In the first of her Fringe Blogs, Fourth Monkey member Rowan Beggs tells us about her excitement for the company's Rep season.

So at last Fourth Monkey's One Year-ers have arrived at the Edinburgh Fringe after a pretty intense (and somewhat sweaty - thanks for the ill-timed week of sunshine, Britain) rehearsal period in London. Rehearsing six shows at once has been a challenge, but one we met head on as a sort of Fringe boot-camp test. Preparing for our six shows - Nights at the Circus, The Erpingham Camp, Divine Words, Minotaur, Elephant Man and 4.48 Pychosis) all at the same time was completely mad and brilliantly hard work, but what we've come up with has definitely made it worthwhile!

With two seasons of shows and a host of wonderful workshops behind us, Edinburgh has almost been the finish line to which the year has raced towards. As such it was a train filled with very excitable Monkeys that headed towards Scotland on Tuesday. While that excitement is definitely still present and mounting, I think we've all been hit by the awe-inspiring amount of work and effort that we are about to expend. After our first day of tech alone I was in bed by eight for a 'nap' which ended the next morning. If I could have swung it to get in the same time today I definitely would have. Not something to admit at twenty-one, probably.

Edinburgh is a beautiful city and at the moment is buzzing with warm and enthusiastic people so flyering, a task which had struck fear into my very core (for a girl who wants to stand and talk at a group of people for hours every day on a stage I'm amazingly socially awkward), became not only enjoyable but easy. Phew. It's easy to be buoyed when surrounded by so many fantastic people - in just one hour I'd seen clowns stop traffic (ours), a monkey hug a stranger (ours), statues doing acrobatics (ours), and a levitating Yoda (not ours, but well represents the Royal Mile)! However, it's easy to get caught up in the buzz and come out of it again four hours later realising you haven't eaten, drunk or sat down in that time, so I think juggling 'survival stuff' like breathing, sleeping and eating with fringe life is a skill to be mastered by those who've never done it before.

It's also been a life saver having the support of a wicked group of people who have some vague idea of what we should be doing. Having only just got to grips with London, I've found myself doing a lot of confused - but determined - wandering until pointed in the right direction, so it's helpful to have someone experienced at hand.

Our first shows open tomorrow and it's suddenly all become very real, I think, though we're all getting a bit beside ourselves waiting to get on the stage! The Erpingham Camp, Minotaur and 4.48 Pychosis are champing at the bit and ready to 'smack it' (courtesy of Stephen Green, Director) while Elephant Man, Divine Words and Nights at the Circus wait to do the same the following day. And then all over again! Rep theatre is fully mad, but so, so rewarding, and we're charging in with the promise of something amazing.

The culmination of a year of training is close at hand - we're just waiting to prove how far we've come.

Will update you once the ball is rolling!

Rowan

Details:

Fourth Monkey are playing six shows in rep from 3rd - 25th August 2012.

Venue: theSpaceUK @ Niddry Street (V9), EH1 1TH

For full information on the shows click here.