Ashville drama students scoop top performers’ award with starring role at Edinburgh Fringe

Pupils present and past from Ashville, Harrogate, have marked their debut at the Edinburgh Fringe by being crowned the world-famous festival’s “Best Young Cast”.

The 25 performers, aged between 13 and 20, were presented with a coveted Derek Award after a sell-out six-night run of their home-grown school rock musical, ‘Beth.

The independent, grassroots Derek Awards have been a mainstay of the Fringe for two decades, recognising stand-out shows, performances and contributions.

This August, the Fringe played host to more than 4,200 official shows across 258 venues, and featured artists from no fewer than 71 countries. It is surpassed only by the Olympics and the World Cup in terms of global ticketing events.

“Against this backdrop, everyone involved in this production should take a bow,” said Head of Ashville, Rhiannon Wilkinson. “It is an achievement that has rewarded months of hard work in transferring the musical from a school stage to a world stage.

“It was a privilege to be in the audience to experience first-hand this home-grown Ashville drama and musical talent and see it shine in the Fringe spotlights. I always believed in ‘Beth and its potential to be enjoyed by a wider audience – and for them to be wowed by it.”

The long-running Derek Awards are handed out by a small volunteer team who review hundreds of shows across the festival each summer and are widely recognised as a cherished, community-driven accolade for independent artists navigating the massive Fringe programme.

‘Beth, a 70-minute high-energy musical inspired by Shakespeare’s Macbeth performed at TheSpace@Venue45, was awarded a 5* rating by Derek Award theatre reviewers and described as ‘one of a kind’.

Written, directed and composed by Ashville's Director of Performing Arts, the production is a gender-swapped reimagining of The Bard’s classic tragedy through a contemporary lens. It transforms Macbeth into ‘Beth - an ambitious warrior whose pursuit of power, destiny and desire drives the story forward.

The production follows last summer's ambitious open-air performance in Ashville’s 70-acre campus and marks another significant milestone for Ashville's thriving performing arts programme.

Ashville’s Director of Performing Arts, Karl Boyd, said:

“Taking our production to the Fringe was always going to be a never-to-be-forgotten experience for all our budding theatre and rock stars.

“But to be judged ‘Best Young Cast’ on such a stage, at our debut at the Fringe, is a true reward for the creativity, imagination, commitment and ambition of everyone involved.

“It has been a privilege to be part of the company’s amazing Fringe journey and to see every member flourish - and celebrate this award as a triumph for both them and the school.”

He added: “What made ‘Beth unlike any Fringe offering was its immersive sonic architecture. Using state-of-the-art spatial audio, the entire soundtrack was broadcast directly to each audience member through wireless headphone technology.

“Audience members were able to hear every whisper in every corner of Glamis Castle, every slice of the dagger in the Queen’s bedroom, every disembodied cry upon the heath — creating a theatre experience that placed viewers directly in the thick of the action. The result was theatre as a lived experience: close, immediate, and eerily physical.”