largest arts festivals in the world, there's a real buzz about being here. It's an amazing opportunity for writers and performers because it gives you a platform and exposure. You also get such a wide spectrum of people coming to see your show. People come internationally, production companies and people within the industry come seeking out new talent, theatre lovers, people that never go to the theatre as well as fellow fringe artists. You meet and connect with so many different types of people, in a way that you wouldn't normally anywhere else. It's amazing... and busy! Great opportunities can come from the Fringe that can further your career. As a new and emerging artist you have the ability to establish yourself. You learn so much, the experience will only make you stronger at your craft.

Tash Marshall in Half Breed

Are their any pitfalls about the Fringe for writers to be aware of?

For any writer who takes their show to the Edinburgh Fringe there is always an element of risk, because there's no guarantee how things will pan out. You might not get the audience in or the reviewers. Funding your show coming to the Fringe can be a big gamble financially to some people, meaning that not everyone who would like to do this can. You could have the most amazing show but it just might not get the recognition it deserves.

However at the same time I think there's no guarantee for anything you do in life, so if you have faith in your writing take the risk!!! Because the pay off is sweet.

What do you hope will come out of it?

I hope my play Half Breed creates a conversation, I hope people leave my show feeling something, seeing something they connect with or learning something new. It's important and necessary to acknowledge that these very real and relevant issues still exist in day to day life. I want to expose peoples' minds to those untold truths, those hidden truths, those forgotten voices.

This is my first play! So I hope I continue to grow as a writer and performer (I still have loads more stories I want to tell) and continue doing what I'm passionate about...

...also I would love to tour Half Breed around rural areas and towns and of course take it back to the West Country. I'm also really looking forward to taking Half Breed to Soho Theatre in London next month.

Tash Marshall (front) in our Comedy Room writer development group 2016 with Script Editor Andrew Ellard (l)

What other great stuff have you seen at this year's Fringe?

I loved 'Hot Brown Honey', 'Soweto Gospel Choir', 'The Fall', 'Mixed Brain'- I still want to see loads more shows like 'Woke', 'Evening with an Immigrant', 'The Shape of the Pain' 'Girls' etc etc!

What was it like being part of �鶹Լ�� Writersroom's Comedy Room?

I have really enjoyed being a part of the Comedy Room. It's a great opportunity for writers wanting to write for television. You learn so much, and are given lots of opportunities that will help you grow in your craft and potentially build upon your writing CV. No matter what level you're at it's worth applying, I feel really grateful for all the knowledge I gained and the people I met through the Comedy Room.

Follow Tash on Twitter

All about the �鶹Լ�� at the Edinburgh Festivals

The Edinburgh Fringe - a special place for writers

2014-08-20T13:24:39+00:00

Editor's note: Luke Barnes is the writer of two plays at this year's Edinburgh Fringe: Beats North (a double-bill with Ishy Din) and Bottleneck, returning to the festival following an acclaimed premiere in 2012. He explains why the Fringe has meant so much to his career and why it is a uniquely exciting destination for new writing.

I’m writing this as I’m packing my bag to return to Edinburgh for the first time since 2012. Back then I was really lucky and won sponsorship from IdeasTap and Old Vic New Voices to take Chapel Street up to the Fringe and, even more luckily, Bottleneck was produced by HighTide. This all happened in a bit of whirlwind, in the space of two weeks in July 2012. At first we were told we hadn't won sponsorship from IdeasTap and then weeks later I got a phone call saying we’d got it and, about a week later, HighTide got in touch to say they had a last minute slot and did I have anything. At this point my only credit was a few weeks in a pub theatre so I was over the moon to be produced twice. But that is an anomaly, it doesn’t normally happen. Normally you approach a venue months in advance with an idea and go through that way. It’s a nightmare but, if you can afford it, I think it’s a journey every artist should go on. You go from being on top of the world, to being underneath it, to being hungover, to being a shell of a man, to being a playwright.

Edinburgh castle and skyline

My experience of the Fringe before that was going with my mum, seeing some comedy and maybe a few plays we knew the titles of. Before I went up I didn’t know how amazing, unique and stimulating it is as an environment. I thought it was going to be a holiday camp for middle class people (which, I suppose it still is) but what I found was a smelting pot of individuality, from the holy, to the awful and everything in between. And everything earns its place because of its concept. There are very few half measures. Everything has a reason to exist and for that reason it’s the one of the most exciting artistic ventures in the world.

In terms of importance it’s, for me, a place where you can do whatever you like, be the artist you want be, there are no limitations from theatres, you’re not thinking about a target audience. The festival-goers are large in number and eclectic in taste, You don’t have to worry about anything, you can just tell the story you want to tell in the way you want to tell it. In terms of beginning as a writer this is invaluable, this is your opportunity to be you and it probably won’t come in this form again. You can be as big, as crude, as innovative as you like.

Bottleneck by Luke Barnes

In terms of cutting through the content I think, most importantly, it’s through word of mouth. Bottleneck was a play about (spoiler) a little boy going to a football game. It’s got no USP. It had no notable playwright or actor and for some reason it sold out every day after the first couple of days, purely because the right people came at the start of the run and tweeted about it, then other people came. Peers who work in the industry, who appreciate your work are as important as press. I’m more likely to go to a play if say, Rob Drummer or Rosie Wyatt, tweets it’s amazing than if a blogger like whatsonstage gives it 5*. If you can get friends whose work is respected talking about your project in a genuine fashion that’s also useful. Edinburgh operates on word of mouth. Someone tells someone something is great and they go. The critics help people make plans before they get there, word of mouth makes people change them. Also I think the venue has a lot to do with it, if you’re in a recognisable venue it’s easier to attract press and once you attract good press it’s easier to attract audiences. Also be adventurous in the work you’re putting on. Early Doors this year had massive hype before the festival began because of what it was.

Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh

The work that always stands out for me is the work that always stands out for me - honest stories close to the heart told in the purest, most theatrical way they can be told. That’s what we aim for in all our story telling and we should always be aiming for that. Intellectuals should write essays, story tellers should write stories the way they want to, through theatre, television, film and radio.

The Fringe opened a lot of doors for me. In many ways it allowed me to do this for a living. I’ve been lucky enough to have five or six plays produced since Bottleneck, and I’m not saying that to say “look how well i’m doing” I’m still eating beans for dinner. But I am saying it because I think it’s a direct result of being allowed to tell the stories I want to tell and engage with an audience looking for something more than the Chekhovs, Shakespeares and Bennetts of this world (however great they are).

You can’t ask for anything more than to speak and for someone to listen. That’s what the Fringe gives you more than anything else, the right to speak.

�鶹Լ�� at the Edinburgh Festivals