Each year, The Scotsman bestows the prestigious Fringe First Awards, celebrating outstanding new writing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. These awards spotlight the most innovative and impactful plays premiering at the festival, providing a platform for emerging talent. The Fringe First Awards highlight the importance of originality and creativity within the vibrant landscape of the Edinburgh Fringe.
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00:00:00On behalf of the Scotsman, I have to say a huge thank you to our Fringe First sponsors,
00:00:12who again have been wonderful this year.
00:00:14They are Queen Margaret University, which trains some of the finest theatre professionals in Scotland,
00:00:19so a big cheer for Queen Margaret University.
00:00:21And their principals are Paul Grice, who's been fantastically supportive of our awards.
00:00:31And also Stagecoach buses, without which the penniless, the over-60s, the under-22s could barely travel around Scotland at all.
00:00:41And of course, travelling around is always very important to theatre people, and the more cheaply, the better.
00:00:47So, welcome to Stagecoach buses, who are a new sponsor for us this year.
00:00:52And thank you so much for adding your support to the Scotsman Fringe Awards.
00:01:03We start this morning with the final round of Scotsman Fringe Firsts.
00:01:08We've already made awards in the first week and the second week,
00:01:11and you'll be catching a glimpse of one of our previous week's winners in a few minutes
00:01:16when this round of awards is completed.
00:01:19But as you know, we always have a fabulous guest star to help me present the awards.
00:01:26And today, it is the absolutely miraculous Miriam Margulies.
00:01:31Please welcome her.
00:01:33It makes no difference whether I stand up or sit down, actually.
00:01:57So, I might as well stay sitting.
00:01:59Miriam, it is wonderful to see you, and you're back on the Fringe this year again.
00:02:07Yes, I am.
00:02:08You're at the Pleasance in the EICC, along at Morrison Street, aren't you?
00:02:13Yes, it's the corporate Pleasance, as opposed to the real heart of things.
00:02:18It's a gorgeous, big, roomy venue, though.
00:02:20And in that little heat wave we had, it has nice air conditioning.
00:02:23And you're doing your show, well, a new version of your show, about Dickens' women.
00:02:30Is that right?
00:02:31Yes, that's right.
00:02:32It was devised by Annabel Leventon, who's my director, and she's very beautiful.
00:02:38So, really, she ought to be sitting here, but I am.
00:02:41So, tough shit, folks, but she's here.
00:02:44And, Miriam, can you remember when you first came to the Fringe?
00:02:50When I first came as a punter to look at it, I was about 11.
00:02:56Gosh.
00:02:57So, that would have been 1952.
00:03:00It was quite small then.
00:03:02It was, and I'm quite small now, so, you know, it's the passage of time.
00:03:08But it was wonderful, and then I came again when I was at the Traverse in the company there,
00:03:16and that was wonderful.
00:03:18I remember very distinctly that I played Ma Mère Oubou, and my costume was, well, a vagina,
00:03:31I suppose.
00:03:32I have to be careful what I say now.
00:03:35Oh, yeah.
00:03:35But it was designed by Gerald Scarfe, and it upset the city fathers, who'd probably never
00:03:41seen one, you know, so.
00:03:49Well, I suppose their fathers must have seen one once.
00:03:52Yeah, well, possibly.
00:03:53Maybe not, actually.
00:03:56Yeah, I remember reading about that production, because Ma Mère Oubou was a giant vagina,
00:04:03and Pa Mère Oubou was a huge prick.
00:04:05Yes.
00:04:07Much like many of the city fathers, I think.
00:04:10And, of course, in the 1960s, this did cause some comment, but that was what the Traverse
00:04:16was there for in those days.
00:04:17Tremendous fun.
00:04:18Yes, it was.
00:04:19And then I came again, and I first came, actually, with the university.
00:04:25I was at Cambridge, and I was with the Footlights, and I did two other plays as well, and I just
00:04:30fell in love with the festival.
00:04:32I think it's a wonderful experience, and the Fringe is the heart of it now.
00:04:37I don't know what's happened to the International Festival.
00:04:39It's kind of shrunk and disappeared, practically.
00:04:43I feel rather sorry for them, because the energy of the, the energy now is the Fringe, isn't
00:04:49it?
00:04:49Absolutely.
00:04:50And you're very energetic yourself.
00:04:52And, you know, I was saying to Joyce earlier that people love Joyce because of her passion
00:04:57for the theatre and how she always turns up.
00:04:59And that's extraordinary, because she's a critic.
00:05:03She's a critic.
00:05:05Come on.
00:05:06I mean, she's amazing.
00:05:08We should be hated.
00:05:09Right.
00:05:09So we have four Fringe firsts to award today.
00:05:12Here are the plaques in the right order, and I will go up to the other mic and introduce
00:05:17our winners.
00:05:18Right.
00:05:20The first show is a pretty amazing show by a company called In Bed With My Brother, playing
00:05:27at Summerhall.
00:05:30This show is called Philosophy of the World, and among many other things, it's a tribute
00:05:36to an ill-fated, but perhaps not so ill-fated, very bad or very wonderful group of the 1960s,
00:05:44band of the 1960s, called the Shags.
00:05:47They were the three or four daughters of a man called Arthur Austin, Austin Wiggins, of
00:05:54New Hampshire in the United States.
00:05:57And he insisted, despite the fact that none of them were interested in music and none of
00:06:01them could play an instrument, that they form a band.
00:06:04So they did.
00:06:05And in 1969, they recorded this album called Philosophy of the World, which was variously
00:06:11described as the worst thing that had ever been produced, or a work of genius, depending on
00:06:15whether you saw likenesses to modern free-form jazz in it or not.
00:06:19So it was their story as a band was spectacularly patriarchal in the sense that they were forced
00:06:26to do it all by their father, and yet also spectacularly disruptive, because their music was so extremely weird.
00:06:33Anyway, the story of the Shags has inspired this show by, in bed with my brother, called Philosophy of the World.
00:06:42And of all the female cry of rage shows I've seen in this year's Fringe, and believe me, there are a lot of female cries of rage on this year's Fringe,
00:06:51this is the wildest, the most theatrical, and the most fun, although it ends on a fairly serious note.
00:06:59The wonderful company, who have got names, they're called Nora, Dora, and Cat.
00:07:04Is that right?
00:07:05Yes?
00:07:06Nora, Dora, and...
00:07:07Is that right?
00:07:08Cat or Dora?
00:07:09Yeah.
00:07:09Yeah, Nora, Dora, and Cat come on stage doing calisthenics, because that's what their father forced them to do every morning.
00:07:17The father dies halfway through, but they then spend the rest of the time trying to murder his very persistent ghost who keeps existing in their heads,
00:07:25and we all know that feeling.
00:07:26And towards the end, towards the end, there is a magnificent rant involving Valerie Solanas, Andy Warhol,
00:07:35all of that, you know, sort of society for cutting up men, and all the rest of it.
00:07:39But it is hugely theatrical, very, very funny, and inspired by a genuinely strange and magnificent episode.
00:07:47in the history of women in rock.
00:07:50So please, in bed with my brother, come up and accept your award for Philosophy of the World.
00:08:04Thank you so much.
00:08:05Thank you so much.
00:08:06Thank you so much.
00:08:08We'll get your award.
00:08:17I didn't realise you were all girls.
00:08:22Oh, really?
00:08:22Yeah.
00:08:25Microphone speaks in.
00:08:27Oh, you guys.
00:08:28Speak to the people.
00:08:29Oh, no.
00:08:30Oh, no.
00:08:30We were kind of hoping we weren't going to be the first, because we didn't want to set a precedent.
00:08:35We didn't rehearse anything really to say.
00:08:38We just want to say thank you, I think, quickly to the team that have helped us make this show.
00:08:46It's been a real labour of love, is that what people say?
00:08:49It's taken us a really long time, and a lot of support along the way.
00:08:55And I don't think without these people or institutions, we'd have been able to do it.
00:08:59So, first of all, we want to say a really, really massive thank you to Nigel Barrett, who's our co-star in the show.
00:09:06Co-star?
