Photos: Stephen Cole’s CAMELTON Plays Sold-Out Preview Ahead Of Edinburgh Fringe Run

Stephen Cole’s one-man mini-musical Camelton played two sold-out performances on January 9 and 10, serving as a prelude to a longer run later this year at the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival. Check out photos of the show.

Written and performed by Cole, Camelton traces a remarkable true story that began two decades ago, when the award-winning musical theatre writer was commissioned—alongside composer David Krane—to create the first American musical to premiere in the Middle East. That project, Aspire, was produced in Qatar in 2005, placing Cole and his collaborator in the middle of an unexpected, cross-cultural whirlwind.

In Camelton, Cole recounts that experience with sharp humor and musical storytelling, weaving together encounters with Middle Eastern producers, flying carpets, Croatian acrobats, Russian ballet dancers, an Italian director, and an abundance of camels. The show charts how those events later inspired The Road to Qatar!, a full musical about the making of Aspire that went on to productions in Texas, Off-Broadway, and Edinburgh, earning a Best Musical nomination.

Now distilled into a one-man performance—and accompanied by a newly released book—Camelton offers an insider’s look at artistic collaboration across cultures, told with self-deprecating wit and a sense of astonishment that the story actually happened. Photos from the recent performances, as well as images with guests in attendance, are available.

Cole’s book Camelton is available online.