By Grace Stokoe
In this guest feature by Grace Stokoe, we’re given an insight into the journey of Gritty Gaze, a theatre company formed by a group of young creatives determined to carve their own path in the arts. Grace, a Student Engagement Officer and creative writer, shares how this dynamic group of university students took their passion from university projects to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival stage.
The Liverpool institution where Grace works has been intentionally left unnamed to keep the focus solely on the journey of Gritty Gaze.
The journey of young creatives in their 20s is often marked by uncertainty, passion, and resilience. For the theatre company Gritty Gaze, this journey has transformed their ambitions into a reality at the Edinburgh Fringe.
I took my job as a Student Engagement Officer in November 2023, five years after graduating with a degree in Creative Writing. Since then, I’d worked as a retail supervisor and a gym manager. Two contrasting roles, neither of which particularly set my soul on fire. Arriving in my new position, I felt I’d finally landed somewhere that I belonged, surrounded by wacky and wonderful people in a creative university. Everybody was up to something, and the energy was so refreshing to be around.
In January 2024, I assisted in running a huge networking event we had organised for the students, led by industry professionals. It was here that The Space UK offered our third year actors the chance to perform at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. They were searching for talented fresh faces, and we had them under our wing. The opportunity was awarded to Gritty Gaze, a theatre company made up of nine friends – Tyler, Joel, Luke, John, Amy, Jemma, Tom, Fin and Emery – formed during their second year of university.
When I was younger, I thought it was all about “catching a break” and “making it big”, but now I realise earning a living as a creative doesn’t have to be defined by monetary or social extremes. What I’ve noticed is the students are taught, from the moment they arrive, that they can’t wait for chances – they have to make work for themselves. Why wait for your agent to arrange an audition, when you could devise your own play? And that’s exactly what they did.
Tyler Kane had always wanted to start a theatre company, but didn’t know how (at the end of the day, aren’t we all just winging it?). It wasn’t until he was coupled with Joel Cousins for a university module to devise a 15 minute piece of work, that the pair began to flourish as not only actors, but artistic directors. Their wit and shared passion for LGBTQIA+ issues led them to produce a dry, queer comedy which shone a light on their promising futures. Knowing they wanted to continue along this journey of creative freedom, the two recruited more friends, and Gritty Gaze was born.
Creatives, when surrounded by (as my filmmaker friend would say), copy-and-paste-people, can often feel like (to be blunt) weirdos. It’s not until you find your people that things start to make sense, and the buzz from bouncing ideas off one another sparks something in you. It’s easy to dull this part of yourself as the responsibilities of adult life start trickling in – or hit you in the face like a sack of bricks – but it’s important that we keep it alive. We have to seek inspiration and collaboration.
Gritty Gaze, having only a student accommodation kitchen to rehearse in, came together during summer 2023 to create a short film about a charming puppet named Gongle. Joining forces with local filmmakers and music composers, they brought their vision to life. The concept was ‘Individuality’ – a very fitting theme. They submitted this to the ‘Unnamed Project Exhibition’ and fell in love with puppetry during the process. When the Edinburgh Fringe opportunity arose, they knew exactly which direction they would take.
Tyler and Luke Male took them to the next level when they wrote ‘HoarderZ’, “an intriguing exploration of societal isolation in parr to its developments upon the human psyche”, using Gongle once again. But as serious as it may sound, the play is hilariously out-of-the-box, following distinct and eccentric characters who you’re bound to form a soft spot for.
While they were preparing for Edinburgh Fringe Festival in our studios, I watched Gritty Gaze’s rehearsals every chance I got, witnessing their story evolve as the actors all pitched in. Not only had they written and devised this play to a professional standard before graduating, but it was truly a collaborative effort. I felt inspired seeing them in action, while they were humbly oblivious of their impact.
We all know social media is the key to success these days, for any kind of business, but this group had me in awe of their unique content. Their dedication to the world they had created was enough to pull anybody down the rabbit hole with them. @grittygaze posted in-character headshots, depicting each unique personality in just one shot. They worked with fellow Film and TV students, shooting a series of short films, set in their “radioactive dystopia”. These “entries”, filmed in a friend’s basement on a very tight budget, felt so organic, as if they had been plucked straight from the alternate universe. They proved that with the creativity, passion and drive, you don’t need money to make art.
As final rehearsals took place, they invited their fellow students and staff to watch HoarderZ in the studio. We were blown away by the play’s originality and how well they commanded the stage. I found it interesting to see the extra jobs the actors had appointed themselves. Emery Scriven, sound designer and composer, didn’t miss a beat on their tech behind the scenes. The others stepped up as directors, stage managers, producers and puppeteers. This opened my eyes to the breadth of artistic career paths available, which is reassuring for young creatives.
Their spirit was contagious as I left the show. I had barely written anything since achieving my degree, but watching the students turn their ideas into reality reignited something. For the first time in years, I couldn’t wait to sit in a café and put pen to paper. It only seemed right to write about the people who had encouraged me to do so, Gritty Gaze. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.