00:09:07God, I don't know why these awards make me fancy.
00:09:11And just the most incredible person to collaborate with, and just such a brilliant actor, as we say in the show.
00:09:19And, yeah, we wouldn't have been able to make it without you, Nigel, and we really appreciate you.
00:09:23You should be up here.
00:09:23Why aren't you up here?
00:09:24And also Louise Murray, our director and dramaturg, who we've worked with for so long, and just is the most genius, amazing mind.
00:09:34And who else?
00:09:36Ben Welch, who's our producer, but also Nora's partner, wrangling the kids, and various phone calls at the Summer Hall playground every day.
00:09:48Who else?
00:09:50Benji, our production manager, who's incredible.
00:09:54Storytelling PR, Mim and Ferguson, everyone.
00:09:57Lily, Beth, everybody.
00:10:01We're really awkward with things like this.
00:10:02That's why we make theatre, so we don't have to speak about things.
00:10:06Thank you so much.
00:10:13They're great.
00:10:14And, weirdly, they come from Hampshire.
00:10:17New Hampshire, Hampshire, see where?
00:10:19Oh, yeah.
00:10:19The universe is strange.
00:10:23Okay.
00:10:24So, with the world in the state that it is, including the state of the world for women, which has caused some of the rage plays I just mentioned, all eyes are on America, which has become the fountainhead of a really huge and, in some ways, disastrous division in our politics.
00:10:44And there are some brilliant shows from and about the United States on this year's fringe.
00:10:50And the next one we're going to celebrate is an absolutely astonishing show described by the couple who made it as an ecstatic grief concert.
00:11:03But it's actually much more than that.
00:11:05There's huge layers of layers of different sort of emotions tied up in this show called Ohio by the Bingsons, a folk indie duo from the United States.
00:11:19And they are called Sean and Abigail Bingson.
00:11:24Their show is really, I think, at its heart about the profound role of religion in American society.
00:11:32Sean comes from a very strict Christian sect.
00:11:35Abigail is having to think about, more than she has in the past, perhaps, about the Jewish elements of her own heritage.
00:11:43And between them, they both rebel as they meet one another and begin to make music together.
00:11:48They both rebel against their backgrounds and reject them and experience a lot of anger about them.
00:11:53But also, as the sort of hard knocks of life begin to hit them, and Sean in particular begins to suffer from a profound deafness that he's inherited from his preacher father.
00:12:03All of these things bring them back round to a kind of understanding that whether you accept formal religion or not, there are things in life that are beyond our comprehension, that are mysterious, and that are beautiful.
00:12:20And, of course, their music is beautiful.
00:12:22All of this is told and illustrated through and around.
00:12:26Their fabulous music, Abigail's absolutely wild and wonderful singing voice, Sean's guitar.
00:12:32So, the company from Ohio, please come up and accept your award for Ohio.
00:12:44Here they come.
00:12:47Sean and Abigail.
00:12:48Marble, Sean.
00:12:49What a pleasure.
00:12:52Sean and Abigail.
00:13:04Okay.
00:13:05Hi.
00:13:06Hi.
00:13:07Um, I wrote this last night, um, when I thought that I would be too sick to be here.
00:13:16But I'm fucking here.
00:13:18Yes.
00:13:19But I'm reading it anyway.
00:13:22If Sean is reading this, then I am having a flare and too sick to be with you, which luckily
00:13:30is totally on brand.
00:13:34This is part of our lives.
00:13:36Sometimes we are well enough to do what we love.
00:13:38Sometimes we aren't.
00:13:39It is, of course, a heartbreak when my health keeps me away from moments like this.
00:13:46I would be so happy to be in the company of such devoted and brilliant artists.
00:13:54And, you know, I love to be celebrated.
00:13:56Being here with you, if not in this moment, then all month long, has been a dream come
00:14:08true.
00:14:09Here, you read the rest.
00:14:11The team that has made and produced Ohio has been radical and joyful in their devotion
00:14:18to access of all kinds.
00:14:20And they had the French folks who came to sing with us each day made us less afraid of change,
00:14:25community, and death, which was selfishly why we made Ohio in the first place.
00:14:30We thank Francesca Moody Productions, Piece by Piece, our creative team, and all of you,
00:14:36too.
00:14:37Finally, we are so very lucky to be nourished by a long legacy of extraordinary disabled
00:14:41artists and activists.
00:14:42And we hope and pray that this festival and this art form becomes ever more accessible
00:14:47as the years go on, that it opens its doors and hearts to all of us.
00:14:51We are all either disabled or will soon be or will be soon enough.
00:14:56May we learn to care for each other in our strength and in our vulnerability.
00:15:00May we celebrate our softness and our decay.
00:15:03And may we find joy in telling the truth together.
00:15:06Thank you, Edinburgh.
00:15:08Charlie and Louie.
00:15:09Free Palestine.
00:15:10XOXO Abigail.
00:15:11Thank you, everyone.
00:15:12Bravo.
00:15:13Bravo.
00:15:15Take care.
00:15:16Oh, a beautiful show and very deep.
00:15:30And our next one is also a vital show about the condition of America.
00:15:37It's a hashtag Charlottesville written and performed by Priyanka Shetty and playing here
00:15:43at the Pleasance Courtyard.
00:15:45And hashtag Charlottesville is about the events in Charlottesville in 2017 during the first
00:15:52presidency of Donald Trump when a bunch of emboldened white supremacists basically decided
00:15:58that they were going to march through the streets of Charlottesville, quiet university city in Virginia,
00:16:05because the city council had decided to take down some monuments to Confederate generals,
00:16:11who were obviously responsible for defending the slave-owning states during the American Civil War.
00:16:17So these white supremacists descended on Charlottesville.
00:16:22There were counter demonstrations.
00:16:24One woman lost her life.
00:16:26And caught up in all this was a young drama student, Indian by way of New York, Priyanka Shetty.
00:16:34And she was obviously shocked and horrified, as many people in Charlottesville were,
00:16:41by the ideology and the attitudes of the white supremacists who suddenly appeared on their streets.
00:16:47You could look them up online.
00:16:48You could see what it was that they actually believed and how completely abhorrent it was.
00:16:53But Priyanka was also dealing with the far more subtle racism that she was experiencing in her university department,
00:17:01where people just wouldn't cast her for student productions or would cast her in very small roles,
00:17:06where she was really struggling to complete her first year's studies
00:17:11because she couldn't get the experience of acting on stage that seemed to be much more freely available to her white fellow students.
00:17:20So it's a fascinating story, Charlottesville.
00:17:23It's illustrated with huge amounts of evidence and imagery from the time.
00:17:28It has sometimes the character of a lecture, but it's also a very powerful personal story,
00:17:34beautifully theatrical and absolutely timely in its analysis of some of the forces that are in play in American politics now
00:17:42and the relationship between them and the party currently in control of the White House.
00:17:48Because at that time, we can all remember Donald Trump saying that between these white supremacists
00:17:53and the counter-demonstrators who came out against them, there were good people on both sides.
00:17:59And that was what Priyanka was up against, along with many other things.
00:18:04So, Priyanka, please come up and accept your reward for hashtag Charlottesville.
00:18:09Thank you so much to the Scotsman for this incredible honor.
00:18:28I dedicate this award to the people of Charlottesville who shared their stories with me,
00:18:34to the memory of Heather Heyer and her extraordinary mother, Susan Brough.
00:18:39This piece belongs to them as much as it does to me.
00:18:42I share this recognition with my brilliant team of collaborators,
00:18:46especially my director, Yuri Urnov,
00:18:49and, of course, Richard Jordan Productions, without whom none of this would be possible.
00:19:00To my husband, Siddharth Mohan, you are my rock and I truly owe you everything.
00:19:05To my parents and my brother back in India.
00:19:08To my second set of parents, my in-laws, your love and support has carried me here.
00:19:14Bringing hashtag Charlottesville to Edinburgh and doing it now feels urgent.
00:19:20We are at a moment where authoritarianism is on the rise,
00:19:24when truth itself is under attack,
00:19:26and we as artists have the chance and responsibility to speak to that.
