performance – Page 22 – The NEN

EMT presents Chess: The Musical

The board is set, the pieces are moving: Edinburgh Music Theatre (EMT) will perform Chess: the Musical at the Church Hill Theatre next week (10-14 March)!

With music by ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson, and lyrics by Tim Rice, Chess has one of the greatest musical theatre scores of all time including One Night in Bangkok, Pity the Child, Anthem, You and I and I Know Him So Well (made popular by Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson).

The musical follows the story of two of the world’s greatest chess masters as they battle it out at the world chess championships, but their greatest contest is for the love of one woman. Amidst political intrigue and international conspiracies, the American and the Russian fight to win her heart in a romantic triangle that mirrors the heightened passions of the Cold War.

A highly successful concept album of Chess was released in 1984. The first theatrical production of Chess opened in London’s West End in 1986 and played for three years.

EMT was formed in 1982, to perform large-scale musicals in major theatres. They perform a yearly musical and also present two cabaret shows at the Fringe. Past shows include Boogie Nights, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and a run of Sweeney Todd that incorporated British Sign Language into every aspect of the performance, including choreography.

The cast of amateur performers have been in rehearsals for Chess since October last year, working together in their spare time to put together a musical spectacular.

Mike Davies, the director, said: “We can’t wait to bring Chess to the Church Hill Theatre this March. “A team of over fifty performers and crew has been involved in putting together this fantastic, unmissable show.

“While ‘I Know Him so Well’ was the breakout song from Chess, the score is packed with stunning ballads, intricate chorus numbers and spellbinding duets. Grab your tickets while you can.”

Performances of Chess will take place in the Church Hill Theatre from 10-14 March at 7:30pm, with a matinee performance on Saturday 14 March at 2:30pm. Tickets are available through the Usher Hall website and booking line 0131 228 1155.

Listing Details:

Edinburgh Music Theatre presents Chess: the Musical.
The Church Hill Theatre, Morningside Road, Edinburgh.
7:30pm (Saturday Matinee 2:30pm)
Tickets: Tues and Sat Matinee – all tickets £12; Wed – Sat £14 (£12 conc.).

www.edinburghtheatre.co.uk

www.facebook.com/edinburghmusictheatre

Showcase: Raising the roof to support cancer charity

Showcase25 Launches!

Last week saw the launch of Showcase25, with the cast of a hundred finding out what is going to be in the 25^th anniversary celebration of Showcase on 29 and 30 May in the King’s Theatre.

Showcase is a musical theatre company which has performed annually since 1990 to raise money for charity using the musical skills and talents of some of the best ‘non-professional’ performers in Edinburgh and the surrounding area. Their aim is to produce a highly entertaining and professional show incorporating a wide variety of musical styles.

Cast member Amanda Hendrie, said: “Showcase25 will be my ninth show performing with Showcase and I cannot wait to perform on the King’s Theatre stage in May! The programme for this show is very strong and I am excited to be getting into rehearsals and putting it all together.”

Showcase25 will be a musical extravaganza paying tribute to Showcase past, present and future. It will feature a selection of the very best of Showcase including songs by Queen and Adele, as well as musical numbers from Les Miserables and Wicked.

Director, Andy Johnston, said: “It has been very difficult compiling a show that accurately represents 25 years worth of Showcase hits – our first draft programme would have run for nearly four hours! – but we feel this show will be an accurate representation of where Showcase came from, and of where we are now.”

While everyone involved performs in Showcase because of their love of the theatre, there is also a very serious side. Showcase is an important fundraiser for Macmillan Cancer Support in Scotland, having raised over £220,000 to date.

Andy Johnston added: “Each and every one of our cast gives so freely of their talents and time all to benefit Macmillan Cancer Support – I often remind the cast that as a company, we are in a very special position that we have a hobby than can genuinely change someone else’s life – and what can be more important than that?’

With 310,000 people diagnosed with cancer in the UK every year, many of the cast and supporters of Showcase have been affected by cancer and have first-hand experience of the support Macmillan gives.

Jayne Forbes, Macmillan Cancer Support Fundraising Manager, Edinburgh said: “We are extremely grateful to Showcase for their considerable support to date. They have raised an incredible amount of money which has helped us make a real difference to the lives of people affected by cancer.

“We help people in many ways, from specialist nurses and doctors, to help and advice for people who have financial worries as a result of their cancer diagnosis.

“In Edinburgh there are 53 specialist Macmillan nurses and health care professionals, helping people living with cancer and their families receive essential medical, practical and emotional support.

“None of this would be possible without supporters like Showcase. 98% of our funding comes from public donations. Quite simply, we couldn’t provide our services with support of local people.”

With over 100 voices singing in glorious harmony, it is bound to raise the roof of the King’s Theatre. Tickets are from £15 and are available at www.edtheatres.com/showcase.

