UCL students enjoy five-star Edinburgh success

The plays - Eurydice, a modern reimagining of the Orpheus myth and 1984, based on the Orwell novel of the same name - both received multiple 5-star reviews from Edinburgh festival critics. EdFringe described Eurydice as 'one of the most hauntingly, beautifully tragic productions yet seen at the Fringe' and ThreeWeeks praised the cast's 'classy and natural acting'. 1984 was similarly lauded. Fringe Guru described it as 'visually arresting, physically impressive and deeply disturbing' while Fringe Biscuit praised the production's 'dark intensity'.

Both productions were the work of Runaground, the UCLU Drama Society's tour group. Rob Thomson (UCLU Drama Society) said: "It was a fantastic experience for everyone involved - both actors and production teams alike. To perform at the world's largest arts festival alongside professional theatre companies and manage to get the kind of response we did was an outstanding achievement for our society, and a testament to the incredible talent there is at UCL. We are all absolutely delighted."

There was further UCL success in Edinburgh with Kwame Asante, a Year 4 medical student, winning the prestigious Chortle Student Comedy Award 2012. The successful routine, which also landed him a £2,500 cash prize, dealt with issues ranging from impressing older women to being the only black person on a volunteering trip to Ghana.

Kwame said: "Stand-up comedy has always been a passion of mine, which I have enjoyed watching for as long as I can remember. I feel blessed to have come out on top on the night, and would like to thank my friends and family for their support." Previous finalists of the award include Radio 1 DJ Tom Deacon and Simon Bird from The Inbetweeners.

Image: A scene from UCLU Drama Society's production of Eurydice at the Edinburgh Fringe by Rajee Sukumaran

Related links:

UCLU Drama Society
ThreeWeeks' review of Eurydice
Fringe Guru's review of 1984