The Collie's Shed
Based in a Men's Shed in East Lothian, The Collie's Shed follows four retired miners as they discover how a review into the policing of the '80s mining strikes and a potential Miners' Pardon Bill by the Scottish Government suddenly affects them, their friendships and their relationships. Journey with us through time as we hear how one unforgettable and violent day of striking at Bilston Glen Colliery leaves our characters wrestling with what is right and wrong. Learn who our characters are, who they once were and where they stand on the picket line...
'The Collie's Shed' marks Island Life Productions' debut show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. We will be performing in the Other Yin at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose from August 2nd-20th 2023.
Book your tickets now by heading to https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:4919/
Support our Fringe journey by heading to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/7564317/the-collies-shed-at-edinburgh-fringe-2023-and-beyond?fbclid=IwAR1METJ0QFtqe6RLtjbYgFj40XCcraQgTUsU713LK1C8i9TxmSc_9bu1aYU
Cast
Stephen Corrall - Charlie
Stephen is an Edinburgh based actor who has been involved in many stage, TV (Netflix, Prime) and film productions. He is a regular Fringe performer, and this is his second appearance in “The Collie’s Shed”. Previous stage productions have included “Blood Brothers”, “The Satyricon” and “A Midsummer’s Night Dream”. He is very much the muso, and currently plays in a band comprised only of actors, just imagine the egos there!
Alasdair Ferguson - Tommy
Alasdair has been in more than 30 films and seven plays over the past five years. He will next be seen onscreen in the feature film ‘Mortem’ due for release this year. He played a minister in the TV series ‘A True Mismatch’, which is currently airing on Amazon Prime. Alasdair was a journalist for 25 years, reviewing films and interviewing actors and musicians like Steve Coogan and David Cassidy. He was awarded a BA in digital filmmaking in 2019. He composes music. In 2022 he was commissioned to compose an original song for the show Dancing with the Devil.
Dom Fraser - Young Tommy
Dom Fraser is a Scottish actor who has starred in several short films, commercials and modelling campaigns. After performing in “Mother Courage” with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and The Collie’s Shed in 2022 he moved to London at the end of the year and has since signed with Top Talent Agency and his most recent short film “Grounded” won best Sci-Fi at the Apex Film awards. In the build up to Fringe 2023, he has been performing on stage with @directorscuttheatre and @cherrypickednewwriting!
Rory Grant - Young Glen
Rory is a native Glaswegian of mixed Scots & Irish heritage. Since first appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017, he has played a variety of roles on stage and screen across the UK and is thrilled to bring Shelley’s powerful & moving drama back to the Fringe this year after a great run in 2022. Rory is set to graduate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in the autumn.
John Gray - Young Charlie
John is Scottish based actor who came into the industry later on in life. A published author with a degree in literature, he has been seen in many roles on Tv, feature/short film and now stage. He is excited to be back on stage playing the part of Charlie again, a role which he relished last year. John is looking forward to being involved in many more projects in the future.
Joey Locke - Young Billy
Joey is an Actor, writer & singer from Leith. As well as 5+ years professional experience, Joey has also released 2 tracks with independent label, NEW VISION RECORDS & produces for Leith locals DISLEXIC FILM. Since last year, Joey has worked on a handful of music videos, 2 short films & 1 feature, with the likes of Scots legends Kate Dickie, Irvine Welsh & Sandy Thomson.
Kevin Parr - Billy
Kevin Parr is a stage, screen and tv actor from Dundee. He has performed many different roles in plays at theatres in Scotland including Dundee Rep. He currently has been part of a comedy short sketch for the BBC. This will be Kevins' second time performing the role of Billy in The Collie's Shed onstage at the Edinburgh fringe and he is very much looking forward to it. He is also the winner of a Scottish games BAFTA award for his voiceover work.
Paul Wilson - Glen
Paul started his acting career at the ripe old age of 5, in a TV commercial for lemonade. He has been involved in numerous plays, doing comedy, musicals, and solid dramas. He has played a lot of policemen and a wide variety of other characters, namely, Inspector Goole in ‘An Inspector Calls’, Edward Sheridan in ‘Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me’, Laurence in ‘Abigail’s Party’, Robert Miranda in ‘Betrayal’, and Alan Turing in ‘Breaking The Code’. He has also worked in musical theatre playing numerous roles in ‘Spamalot’, Mr Brownlow in ‘Oliver’, Alec Harvey in ’Brief Encounter’, and Doc in ‘West Side Story’. Past work has also included a short film ‘Out Of Focus’ playing DCI Phil Brooks. After relocating back to Edinburgh, he was lucky enough to work on the Edinburgh Passion Project, filming a monologue playing the Centurion. More recently Paul has performed numerous characters in ‘Sunshine On Leith’ at the Brunton Theatre in Musselburgh, ‘(There Are) No Strangers Here’ at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh, and playing Jim in ‘Brassed Off’ for EPT.) He has also narrated a couple of audio books, a couple about Glasgow gangsters and robbers, with another in the pipeline.
