Wizard of Oz show hits the road to meet Fringe costs

The rising costs of staging a production during the Edinburgh Fringe have led to an amateur theatre company's manager embarking on a walk to the capital.

Selkirk-based Creative Stage have won awards for tutoring young actors over the past couple of decades.

Having already staged a show at the Fringe before the pandemic, the theatre school was desperate to give their latest stars a chance to perform at the world's biggest arts festival.

Technical manager Lewis Wilde is hoping to help meet the £1,000-a-night costs of staging the Wizard of Oz with a 36-mile sponsored walk between the stage school and its venue.

The show is being staged in the capital during the second week of August.

Lewis said: "It costs crazy amounts these days to put on a show at the Fringe, and to try and bring down the costs for everyone involved in the show I decided to do this walk."

Although Creative Stage's production of Wizard of Oz, which was performed during the spring in Galashiels, had a cast of 140 students, it was decided to trim down numbers for the Fringe show.

As well as Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion and Wicked Witch, there will be a further 20 young people in the supporting roles.

Creative Stage first performed Chorus Line at the festival in 2019 to sell-out audiences during its six-night run.

However, the costs of technical equipment, prop-hire, transport and venue space have all escalated over the past six years.

Lewis added: "We performed Wizard of Oz earlier this year and it was a great success.

"Taking the show to the Fringe is an amazing opportunity for all the young people to perform at the biggest arts festival in the world - but it comes at a cost."

Joining Lewis on the walk from Selkirk to Edinburgh is actor Alasdair Jeffrey and backstage hand Amy Thomson - as well as Dude the dog.