31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Youngsters from West Lothian's biggest theatre school set to thrill audiences again at Edinburgh's Fringe
Stage Skool Live allows to work with professional directors and musical coaches
A performing arts group for young people in West Lothian will once again entertain audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.
Young people from Stage Skool, who have bases in both Bathgate and Motherwell, will be performing their production of Disney's Newsies Jnr, a stage adaptation of the movie and Broadway musical.
It's the third year running that Stage Skool Live featuring the the drama school's young students, who are aged from eight to 16 years old, has performed at the Fringe.
Stage Skool Live is the performing arts group's intensive summer theatre initiative. It offers budding stars the opportunity to work with professional directors, choreographers, and musical coaches to put on a full-scale production at one of the world's most exciting cultural events
Previous productions have also been Disney stories, with Frozen Jr in 2023, and last year it was Finding Nemo Jr.
This year's cast, made up of talented young performers includes two exceptional school pupils from West Lothian in lead roles.
Armadale Academy pupil Caleb Sneddon and Findlay Brown, a pupil at Linlithgow Academy bring energy, heart, and Broadway flair to the high-energy musical based on the true story of the 1899 New York newsboys' strike.
Before the Fringe talented young performers from Stage Skool are performing a teenage version of SIX, a West End musical about Henry VIII's wives, at South Dalziel Historic Building in Motherwell
Stage Skool owner Lindsay MacGregor, said: 'We have two bases in West Lothian and in Motherwell and we come together over the summer and collaborate. This year we have two productions.
'For the Fringe production we merge and have the kids from West Lothian and Lanarkshire working together. They will be performing from Monday to Saturday.
'Frozen totally sold out the first year and we moved to a bigger venue last year. It's amazing for our kids, who all come from different backgrounds. We recently had some of them over in Paris in July.
'Some of them have came back and went straight into rehearsals, they literally give up their whole summer holidays and dedicate it to performing arts.
'Stage Skool Live isn't just about putting on a show — it's about giving young people the tools, confidence, and stage to tell stories that matter. It's about growth, teamwork, and the thrill of live performance.
The 60-minute-long performances of Disney's Newsies will take place at The Space, Grand Theatre in Edinburgh from August 4 to 9 at 9.50am each day.