Crew
Megan Dunlop - Lighting Technician
For 6 years Megan has been one of the stage managers at her school and in the last couple years assisted with the lighting design and operations. This year she has completed her final 4 shows of herschool journey, as the primary technician, and is excited for her nextadventure. Her fringe experiences partnered with summer courses and (with covid) various online workshops over the years have taught her everything she knows - further aided by her helpful and inspiring mentors - and since then she has jumped into any and all opportunities offered to her. In Fringe 2022 Megan was a technician for 9 shows, everything from musicals to spoken word, and was a part of the youngest creative group performing at the Fringe. This year she hopes to have another wonderful experience. Most recently she was the sound and lighting technician for Gooseflesh at Bedlam Theatre in Edinburgh, and in October she was a part of Cam, Die With Me in Assembly Roxy Edinburgh, both of which were sold out shows. Other than a lover of theatre and tech Megan is an avid academic particularly of all things theology and religion. If you can’t find her inthe tech box then she’s most likely in the library or desperately seeking coffee!
Shelley Middler - Writer/Director
Shelley Middler is an Edinburgh and East Lothian based performer and writer. Having graduated in 2019 with her acting degree from the University for the Creative Arts, Shelley went on to study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Since then, she has worked across all platforms, performing on stage at Dublin’s Smock Alley Theatre and most recently starring in ‘Kneecaps’ by Joe Hunter which was produced by Framework Theatre and Moot Point Collective. Shelley has also starred in multiple short films and lent her voice to some audio plays, most recently with Theatre Paradok for their trio of audio plays based around Classical Literature. As a writer, Shelley has written for the Scottish Youth Theatre and been selected to take part in the Traverse Young Writers Group in 2020 and then the Strange Town Writers Group where she created and devised multiple plays for their young actors from 2020 to present. Shelley debuted and self-produced her own play, ‘THE COLLIE’S SHED’ at this years Edinburgh Fringe. Shelley was nominated and shortlisted for two of Framework Theatre’s Scottish Emerging Theatre Awards- the Flourish Award and Artist of the Year ’21
Fin Ross Russell - Producer
Fin Ross Russell is the co-founder of Island Life Productions, having founded the company with his sister in 2011. Since founding the company, he completed his BA in Drama, Applied Theatre & Education from the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama. Following a year working at Chichester Festival Theatre as the theatre's Education Assistant, Fin moved up to Edinburgh where alongside running the company, he has worked as a freelance facilitator for various companies including the Brunton Theatre, Millennium Stage School, Scottish Youth Theatre, Edinburgh City Council, Strange Town, Ignite Theatre, Imaginate, LYRA, PACE Theatre Company and Lyceum Youth Theatre. Fin also lectures for the CGO Institute and assistant directed Perth Theatre's main-stage production of Chaos (February 2022). Fin is a board member of Capital Theatres and founding member of their new Youth Advisory Board.
Étáin Saoirse Sweeney - Sound Technician
Étáin is an award-winning singer-songwriter and producer from Leitrim, Ireland. She has written, produced, and mixed two critically acclaimed EPs, and her debut stand-alone single At Least One has seen her tipped to join the ranks of the new guard of folk/pop musicians who have enjoyed global success (When the Horn Blows). Étáin first began working in sound for theatre in 2022 when she designed sound for the premiere of Sam Clark’s Sex and Sculpture at Scene and Heard Festival in Smock Alley, Dublin, and for its run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last year. Just a few months later, she made her debut as a Music Director for Mihalis Michailidis’ 4-star sell-out, Cam Die with Me, at Assembly Roxy in Edinburgh. Since then, Étáin has composed, produced, and mixed an extended audio piece for moving image entitled Cá a nDeachaigh Mé? (transl. Where have I gone?). As Audio Director and Co-Creator, she developed the piece from conception with multi-disciplinary production company, Dumbworld Productions, exploring the historical phenomenon of Irish emigration. The Collie’s Shed resonated strongly with Étáin when she first saw it performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2022. She is excited to be part of the team returning to the festival this year, at a time when the play's message is more relevant than ever.