00:19:30I am overwhelmed by the amazing response this play has got,
00:19:35and it tells me that it's doing what I hoped it would do,
00:19:37which is create a space for dialogue, discomfort,
00:19:40and maybe even some personal and political reckoning.
00:19:43I just want to say that hashtag Charlottesville is not just an American story,
00:19:49and I can't think of a more vital and visible platform
00:19:52than the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for sharing this with the global audience.
00:19:56Thank you so much.
00:19:58And finally, as they say, we move to our last show,
00:20:14which I'm delighted to see is a show that brilliantly tackles a kind of unspoken subject
00:20:20that lies behind an awful lot of the stresses that we see emerging in the drama of 2025.
00:20:29It tackles the subject of climate change, but it does it with such wit and such elegance,
00:20:35and also such depth and complexity of thinking embodied in its wonderful lyrics,
00:20:42that it also somehow pulls off the miracle of being a hugely enjoyable show
00:20:47and a thought-provoking show about this huge crisis that we all face.
00:20:52Its name is Hot Mess. It's here in Pleasance 2.
00:20:56It's produced by the Birmingham Hippodrome together with Vicky Graham Productions.
00:21:02It comes out of their school for new musicals.
00:21:05It's a fabulous musical. It has some fine songs,
00:21:08and it also has two terrific performances from Daniel Steers and Tobias Turley.
00:21:13Daniel Steers as the Earth, Mother Earth, gives us all of our life, is always there, is inside, is outside.
00:21:23And Tobias as this strange little character called Hugh, Humanity,
00:21:28who comes and forms a relationship with her and really gradually begins to destroy her.
00:21:34It's a really powerful metaphor for what's going on on our planet at the moment,
00:21:39handled with tremendous wit and grace, and the lyrics are fantastic.
00:21:44Written by Jack Godfrey for the music and lyrics,
00:21:48Ellie Coote for the music and for the words and direction, the book and direction.
00:21:54And please, all of the team from Hot Mess,
00:21:57come up now to accept your Fringe First Award for Hot Mess.
00:22:01Thanks.
00:22:17Wow.
00:22:19That's fabulous.
00:22:21Congratulations.
00:22:23Congratulations.
00:22:25Oh, my gosh. I am going to read off my phone. That's me. Hi, everyone. I'm Ellie. I'm the book writer and director of Hot Mess. Thank you so much to the Scotsman for recognizing our show. My co-writer, Jack, isn't here today, so I'm speaking really on behalf of both of us.
00:22:48Five years ago, we received a commission from the wonderful Vicki Graham. At the time, the show was called Untitled Climate Change Musical. It took two more titles, four completely different versions, including one that was narrated by the moon, to figure out how to connect with audiences on this issue. Thank you so much, Vicki, for sticking with us through all that and for funding the infamous moon workshop.
00:23:18The kind of development, care, patience, belief and support Jack and I have received over the past five years is really the reason why we're here today.
00:23:28For the last two years, we've also been lucky enough to be supported by Birmingham Hippodrome's new musical theatre department, led by Dio Halloran, who's also our genius dramaturg.
00:23:38Thank you, Dio Halloran, James, Chris, Finlay, and everyone at the Hippodrome. This is an extraordinary department doing extraordinary things for new musical theatre and we're so grateful Hot Mess is a part of the story.
00:23:50I think, big, big, big applause for them.
00:23:56This is also the award our producer James has always wanted to win, so shout out James Asfield and I'm gonna, I'm gonna hand this to you so you can hold it for a bit.
00:24:03Also a huge thank you to our brilliant and incredibly creative, ambitious creative team. Joe, Alex, Shanko, Ryan, Paul, Lex, Charlie, and Caroline.
00:24:18What you've all achieved within the parameters of Pleasance 2 is nothing short of magic.
00:24:23Thank you to the formidable team who make the show happen every day against all odds.
00:24:27Emily, Emily, Maria, Izzy, Bernie, Rhys, Callie, and everyone at Pleasance, um, Danielle and Tobias, um, our earth and humanity.
00:24:36We literally couldn't have dreamed of any two people more perfect to tell this story.
00:24:39We're so, so lucky to have you. Thank you, Pearson Casting, um, and also I get to do this because he's not here.
00:24:45Thank you to our composer and lyricist, Jack Godfrey. Your pursuit of excellence inspires me every day and I'm so grateful I get to make musicals with you.
00:24:52Um, I'm gonna hand over to D.
00:24:57Uh, in 2023, our brilliant co-producer Vicky was engaged by Birmingham Hippodrome as a consultant to explore whether the UK musical theatre ecology needed an in-house department dedicated to making new musicals.
00:25:11And the answer from producers, artists, venues was a resounding yes.
00:25:15And so we're extremely proud to be on this stage two years later celebrating the success of Hot Mess.
00:25:20New musicals are expensive and they take quite a long time to develop.
00:25:25They require a huge amount of effort, time, and love. There's no overnight successes.
00:25:30So this morning I want to acknowledge all of the brilliant writers who, like Jack and Ellie, are making bold and innovative shows about important topics.
00:25:36Everything starts with you at a computer or around a piano.
00:25:40And I also want to recognize the producers across the UK who are keeping the faith and finding ways to get work to the stage.
00:25:46If we can continue to keep artists at the center of everything that we do, there's a huge reason for optimism for the future of musical theatre in this country.
00:26:10I was making faces at them there. I'm wondering if Danielle and Tobias would give us a little song, but it's too early in the day.
00:26:18And that's the end of our Fringe Firsts for 2025.
00:26:26Can I stay here?
00:26:30So, Marianne, how was that for you?
00:26:33Well, I'm just thrilled to see young people with energy and passion being prepared to brave the Fringe, which is quite a minefield in some ways.
00:26:45And here they are, and they're successful, and they encourage others.
00:26:50And, wow, it's lovely to see that.
00:26:52And I, just a sec, I wanted to say specially about Richard Jordan, because I know he's here.
00:26:59And when I first met Richard, I think he was an assistant stage manager.
00:27:04And it was your first job, wasn't it?
00:27:07My first job was 16, and I was taking a show from the Edinburgh Fringe.
00:27:11He was 16?
00:27:12He called Dickens Women, a short production assistant to have some theatre for London.
00:27:16That's right. It was when we did Dickens Women for the first time.
00:27:18Gosh.
00:27:19And so, to see you, a kind of maestro here, really, and with such lovely young people, and you have many other shows on at the moment.
00:27:28So, you know, it's a mixture of old and young and disabled and abled and just talent, and it's thrilling.
00:27:38Very moving words from the Ohio duo there about disability and its role in theatre.
00:27:44Certainly, there's a huge amount of creative work coming from artists with disability in Scotland now.
00:27:50But, Miriam, thank you so much for being here, and all the best for your remaining performances.
00:27:55Yes, we've still got seats on Sunday, so please come, because it's the last show, and I really want to see a full house.
00:28:03It's wonderful to see you here.
00:28:05Thank you very much.
00:28:06We're going to have an extract from the wonderful show, Eat the Rich, by Jade Franks, which has been absolutely packing them in, in one of the bunkers down there.
00:28:22It's a terrific show about class and Cambridge University, and all of those unspoken issues, or often unspoken issues in British society,
00:28:31about how a Scouse girl goes to Cambridge University and finds herself essentially in a different culture and a different world.
00:28:40It won a Fringe first in week one. It's an absolutely fantastic show, and I'd like you now to welcome the wonderful Jade Franks.
00:28:48Jade Franks.
00:28:57You all right, mate?
00:28:58In the pursuit of finding friends, I headed to the Freshers' Fair.
00:29:04Now, I tagged along with this group of girls who insisted on repeating everything I said back to me in my accent.
00:29:11It was like having a group of aristocratic parrots following me around.
00:29:16I asked them how they think they're going to manage juggling their job with their hobbies and their studies, and they laughed at me.
00:29:24They explained to me that it's against the rules of Cambridge to have a job while you're studying there.
00:29:30Against the rules, well, I've only worked with Christina for a couple of shifts, and I don't want to let her down.
00:29:36And I like working, I like earning my own money so I can treat myself.
