Fringe benefits for playwright

Jul 23 2008 by Gregor White, Stirling Observer Wednesday

AFTER around five years of gradual refinement a musical produced by a Bannockburn man is to receive its world premiere at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

“Faeries” is the work of Stephen Langston and takes as its base the celebrated 1917 case of two young English girls who produced a series of photographs they said were of real fairies at the bottom of their garden.

Although widely dismissed for years as fakes, the girls themselves insisted the pictures were real and even received powerful backing for their claims from Sherlock Holmes creator and committed spiritualist Arthur Conan Doyle.

Originally from Aberfoyle, earlier this year Stephen gave permission for the first ever amateur production of the show by the Gartmore-based Forest Theatre Company.

The version to be performed in Edinburgh this summer has been extensively reworked to make it even more magical.

Family

“It’s definitely a family show rather than a piece of purely children’s theatre,” said Stephen.

“Of course it’s based on the famous photographs case, but it also works in a lot of other aspects including the impact of the First World War that was raging at the time.

“It’s several stories in one so hopefully there is something for everyone, whatever their age.”

Active in the world of theatre as a composer, producer and director, Stephen was also musical director and arranger for “Shenachie” by Gartmore musician and composer Sally Beamish, which made it to the runner up position last year in a national competition to find a new Scottish musical.

This year is the first time, though, that he will bring one of his productions to Edinburgh at festival time.

“Everything is going well at the moment – the cast is very good as well as very enthusiastic and I just hope that people want to come and see the show,” he said.

“There’s always nerves beforehand but I think we’ve got something that people should enjoy.”

Performances of “Faeries” take place at the Musical Theatre at George Square in Edinburgh from July 31-August 10 with tickets and further information available online at www.edfringe.com and more background to the show at www.sl-p.org

Also hoping to head Edinburgh way this summer is the MacRobert’s own Youth Dance group.

Their production of “The Adoption Papers”, based on a work by Scottish poet Jackie Kay about a black girl, her adoptive white mother and the girl’s “real” mother, was highly acclaimed when it premiered last year.

Now they are hoping audiences in the capital will be just as pleased – and are appealing to local businesses and lovers of the arts to help make it happen for them.

In order to help finance their efforts, which should see them performing from August 6-9, they are offering would-be sponsors a range of incentives to “adopt” a cast member.

These include complimentary tickets to the evening performance of their choice, a diary written by their “adoptee” detailing their experiences of being at the Fringe, a signed show production shot and their own name in the programme and company name on the MacRobert’s plasma screens.

Sponsors will also receive an invite to the Youth Dance Company’s ceilidh at the MacRobert on August 1.

To find out more contact Lissa on 01786 466603 or email lissa.lorenzo@stir.ac.uk