Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025: "Ghost Light"

Last month I performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 with the Young Pleasance Company of the Pleasance Theatre Trust, a leading UK arts charity dedicated to creating space for emerging voices, bright ideas, and outstanding performance, in their show, "Ghost Light", written and directed by Jo Billington.

Final Tableau (Full Cast and Crew)

"Set in the heart of the West End’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane - with its rich history including fires, scandals and of course, ghosts - the audience are invited to join an unsuspecting costume assistant as she unwittingly evokes the spirits of theatre legends Nell Gwynn, Vesta Tilley, Sarah Siddons and more. With eerie elegance, gorgeous period costumes and beautifully executed design, this performance will appeal to everyone from YouTube ghost hunters to theatre enthusiasts." - The Scotsman.

"Ghost Light" at Edinburgh Fringe 2025 received a five-star rating from the British Theatre Guide.

I played the character Mr. Holland (AKA: The Grey Man). Mr. Holland was in love with the actress, Annabelle. He pursued her aggressively, watching all her shows and visiting her backstage. Ultimately, Mr. Holland is killed by Annabelle when his advances become unbearable. As a ghost, he haunts the theatre.

The play sets Mr. Holland up as the villain, and I could easily have portrayed him as one-dimensional and intimidating. Instead, I played the opposite - or, more technically, Mr. Holland's truth. Mr. Holland was in love, so I played his love for Annabelle. This made the characterisation nuanced. Audience members declared that Mr. Holland did not deserve to die - this assured me of a successful portrayal.

Performing "Ghost Light" at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 was a remarkable experience. A play where you can truly be your expressive self because everyone else is a weirdo, too. A highlight was flyering on the Royal Mile, where my costume attracted many photographs, and I could say absurd things in character, like, "Your beauty shines brighter than the stars themselves."

Ghost Light Poster

For any actor stepping into the Fringe, here are a few things I learned along the way:

• Own the chaos: The Fringe is unpredictable — venues run late, tech isn’t always polished, and audiences can be tiny or enormous. Treat every show as if it’s the one that matters most.

• Flyering is an art form: Don’t just hand out leaflets; make it playful, make it part of your character. People respond to the experience, not the paper. Try to make their day, because even if they say no to a flyer, at least you had a good time, too.

• Look after yourself: With thousands of shows competing for attention, it’s tempting to run yourself ragged. Sleep, eat well, and pace your nights — your performance will thank you.

• Support others: See other shows, cheer on fellow performers, and build community. Fringe thrives on reciprocity.

• Adapt, don’t cling: Show runs at the Fringe can last for weeks (we did fifteen performances, including tech and dress runs.) Try to keep the performance fresh every night. Remember to live in the moment and don't be complacent. The best way to do this is to listen to your scene partner - react to what they are saying or what you see, not how you have reacted every time. That's what keeps the show alive.

The beauty of Edinburgh Fringe is that it blurs the line between performer and audience, between seriousness and absurdity. If you embrace that spirit, you’ll not only survive the festival — you’ll revel in it.