Online@theSpaceUK - the online Fringe that was like no other!

theSpaceUK were one of the very few Edinburgh Fringe venues to channel their energy over the summer into building a substantial online programme, and the results were appreciated by audiences and critics alike! theSpaceUK’s virtual project, Online@theSpaceUK, was designed to give companies and shows a creative outlet - with work specifically written or produced during lockdown being the primary focus. They responded in their droves and thanks to their creativity, passion, and sheer hard-work, Online@theSpaceUK presented a programme that fittingly embraced that global festival spirit that the show must go on!

Awards

The OnComm is an Online Commendation presented by The Off West End Theatre Awards which aims to recognise the excellence of shows from independent, alternative and fringe theatres that are being presented online since March 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

We're delighted to recognise the achievements of the following shows, all of whom received OnComm awards for the shows they put together for Online@theSpaceUK

• Jess Stephanie Silver / GlassHalfFull Theatre.
• After the Turn: The Mystery of Bly Manor Nine Knocks Theatre
• Detachment Andrew Bruce-Lockhart / Blueberry Goose Theatre
• Hollow David Kent Production
• The Plague Thing Marcia Kelson / Putney Arts
• Stranded Marcia Kelson / Putney Arts

We're also very proud to be the recipients of an OnComm OneOff Special Award for Online Festivals, celebrating the online theatre fests that emerged or adapted during lockdown to host and promote online shows in the absence of actual venues.

Press

The press reception was positive on both a local and national level, with the The Herald highlighting performances from Christopher Tajah (Under Heavens Eyes), This is Not a Theatre Company’ (Play in Your Bathtub: An Immersive Audio Spa for Physical Distancing), Kali Theatre Company (The Last Clap), Anne Rabbitt (Bookshelf Ballad) and Swell Theatre Company (Rehearsal Etiquette).

Coverage in The Scotsman included priase for Abigail Cook's Those Girls and a very positive review for Bookshelf Ballad - "a small but perfectly formed love letter to life and literature which demonstrates that there is no lockdown on imagination".

Our thanks and congratulations go out to all the companies who worked so hard on their contributions for this year's programme - thank you for helping make the first Online@theSpaceUK such a success! And if you didn't catch it - you can still view shows from this Online@theSpaceUK on YouTube