Theatre double bill at Edinburgh College tomorrow

Edinburgh College performance students unveil showstopping double bill

Edinburgh College HNC Acting and Performance students are putting on a double bill of plays tomorrow (12 February), performing the works of two of Britain’s best modern playwrights.

The students are performing two shows – Desperately Seeking Scotland by Roderick Stewart and A View from the Boundary by John Harvey.

Desperately Seeking Scotland is about the search for Scottish cultural identity. This ‘dark pantomime’ features original music from acting and performance student Euan Stamper.

A View from the Boundary is a bittersweet comedy about marriage, longing and lust.

Both original writers have attended rehearsals and updated their scripts in order to suit the performing casts. The text of “Desperately Seeking Scotland,” which deals with Scottish cultural history, was changed to reflect recent history such as the Scottish referendum.

Performing arts lecturer and show coordinator Scott Johnston said: “Our students have worked really hard to create new and exciting versions of these two contemporary texts. We are delighted that both casts had the opportunity to work with writers John Harvey and Roderick Stewart during the rehearsal process. We believe that our students will become the next generation of Scottish theatre-makers and are excited to present work that showcases their talents.”

Event Details:

Two performances of the double bill will take place at the PASS Theatre at the college’s Granton Campus at 2pm and 7pm:

PASS Theatre 350 West Granton Road, Edinburgh

Thursday 12 February

Tickets: £10 (£7 concession) available on the door.

Burns ceilidh: celebrating community at Royston Wardieburn

That Man to Man, the world o’er,

Shall brothers (and sisters!) be for a’ that

A Burns Night is about many things. Good food, shared with friends, family or neighbours – and sometimes all three! Burns is about love, about comradeship and about community but if there’s just one word that captures the spirit of Scotland’s national Bard it’s ‘celebration’ – and all those elements were there in abundance at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre last night.

Yes, last night’s Community Celeidh celebrated the memory of Burns but it was more than that – it was a vibrant, living tribute to all the good things Burns work extolls: a warm, friendly gathering of friends and neighbours of all ages, interests and ethnicities joining together to have fun in each others’ company.

Organised by Royston Wardieburn Community Centre, Granton Community Gardeners and Pilton Community Health Project’s Living in Harmony group the evening built on last year’s event and proved to be a huge success.

Around 150 people – aged from three months up to … well, a good bit older! – enjoyed a traditional Burns Supper and were entertained by the excellent Homecoming String Band and a succession of local performers, all made poosible and supported by a team of enthusiastic volunteers who were always on hand to make sure the evening went smoothly.

Congratulations to the organisers, the band, the excellent team of volunteers and the local performers who entertained us so regally on the night: the poets, the musicians, the singers and the wee dancer – you were all brilliant!

And thanks, too, the the local community who came along to support the event and whose enthusiasm made the evening such a success.

Rabbie would be proud of you all – here’s to next year!

Visit our Facebook page for more ceilidh pictures

SCO music workshops at North Edinburgh Arts

Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Music Workshops

North Edinburgh Arts
Friday 30 January

5 – 9 years (2 – 2.45pm)
1 – 4 years (3 – 3.45pm)

Free

Sir Scallywag and the Golden Underpants

When King Colin’s golden underpants go missing and the royal bottom is bared, it’s Sir Scallywag to the rescue! Brave and bold, courageous and true, he’s the perfect knight for the job… and what does it matter that he’s only six?!

Join the SCO team for an afternoon of music making. Hear the story and learn songs and actions featured in the SCO’s upcoming Family Concerts with the help of the workshop leader and SCO musicians.

All children must be accompanied by a parent/carer.

A snack will be provided after each workshop.

Places are limited. The workshops will run from North Edinburgh Arts, but to book tickets contact SCO directly:

Telephone: 0131 478 8342
Email: anna.hainsworth@sco.org.uk
or on their website: www.sco.org.uk

Get your tickets for the 1d Tenement Opera

Don’t miss out – FREE tickets available NOW!!!

The 1d Tenement Opera is a story based on the lives of people who have lived in a tenement in Edinburgh over two centuries. The tenement eventually became part of Edinburgh Corporation’s Slum Clearance Programme, some of the tenements were sold for just 1d (an old penny), and in 1959 one of the last tenements collapsed and a little boy was killed. Local people told stories of being in the bath and the end of the room falling away, others spoke of desperately trying to save their babies and children as the floor boards started to slope away from under them. This was known as the Penny Tenement collapse.

The 1d Tenement Opera is devised with the local people of North Edinburgh, some of whose families had been living in the city centre before the Slum Clearance Programme.

North Edinburgh Theatre project is delighted to be working with the following artists for this project: designer Ali Maclaurin, musical director Lynda Peachey, dancer and choreographer Monica de Ioanni, and dramaturg Lynne Clark. Stephanie Knight is the project director.

