Local pupils set to take centre stage at world’s biggest arts festival
A group of talented teenagers from across the Falkirk Council area are preparing to swap the classroom for the spotlight as they bring a bold, original play to the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Under the guidance of Denny High School drama teacher Alexander Norcott, the young performers will stage ‘Get Thee to a Nursery’, a fast-paced tragicomedy that creatively reinterprets Shakespeare’s plays from a child’s perspective.
New cast, same ambition
Building on the success of the previous sell-out run, this new version of the play has been devised and rehearsed entirely in the pupils’ own time, who have been meeting twice a week to rehearse at Denny High School for the past 9 months.
While last year’s production featured a different cast, this year’s Falkirk Shakespeare troupe includes six pupils aged 16 to 17 from four secondary schools – Ruben McNiven (Denny High School), Kate Darroch, Alfie Taylor and Katlyn Mclay (Falkirk High School), Rosie Kibsgaard (Braes High School), and Dane Brown (Larbert High School).
Behind the scenes, pupils are also taking on production roles including costume designs by Inara Armstrong (Braes High School) and stage management by Bethany Ford and Harrison Firth (Denny High School).
Shakespeare, but not as you know it
The play - which will run from 2 to 9 August 2025 in theSpace on the Mile - was developed through workshops held in several local high schools, and blends more than 20 Shakespeare plays into a surreal, high-energy story set in a nursery.
When a group of unruly four-year-olds tear up a copy of the Bard’s collected works, they are suddenly cursed by his spirit – speaking in Shakespearean verse and acting out his greatest tragedies and comedies.
It’s imaginative, witty, and designed to make Shakespeare accessible to a new generation – and performing it at the Fringe places the young cast in good company, as the festival has launched the careers of many a star including Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry and Eddie Izzard.
Alexander Norcott, who produces the show under the name Exi Attica, said:
The Edinburgh Fringe is where some of the UK’s best-known performers got their start - and now our pupils are stepping onto that same stage. They’ve shown real dedication, creativity and maturity beyond their years. Performing at this level is no small feat, but these young people are more than ready for it.
“They’re not just learning lines - they’re learning confidence, resilience and teamwork. For many, this could be the first step on a much bigger journey, and it’s a privilege to help give them that platform.
In the spotlight
Following glowing reviews last year, the show caught national attention – even earning an Early Day Motion of Support in the House of Commons in March this year. Euan Stainbank MP for Falkirk praised last year’s Denny High School cast - (Katelyn Stevenson, Alix Byers, Lauren Gardner and Jessica Ashworth) - for producing and performing the original play at the Fringe.
In his motion, Mr Stainbank commended the pupils for their “dedication and creativity” and noted the production showcased “… the remarkable artistic abilities of young people from Falkirk”.
Paul Dunn, Headteacher, Denny High School, said:
Taking a show to the Fringe is no small task - it takes commitment, teamwork and real ambition as well as lots of talent. I’d encourage everyone to support this year’s cast of the Falkirk Shakespeare Project by buying a ticket and seeing first-hand the creativity and talent of these young people.
Tickets for ‘Get Thee to a Nursery’ are £6. The show runs from 2 to 9 August 2025 at 1.05pm.