OHS Theatre took 14 students to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland over the summer. Edinburgh Fringe is the largest performing arts festival in the world, hosting over 3,000 performances every month.
“This was our seventh time to take a show,” head of the OHS theatre department John Davenport said. “Each time it is a different group of students, so I kind of get to relive it through their eyes, which is really nice and exciting.”
The theatre department decided to perform Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” with the twist of incorporating an audience member to play the lead role of Joseph. Dressed up as nuns, the students acted as if the audience members were students in a Catholic school learning the story of Joseph.
“We knew there would be other high schools in the audience, that was the fun guarantee of getting us our Joseph,” Davenport said. “We had to advertise our show in Edinburgh because there are so many shows. We thought people would notice us if we were a bunch of nuns running around the streets. People thought we were real.”
Junior Emerson Denham participated in the theatre group’s travels, performing as part of the cast. The OHS group had intense preparation for such a significant festival, practicing for eight hours each day of July. The rehearsals were both productive and enjoyable, leading to a polished performance.
“I loved it,” Denham said. “It was a very collaborative working place for us. We would listen to some of the music, and we were trying to figure it out. Once we did, it just kind of took off on its own.”
The students spent two days in London and later traveled to Edinburgh to begin their performances. In between shows, the students were able to explore the historic city. Combining sightseeing with advertising their show on the streets of Edinburgh, the group participated in activities such as high tea at Balmoral Castle, hiking Arthur’s Seat and watching other high school students’ performances.
“[Edinburgh] is gorgeous,” junior Will Winkle said. “It was founded in the 14th century, you know, it has got so much beautiful architecture. Exploring Edinburgh was phenomenal. Just getting to experience such a beautiful country and such a totally unique festival with some of the people that I love the most was a blessing.”
This was the 30th anniversary of the American High School Theatre Festival at Edinburgh Fringe. The OHS students got to meet fellow theatre students from all over the world, while also learning about Scottish culture. The love of performing served as a connection for the students despite the cultural differences.
“It is such a melting pot,” Winkle said. “Such a culturally diverse environment. You will meet people from the UK. You will meet people from the US. You will meet people from Venezuela. It was great. Everyone there was so nice and so receptive. They loved our show, we loved theirs. It is just such a hub for positivity.”
