A talented group of young women are set to take the stage at the Edinburgh Fringe after starting out in their home of the North East.
Rosie Bowden, Rowan Miller and Caitlin Fairlamb first met on the Project A actor training course at Newcastle’s Theatre Royal. The trio decided to come together to make their own show at the start of this year, after discovering a shared passion for stories with women’s voices and a sense of community at their heart.
Their debut offering, Head Girl, was first shown at Live Theatre’s Elevator Festival before travelling to The Central Bar in Gateshead. The coming-of-age story follows Becca as she runs for the position of head girl at school, navigating the trials and tribulations of being a woman in the 21st century from ‘girl boss’ mentality to practising self-care.
READ MORE: Whitley Bay carnival returns this weekend with fun-filled day of celebrations
Described as a platonic love story about ambition and “falling in and out of love with yourself”, a renewed version of Head Girl will appear at the coveted Edinburgh Fringe this August. The spot is a huge achievement for 20-year-old Rosie, 22-year-old Rowan and 23-year-old Caitlin - although of course there are some nerves that come with it.
“It’s daunting to think about the amount of people you’ll be competing with, but there’s also a really lovely element of surprise and excitement,” says Rosie. And all they can hope for, she adds, is that audiences enjoy their debut.
“It’s a show about not being too hard on yourself, and looking towards the future without a big cloud over it,” Rosie explains. “I hope they’ll take away a big smile, and a real sense of hope.”
Despite travelling further afield, the play’s Newcastle roots will always shine through. “The friendly attitude of the North East really comes across in our work,” Rosie adds.
Girl Next Door are currently busy making plans to visit other venues across the North East, and continuing to make work that aims to celebrate the experiences of women and young people. But in the meantime, the trio need the support of locals to make sure they get to the Fringe.
Everything that Girl Next Door does relies entirely on fundraising, while Rosie, Rowan and Caitlin all have other jobs to support their work from ushering at theatres to working in coffee shops. They are throwing a big fundraising event in Newcastle this weekend to ensure they can afford to put on a brilliant show at the Fringe.
The Girl Next Door Fringe Fundraiser is set to take place in the Journey Café Bar on New Bridge Street between 12pm and 6pm on Sunday 29 May, where there will be a second-hand clothes and book sale along with fun activities from limbo and spin the wheel competitions to temporary tattoos. The event will also have live music from Maya Torres and Ollie Winn.
Head Girl is performing at two locations in Edinburgh as part of the Fringe throughout August. Details for performance times and how to book tickets can be found on the Edinburgh Fringe website .
