Ashville pupils take centre stage at Edinburgh Fringe as they debut with home-grown rock musical

BUDDING theatre and rock stars from Ashville are breaking new ground by taking a home-grown rock musical to the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time in the school’s history, following in the footsteps of some of Britain’s most celebrated performers.

More than 20 pupils and recent Old Ashvillians will take centre stage at the world’s largest arts festival for five days this August with ‘Beth, an explosive 70-minute rock musical inspired by Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

This year’s Fringe spans 25 days and features more than 55,000 performances of 3,548 different shows in 317 venues. It is surpassed only by the Olympics and the World Cup in terms of global ticketing events.

Written, created and brought to life by Ashville’s Performing Arts team, the production is a gender-swapped reimaging 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.

Leading the cast is former Ashville pupil Gabby, who is currently training at Leeds Conservatoire. She takes on the title role of ‘Beth, a complex anti-heroine whose ambition and vulnerability sit at the heart of the story.

Ashville’s Director of Performing Arts, Karl Boyd, said: ““The show combines a powerful rock soundtrack, fast-paced choreography and dynamic staging to create a theatrical experience that is both intimate and intense.

“What makes Beth unlike any Fringe offering is its immersive sonic architecture. Using state-of-the-art spatial audio, the entire soundtrack is broadcast directly to each audience member through wireless headphone technology. Audience members will 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 places viewers directly in the thick of the action. The result is theatre as lived experience: close, immediate, and eerily physical.”

Head of Ashville, Rhiannon Wilkinson, said: “We are incredibly proud of the pupils and staff involved in this production. Taking a show to the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time is a significant achievement and reflects the creativity, imagination, commitment and ambition of everyone involved.

“‘Beth is a bold and innovative production that showcases the breadth of talent within our school community. The pupils have embraced every aspect of the creative process and have worked tirelessly to bring this original interpretation to life.

“The Edinburgh Fringe provides an outstanding platform for young performers and we are excited to see our pupils share their work with audiences from across the world.”

For Ashville’s performers, the production represents an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of former pupils who have gone on to achieve success across the arts, including former Ashville pupil and Downton Abbey star Jim Carter OBE, after whom the school’s drama studio is named in his honour. As they make their own Fringe debut, the young cast are writing the latest chapter in the school’s rich performing arts story.

· Ashville pupils will be performing ‘Beth between August 24 and 29 at theSpace@Venue 45. Tickets cost £10 (£8 concessions) and are available through the Edinburgh Fringe box office www.edfringe.com