Collective Fringe returns with its opening Scratch Night: an evening of six new short plays presented as 20-minute excerpts. Just as countless early-career writers and performers have cut their teeth on London’s scratch-night scene — Michaela Coel, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Richard Gadd among them — it is heartening to see young artists at Collective Acting Studio breathing new life into this much-loved format. One of the UK’s most dynamic part-time training institutions, the school is dedicated to nurturing talent from underrepresented backgrounds. Staged in an impressive Grade II-listed former public bathhouse, now home to a 100-seat theatre, this Scratch Night offers a vital platform for voices at the very start of their creative journeys.
The venue itself is warm, inviting and polished, with industrial remnants sitting comfortably alongside a state-of-the-art technical set-up. It feels like a space — and a fringe festival — poised to become an exciting arts hub for years to come. The intimacy of the theatre suits the work well, with all pieces featuring small casts and largely naturalistic styles. A special mention must go to the friendly and supportive front-of-house team, who set the tone for a welcoming evening.
The subjects of the plays are wide-ranging, moving at a cracking pace from folk horror to romantic comedy, and transporting audiences to illegal raves, seaside towns and dystopian futures along the way. Many of the works foreground neurodivergent and queer voices, making the programme as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. Several writers also direct their own pieces, and this hands-on approach brings clarity, focus and a strong sense of artistic intent to the night.
When they say “scratch,” they really mean it — with some performances delivered script-in-hand. It is a testament to the courage and commitment of the actors that the performances shine regardless. The camaraderie, generosity and talent of the cast carry the evening, prompting a warm response from the audience. Many of these young performers clearly have bright futures ahead of them.
With a large and attentive audience in attendance, it is encouraging to see Collective Acting Studio in a period of exciting development, both in London and at an outpost in Birmingham. The school offers courses accessible to students from a range of economic backgrounds, with many alumni already making waves in the industry — due in no small part to the work of founder Paul Harvard. Rather than defaulting to classical showcase material, this Scratch Night demonstrates just how exciting new writing can be. Refreshingly free of the stuffy elitism that can characterise similar institutions, the school embodies one of drama training’s core purposes: fostering collaboration, creativity and community.
Collective Fringe runs until the 25th, featuring longer performances from a similarly varied programme of new writing. I highly recommend booking a ticket to catch a glimpse of the stars of the future.