BANNED Cast and Crew flying past Eigg

We were invited to the Edinburgh Fringe again this year and as we entered Scotland's airspace I was able to snap this picture. The map on the entertainment console said it was Eigg. I waved through the window as we passed by, but I doubt anyone saw me.

The Isle of Eigg from high above

In 2023 we won "Best New Musical" from Broadway World for our portrayal of the community buyout of the small Isle of Eigg at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Then we took a deep breath, and next thing you know, we were returning to perform BANNED. The timing was perfect though, WYSIWYG had become a bit dated and the new version of the show was a great fit for everyone on both sides of the pond.

2023 BroadwayWorld Denver Awards

Eigg the Musical recently brought home four 2023 BroadwayWorld Denver Awards, which honor the best in regional productions, touring shows and more. Eigg wins included "Best Musical", "Best New Musical", "Best Director of a Musical" and "Best Supporting Performer in a Musical." BroadwayWorld requires the performances premiere between Oct. 1, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2023. Audiences members and their friends can then vote and make their selections on an online portal for the best in each category through December 31, 2023. Winners were announced on January 9th, 2024.

“I’m ecstatic and very proud of  what the cast & crew have done and proud of the show too,” said April Alsup, producer and composer of the work. The amount of time and effort that goes into a production like this is unreal. To see those efforts acknowledged in a regional and statewide way is really fabulous."

2023 Regional BroadwayWorld Awards 

"The people voting validate that the work we’re doing is high caliber and at an elite level. It acknowledges the hard work that the leadership team have put into developing the show and the performances of the actors.” BroadwayWorld is an international organization that’s broken down in different regions across America, Canada, Central and South America, Europe and Asia. “This is a peoples' choice award and it's really the only theatre award like it in our area, so it’s a big deal,” Alsup said.

Eigg the Musical was performed at the Vintage Theatre in July 2023. Situated in Scotland's Inner Hebrides, the Isle of Eigg has a fascinating history of sovereignty. Not long ago, the inhabitants of Eigg faced a different type of invader; a celebrity Laird looking to create his Gaelic island utopia. The transfer to community ownership hatched on Eigg is arguably the most captivating example of Scottish land reform. "Our shows were packed at Vintage and it's a good feeling to have your theatre friends support and vote for you," Alsup said.

Complete list of our Eigg blog posts

Denver theatre troupe takes Scotland by storm

Here's an article in the Denver Post on Thursday, November 23rd, 2023 about our short run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this Summer. How nice, thank you Julie for the placement and Kim for your snapshot!

Denver Post newspaper clipping about Eigg Musical

Complete list of our Eigg blog posts

2023 Eigg the Musical Scrapbook

Creating Eigg the Musical started back in 2017 when an article appeared in the Guardian about the community buyout of the Isle of Eigg. Six years later we debuted our show at the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the last performance was at Greenside @ Riddles Court on August 12th. We delivered nine shows over the course of two weeks and many of them were sold out. Use the link below to look over the scrapbook we put together. It includes pictures that go all the way back to the beginning of the project.

2023 Eigg the Musical Scapbook

Everyone enjoyed the show and perhaps our small troupe from Denver most of all. Many from the group had never been out of the country before, but everyone was enthusiastic for the experience; after all, the Edinburgh theatre festival is the largest performing arts festival on the planet. Creating a new Musical takes a long time and if you strive for excellence you'll need to find people who know their craft and work well with other people. We were a tight knit group and we all understood that there is much more that we can do together than we could ever do on our own. Music theatre is ephemeral by nature, but it's nice to be able to look back at all the milestones you pass when creating a new musical theatre show.

Complete list of our Eigg blog posts

It takes a village to stand up a new musical

It really does take a village to bring a new musical to life and we wanted to thank all the wonderful people and organizations from all across Colorado who provided support and helped enhance our experience at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year. There are just so many moving parts to these sorts of things, so I hope we didn't forget anyone. Your generosity and support was amazing and something we'll never forget. Thank you from all of us! 🎭

Complete list of our Eigg blog posts