Having entertained audiences for 25 years, UniverSoul have gone on to diversify and redefine the art form of circus by celebrating the complexity of Caribbean and African culture. With cast members from South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia, Cuba, the US, Guinea, Gabon, and Ethiopia, UniverSoul are renowned for producing shows with an international vibe. Having built up a reputation for their fusion of the traditional and the contemporary – UniverSoul contribute to Hip Hop culture with their championing of the brightest dance talent and showcasing of bold tricks. Company founder and former tour promotor Cedric Walker tells us more about what to expect from the company’s European Premier.

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When you think of a Eulogy, this would most likely be associated with a speech given by a loved one at a funeral. Cue IdeasTap Underbelly Award winner Toby Peach, who turns this very notion of a Eulogy on its head, and uses it as a means to celebrate life whilst living. Ahead of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Theatrefullstop were able to speak to the writer and performer about his battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at a young age, what he’ll take away from IdeasTap’s legacy and what he’d like for audiences to take away from his show.

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With Ideastap sadly closing its doors on July 8th this year, it’s fair to say that the arts charity has changed the artistic landscape for the better. One of its greatest legacies is the Ideastap Underbelly Award, an award that affords for 4 writers and performers to stage, market, develop and perform their work to theatre loving crowds. Ahead of his run of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Family, Theatrefullstop speaks to award recipient Ben Norris about the process of writing poetry and plays, themes tackled within the play and the emotional aspect of creating and performing the piece.

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It’s just a matter of weeks until Edinburgh witnesses the largest celebration of theatre in the world. As artists, creatives and theatre lovers prepare to make their way to the theatrical hub, it can become very easy to forget that bringing a performance from page to stage can be a lengthy process. Ideastap Underbelly Award winner Izzy Tennyson is set to perform her latest work, Brute at the Udderbelly Cowgate throughout the festival. Ahead of her Edinburgh run, Izzy speaks to Theatrefullstop about being an award winner, the lack of female roles within theatre and being mentored by the multi talented Penny Woolcock. ‘Brute’ is the winner of the Ideastap Underbelly Award.

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