Award-winning acting graduate taking to the stage with new theatre company

Rachel Smith June 14, 2022

An award-winning acting graduate from The Northern School of Art has set up a theatre company focused on promoting northern talent which is about to take to the stage as part of Durham Fringe Festival.

Joseph Casling, who has just graduated from the School’s BA (Hons) Acting for Stage & Screen degree as the recipient of the ARC Award for Best Solo Show, has created ‘Trip Up North’ with fellow acting graduates from the School.

The company’s first production ‘Stole the Show’, a farcical comedy play inside a play about a robber who stumbles into an amateur retelling of The Legend of King Arthur, is being performed at Durham Fringe Festival from 26 – 31 July 2022.

“All of us in Trip Up North are from the north and we want to highlight the northern region and northern talent,” Joseph explained. “‘Stole the Show’ is written by one of Trip Up North’s founders, Connor Dorian, and another of our founders Rhiannon McMahon plays a major part.”

The former student of New College, Durham added that it was the fourth member of Trip Up North, Dom Martin, who had persuaded him to enrol at The Northern School of Art.

“He suggested the School to me after doing his first year. After meeting the course leader, and hearing about the course, I just knew it was right for me and I could see myself studying here which I couldn’t do anywhere else I visited.”

Joseph is also waiting to hear about Arts Council funding so he can further develop ‘Conked Out’, the play that he won the ARC award for.

One of the award judges, Daniel Mitchelson, ARC Stockton Arts Centre Programmer said of the play, “We think they’ve found a really, accessible, fun, smart way of talking about some serious issues. I also thought they did a great job of “performing”. It was a really likable and moving piece.”

Joseph commented: “”Winning the award was an amazing feeling. Thank you so much to The Northern School of Art and ARC Stockton for supporting me and helping me develop over my three years here.

“My favourite memory at The Northern School of Art was probably attending the Northern Film Festival at ARC Stockton. It was incredible to see the collaboration between all the courses come together in a fantastic evening of films.

Joseph is progressing with his drama studies and enroling onto The Northern School of Art’s MA in Directing and Theatre Making in September. Reflecting back on his time as an undergraduate he has one piece of advice for new undergraduates: “‘Shy bairns get nowt’; everyone at The Northern School of Art is lovely and is dying to help you, just get involved as much as you can, you won’t regret it!”