00:29:40Plus, I'd seen loads of rule breaking already.
00:29:43There's these third years in my college, they all chipped in for a hot tub, and they kept it in their door.
00:29:49So I figured I'd be all right.
00:29:51There's these girls at the fair picking up leaflets to the most random clubs, and I think they're joking.
00:29:58So I'm like, haha, yeah, polo club, good one.
00:30:03And then I realised they're not joking.
00:30:05Yeah, great choice that, brilliant.
00:30:08I never really had any hobbies growing up.
00:30:11Politics, maybe.
00:30:1445 out of our 58 prime ministers did go to Oxford or Cambridge, and I would look really fit in a suit.
00:30:22But I think I swear too much for that.
00:30:25And I don't think I'd be able to work alongside people who are indifferent about genocide.
00:30:31If you think of a hobby or a sport or a political cause, there's probably going to be one for it here.
00:30:38And if there's not, it's just called something else.
00:30:41For example, the fascist club is called the Free Speech Society.
00:30:48A group of people who are against women having their own rights is Cambridge Pro-Life.
00:30:56And a support group for students who weren't hugged enough as children joined the Cambridge Footlights.
00:31:08Sorry, Miriam.
00:31:10There's a next all along, and it's dedicated to the justice for the survivors of sexual assault at the university.
00:31:24And I figured that that was indicative of the fact there was a need for one here.
00:31:29Suddenly, this small but mighty girl, the most northern girl I'd ever met, confidently comes up to me and asks,
00:31:40Do any of the following apply to you?
00:31:43Were you state school educated?
00:31:45Did you receive free school meals?
00:31:47Are you among the first in your family to go to university?
00:31:50Are you a full Cambridge Bursary recipient?
00:31:52If these people knew this stuff about me, that I was the first in my family to go to uni,
00:31:59the first in my school to go to Cambridge without any help,
00:32:02well, I'd be branded a genius.
00:32:05And I don't know if I can handle that pressure.
00:32:10The girls that I'm with move like she just asks them for any spare change.
00:32:16I realise it's definitely best these people don't know this stuff about me.
00:32:22The girls shake their heads and scurry off.
00:32:25And I do the same.
00:32:32it really is the most telling, powerful show about class in Britain today
00:32:53and done with such wit and elegance.
00:32:56Huge French star, Jade Franks.
00:32:58Brilliant.
00:33:02And she was, I think I'm right in saying, president of Cambridge Footlights by the time she left Cambridge, which just goes to show, you know, what you can do with a bit of sass and huge talent.
00:33:13OK, now on to the other awards that we celebrate today, which are absolutely terrific to have at this awards ceremony.
00:33:23And the very first one that's going up is the award, which enables a show from this festival to go to the Brighton Fringe, which is the second biggest fringe in the UK and a terrific partner for the Edinburgh Fringe.
00:33:37The Brighton Fringe Award is going to be presented by, yes, that famous man, once a small stage manager, Richard Jordan.
00:33:44And also Duncan Lustig-Preen and Sarah French from the Brighton Fringe.
00:33:48Please welcome them.
00:33:56Hello, everyone. I'm Richard. I'm patron of the Brighton Fringe.
00:34:00It's Duncan, who's the chair, and Sarah, who helps us with all our artistic services and coordinating.
00:34:06The Brighton Fringe Award began in 2011.
00:34:09And as Joyce said, it really came out of the fact of trying to create more of a unity between England's largest festival, the third largest in the world, and the great Edinburgh Festival Fringe that we all know and love so well.
00:34:21And it's really grown from really recognizing often a lot of emerging talent that's come through.
00:34:29Police Cops was one of the winners.
00:34:31Toby Marlowe, who went on to write Six afterwards.
00:34:34Philippa Dawson, who's gone off to have a really successful TV and comedy career.
00:34:39And this year, it's thrilling because we've actually chosen 21 nominees, which seems an awful lot.
00:34:45But out of 3,900 shows, it's a testament to the sort of cross-section and the range of work that's here.
00:34:52So a really big shout-out and congratulations to all of the nominees.
00:34:56I'm just going to hand over to Duncan to say a few words about what happens at our Fringe in May each year.
00:35:01Thank you all, the performers in here, for giving so much pleasure to the judges.
00:35:07Brighton is a very intimate Fringe, despite its size.
00:35:13The artists all help each other and support one another.
00:35:16Our small artist services team are really friendly and will get you in the right venue.
00:35:21We'd very much like you to join the 850 or so performer artists and groups in our 4,500 shows each year.
00:35:31We'll find you the right venue in one of our 167 or odd venues in the city.
00:35:37We want to do more than just put on a Fringe.
00:35:41We support our artists throughout the year.
00:35:43We're very focused on artist development.
00:35:46And you'll find great networking events with industry leaders giving you a lot of help throughout the duration of the Fringe.
00:35:54So thank you all very much for giving us so much joy.
00:35:57Well, on to our very long list of shortlisted people.
00:36:05Champions.
00:36:07Out of my head, Alan Watts is alive and well dead.
00:36:12Sumi, this motherfucker.
00:36:16Laura Benanti, nobody cares.
00:36:19Youth in flames, standing in the shadow of giants.
00:36:23Butterfly, who flew into a rage.
00:36:29Swan, a 27 club.
00:36:32Flick, the House of Janine, the Horse of Janine, sorry.
00:36:36Faye's Red Lines, starring Gail Watson.
00:36:38Falling, a disabled love story and the ego.
00:36:41And last but not least, Kinder, Centre of the Universe.
00:36:48Amar, Relay, Rose and Bud, The Little Prince and Johnny Woo, Suburbia.
00:36:55And we have three runners-up and one winner.
00:37:09Duncan, do you want to?
00:37:13So the runners-up are
00:37:15Falling, Rose and Bud, Youth in Flames.
00:37:20And the winner.
00:37:35Okay, well, it's very exciting because the winner's going to get four sticks of rock.
00:37:41The winner is Johnny Woo, Suburbia.
00:37:44Oh my God, I actually really can't believe that.
00:38:11There are so many brilliant shows on that list.
00:38:14And I don't know, sometimes I feel like an imposter.
00:38:15So I'm kind of super grateful for that.
00:38:19Thanks to everyone who comes to see the show, right?
00:38:20You know, it's like without the audiences, we wouldn't do them anyway.
00:38:23Thanks to Soho Theatre, Storytelling PR, I know you're in today.
00:38:26Summer Hall.
00:38:27Harry, who's my assistant, who's seen me in my ups and downs.
00:38:32I don't know, Beastra Tech, where I first started it.
00:38:34Oh my God, I can't believe it.
00:38:35I'm actually really, I'm kind of deeply in shock and I look terrible.
00:38:37The show's on at 1.35 and I got lots of space.
00:38:43Thanks.
00:38:46Yeah, thank you.
00:38:47I can't believe it.
00:38:52I can't believe it.
00:38:53Yeah, thank you.
00:38:58Well, that's wonderful.
00:39:05And congratulations, Johnny Boo Suburbia.
00:39:08That's absolutely terrific.
00:39:11Our next award is the Philippa Barganza Award.
00:39:14This is awarded in memory of Philippa Barganza,
00:39:17a brilliant young actress on the fringe who sadly lost her life in the same year as she
00:39:24had won a fantastic Fringe First Award for a show called Angel, written and directed by
00:39:30Henry Naylor, but magnificently performed by Philippa, a story about the Iraq War and the
00:39:37role of women in the sort of northern part of Iraq in fighting off ISIS in that area.
00:39:44It was a fantastic show.
00:39:45It inspired everyone who saw it, and the loss of Philippa also inspired us, and Karen
00:39:51Corrin in particular at the Gilded Balloon where the show appeared, to found this award
00:39:56in memory of Philippa.
00:39:58It's for an emerging solo female artist to contribute something really substantial to
00:40:05this fringe, and it's a great pleasure for me to be on the judging panel of that award
00:40:09along with a group of wonderful colleagues, including Karen.
