Sparks & The Half Moon Shania are our Best Musical Award joint winners at the Edinburgh Fringe 2018

The cast of Sparks at the Pleasance, Anoushka Lucas and Jessica Butcher, celebrate their win with MTR Edinburgh Editor Fiona Orr. Pictures: Catriona Orr

Sparks at the Pleasance Courtyard and The Half Moon Shania at Zoo Southside have been named as joint winners of Musical Theatre Review’s Best Musical Award, given to recognise excellence in the challenging form of musical theatre and to highlight the best of the genre in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018 programme.

In considering the awards this year, the panel was impressed by the standard and quality of musical theatre offered at the Fringe. Each of the ten nominated shows demonstrate that the sector is in glowing health with great depth of talent in all areas of the genre.

Standards in writing, performance and production have excelled this year and the addressing of the central themes of inclusion and feminism were celebrated and marked with skill, sensitivity and humour. The decision was far from easy as an argument could be made to support every nominated show.

In the the end, the panel could not separate two productions and both are therefore being presented with our Best Musical Award. These shows are from new, emerging companies and, in keeping with the ethos of highlighting both the best and newest talent, we are delighted to honour two fledgling companies.

The first show handles the intimate journey of one woman’s life. In a marvellously crafted piece, the woman is portrayed by two women: one is the voice, the action; the other is the music, the song. As such, the expression of the myriad thoughts and emotions in the character are conveyed so beautifully, the audience feels an intimate and moving connection to the story. Presented by Michelle Barnette Productions and Flipping the Bird with High Tide, the first winner is Sparks at the Pleasance Courtyard.

The cast of The Half Moon Shania are all smiles after discovering the show is the joint winner of the MTR Best Musical Award

It takes a special skill to turn lunchtime into 11 at night in a seedy pub, but the second show not only does this with charm and ease, it also brings together three feisty young women, bound together in a life-long friendship of standing up for and supporting each other: the self-proclaimed embodiment of feminism. Pair this with rapid-fire blank verse slam poetry and a rocking soundtrack, The Half Moon Shania at Zoo Southside by Burnt Lemon Theatre is  I showing great promise in the young women in the company.

MTR publisher Lisa Martland said: “How wonderful for the genre of musical theatre at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe that it was so difficult for our panel led by Fiona Orr to choose a winner from such an outstanding shortlist.