Chichester College students off to the Edinburgh Fringe

The programme offers the opportunity to create and perform theatre for the world’s largest performing arts platform.

Over the year-long course students undertake skills development and weekly rehearsals culminating in a seven-day performance run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

This year the company is taking two productions: Salem, The Witch Trials Of Today, a dynamic blend of physical theatre and dance, and The Wonderful World of Winnie-the-Pooh, an original play with music which reimagines the beloved stories of A A Milne.

And the great news is that we will get the chance to see them first in the environment in which they were created. Before their Edinburgh run, both works will preview from Tuesday, June 24-Thursday, June 26 at the Riverside Theatre, Chichester College. Wonderful World of Winnie-the-Pooh performances are at 10:30am and 6pm; Salem performances are at 1pm and 7:30pm. Tickets are available via ticket source.

Murray Hughes, from the college, said: “We set up the course with the intention of providing performers with the opportunity to work on original material that they will develop throughout the academic year and then take to perform in Edinburgh.

“The atmosphere is so great at Edinburgh, and it is such a good opportunity for these young performers to experience what it is really like to work in the business. There is the expectation and there is the fact of having to jump into a venue and just do the show with very little prep time. It is about the skills and the challenges to create a piece and to market it themselves, and that's what we have been working on. It has been a very collaborative project, and the performers voices have been vital.”

Playing Tigger in Winnie-the-Pooh is Ruby Cross: “It has gone really, really well. I really enjoyed it straight away. It's a nice way of connecting with people that I had not worked with before or had not met before, and it's a nice way of getting everybody’s ideas together.”

And it has certainly shaped Ruby's thinking: “I think I have gained a lot of respect for directors and the people behind the scenes on a stage performance. It is their work that means that we are able to collaborate with each other so that we can spin off different ideas with each other. I think I've gained a lot of confidence in communicating and asking other people what is right for the vision. And I've gained confidence in speaking to other students and asking for their ideas as well.”

Estelle Palmer, who is directing the Wonderful World of Winnie-the-Pooh, said: “We have been looking at it differently. There is a real need for relevant vocational skills and really experiencing the industry. We auditioned more than 60 people. It's not just open to our existing students here, and then we started the creative process in September. It is as much about making theatre as it is about the final product. It is about taking the ideas and developing them.”