00:40:13And now I'd like to welcome Karen to the stage, along with Shelley Midler, an actress who's
00:40:18been helping us with the Philippa Barganza Award this year, and Henry Naylor, who wrote
00:40:23that original play that made Philippa such a remarkable actress on the fringe.
00:40:28Please come up.
00:40:29Thank you very much.
00:40:39As Joyce has said, Philippa Barganza was an extraordinary woman.
00:40:45She was barely out of college when she was 24 when Henry cast her in Echoes, which we produced,
00:40:54and we toured it to New York, to Prague, and to Australia.
00:41:03And the same year that she was touring, she also was cast in Angel, which, as you've heard,
00:41:10is an absolutely extraordinary play.
00:41:13And she was such a wonderful woman.
00:41:17She was an activist.
00:41:20She was talented in music, acting.
00:41:25You know, there was nothing she couldn't do.
00:41:27And she had such a bright future.
00:41:30And it came as such a shock to all of us when she tragically died in Australia.
00:41:38And I thought, what can we do to keep her spirit alive?
00:41:43Because there's been such wonderful women and actors here today that, you know,
00:41:48they look forward to their future.
00:41:49They want to make a difference.
00:41:52And I'd like, I wanted this award to make a difference, and hopefully it will for the people
00:41:58that were nominated and won.
00:42:00And I'd like Henry now to just tell you a little bit about his memories of Philippa.
00:42:09Thanks, Karen.
00:42:10And, yeah, I mean, like Karen said, Philippa had this amazing ability, this feistiness.
00:42:17She's amazing at sort of protesting, fighting the good fight.
00:42:22And I'm really grateful to the panellists for choosing the candidates for this award.
00:42:31I'm really grateful for the first...
00:42:32Oh, there we are.
00:42:34A few knob jokes, no doubt, about to come from there.
00:42:40Sorry, I've just completely lowered the tone.
00:42:44No, but Philippa was an amazing woman.
00:42:46She was feisty, could play five instruments.
00:42:48I think she spoke seven languages and was just this extraordinary actress.
00:42:54She's the only actress I've ever had in a rehearsal room who's made me cry in a rehearsal.
00:42:59I mean, she just had this amazing emotional quality.
00:43:02I'm really grateful for the panel, for the seven acts that they've nominated this year,
00:43:10who embody her spirit.
00:43:12And that, for us, who knew Philippa and want to keep her memory alive,
00:43:16is just really important.
00:43:17So, thank you very much for that.
00:43:21And so, Shelley's going to...
00:43:25Shelley's going to read the nomination.
00:43:27Thank you, lovely.
00:43:28I've got the wonderful privilege of doing that.
00:43:30So, in alphabetical order, we have Alex Reynolds in the Land of Eagles.
00:43:34This show uncovers how far we will go to make amends for the mistakes of our past,
00:43:42to the storytelling of familial discovery,
00:43:45and reconnecting with her roots to Albania.
00:43:47Alex presents this deeply moving and compelling story
00:43:49as she journeys to a place unknown to reconnect with her grandpa.
00:43:52We have Beth Patterson, Nusha.
00:44:00Inspired by the diasporic experience and the journey of discovery of her family and her Jewishness,
00:44:05this new autobiographical play follows the story of Beth
00:44:08and her reconnection with her grandmother, Nusha, a Holocaust survivor.
00:44:12Beth carefully and courageously presents this work that not only connects audiences,
00:44:16but is a clear homage to the women in her life.
00:44:20Shakira Allen, House Party.
00:44:25House Party takes us on a journey of an ever-changing hometown where gentrification is rife
00:44:30and the current housing crisis is put on blast.
00:44:33Shakira Allen presents a highly relatable, riotous new play
00:44:36that is filled with nostalgia, frustration, and I will say a great playlist to boot.
00:44:41We have Charlotte McBurney, The City for Incurable Women.
00:44:46This show follows the thread of the history of hysteria
00:44:50and Charlotte presents a creative and captivating look at the treatment of women
00:44:54and the medical misogyny that plagues our history books.
00:44:57We have Jade Frank's Eat the Rich, But Maybe Not My Mates.
00:45:04As you've heard, it demonstrates the myth of meritocracy,
00:45:07the sacrifices we make to get ahead,
00:45:09and who in the end these decisions will always disproportionately affect.
00:45:13Jade presents a funny, rich, and highly observational new piece of storytelling
00:45:17that questions the disparity between the classes.
00:45:20Mimi Martin, Youth in Flames.
00:45:25This is a high-energy, coming-of-age, new play that follows the 2019 Hong Kong protests,
00:45:30and Mimi powerfully and creatively recalls some of her own memories of her time spent there,
00:45:35where being an outsider was always the norm.
00:45:37We have Nikesha Pebedee, LEI to LDN, or Leicester to London.
00:45:42It's a raw, funny, and electric blend of genres that dives deep into identity, race, and self-discovery,
00:45:49and Nikesha is a magnetic performer that brings to life a bold new piece of theatre
00:45:53that questions what it means to grow up between two very different worlds.
00:45:56And those, ladies and gentlemen, are our nominees.
00:45:58I'd really like to thank Shelley for coming along and helping us with the decision of this award,
00:46:09and I'd also love to thank the wonderful judges who we meet every week
00:46:14and talk about all these wonderful women.
00:46:18And, yes, I'd like to thank you for keeping on doing it.
00:46:22Now, Henry is going to tell us who's won.
00:46:26Drumroll.
00:46:28And the winner is Jade Franks and Eat the Rich.
00:46:48I haven't repressed anything because I didn't think I was going to win.
00:46:51Firstly, thank you to Tenda, to Jasmine, to Ellie, who have kept me just about sane this month.
00:47:01It's been so crazy, and I really didn't expect the story to resonate with so many people.
00:47:07I think that what that kind of shows is that a lot more people might feel on the outside of things than what you realise,
00:47:17and a lot more people might feel like they don't fit in than what you realise.
00:47:21So, I guess, be nice to each other, I suppose, is the message a bit.
00:47:26And I think that I'm kind of around people from working-class backgrounds quite a lot when I'm at home.
00:47:35And to me, this story doesn't seem as surprising or as significant, perhaps,
00:47:42to what it might seem at the Edinburgh Festival.
00:47:44And so, I think we need more people who have stories like this,
00:47:48and more money so people like me can come up here,
00:47:51so that this doesn't seem like such a massive, significant thing.
00:47:55Well, yeah, thank you so much.
00:47:59I'm incredibly grateful.
00:48:01I'm very tired, but incredibly grateful.
00:48:04And, yeah, thank you to the team.
00:48:06I really appreciate it.
00:48:16I was a bit spellbound.
00:48:17Yes, that's right.
00:48:18I didn't tell you the whole title of the play when I was announcing Eat the Rich earlier.
00:48:22Eat the Rich, but maybe not me mates.
00:48:25And that's how we all feel, isn't it?
00:48:28Yeah, well, it's how a lot of us feel, shall we say, at this juncture in history.
00:48:34OK, right.
00:48:36The next award has been a very important one for us at the Scotsman Awards for some years now.
00:48:42It is the Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award.
00:48:46And here to announce this year's shortlist and winner for this award for shows
00:48:53which cast light on the mental health crisis in our country at the moment
00:48:58are Julia Cameron and Gail Oldham from the Mental Health Foundation.
00:49:03Please come up.
00:49:03Oh, it's quite daunting up here.
00:49:12I don't know how you all do it.
00:49:13Excuse me, I've got notes on my phone.
00:49:16I'm going to turn up, actually, the brightness, because I can't see them now.
00:49:18So, yeah, at the Mental Health Foundation, we know that poor mental health is not something
00:49:25that should be inevitable, and we believe that everyone deserves good mental health.
00:49:29And the arts have been a huge part of the work that we do for coming up on 20 years now.
00:49:34We lead the annual Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival.
00:49:37It takes place this October.
00:49:39It's a Scotland-wide multi-arts event, and we aim to explore how the arts can prevent mental health problems
00:49:45and support people to lead mentally healthier lives.
