Festival Diary: Runaway success Roadkill's youngest star takes top award

Published on Sunday 29 August 2010 15:38

IT has been playing to some of the smallest audiences at the Fringe, but Roadkill, a hard-hitting play about sex trafficking into Scotland, has also proved to be the runaway hit of this year's festival.

The site-specific show, which sees an audience of just 15 bused to a basement flat off Leith Walk, has picked up its sixth major award at the latest count.

Already a Scotsman Fringe First Award winner, Cora Bissett's play — part of the Traverse Theatre's programme — landed its young star Mercy Ojelade, who plays the Nigerian teenager forced into the hidden sex trade in Edinburgh, the best actress award at the Stage magazine's ceremony last night.

Another Scottish production, Singin' I'm No a Billy He's a Tim, Des Dillon's play about two Old Firm fans stuck together in a police cell on the day of a crunch match, saw Scott Kyle winning the best actor award.

The cast of Do We Look Like Refugees!? — another Assembly show, featuring five Georgian actors playing characters thrown together during the aftermath of the 2008 war in South Ossetia — won best ensemble.

Brian Attwood, editor of the Stage, added: "The scope of this year's winners and nominees - with hard-hitting political and social dramas covering both international and uniquely Scottish issues, plus romantic and comic works - underlines more than ever the singular contribution to the arts made by the Fringe."

Expo fund pays off

THERE may be a great deal of uncertainty about the future of the Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund, which has seen 6 million from the Scottish Government ring-fenced to support home-grown productions over the last few years. But there seems little doubt about the success of the Fringe's Expo-funded "Made in Scotland" programme this year, after it took 12 awards.

Apart from Roadkill, major success stories included Sub Rosa, White, The Songbird and Private Dancer. Companies have already been approached to take productions to the Netherlands, the United States and Australia.

The Fringe was given 1.2m to share out among theatre and dance companies, with applications already open for the third programme next year.

Kath Mainland, Fringe chief executive, said: "The support this initiative offers companies provides a platform for Scottish-based performers to promote their best work at the Fringe."

Lee's chicken coup

The most predictable award of the Fringe was finally confirmed last night when the obscure Japanese comedy troupe the Frank Chickens were named winners of an online poll to find the festival's "Comedy God".

Comedian Stewart Lee sabotaged efforts to mark 30 years of the Fringe's top comedy award.