ELEVEN students have embarked on a rare acting opportunity as they take part in the world's largest arts festival.

Students aged between 13 and 18-years-old from The Georgian Theatre Royal Youth Theatre in Richmond, North Yorkshire, made their way to Scotland for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The group have been performing Dorian Gray, inspired by the novel written by Oscar Wilde in the 1890s, since Monday and will finish on Friday.

Aimee Shields, Youth Theatre Officer at The Georgian Theatre Royal said: "We are thrilled to be returning to Edinburgh this summer.

"It is unusual for youth theatre groups to perform at the Festival – largely due to time commitments and funding constraints.

"So we are very pleased to be able to give our students this amazing opportunity."

Ms Shields, who wrote and is directing the group's version of Dorian Gray, said the teenagers' performance could mark the start of their future career in the industry.

She said: “Not only do they experience life as a performer at one of the dedicated central venues but they also work as a team on the many back-stage activities that are essential to putting on a show.

"These are all very valuable life skills and for some this could be their first taste of a future career in the performing arts."

Ms Shields also said their second stint of performances at the Edinburgh Fringe festival had been largely down to the donation of a lifelong theatre-lover, Brian Tennant.

She said the extra money available had been used to cover travel, accommodation, venue hire and associated production costs.

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival has grown to become the world's biggest of its kind following decades of success.

At the festival, the theatre group are hoping to gain the same success that a production of This is Yorkshire achieved in the 2018 iteration of the festival.

This is Yorkshire attracted sell-out audiences and received mainly positive feedback.

Those who are interested in joining The Georgian Theatre Royal Youth Theatre is asked to telephone 01748-825252 or email youth@georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk for more information. The group are performing at Venue 39.