00:49:49And we've seen over the years really how powerful the arts can be
00:49:52as a way to open up conversations about mental health
00:49:55and to share stories and experiences in a way that's engaging and entertaining, of course,
00:50:00but that can also really challenge and encourage people to think differently.
00:50:04And we've also seen over and over, and very often at the Fringe,
00:50:08just how powerful it can be to see your own experience reflected on stage
00:50:12and how that can just make people feel that little bit less alone.
00:50:16And over the years of the festival, we've really seen a huge increase
00:50:19in the amount of people that are making work about mental health,
00:50:22and that's been something that's been particularly evident at the Fringe,
00:50:25so much so that six years ago we started this award and created this award
00:50:29to celebrate and support the best mental health show at the Fringe.
00:50:34And we've awarded some really incredible pieces over the years.
00:50:37The past three years, I want to say this award has been supported
00:50:41by the Cornwall Charitable Trust in memory of arts journalist Tim Cornwall.
00:50:46Tim worked as an arts correspondent for the Scotsman
00:50:50and had been on the judging panel for this award as well,
00:50:53and we're incredibly grateful for the foundation's support of the award.
00:50:58Before I finish my bit as well, I just want to recognise that
00:51:01while making and sharing work about mental health and trauma
00:51:04is incredibly important, we know that it can often be
00:51:07a really difficult and confronting process for the artists involved,
00:51:12and while I'm sure an incredible experience, also just how exhausting it can be.
00:51:16And also to say, we hope that everyone's doing okay at this stage in the Fringe.
00:51:21We know the impact that sharing this work can have.
00:51:25We do have a free resource on our website,
00:51:28Performing Anxiety for People Making Work About Mental Health.
00:51:31But yeah, just a huge thank you to everyone for making this work.
00:51:36I was lucky to see much of the shows about mental health this year
00:51:40and was so impressed by the quality and range.
00:51:44I'm going to pass over to my colleague Julie now
00:51:46to announce the shortlist and the award.
00:51:48Thanks.
00:51:52Hi everyone, I'm Julie.
00:51:55So yes, it's my honour to announce the nominees
00:51:58for the Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award,
00:52:00in no particular order, we've got five.
00:52:03So the first being The City for Incurable Women
00:52:06at the Pleasance Courtyard,
00:52:08a century-spanning account of medical misogyny
00:52:10and the origins of the term hysteria
00:52:12by theatre collective Fish and Address.
00:52:18Beth Wants the D, again at the Pleasance Courtyard,
00:52:21a exceedingly honest autobiographical comedy
00:52:24about living with bipolar disorder
00:52:26by writer-performer Beth May.
00:52:32Dots the Space, a solo show by Annie Chung
00:52:36about the psychology of insecure overachievers,
00:52:39which insightfully explores how Annie's high-functioning depression
00:52:42is rooted in formative experiences
00:52:44from her childhood in Hong Kong.
00:52:51Joe Trussini,
00:52:52Ten Things I Hate About Me at the Underbelly,
00:52:55a hugely entertaining and insightful show
00:52:57in which comedian Joe lists the symptoms
00:52:59of borderline personality disorder
00:53:01and explains the impact they've had on his life.
00:53:06And finally, we have Troubled at Summer Hall,
00:53:10a tale of love, death and division
00:53:12in which Susie Crothers,
00:53:14who grew up in Belfast during the Troubles,
00:53:16vividly demonstrates
00:53:17how the normalisation of violent events
00:53:19during childhood can impact on adult relationships.
00:53:22Okay.
00:53:25So, huge thanks to all of our,
00:53:28everyone involved in those shows.
00:53:30They're so good at shining a spotlight on mental health
00:53:33and as Gail says,
00:53:34we know that these are troubling times
00:53:36that we live in at the moment
00:53:37and it's really important that we open up spaces
00:53:40where people feel that actually they can be honest
00:53:42and open about what's going on in their lives.
00:53:44So, thank you to all of them.
00:53:47Okay.
00:53:47Now for the winner.
00:53:49So, this is an incredibly powerful show.
00:53:52It's incredibly poignant.
00:53:54It's incredibly honest.
00:53:55It's incredibly funny
00:53:56where the writer and performer
00:53:59really talks about her life
00:54:01and her experiences with bipolar.
00:54:04And at points,
00:54:05she takes us right to the very edge
00:54:06where she has been at points in her life too.
00:54:09But the humour and the humanity that shines through
00:54:12is really what made this our winner.
00:54:13So, our winner for the Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award
00:54:16is Beth May with Beth Wants the D.
00:54:19And Beth, you will have a plaque,
00:54:38but until it's ready, there's some flowers for you.
00:54:41Thank you so much.
00:54:47Holy moly.
00:54:50Thank you so much.
00:54:51I just want to...
00:54:53Sorry, I wasn't really prepared for this,
00:54:56but I want to thank my team.
00:55:00I'd be nowhere.
00:55:01And my incredible director, Riley Rose Critchlow,
00:55:06who couldn't be here because they have a baby.
00:55:10That's great.
00:55:10And my producer, Alison Zada,
00:55:13who's incredible and amazing,
00:55:15and my associate producer,
00:55:17slash dog Hamlet, Olivia Cade.
00:55:19And then Mihaela Lawrence, my stage manager and board op.
00:55:24And I want to thank the team at CNC
00:55:26and the team at Pleasance.
00:55:28But most importantly,
00:55:30I just want to say that no matter where you are
00:55:34and if you think that nobody sees you,
00:55:37they do.
00:55:38And you can come back from whatever situation you're in.
00:55:42I promise.
00:55:43And I want to dedicate this award to my buddy, Jeff,
00:55:46who passed by suicide last week.
00:55:49And so, Jeff, wherever you are, I love you.
00:55:52And there are other options.
00:56:07Thank you so much, Gail and Julia.
00:56:10And congratulations, Beth.
00:56:14Sad note at the end there,
00:56:16but we all know the stresses
00:56:19that so many people struggle with today.
00:56:22So thank you for acknowledging that
00:56:23and thank you for the Mental Health Award.
00:56:27The last one, everyone,
00:56:29Holden Street Theatres Award,
00:56:31this fabulous award,
00:56:32which allows productions from Edinburgh
00:56:36to go to Australia in the spring of next year
00:56:40to celebrate there in the sun,
00:56:43which is fantastic.
00:56:46And here to announce the shortlist
00:56:48and the winner of this year's Holden Street Awards
00:56:52are Richard Jordan again,
00:56:54who plays a key role in this award,
00:56:56Alex Hill, who won it last year
00:56:58for his famous show,
00:56:59Why I Stuck a Flare Up My Arse for England.
00:57:03Yep.
00:57:03Excellent.
00:57:04So we'll have Alex's story
00:57:05of what meeting this award meant to him
00:57:07and the new chief executive
00:57:09of the Edinburgh Fringe,
00:57:11Tony Lancaster.
00:57:12Please welcome them.
00:57:19Hello again, everyone.
00:57:20I'm afraid you get a double from me.
00:57:22And you get all three of us
00:57:24because we're actually here
00:57:25as the understudies for Martha Lott.
00:57:27Martha is the founder of the award.
00:57:30She runs the Holden Street venues in Adelaide.
00:57:33She's the artistic director.
00:57:34And actually, she's playing another Martha at the moment
00:57:37because currently she's starring on stage
00:57:38in a production of
00:57:39Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf
00:57:40to great acclaim in Adelaide.
00:57:41So she's very, very sorry that she can't be here.
00:57:44But she asked if I'd just say a few little words
00:57:45about how this award began.
00:57:47So like a lot of things,
00:57:48it began out of an idea
00:57:50about a few yards away
00:57:51from where we're sitting right now,
00:57:52around a picnic table at the Pleasants 24 years ago.
00:57:55And I was summoned with the Fringe Society
00:57:58and another truly great producer,
00:58:00New York producer called Paul Lucas.
00:58:02Now, some of you in this room may have known Paul.
00:58:04He was the most colorful ball of loveliness.
00:58:07His shirts, you saw his shirts before you saw him.
00:58:11And he had one thing that he always said to artists
00:58:13that he met.
00:58:14What do you need?
00:58:15How can I help you?
