By Aya O’Shea

St. Andrews is home to an eclectic mix of societies, from capoeira to quidditch. Here the student’s passion for extra-curriculars is second to none. Not even Oxford. Officially. See ‘The Times’. [1] All jokes aside, nowhere will you see this enthusiasm and dedication more than in the St. Andrews performing arts societies.

There are countless sub-committees, companies, production groups, and writing troops. This list will hardly encompass them all. However, it will, I hope, serve as a helpful introduction to some of the main performing arts outlets in this small but truly theatrical town.

Firstly, venues:

St Andrews main performing arts space is the Byre Theatre. A professional theatre hosting all manner of university, amateur, and professional productions, film screenings, and a whole host of theatrical workshops. Check out the Byre website for up-to-date event listings and theatrical opportunities: https://byretheatre.com/

The second largest venue in St. Andrews is the St. Age. The St. Age functions in the same space as 601, with the seating rack extended and the stage lights on. This space hosts, fashion shows, traditional theatre, as well as the weekly bop! Check out the Union website for all details concerning the St.Age: https://www.yourunion.net/spaces/601/

This year we sadly saw the closure of The Barron, St. Andrew’s student run theatre.

However, in its stead we have the Byre studio, on the top floor of the Byre theatre. The studio is a black box theatre venue, managed and programmed by a student run committee. This space hosts student written plays and atmospheric dramas. The Mermaids newsletter is the most up-to-date source on goings on in the Barron Studio. Email: mermaids@st-andrews.ac.uk to add your name to the mailing list.

Finally, the most casual of the performance venues in St. Andrews is SANDY’s Bar, just off main bar. This bar hosts various comedy events including sketch nights, stand up and improv shows.

If you’re looking to get involved in the St. Andrews performing arts scene, here’s a brief look at all the many societies and how to get involved:

Mermaids Performing Arts Fund is St. Andrews theatre society. It is in fact a sub-committee of the union, meaning all matriculated students are automatically members, no membership fee required. Any student is able propose to direct a show, audition or take up a backstage role, no previous experience required.

Proposals and auditions for semester one have now passed, but will re-open in November for the Freshers Drama Festival, Semester Two Productions and the Edinburgh Fringe. In the meantime, be sure to get tickets to see the following productions:

A Pinter Night Out, 24th-25th of October in the Byre Studio. A Pinter Night Out is a double-bill of some of the lesser performed short-plays of the Nobel Prize winning playwright, Harold Pinter.

Posh, 2nd-3rd November, in the Byre. Posh tells follows the story of an elite Oxford dining group, the Riot Club, who meet in a rural gastropub with the principal aim of getting totally smashed. But what started as a night of revelry and tradition, quickly begins to reveal the dark side of privilege.

And Then There Were None, Week 10, in the St.Age. This adaptation of Agatha Christie's famous novel And Then There Were None is the epitome of the classic whodunit. 10 people are invited to be the guest of Mr Owens on his private island, only to become the recipients of someone’s perverted sense of murderous justice...’

This semester Mermaids are also staging two student written productions, Till Death Do Us Part and This Way Out.

If Musical Theatre is more your speed, MUST (previously Just So), St. Andrews’ musical theatre society is staging the 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee, in the Byre Theatre. MUST also hosts regular cabaret nights, if you fancy a casual song and dance with other musical theatre lovers. If opera takes your fancy, be sure to check out Gilbert and Sullivan society’s production of The Pirate of Penzance and OpSoc’s performance of Finian’s rainbow.

Finally, for a laugh and some lighter entertainment. Blind Mirth, a true St. Andrews improv comedy troop, performs every Monday in Sandy’s bar.

If you are a fellow theatre lover, ST.ART is currently looking for theatre writers and reviewers. For more information, get in touch with theatre editor Aya O’Shea by emailing asof@st-andrews.ac.uk

[1] https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/uk-university-rankings-revealed-the-times-league-table-dbxtwgm70

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