Young Fifers at heart of Fringe show

Aimee Izatt, Sophie Anderson and Caulumn Andrews are part of the cast from Edinburgh-based MGA Academy of Performing Arts staging Five Kinds of Silence.

Aimee is from Kirkcaldy, Sophie, from Glenrothes, and Caulumn from Elie, and the show is directed by Molly Innes,from Kirkcaldy.

It’s an adaptation of Shelagh Stephenson’s award winning drama about a family living with abusive, controlling father and partner.

Aimee, who will turn 21 during the run, is returning to the Fringe after previously taking part in an amateur Production.

The former Balwearie High School pupil said: “This is my first professional production so I’m really excited. Having been at the Fringe before, I feel a bit more relaxed about it this year, but it’s obviously still a big deal for me.

“The show is so important. It explores issues that are very much present in the world today.

‘‘I’m sure the audience will go through a range of emotions and be left with a lot to contemplate.”

Aimee, who counts Anne Marie Duff among her acting idols, is going into her final year at The MGA Academy.

She added: “Since being at The MGA Academy, I’ve grown as both an actor and a person.

‘‘The students and staff are like a little second family. My class is quite small so we have bonded in a way I’ve never experienced before.”

The show’s cast features a host of aspiring stage superstars from academy’s full-time acting diploma course.

Director, Molly, said: “Five Kinds of Silence is an award-winning and heart-wrenching play and we are looking forward to sharing it with international audiences at this year’s festival. We would encourage people to come along, enjoy the show and support and students and graduates, many of whom are making their Fringe debut.”

>> Review:

Five Kinds Of Silence

C Venues - Ctoo (Venue 4), St Columba’s By The Castle

‘’Enjoy is the wrong word, but it was brilliant’’ said one woman as she left the venue.

The subject matter is as serious as it gets - a family living under the control of an abusive, controlling man who himself is a victim of a predatory relative.

This adaptation of Shelagh Stephenson’’s award winning drama starts with his shooting, and is then told in flashback through the eyes of each family member.

Using the full scope of the room, the cast gradually unravel the back story and reveal more about the horrific experiences that have shaped their lives.

It’s a tough and dark play to take on, and the young cast from the MGA Academy all rise to the challenge.

The staging is minimal - chairs and a bed - leaving the entire focus on the narrative, each tightly narrated scene teasing out more of their stories and horrific experiences.

The show has strong Fife connections too, with Aimiee Izatt from Kirkcaldy, Sophie Anderson from Glenrothes, and Caulumn Andrews from Elie, all making their professional debuts. It is also directed by Molly Innes from Kirkcaldy.

Go see and support young Scottish talent.