00:58:16And he epitomized Fringe Spirit.
00:58:18And sadly, in 2020,
00:58:21Paul very suddenly passed away.
00:58:23I know he is so looking down on us all
00:58:26and he will be so proud again at the people here
00:58:28and I know he'll be cheering us on.
00:58:30For those of you who knew him,
00:58:31you'll know how much we missed him.
00:58:32For those of you who didn't,
00:58:33just know you would have loved our friend
00:58:35and we miss him very, very much indeed.
00:58:38So the award became the following year,
00:58:4023 years ago,
00:58:41the first award was presented.
00:58:42It went to a play by Matthew Zargek,
00:58:44wonderful Scottish playwright
00:58:45called The Tale of Inverness.
00:58:47And since then,
00:58:48it's gone on to award a lot of different writers.
00:58:50Charlotte Josephine was one of our writers
00:58:53who came up through that.
00:58:54Gary McNair,
00:58:55Jethro Compton,
00:58:56who's enjoying success currently in the West End,
00:58:58Christopher York,
00:58:59and last year's winner,
00:59:01Alex Hill.
00:59:02And the award pays Lock, Stock and Barrel
00:59:03to take a show from Edinburgh to the Adelaide Fringe.
00:59:06You get to spend some nice time in Adelaide
00:59:07in February in the sunshine.
00:59:10And Alex,
00:59:11would you like to just say a few words
00:59:12about what happened with the award afterwards?
00:59:15Hello.
00:59:16All right.
00:59:17Yeah, I don't know.
00:59:18It feels weird
00:59:19because a year ago,
00:59:20I stood here
00:59:21and I had no idea
00:59:22that I was going to win this thing.
00:59:24And I came up,
00:59:25I was pretty hungover, to be honest,
00:59:26and really tired.
00:59:27And I don't really know what I said on that day.
00:59:29So I'm going to try
00:59:30to be a little bit more coherent today.
00:59:31But it was just the most amazing moment
00:59:33after doing the show at Fringe
00:59:36for a couple of years.
00:59:37And it just felt so kind of rewarding and amazing.
00:59:40And the fact that this thing exists
00:59:41is just such a testament to Martha
00:59:44who runs Holden Street and Richard
00:59:45and also all the artists
00:59:47that contribute to going over there
00:59:49and doing their shows
00:59:50and putting their soul out there
00:59:52because it's a mad thing.
00:59:53Like, it's crazy.
00:59:55And yeah, I'm just so grateful.
00:59:57I had the best time.
00:59:57It was hot, which was really fun.
00:59:59So I could, you know,
01:00:01leave and have a beer in the courtyard
01:00:02and it was great
01:00:03and it was really sunny.
01:00:05I don't really have much more to say
01:00:06apart from I had a really great time
01:00:08and I'm really, really grateful
01:00:09that it happened.
01:00:11But yeah, I'm really looking forward
01:00:12to finding out who's won this year
01:00:14and congrats to everyone
01:00:15that's been nominated.
01:00:19The fabric of what makes this Fringe
01:00:22so successful
01:00:22is the community that drives that together
01:00:24and none more so in the Fringe Society.
01:00:27It's absolutely the glue
01:00:28of what makes it happen
01:00:28and it's why it's so important
01:00:30that this award intrinsically links
01:00:31with the Fringe Society
01:00:32and Tony, our new chief executive
01:00:33and I'd actually like to say
01:00:35some words about that.
01:00:37Good morning, everyone.
01:00:38I'm going to hijack this
01:00:39for a moment at the beginning
01:00:40and I hope you don't mind.
01:00:41One of the things
01:00:42that we're really proud of
01:00:43at the Fringe Society
01:00:44is our Keep It Fringe Fund
01:00:45which, as I'm sure many of you know,
01:00:47disperses hundreds of grants
01:00:49and has done over the last couple of years
01:00:51to artists
01:00:51and they're small grants
01:00:54but they really make the difference
01:00:55for many artists
01:00:55between being able to bring their work here
01:00:57or not.
01:00:59It's a project of which
01:01:00we're hugely proud
01:01:01but the really special moments
01:01:03are when established artists
01:01:04use the Keep It Fringe Fund
01:01:07as an opportunity
01:01:07to pay it forward
01:01:08and I just want to take
01:01:10this opportunity this morning
01:01:11to thank Miriam Margulies
01:01:12who this week
01:01:12contributed 5,000 pounds
01:01:14to the fund.
01:01:15So, Miriam,
01:01:16thank you very much.
01:01:16But onto this award
01:01:22and I think the special relationship
01:01:24if I can steal that phrase as well
01:01:25between the Adelaide Fringe
01:01:27and the Edinburgh Fringe.
01:01:29I don't think in 1947
01:01:31when those eight renegade artists
01:01:32appeared on stages
01:01:33on the fringes
01:01:35of the International Festival
01:01:36here in Edinburgh,
01:01:37I don't think they would have
01:01:38dreamt that one day
01:01:40the DNA,
01:01:42the spirit
01:01:42that fed the DNA
01:01:43of the fringe
01:01:44that they launched that year
01:01:45would find its way
01:01:46right around the world
01:01:47and today
01:01:48there are hundreds
01:01:49of fringe festivals
01:01:50right around the world
01:01:50apart from Edinburgh,
01:01:53outwith of Edinburgh,
01:01:54look at me being all Scottish,
01:01:56is the Adelaide Fringe
01:01:58which takes place
01:01:59as we've heard
01:02:00at the start of each year.
01:02:01It's the second biggest
01:02:02festival in the world
01:02:04and beyond that
01:02:06they are truly great partners
01:02:07of the fringe society
01:02:08in an official way
01:02:10but I think more importantly
01:02:11in an unofficial way.
01:02:12We support each other,
01:02:14we cry on each other's shoulders,
01:02:15we share the same frustrations,
01:02:17angers
01:02:17and we also celebrate
01:02:18the same successes.
01:02:20We work with them
01:02:20extremely closely
01:02:21throughout the year
01:02:22and they're a wonderful
01:02:23partner of ours
01:02:23and within the Adelaide Fringe
01:02:24it's just so fabulous
01:02:26to see theatres
01:02:28like the Holden Street Theatre
01:02:29step in
01:02:29and acknowledge
01:02:31the work that the artists
01:02:33do on both our stage
01:02:34and create those opportunities
01:02:35for artists to move
01:02:36so seamlessly and easily
01:02:37between these two
01:02:38giants of festivals.
01:02:41So we're very grateful
01:02:41to Holden Street Theatres
01:02:42for this award.
01:02:44We're always grateful
01:02:45to the Adelaide Fringe
01:02:46for their ongoing friendship,
01:02:47their support,
01:02:48their love and their care
01:02:49and the way in which
01:02:50we are all barreling
01:02:51toward the same objective.
01:02:52So thank you
01:02:53to all the team
01:02:54from the Adelaide Fringe.
01:02:56Richard.
01:02:59Now,
01:03:00this fringe,
01:03:01we all managed
01:03:01to battle our way
01:03:02through wind,
01:03:03through Oasis,
01:03:05through ACDC
01:03:06to get here
01:03:06and deliver a show.
01:03:08Sadly,
01:03:08Royal Mail
01:03:09didn't do quite so successfully
01:03:11and they didn't manage
01:03:12to get the trophy delivered.
01:03:13So the trophy awaits
01:03:14the winner in Adelaide
01:03:16and instead,
01:03:16which I actually think
01:03:17is quite a good consolation,
01:03:18there's a very good
01:03:18bottle of Australian wine
01:03:20which actually at this point
01:03:20is probably more appreciated
01:03:22than the trophy.
01:03:23There are 13 nominations.
01:03:26Unlucky for some,
01:03:27not here at the Fringe.
01:03:28So let's hear who they are.
01:03:30They are the Horse of Janine,
01:03:31She's Behind You,
01:03:33The Little Prince,
01:03:34Falling,
01:03:36Down to Chance,
01:03:37Eat the Rich
01:03:38but Maybe Not Me Mates,
01:03:39Hashtag Charlottesville,
01:03:40Centre of the Universe,
01:03:42Hot Mess,
01:03:43Youth in Flames,
01:03:44Don't Tell Dad About Diana,
01:03:46Trigby Wackenshaw
01:03:47and Bernie Duncan,
01:03:49A Different Place
01:03:50and An Ordinary Decent Criminal.
