DugOut Theatre is a British theatre company founded in 2009 by students at the University of Leeds. Background The idea to start DugOut emerged in 2009 when George Chilcott and Ed Smith, both students at the University of Leeds, decided to put on a production of Journey's End independently of the University's own theatre society. In 2010, the company was resurrected and formally established as a means of taking Chilcott's production of Patrick Marber's Dealer's Choice to the Edinburgh Fringe. After achieving widespread acclaim for the production both in Edinburgh and during its successful Leeds run, the decision was taken to continue the company as a longer-term project. Since then, a total of six plays have been produced by the company, with two of them forming DugOut's return to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2011. Production History Journey's End Directed by Ed Smith, R.C. Sherriff's First World War drama would serve as part of the inspiration for DugOut's name (a dugout being a common feature of trench warfare). The production starred several future company members, including Jimmy Walters and Ekow Quartey. It was performed in the Alec Clegg Theatre at the stage@leeds in May 2009. Other cast included Tom Gill, Jamie Laign, Andy Jordan, Tom Holloway and George Chillcott taking the lead role of Stanhope. Dealer's Choice Patrick Marber's first play was directed by George Chilcott in Mine, the Leeds University Union, in May 2010. After its success in Leeds, the production was moved to Edinburgh for the 2010 Fringe Festival, where it garnered renewed acclaim and became a sell-out show. Chilcott's decision to introduce choreography to scene changes was met with high praise and would become a staple of future DugOut work. The Edinburgh show was selected by the National Student Drama Festival to be performed in Scarborough in 2011, and was exceptionally well-received there, receiving a commendation ensemble acting. Cast included: Jimmy Walters, Harry Williams, Will Barwick and Ed Smith. Hay Fever Ed Smith returned to directing after his success on the stage as Mugsy in Dealer's Choice with Noël Coward's 1924 farce. Combining the choreography and pace crafted in Dealer's Choice with Coward's text proved popular with audiences, and Hay Fever became the first of DugOut's shows to be awarded five stars. Particular mention was made of Smith's use of a live band on stage, complete with a smoking jacket-clad, wisecracking pianist. Hay Fever ran at the stage@leeds