Author Archives: Sian Hopkins

For the next couple of weeks, Manchester University student performers with Collision Theatre are taking their play, ‘A Working Title’ round the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

With the help and funding of Citadel, Collision Theatre will be performing this week at theSpaceUK space 1 on the mile, from 2:10pm. Their second week, the 21st to the 26th of August, will include evening performances at 7:30pm, at theSpaceUK on Niddry Street.

Here is a sneaky look at what to expect from their performances, displayed in a mockumentary created by actor Carys Hopkins and the rest of the creative team:

Here at Citadel we are proud to encourage and support youth projects and groups to achieve their goals. This week, Manchester based, student company: Collision Theatre headed up to Edinburgh to perform their first original play, at the Edinburgh Fringe festival, thanks to the help of Citadel.

The creative team and actors, all students at Manchester University, will be presenting this original performance, “A Working Title” for the next two weeks. Rehearsing 7 hours a day, 5 days a week, we caught up with members of the creative team, who happily agreed to take a break from their hectic schedule.

Can you give us some background on who you guys are and what your play is about?

“A Working Title is about Liam, a struggling writer facing a creeping deadline. Creative block, pessimism, bizarre ideas and familial tensions combine to make a wacky, multimedia piece. Merging styles of theatre and film, we explore a writer’s fractured mind and discover what can be made into film, and why we write or perform.”

“Our creative team consists of our director and writer, Michael Bryceson and our producers, Sebastian Moulds and Jenifer Hosking. We then have a cast that consists of Oljas Kudabayev as 1, Carys Hopkins as 2, Conor Mather as Liam and Josselin Ball as Alex.”

What are you hoping people take from your play?

“Perseverance is vital. The family you choose is important and laughter is the best medicine. No ideas are bad (unless they are) and it’s all about the destination – not the process. Never take Collision Theatre seriously (unless you should), don’t write about festivals unless you’ve been, and Shakespeare doesn’t work on film unless you are Leonardo DiCaprio. Also that we are a very serious group of performers. Definitely.”

What are you most looking forward to at the fringe festival? 

“The most exciting aspect is to be surrounded by like-minded creatives where we can see what shows they have poured their hearts and time into! Everybody at the fringe will have different backgrounds, shows and messages they want their audiences to take away from seeing the show.”

“We have seen some fantastic shows already with the dramatic societies at the University of Manchester, such as ‘If I Were To Die Tomorrow’, ‘Be Home Soon’ and ‘The Spark Project’. We are excited to see how it they have improved and evolved since the show was originally shown in Manchester.”

“There are also new shows that we have yet to see from our peers at the university, including ‘SOFAR’, ‘Lonely Hearts’ and ‘Bishops’. These are all being brought by brilliant groups of creatives, and we are ecstatic to witness what they are bringing to the Fringe.”

“Aside from University of Manchester shows, we have seen some shows that have a fantastic online presence. One named, ‘dusk: a bite-sized love story’ seems hilarious, and we cannot wait to see it in person!”

Catch “A Working Title” performing at 1 of their 12 shows at the Edinburgh Festival from the 14th of August.

From the 14th to the 19th of August the group will be at theSpaceUK space 1 on the mile, from 2:10pm. Their second week, the 21st to the 26th of August, will include evening performances at 7:30pm, at theSpaceUK on Niddry Street.