Aberdeen Student Show facts for kids

The Aberdeen Student Show is a super fun comedy musical and theatre show. It happens every year in Aberdeen, Scotland.

In 2019, their show 'The Glakit Showman' was a funny version of the movie The Greatest Showman. It raised over £122,000 for local charities!

This amazing show has been put on every year since 1921. The only time it didn't happen was in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. From the very beginning, lots of young writers, performers, and musicians have been involved. The show takes place at His Majesty’s Theatre, which is Aberdeen's biggest professional theatre.

The Student Show is run by a special team of administrators. Students from The University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University, and North East Scotland College perform in it. Usually, former students and past show members write and produce the show.

Shows Over the Years

Here's a list of all the Student Shows and some of the people involved. You can click to expand the table and see more!

A Look Back at the Show's History

The Student Show started in 1921 to help local hospitals. Students from Aberdeen University organized events to raise money. The very first show was a pretend court trial held at Marischal College.

Soon, the University Debating Society was asked to put on a yearly musical comedy about student life. The first one, in 1922, was called 'Stella, the Bajanella'. It was written by a student named Eric Linklater.

The show became a yearly tradition. It was performed in different places in Aberdeen, like the Palace Theatre. In 1929, it found its home at His Majesty's Theatre. Sometimes, if that theatre wasn't free, they would perform elsewhere in the city.

The Student Show happened every single year from 1921, even during World War II. The only time it was cancelled was in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The students who perform are all volunteers. They practice really hard during their Easter break. Then, the week after, they put on the show for paying audiences, usually in the evenings.

The 2019 show, 'The Glaikit Showman', raised a record-breaking £122,000 for 36 different local charities! This was a huge jump from previous years, showing how much good the show does.

The 2022/23 school year was extra special. Because of delays from the COVID-19 pandemic, the group performed two shows in one year! This hadn't happened since 1936. Their shows, 'Freezin' and 'Dirty Danestone', together raised over £217,000 for local charities.

Local Culture and Humor

The Student Show loves to use the humor and unique style of North-east Scotland. You'll often hear the local Doric dialect in the shows. This is the special way people speak in Aberdeen and the surrounding countryside.

Famous People from the Show

Many talented people have been part of the Student Show. Some became very famous!

• Eric Linklater was a director and writer in the early years.
• Sonia Dresdel and Andrew Cruickshank (who played Cameron in the 1960s BBC Television show Dr Finlay's Casebook) were also involved.
• Later, people like James Scotland, and William "Buff" Hardie and Stephen Robertson from Scotland the What? were part of the show.
• Members of The Flying Pigs comedy group also started here.
• Other well-known performers include Margo Barron, Douglas Kynoch (a TV and radio presenter), and Laura Main (an actress).

Amazing Directors

Many talented directors have shaped the Student Show:

• Eric Linklater (director 1922–24) wrote and directed the first proper Student Show, 'Stella, the Bajanella'.
• Douglas S. Raitt (director 1931, 1933–34, 1938–39) was a marine biologist and a popular radio singer.
• Moultrie Kelsall (director 1932) later had a 30-year acting career in TV and movies.
• Reginald Barrett-Ayres (director or co-director nine times between 1955 and 1965) was a music expert. He helped write the show's theme song, "Spirit of Show."
• Roddy Begg (director 1974, 1979, 1983) has a lifelong love for theatre. He was also a director for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
• Charles Barron (director 1977–78) was known for his work in dramatic arts and the Doric dialect.
• Rhona Mitchell (choreographer and director 1978, 1979, 1981) has worked professionally in radio and theatre.
• Ronnie Middleton (director 1986, 1988–90) was a teacher, dancer, singer, and actor. He was also the secret mascot for Aberdeen Football Club, Angus the Bull!

Other Important Helpers

Many people work behind the scenes to make the show happen:

• George Sinclair was the stage manager for 38 shows, starting in the 1950s.
• Other important people include stage managers Bill McCann and Colin MacKenzie, choreographers Eileen Ewen and Jean Birse, and set designers Alex Young and Melvin Dalgarno.
• Colin MacLean, who was the script editor for the 1951 show, later became the founding editor of the Times Educational Supplement in Scotland.

The Show's Theme Song

The first theme song, "Stella, the Bajanella" (1922), was very popular. But in the 1950s, a new song called "Spirit of Show" took its place. This song, written by George Low and Reginald Barrett-Ayres, is still the traditional anthem of the Student Show today.

Comedy Shows That Grew From This One

The Student Show has inspired other famous comedy groups!

• "Scotland the What?"

William "Buff" Hardie and Steve Robertson met in the Student Show in 1952. Along with George Donald, they formed "Scotland the What?" in 1969. They became very famous for their Scottish humor.

• "Temporary Fualt" and "Punchline"

Michael Jamieson and Gary Simpson, who were in the 1976 show, later created their own comedy revues called "Temporary Fualt" and "Punchline." Many Student Show cast members performed in these.

• "The Flying Pigs"

Several Student Show members, including Andrew Brebner and Craig Pike, formed "The Flying Pigs" in 1997. They have performed many shows in Aberdeen and even had a BBC Scotland Radio series!

Show Titles and Their Meanings

Many show titles are clever and funny, often playing on local names or famous phrases:

• 'Stella, the Bajanella' (1922) was named after a medical student. "Bajanella" was a old term for female first-year students.
• 'Admirable Crichton' (1928) was a play by J. M. Barrie, who wrote Peter Pan.
• Many titles use Aberdeen place names, like 'Rosemount Nights' (1923), 'Woodside Storey' (1993), 'The Sound of Mastrick' (1995), and 'Tilly Elliot' (2015) (Tilly is short for Tillydrone).
• Some titles use the local Doric dialect, like 'Kings and Quines' (1969) (quine means girl), 'Fit's At!' (1973) (what's that?), and 'The Codfaither' (2001) (faither means father, and "cod" refers to Aberdeen's fishing history).
• Lots of titles are funny twists on famous movies or plays:

* 'Folies Berserques' (1960) from Folies Bergère * 'The Provost Of Oz' (1987) from The Wizard of Oz * 'Woodside Storey' (1993) from West Side Story * 'The Good, The Bad and The Buttery' (1996) from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (a buttery is a local Aberdeen breakfast roll!) * 'The Codfaither' (2001) from The Godfather * 'Mary Torphins' (2012) from Mary Poppins * 'Wullie Wonkie and the Fine Piece Factory' (2014) from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory * 'Michty Mia!' (2016) from Mamma Mia! * 'Dirty Danestone' (2022) from Dirty Dancing * 'Ayetanic' (2023) from Titanic

Reunion Celebrations

Former cast members at the 2005 reunion performing 'Spirit of Show'

Former cast members reprise "The Octet" from 1949's show "Hitting Back"

Former members of the Student Show have held special reunion shows called "Spirit Of The Show." These happened in 1995, 2000, and 2005. About 250 former cast members attended each time, and many performed old sketches and songs.

In May 2022, the theatrical society was honored with a special reception by Lord Provost David Cameron and Aberdeen City Council. This celebrated 100 years of the charitable student group. Famous alumni like Amy Lamb, Alex Brown, and John Hardie from The Flying Pigs spoke at the event. This was a big year because the show performed twice in one academic year, raising over £210,000 for charity!