Getting involved with theatre and the performing arts as a postgrad student
by Molly, from the US, studying Philosophy (MSc)
One of the things I was most excited about when I came to Edinburgh was the prospect of living in a city where the arts are a part of its very lifeblood. Everywhere you go, you’ll have the chance to either watch or take part in some kind of performance, like band gigs at a local pub, musical theater, Shakespeare productions, folk music nights, operas, and more! I have a particular love of acting, myself, and so wanted to get involved as soon as I could within the theater scene here at the university. I’d love to share with you a bit about my experience in doing so as a postgraduate student who was new to the area, and who knew no one before I arrived.
If you want to become involved in the arts at Edinburgh (or any activity outside of pure academia), take full advantage of Welcome Week! Here, you will be able to interact with representatives of many of the student-led societies (of which there are hundreds) at the society/club faire. It was at Welcome Week that I learned about the existence of the myriad of performing arts societies that Edinburgh has to offer, such as the Edinburgh University Theatre Company (EUTC) at Bedlam Theater, the Shakespeare Company, Theatre Paradok (focusing on experimental productions), Savoy Opera Group (EUSOG, which produces contemporary musicals as well as operas), and Footlights (also a musical theater company). Many of these societies will have “Freshers Week” events, where you can meet some of the society members, learn about their audition and production processes, and participate in workshops – these events are for all new students (that includes you, post-grads!).
The first theater group that I became heavily involved with was EUTC at Bedlam Theater. At Welcome Week, I learned that they were hosting auditions for their big mid-semester show – a stage adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s “Guards! Guards!” – and decided to show up for a drop-in audition purely on a whim. I knew nobody, and yet everybody who I met there was extraordinarily welcoming, friendly, and supportive. What I was the most pleasantly surprised by was the fact that it wasn’t just undergraduate students who played an active part in this community, but so did a large number of postgrads (and even alumnae)! I was cast as the lead villain in that first show I auditioned for, and was able to mingle with an incredibly kind and diverse cast, ranging from brand new first-years to fourth-years who had been involved with Bedlam for years (who were able to introduce me to many other theater-goers) to new postgrads like myself. I was instantly accepted within this community, and I am still very good friends with a lot of the people from that cast, even though the show ended in October! We still go out to the pub occasionally, host movie nights, and watch other productions together.
Since then, I’ve been involved in a number of productions at Bedlam, ranging from the philosopher Sartre’s “No Exit” (allowing me to combine my MSc studies with my love of acting in collaboration with the Philosophy Society), a live workshop of a brand new rock opera (written and directed by a PhD student here on campus), Bedlam’s infamous ‘Halfbaked’ series, and more! In only the span of a few months, I’ve made many new friends, watched many, MANY shows, tried new things, and discovered new talents in the process, all thanks to this wonderful theater community. I hope that this blog will motivate any incoming students who are interested in the performing arts to not be afraid to get involved as soon as you arrive on campus!
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