Grease extolled in Edinburgh
A glowing appraisal from the British press is no mean feat when you are one of 3880 shows and 35,000 performers vying for attention at the largest arts festival in the world. Yet that is what Nelson Youth Theatre managed to do during an eightday run of Grease – including six sold-out performances – at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
A 26-strong cast and an entourage of crew, parents and family went to Edinburgh, following the company’s attendance last year to perform Holy Moses, which served as preparation for this year’s trip.
NYT director and producer Richard Carruthers said it took a couple of days for the group – which included two Norwegian ex-youth theatre teens, and one on her OE in Portugal – to find their feet.
A preview article listed Grease as one of the top 10 youth shows at the Fringe, while one reviewer gave it three stars – the same rating given to a professional touring West End production of the same musical.
‘‘People loved the show, loved that it was Grease ‘with real teenagers’, and loved that we had come all across the world to present it,’’ Carruthers said.
Balancing rehearsals with school and study, many of the performers raised the $4000 budgeted for the trip through evening or weekend jobs. An article in The Times said the company’s efforts to get to Edinburgh embodied ‘‘the true spirit of the Fringe’’.
The performers also made time to see shows in a variety of genres not usually available in Nelson. Not surprisingly, new musicals topped everyone’s list, including Early Mornings, featuring two ex-youth theatre members in lead roles, and crowd favourite Unfortunate, ‘‘a very rude reimagining’’ of The Little Mermaid.
Carruthers said interest in returning to the Fringe next year was high.