Dates/Times: 15th /16th /17th January at 7pm
Tickets: Free (donations very welcome)
Contact Box Office to reserve tickets: Call 0131 315 2151 or email admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk

Roll up, roll up for the penny tenement opera

And it’s not even a penny, it’s free!

What is the 1d Tenement Opera?

Local people told stories of being in the bath and the end of the room falling away, others spoke of desperately trying to save their babies and children as the floor boards started to slope away from under them. This was known as the Penny Tenement collapse.

The 1d Tenement Opera is devised with the local people of North Edinburgh, some of whose families had been living in the city centre before the Slum Clearance Programme.

The North Edinburgh Theatre project was developed in 2011 after research into the requirements of local people. The main finding of this research was that local people wanted to make theatre again, after a history of using theatre and other art forms to create work which highlights their community and its needs and aspirations. In November 2011 North Edinburgh Theatre project developed Yes We CanCan – a Cabaret of Resistance which was the cementing of the project.

Since then, North Edinburgh Theatre project has participated in a number of performances including Theatre Uncut in 2012 & 2013 and the project regularly offers Sharing-of-Work and Work-in-Progress events. The opportunity to develop 1d Tenement Opera through the support of the People’s Health Trust is an exciting and important development for North Edinburgh. It supports the participants’ aspirations and hard work for well-being and full creative lives, making strong contributions to their own communities as well as participating in the North Edinburgh Theatre project.

Performance Information:

15 16 17 January at 7pm

Tickets: FREE (donations very welcome)

Contact Box Office to reserve tickets:

0131 315 2151 admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk

M ore information here.

The Gang's back at the King's!

This year’s Gang Show is biggest ever

This year the annual Edinburgh Gang Show will be not only the biggest of its kind in the world but also the biggest production to be staged on the King’s Theatre. With over 330 young people from the Scouting and Girlguiding movements, it will be a busy and exciting show!

Running from 18 – 22 November at the King’s Theatre, the Edinburgh Gang Show includes slick song and dance numbers from Michael Jackson to Disney’s Frozen and many more, as well as topical comedy sketches.

Andy Johnston, the Edinburgh Gang Show Director said: “This is my 12^th year as Director and it features the largest cast ever assembled for an Edinburgh Gang Show. Over 330 young people will get to experience the amazing buzz that you only get when the houselights go down at the start of a Gang Show and that almighty roar resounds around the auditorium.

“It is a very, very special show, one which is forward looking, while at the same time keeping in line with the format that was created 82 years ago by Ralph Reader. The show is a reflection on what has happened throughout year and we strive to make sure there really is something for everyone.”

It will be a special occasion for the youngest female cast, the Brownies, as the section turned 100 years old in 2014! In celebration there will be a special Big Brownie Birthday number with 170 Brownies, in two casts, 70 more than usual! This party number includes songs from Sister Act and Hannah Montana.

This modern, fast paced and funny production is not a show about Scouting and Girlguiding it is a performance by those in Scouting and Girlguiding. It allows these young people the chance to develop their performance skills in a professional environment and continue to do something that they clearly enjoy and love.

Edinburgh Gang Show 2014

King’s Theatre, Edinburgh

Tue 18 to Sat 22 November

Evenings 7.00pm

Saturday matinee 2.15pm (Audio described & BSL interpreted)

0131 529 6000

0131 529 6005 (Group bookings)

www.edtheatres.com/gangshow

Tickets from £10.00

The Gang’s back at the King’s!

This year’s Gang Show is biggest ever

Edinburgh Gang Show 2014

King’s Theatre, Edinburgh

Tue 18 to Sat 22 November

Evenings 7.00pm

Saturday matinee 2.15pm (Audio described & BSL interpreted)

0131 529 6000

0131 529 6005 (Group bookings)

www.edtheatres.com/gangshow

Tickets from £10.00

Opportunities for children in local theatre project

Children to participate in 1d Tenement Opera

As you may know, we are developing a couple of street scenes in the 1d Tenement Opera which include young children. Altogether we need six children and some of you have already said that your children are interested in participating.

If anyone else has children who are interested in participating, please let me know by Friday 7th November.

The children will be required for the following rehearsals:

Saturday 8th November 12 noon – 2pm at North Edinburgh Arts
Saturday 15th November 12 noon – 2pm at North Edinburgh Arts
Saturday 29th November 12 noon – 2pm at North Edinburgh Arts
Saturday 6th December 12 noon – 2pm at North Edinburgh Arts.

The children will also be required for rehearsals from 2nd January – 17th January. Performances are on 15th, 16th & 17th January.

Please get in contact with me or Kate Wimpress, if you would like to discuss this further. People who have already expressed an interest – again, please confirm this to me by 7th November.

Visit to National Library of Scotland Monday 8 December

I have heard back from some of you, but if there is anyone else who should like to come, please let me know by 7th November.

Stephanie Knight, North Edinburgh Theatre Project