LIPA student production gets backing for Edinburgh Fringe

Second year BA (Hons) Acting student Noah Xavier will make an Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut this summer with Brick, an original play written and performed by Noah.

Backed by a LIPA Enterprise grant and Boondog Theatre's Edinburgh Mentorship Scheme, second-year Noah tells us about the the production and the journey from first draft to the world's largest arts festival.

Tell us about Brick.

I started writing Brick around two years ago at the time I was applying to university. I'd started going to a few protests, around the time of the teachers strikes, and I became increasingly interested in the different ways people protested and why they protested.

Brick is a story about a young man called James who is arrested at a queer rights protest for throwing a brick. It takes place entirely within his holding cell over the course of one night with an unresponsive and unconscious cell mate who he latches on to and tells his life story to, all the things that led to him being part of the protest; how originally, he'd been trying to impress a guy he had feelings for who was very politically motivated - and how the more he learnt about politics and policies, the more he could relate it to his own life and how various institutions and their decisions had impacted him and some of the personal tragedies he had been through.

Really, it's about the places people can be pushed to when the institutions that are supposed to protect them let them down.

What can audiences expect?

I think they can expect it to be funny. I think the humour in it has taken a few people by surprise. It sounds like quite a serious, dark play - and it is in a lot of ways. But there are quite a lot of moments of lightness. There is a kind of dark comedy running throughout it.

I hope people who see it will think about how they on an individual level can help and protect vulnerable people in their own communities and how that change can hopefully lead to change at an institutional level.

Your theatre company, Left for Dead, is being supported by Boondog Theatre's Edinburgh Mentorship Scheme. What does that support mean practicality?

I work at Nottingham Playhouse and they have an artist development scheme, Amplify. As part of that I saw Boondog Theatre perform their show Love It as one of their Edinburgh preview shows. It's an origin story for Mrs Lovett from Sweeney Todd – and I thought it was absolutely brilliant. I was already thinking about taking Brick to the Fringe so when they announced their mentorship scheme last year I got in touch straight away.

Their help means I'm able to spend much more time focussing on the actual performance. They have over a decade of experience of the Fringe and have been able to use their knowledge and connections to sort out a lot of the practicalities like sorting a venue and the production side of it. Performing at the Fringe can difficult, especially for the first time. Their help has been incredible.

You've also been awarded a LIPA Enterprise grant to help you take the show to the Fringe. What has that enabled you to do?

The Fringe can be incredibly expensive and the grant essentially means the difference between being able to hire a technician or not or being able to find accommodation or not.

LIPA is very supportive of new work, both the tutors and the other students. I'd forgotten about Brick during my first year but then about halfway through I mentioned it to Stuart Crowther (course leader BA (Hons) Acting) and they encouraged me to do a reading of it. Loads of people came to see it and said some really nice things about it and have been so supportive. I have students from other courses helping with filming trailers and the design. It's been great to connect with so many people across LIPA who are excited about doing the same things that I want to do.

Finally, what are you most looking forward to at the Fringe?

I think the spirit of the Fringe. It started in 1947 when eight theatre companies turned up uninvited to the Edinburgh International Festival but as they weren't part of the official programme they weren't able to perform at it it. But that didn't stop them, they found a way around it and put their shows on anyway. I'm looking forward to being with so many creative people who have that spirit of doing stuff because they love it so much and want to share it.

You can see Brick at Studio at C Arts, Lauriston Halls 5 – 30 August.

Book tickets for Brick

Brick credits:

JAMES - Noah Xavier (2nd Year BA Acting)

THE MAN - Cai Gruffudd (2nd Year BA Acting (Musicianship))

Writer - Noah Xavier (2nd Year BA Acting)

Directors - Ren Flashner (2nd Year BA Acting) & Maria Ramjee (2nd Year BA Acting)