Tag: Leith Dockers Club

Gran’s Back!

GETTING ALONG WITH GRAN comes to LEITH DOCKERS CLUB

Citadel Arts Group is thrilled to be reviving its 4-star show, Getting Along with Gran, for two performances only, at Leith Dockers Club where the group has its base.   

The North Edinburgh Arts audience loved the show in June, and the company are confident Gran will go down a bomb with their regular Leith supporters. Citadel Arts are looking forward to bringing the play to their Leith venue and Gran (Laverne Edmonds) has already met some of the locals although she was disappointed the Dockers bar didn’t seem to stock Babycham, her favourite tipple!

The play is scripted by Rhona McAdam, Elaine Campbell, San Cassimally and Pamela Hanlon, all members of Citadel Arts Group’s playwrights’ workshop.

They meet every week in Leith Dockers Club to develop new plays often based on local heritage and living memories. Getting Along with Gran is inspired by the powerful stories of the Social History Group based in Royston Wardieburn Community Centre.

Both groups of older people collaborated to create the play. The script emerged from the life stories of Winifred Burke, Pat Gilhooley, Anna Hutchison, Bill and Greta McPhail, Helen McRae, David Norcliffe, Karen Soso, and Cathie Umobi. 

They were thrilled to see their memories on stage in North Edinburgh Arts. Local audiences told us: ‘It was excellent . . . funny and thought provoking . . . I love that it was local history . . . loved how it was intergenerational’. Jim Aitken assured Citadel, ‘Having a play performed that came out of our social history project was wonderful.’

The stories range from a Silverknowes beach romance to anti-Thatcher demos in the 1970s. The play combines humour, nostalgia and a few slightly scary moments. It’s a show for all the family with a truly intergenerational cast.

The only change from the original line-up is in the roles of the children. In this new production they will be played by members of the Be Happy Performing Arts Company from Gorebridge.

Six wee thespians from the group coached by Mairi Jayne Weir, are keen to take part alongside the Citadel professionals.

Mairi Jayne Weir plays Em, the girl who learns to get along with her annoyingly forgetful and chatty Gran when she gets caught up in some of Gran’s funny and troubling memories.

Mairi Jayne told Citadel: ‘Taking part in Getting Along with Gran, performing beside professional actors is a wonderful opportunity for the young people.’

The company are delighted to have a real-life retired janitor, David Norcliffe in the cast again – playing a sympathetic Craigroyston jani!

Performance dates: Nov 12th 2.30 and 7pm

Venue: Leith Dockers, 17 Academy Street EH6 7EE

Cast and creatives:

DIRECTOR: Mark Kydd

Cast:

Jim Bryce, Laverne Edmonds, Chelsea Grace, Mairi Jayne Weir and Deborah Whyte

Community cast:

David Norcliffe and young people for the Be Happy Performing Arts Company, teacher Mairi Jayne Weir

Stage Manager: Maggie Brown

Light and Sound Design: Roddy Simpson

Props: Stewart Emm

Creative Producer: Liz Hare

Playwrights: Elaine Campbell, San Cassimally, Pamela Hanlon, and Rhona McAdam

TICKETS: £15/£12 concession from jamesellison@blueyonder.co.uk/ 07954 296 568

Citadel Arts Group is a charity (SC 034687) dedicated to giving a voice to older people by preserving their stories and producing their plays in a variety of community venues including schools, care homes, Leith Custom House, churches, libraries, a moving barge, and recently the bar of the King’s Theatre.

Local band CHIL announce charity gig for Edinburgh Crisis Centre

The team at the Edinburgh Crisis Centre are delighted to have fundraising support from local band CHIL who are planning a charity gig in December.

The life saving Crisis Centre supports around 2000 people across the city each year who are experiencing emotional distress and often thoughts of self harm or  suicide.

The Crisis Centre team is 24/7 365 days a year and consists of volunteers who run groups and offer telephone support. Get them on Facebook.

The band members were motivated to do a charity gig for the Crisis Centre because of their own experiences, and they’re hoping the gig will raise awareness of the work of the Crisis Centre team.

The gig’s taking place on Sunday 11th December at the Leith Dockers Club and doors open at 3pm for a start of 4pm and finish of 8pm.

Nick Bell from the Crisis Centre said: “It’s always great to have this kind of support in the local community and we couldn’t be more grateful to Jack and the rest of CHIL for what they’re doing.

“The Crisis Centre has been in the city for 15 years and each year the number of people we support and who phone in for advice increases.

“It’s not an overstatement to say that the support our team offers people is life saving on many occasions and we rely on volunteers who form a big part of our team.

“We’d love to see as many folk as possible at the gig and tickets can be booked by emailing ecc.volunteersgroups@penumbra.og.uk”.

CHIL band member, Jack Hunter said: “We think support for mental health is critical, especially in current times.

“The band members have experience of these kind of issues within their family and friends group. Some of us have worked in the social sector and were aware of the great work of the Edinburgh crisis centre.

“We hope the gig will raise the profile for the Crisis Centre work and a bit of funding to support this.”

And they’re off!

Fundraiser for youth group’s Leadership Academy

chelt hurdle

MYDG are hosting a race night on Friday 10th June at Leith Dockers club 7pm start, in aid of our leadership academy. We are hoping to raise funds for their final year end trip as some of the group are moving on. Continue reading And they’re off!