Street Acts
Traverse’s annual schools script project takes to the streets
Seventeen scripts by secondary school pupils have been posted on billboard sites around Edinburgh, taking the Traverse’s annual Class Act project out onto the streets in this year when it can’t take place in the theatre.
Class Act, which will celebrate its thirtieth anniversary later this year with its 2021 intake, allows secondary school pupils to work with established playwrights to create short scripts which, in a non-pandemic year, would be performed script-in-hand at the Traverse.
The main poster site on Lothian Road featuring seven scripts.
The scripts from the Class Act of 2020 will be on display at the sites in posters designed by Orlando Lloyd, until the end of the Easter Holidays on April 19.
The participants come from four schools: Craigroyston Community High, Boroughmuir High, Broughton High and Royal High. For the first time, they also took part in workshops from Scottish theatre creatives across a range of disciplines.
Seven of the scripts are displayed on Lothian Road, outside the Usher Hall. Five form a mini trail towards Dalry, via the EICC and Fountainbridge, with the remaining five forming a trail from the Cowgate down towards Clerk Street and St Leonards. See map and listing below.
challenges and opportunities
The Traverse’s creative development producers, Robbie Gordon and Wezi Mhura, said: “Although the pandemic created challenges for delivering 2020’s Class Act project, it has also created some fantastic opportunities, such as this chance to share the thought-provoking and lively work of participating students with the whole of their home city.
“We’ve been constantly excited and inspired by the vision and imagination of all the students we’ve worked with, their determination to create even in difficult circumstances, and how passionate they are about a range of topics.
“We’re delighted that people around the city will be able to experience their brilliant words and ideas over the next couple of weeks.”
Poster sites
The Class Act scripts will be on view at the following locations until Monday 19 April, 2021.
Lothian Road
In front of the Usher Hall
The Desolation of Joris (Boroughmuir High School)
Milo the Wanderer and Kick The Bucket List (Broughton High School)
The Camp, I Hope and I Fear, Haunted House and Stephen and the Bully (Royal High School)
Festival Square
The Bodybuilder and the Policeman (Craigroyston Community High School)
King’s Stables Road
At the bottom of the steps up to Castle Terrace
Zombie (Craigroyston Community High School)
EICC
At the corner of Ladyfield
No one wants to Look Like Me (Craigroyston Community High School)
Dalry Road
On the corner of Richmond Terrace
Murder Mystery (Craigroyston Community High School)
Fountainbridge
Opposite Drysdale Rd
Daddy’s Gone (Broughton High School)
Cowgate Carpark
Under George IV Bridge, by the Bongo Club
The Writers (Broughton High School)
Poster site at Pottorrow for A Boring Sunday by Broughton High School pupils.
Potterrow
Next to the subway outside the museum.
A Boring Sunday (Broughton High School)
Nicolson Street
On the corner of Reekie’s Court
I’m A Celeb Gone Wrong (Craigroyston Community High School)
Clerk Street Cinema
Dinosaurs in Love (Boroughmuir High School)
St Leonards Street
Corner of Lutton Place
Reunion (Boroughmuir High School)
The scripts will also be performed on the Traverse’s online venue, Traverse 3, at some point in May.
ENDS
