Local production seeks funding for Edinburgh Fringe debut
A Manchester based production is seeking funding to bring their show to the 2026 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Will Sharland, 29, is aiming to debut his original musical at the 2026 Edinburgh Fringe. Having launched a crowdfunder in late 2025, he hopes to raise the essential costs it takes to bring a show to the festival.
Based in Manchester, Sharland is the writer, composer, producer and director of KEVIN! The Musical. Premiering at Z-Arts in March last year, the show is a modern musical that reworks tropes of American teen musicals, blending traditional archetypes with current politics and culture.
“It is basically a modern retelling of High School Musical, where we are kind of in the modern day,” Sharland said. “It has all the basic characters that are found in a lot of American TV or film. From the classic underdog or bully to the cheerleader, it includes most of the general archetypes but set in the present day.
“Politics has already been covered at the fringe, but I think the actual scale of this work is quite insane.”
“This show has been created over a very long time and has evolved with time. It has grown in a way which has kind of reflected the changing of life particularly in America.”
Long-term commitment
This project has been a long-term personal commitment to Will. Starting writing in 2013, the show has taken nearly 12 years from inception to execution. The first performance was a highly emotional moment for him.
“After the show had finished, I walked out and everyone just started clapping, there was probably about 200 people and it was a completely surreal moment,” he said.
Now, Sharland wants to refine and rework the production for the Edinburgh Fringe this summer. He describes the Fringe as “the Mecca for theatre” and wants to bring his production to a completely new international audience.
Image: Will Sharland
Rising costs
The production team has created a crowdfunder with a goal to raise £10,000. This is the minimum they believe is required to secure a suitable venue and stage. Alongside this, they plan to run fundraising events such as Q&As and a screening of the premiere. The team is also exploring additional funding grants and applications, though Sharland is hesitant due to past experience.
The Edinburgh Fringe provides guidance and advice for funding, but it remains a major concern for Sharland. He said: “it is becoming a much more commercialised and expensive experience to bring people and a show to the fringe.
“Ticket prices and venues have gone up, and shows are losing the value they used to have.”
Despite this, Will hopes to bring his passion to reality and gain the exposure to allow for his production to be staged on a larger scale. He added: “it would be brilliant to put some good funding behind it, invest time in it, and work on the show.”