This August, Manchester based theatre company, Collision Theatre, are attending the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, with two original performances created by local students and sponsorship by Citadel.
The company was founded in 2021 and made its Edinburgh Fringe debut in 2023, with co-Creative Director Michael Bryceson’s play, A Working Title.
Produced by other Creative Director, Sebastian Moulds, the performances were a huge success receiving two 4-star reviews (The Derek Awards and The Student newspaper) and one 5-star review (from Theatre Scotland).
These responses have gone on to motivate the company to produce two pieces of theatre to take to the Fringe this year.
We caught up with some of the cast and production staff to see how rehearsals are going and what they are looking forward to at the Edinburgh Fringe this year.
What show will you be performing this year at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival?
This year we are very excited to be taking two original plays up to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The first of these is A Naff Play About Spies, a farcical queer comedy written and directed by Sebastian Moulds. The play mocks the spy genre, giving audiences an Austin Powers-esque parody for the modern generation.
Our second show is Letters From My Dad (Who Is Dead), an emotive drama written and directed by Michael Bryceson which follows the parallel lives of a dying father and his son as they navigate love, loss and what to do when you’re running out of time.
Can you give us an outline of what the performance is about?
A Naff Play About Spies tells the story of Steph, Pat and Jack – three somewhat inept agents who have been tasked with investigating Natalia, Britain’s most dangerous woman. Under new identities, the spies infiltrate Natalia’s life, ready to face any obstacles (even hangovers) in their path. But the question is, have they got the wrong girl?
Letters From My Dad (Who Is Dead) is told through the lens of letters from a dying father to his son. After receiving a terminal diagnosis, Dad finds a way to remain present in his son Charlie’s life: writing him a letter for each of the big milestones he won’t be there for. Following Charlie as he grows up, this play takes a sombre look at family, legacy and what we leave behind.
What are you most excited about going to the fringe?
We are so excited and incredibly grateful to be able to bring our shows to the largest arts festival in the world. The massive pool of talent and opportunity in Edinburgh each August is so unique, and we can’t wait to be a small part of that again this year.
Aside from our own shows, we are beyond excited to see all the other fantastic productions at the Fringe and to be fully immersed in the most intimate and raw art form that is theatre.
Some productions we are particularly looking forward to are those also heading up with students from University of Manchester, such as Speed Dial Theatre’s Telephone, Anti-Heroine by Pip Carew, and Helio Collective’s Look What We’ve Done.
What has Citadel’s sponsorship meant for you at the fringe?
Citadel’s funding has made a huge difference to our costs as a student company. With no formal means of funding, venue and registration fees alone have been incredibly daunting.
Citadel’s sponsorship has ensured that no member of either of our shows, cast or crew, has had to worry about accommodation costs, which is a contribution we are indescribably grateful for.
We are certain that without this generous sponsorship, multiple members of our team would have been unable to join us in Edinburgh.
Catch, A Naff Play About Spies, from August 2nd to 10th at 23:15 at theSpaceUK Symposium Hall and Letters From My Dad (Who Is Dead) from August 12th to 18th at 11:00 at C Venues Aquila Studio at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Citadel 