01:03:52And Alex,
01:03:53Moment of Truth.
01:03:53Let's find out who's won.
01:03:54Here we go.
01:03:58And the winner
01:04:02of the 2025
01:04:04Holding Street Theatre
01:04:05of Adelaide Award
01:04:06is
01:04:06Eat the Rich
01:04:08but Maybe Not Me Mates.
01:04:09Let's take a minute,
01:04:27you speak.
01:04:29Hello.
01:04:29Hello.
01:04:32I have a feeling
01:04:33that men shouldn't be on the mic.
01:04:35I think that's just like
01:04:36the line that I'm getting.
01:04:39Hi, my name's Tatenda.
01:04:40I directed the wonderful Jade
01:04:42in Eat the Rich
01:04:43Maybe Not Me Mates
01:04:43and it's been
01:04:45the most exhilarating,
01:04:46exhausting
01:04:47and like pleasurable
01:04:48and what day is it
01:04:51kind of fringe
01:04:51for us.
01:04:53It's a lot of our team's firsts.
01:04:55It's Jade's debut.
01:04:58It's Jasmine,
01:04:59our producer
01:05:00of JFR Productions.
01:05:02First fringe producing thing ever
01:05:05and the first year
01:05:07of her company
01:05:07if I'm not mistaken.
01:05:09It's my first time
01:05:10directing up at Fringe
01:05:11so it feels like
01:05:13we've gotten the warmest
01:05:14most shocking welcome
01:05:15ever
01:05:16and hopefully Adelaide
01:05:18will feel the same.
01:05:19Hey?
01:05:21I mean, Jade,
01:05:23you've been the most
01:05:24incredible performer,
01:05:26writer,
01:05:27person
01:05:27that I've worked with
01:05:29maybe ever, forever.
01:05:30I love you so dearly
01:05:32and I love our entire team.
01:05:33Ellie Fulcher,
01:05:34shout out Ellie Fulcher,
01:05:34our dramaturg
01:05:35who has made my very
01:05:36ruthless script notes
01:05:37a lot easier
01:05:38for Jade to navigate
01:05:39because she's very good
01:05:40at what she does.
01:05:41Thank you so much
01:05:42to the Pleasants
01:05:43for holding us so beautifully
01:05:44both in the Queen Dome
01:05:45and in the Bunkers.
01:05:46Thank you to C&C as well
01:05:48for doing such wonderful
01:05:49PR for us.
01:05:50We've got so many other people.
01:05:55Lauren,
01:05:55our stage manager,
01:05:56Lauren.
01:05:57I don't think she's here
01:05:58but we love her.
01:05:59Sean Tengshuan Wong
01:05:59did our movement direction
01:06:00for a couple of days.
01:06:01Roley both did our sound design.
01:06:03Zoe Beeney did our lighting design.
01:06:04Watch this space.
01:06:05They're all going places.
01:06:07And we're going to Annalie's.
01:06:11Thank you guys so much.
01:06:24Well,
01:06:24this mic's looking a bit perkier now.
01:06:26That's good.
01:06:29And that's it
01:06:33for the Fringe Awards 2025.
01:06:38As you can see,
01:06:39fantastic range of talent.
01:06:41Huge new star in Jade there
01:06:42but so much talent
01:06:44contained in all of those shortlists
01:06:47and all of the energy
01:06:49that they've all brought
01:06:50to this stage.
01:06:52So I have once again
01:06:53thank yous to make.
01:06:55Can we just thank the Pleasants again?
01:06:56Without them,
01:06:57we really couldn't do it.
01:07:01And they've also
01:07:02they've also had a fabulous year
01:07:05this year with a terrific program.
01:07:07These things go up and down
01:07:08but this year has been
01:07:09a big, big year for the Pleasants.
01:07:11So congratulations to Anthony
01:07:12and the whole team
01:07:14on that.
01:07:16Thank you again
01:07:17to our sponsors.
01:07:17The wonderful Queen Margaret University
01:07:19stagecoach buses
01:07:21without the sponsorship
01:07:22nothing happens
01:07:24on the Fringe First front
01:07:25or on the Fringe Awards front.
01:07:27So thank you again to them.
01:07:29Thank you to you
01:07:30for being here.
01:07:31A wonderful audience
01:07:33here today.
01:07:35Thank you to the Scotsman team
01:07:37and my colleagues
01:07:38who without them
01:07:40the Fringe Awards
01:07:41would be impossible.
01:07:42the speed
01:07:45and the energy
01:07:46with which they get
01:07:47round Fringe shows
01:07:48and see hundreds of them
01:07:50within the course
01:07:51of the three weeks
01:07:52and get back
01:07:53and vote on them
01:07:54and argue over them
01:07:56and care about them
01:07:57because although
01:07:57we're all critics
01:07:58we really care about them
01:08:00is absolutely fantastic.
01:08:02So thank you
01:08:02to all of the Scotsman team.
01:08:04Too many to name today
01:08:06but fantastic.
01:08:07And I think they do deserve
01:08:08a round of applause
01:08:09of their own
01:08:10even though they are critics.
01:08:17Thank you again
01:08:18to our wonderful guest star today
01:08:20Miriam Margulies
01:08:21the absolute living spirit
01:08:23of the Fringe.
01:08:24Thank you Miriam.
01:08:29Thank you and congratulations
01:08:30to all of our winners today.
01:08:32Shall we give them
01:08:33all of our winners
01:08:33and nominees today.
01:08:35Give them all a huge
01:08:36round of applause.
01:08:40But as ever
01:08:45the biggest thank you
01:08:46of all goes to
01:08:47all of the artists
01:08:48all of the companies
01:08:50and all of those
01:08:51who support them
01:08:51who put themselves
01:08:53on the line
01:08:53to come to this Fringe.
01:08:55Of course it's easier
01:08:56for some
01:08:57than for others
01:08:58and that's the central
01:09:00theme of Eat the Rich
01:09:03which has been a big
01:09:04winner today.
01:09:05It's much easier
01:09:06for some than for others
01:09:07but all over this Fringe
01:09:09there are people
01:09:09trying to think
01:09:10of ways
01:09:11of making sure
01:09:13that everyone
01:09:13who has something
01:09:14to say on this Fringe
01:09:15and who wants to be here
01:09:17and who's working
01:09:18to be here
01:09:19gets the help
01:09:20they need
01:09:20in order to come
01:09:22to Edinburgh
01:09:22in August
01:09:23and to contribute
01:09:24to this.
01:09:25These are not easy times
01:09:26for all kinds of groups
01:09:28of people in society.
01:09:30There's a mental health crisis.
01:09:32There are crises
01:09:32around every kind
01:09:33of disability.
01:09:35There's a darkening
01:09:36of the political scene
01:09:37in all sorts of ways
01:09:39in terms of gender politics,
01:09:42in terms of international politics,
01:09:44in terms of the horrible events
01:09:46and genocides we're witnessing
01:09:48in terms of our failure
01:09:49to deal with climate change.
01:09:51But one thing
01:09:52we can celebrate
01:09:53here in Edinburgh
01:09:54in August
01:09:55is the magnificent ability
01:09:57of theatre
01:09:58to tackle
01:09:59all of those themes
01:10:01to bring us together
01:10:02in the same room
01:10:03to think about it,
01:10:05to cry about it,
01:10:06to laugh about it.
01:10:07That's what we've been
01:10:09celebrating today
01:10:10and it's been fantastic.
01:10:12And now all I can do
01:10:13is thank you all
01:10:14for being here,
01:10:15invite you to join us
01:10:16for a drink
01:10:17in Arthur's Bar
01:10:18and invite you to,
01:10:20God willing
01:10:21and the universe willing,
01:10:23invite you to join us
01:10:24next year
01:10:25for the Scotsman Fringe Awards
01:10:262026.
01:10:28Thank you so much.
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