A YOUNG acting duo have landed their debut appearance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe thanks to funding from Hollywood actor Michael Sheen.
MissMatch, made up of Welsh-born Megan Keaveny and Scottish-born Ellie Campbell, opened their comedy drama play, Is This Thing On? on 1 August.
But their first outing at the Fringe would not have been possible without a National Lottery grant from Arts Council England, and Michael Sheen’s Mab Gwalia Drama Student Scholarship.
The 55-year-old Welsh star, known for his roles in Passengers and Good Omens alongside David Tennant, set up the fund to support working-class Welsh actors.
In collaboration with the Manic Street Preachers, the scholarship awards up to £15,000 each academic year to a maximum of three eligible drama school students.
Megan was awarded the grant while at Manchester School of Theatre in 2022, where she met Ellie.
She said: “I was put forward for the fund by my acting teacher, and never really thought much more of it.
“Then on one random afternoon I got a call from an unknown number. I normally just hang up on those because I assume they’re a cold caller.
“But I picked up for once, and good thing I did because it was Michael’s personal assistant calling to let me know that he’d picked me to be the recipient.
“I was so shocked, probably cried a teeny bit, and by coincidence was going to a ceilidh that night, so celebrated with some over-enthusiastic Scottish dancing.”
A small part of the fund has contributed to supporting the existence of Is This Thing On? as Megan was able to propose a project to pursue as part of her application.
The play is a co-production between the duo and Manchester creative collective So La Flair.
It follows two flatmates, poet Mary, played by Ellie, and musician Liz, played by Megan, as they battle over integrity, ownership and the spotlight.
As their friendship reaches boiling point, one fateful open-mic night forces them to confront each other on whose right it is to tell someone else’s story.
Blending stand-up, song, spoken word, rap and storytelling, the show is a comical and chaotic journey of female friendships.
Megan wanted to write a show based on the life of Queen Elizabeth I, set in contemporary times, having repeatedly been told she should play the monarch in what she refers to as “curly-haired ginger typecasting”.
She said: “I was speaking to Ellie about this idea over an opportune Wagamama, when I realised a massive part of Lizzy’s life was in competition with Mary Queen of Scots… and there was a Scot sitting right in front of me.
“From that moment, we began using the idea of these two competing women to devise our two-woman show about female friendship, competition, and comparison.
“But don’t come to the show expecting a political tragedy: this Mary and Liz don’t battle it out on the battlefield, but the open mic night scene.”
Following a five-star tour of the North of England, the show has arrived at the Fringe, making a dream come true for the duo.
Ellie said: “We’d planned for this show to make it to Edinburgh since the beginning, and now we’re finally here.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response, and we don’t just mean reviews.
“The best part has been people coming two or three times to the show, and even stopping us in the street, crying with how much the show touched them.
“That’s what it’s all about and makes it all worth it.”
After their run of shows in Edinburgh, the pair are planning to take the play to other venues around the UK and intend to collaborate again in the future.
Is This Thing On? runs daily at 2.25pm until 25 August at Underbelly Cowgate.
