> Exi Attica’s Get Thee to a Nursery: Youth Theatre, Shakespeare, and Fringe Accessibility - SNACK: Music, film, arts and culture magazine for Scotland

    Exi Attica’s Get Thee to a Nursery: Youth Theatre, Shakespeare, and Fringe Accessibility

    Earlier this month at the Edinburgh Fringe, Exi Attica brought their inventive youth theatre piece Get Thee to a Nursery to thespace on the Mile. Mixing Shakespearean language with the boundless energy of young performers, the production explored what happens when a group of four-year-olds become possessed by the Bard’s ghost.

    We caught up with director Alex Norcott, a secondary school drama teacher from Denny, to talk about the cast’s creative journey, the importance of accessibility in the arts, and why youth theatre belongs at the Fringe as much as the big-budget productions.

    So, Alex, with just a few weeks to go, how are things going?

    We did a preview, and it went considerably better than expected. All the actors were in other shows for their schools and yet we managed to pull it off. The response has really galvanized the cast. I did say, thank you guys, I can now go away and have a summer holiday! This is a new cast and something we didn’t get a proper preview last year so the first show at the Fringe was their first time. These guys are much more ahead which is wonderful. They are extremely excited and determined.

    In terms of the structure, how does it differ now?

    It’s a little bit longer. I worked out that [last year] we didn’t use up our entire allocated time, so there’s more depth, characters have a much broader arc, and there are more soliloquies, which I think we could have added a wee bit more of last year.

    What did your new cast bring? 

    They brought a new dimension to the characters [and were] able to open up another emotional side. The characters show a little more vulnerability, as kids. I was able to give them weightier texts. With Jayden, I’ve given him a soliloquy from Henry IV where he says ‘I heard my mother say that I was born with teeth’, and you see this violent character, crying on stage, now quoting the future. It’s a much more comprehensive play compared with the experiment that we had last year. I’ve been able to give them more complex text, which has intrigued Playwrights’ Studio Scotland, who have a copy of the script.

    How did that hook-up with Playwrights’ Studio Scotland come about?

    Just out of sheer curiosity, I sent them a copy of one of the spare scripts, because they said they like submissions. I did it old-fashioned style – put it in the post with a letter! Just to show off. This is something we physically created in the classroom, and I think they found that appealing – that it was workshops and devised as a sort of extracurricular project in a school setting.

    One of their producers came out and gave a talk to our seniors, and they [the seniors] liked the fact that there are opportunities within the arts. They [Playwrights’ Studio Scotland] wanted to highlight what the studio does. One of them wants to come and watch the show, just to see how it all comes about. It could end up being available for other people, which is superb. At the end of this process, if we have something to pass on, I think that would be wonderful – it would complete the whole journey for the young people, because they can say ‘we created something together and now it’s got value elsewhere’ – and that will never leave them, whatever comes next. It will happen if it happens – we’ll see!

    Are all the cast arts-experienced?

    They’re from Denny, but these guys very rarely get out to Edinburgh at all, let alone to the Fringe. We’ve got members who have come from pretty hard backgrounds. One of the guys told our local MP, Euan Stainbank, that drama wasn’t his favourite subject when he was 12 or 13, but he’s really loved the camaraderie, and contributing, and has enjoyed creating something for audiences. You see him at rehearsals, even when he’s not required. He turns up because he just loves being there, and I think this has opened his eyes a lot. It’s really fulfilling to see that. It’s all possible here. We’re demonstrating that if we can do it, many others can as well. 

    Did any of the previous cast members make it to the stage professionally?

    When I first did it in 2022, three of those cast members are coming back this year with their own work. One is doing a drag show at this year’s Fringe, which is brilliant. Another is bringing a performance from a little youth group in Stirling. 

    So there is real value in the process, as well as getting to the Fringe? 

    As long as you open their eyes to how possible and accessible it is to go to the Fringe. It’s not impossible. I think there is this sense that you’ve got to have 10 grand in your pocket and have an agent to do it. The reality is that if you find the right avenues you can get yourself to the Fringe – we’ve got proof of that now, so that’s great. It gives another interpretation of what the arts do for society and community. It’s not just me, me, me.

    The process can transform somebody’s life: revealing that to more people is a worthy cause. The old cast appreciated it after they left school, and went into the big, wide world – they realised how vast and competitive this world is. They can say ‘this is something I did’, which perhaps many haven’t been able to do yet. Having that comparison has really been really rewarding for them. One of the cast, when they had an interview for college, most of the interview conversation was about the Fringe, so it does have that impact.



    For news on Ex Attica’s work, including future productions, look out for updates on falkirk.gov.uk