Meet Edinburgh’s senior Fringe reviewers!
Mary Ferrie (80) from Bathgate and Helen Orr (81) from Harthill took it in their stride when 50+ health and wellbeing website Living it Up asked them to join its crew to review the Fringe.
The pair – from West Lothian 50+ Network – got their glad rags on and joined Living it Up’s researcher and cameraman to do some schmoozing at the press launch, before reviewing three shows and grilling the performers to camera.
Mary and Helen first met in 1976 – when Helen was lecturing on nursery nursing – and they’ve been firm friends ever since.
Mary said: “When the Living it Up team contacted us about being guest reviewers, for their coverage of the Edinburgh Fringe, we jumped at the chance! Their website is for people like us who want to keep their independence, try new experiences and just have fun.
“The best act we reviewed was Victoria Wood and Me, by a lady called Mo Shapiro. It was excellent and we told her we thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Helen added: “The press launch was great fun too. We haven’t done anything like this before, so it was a good laugh. One of the acts said ‘laughter’s the best medicine’. That’s true; no matter what age you are.”
The budding reviewers were given chalk boards to mark each act they saw out of 10. They later sat down for face-to-face interviews behind the scenes with the actors, which were recorded byLiving it Up’s sound crew.
livingitup.org.uk is a digital service with health, care and wellbeing tools and information for people over the age of 50 in Scotland. It’s supported by NHS24 and the Scottish Government and covers Forth Valley, Highland, Lothian, Moray and Western Isles, including remote areas.
A spokesperson for Living it Up said: “Mary and Helen did us proud! It’s great for us to feature people like them, as they’re a true example of what older people can be and do, if they have tools and inspiration at their fingertips.”
She explained: “Our website has four strands: DISCOVER, SHINE, CONNECT and FLOURISH – all of which have different health and wellbeing themes and resources.
“For example, in our website’s FLOURISH section, we have experience guides. These are written by real people to shed light on living with specific conditions and to highlight coping mechanisms for life experiences.
“In our SHINE section, there’s inspiration to re-ignite an old hobby or skill, perhaps in a voluntary capacity. Our CONNECT part teaches people about the latest technology, with step-by-step-instructions. It also inspires some ‘upskilling’ by highlighting local classes for like-minded people. By clicking on our DISCOVER section, users can type in their local area and find activities and resources relevant to them within reach.”
A CHANCE TO WIN
Living it Up has been given tickets for the Fringe, thanks to festival host Gilded Balloon. To be in with a chance of winning, check out the competition on Facebook.
