Local children stage panto to highlight conservation fears

A group of young people from North Edinburgh are set to become exponents for nature conservation when they perform a panto to highlight conservation issues at North Edinburgh Arts this weekend. The performance is the culmination of an innovative project involving The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh-based Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, the Lyceum Youth Theatre Discover Programme, North Edinburgh Arts and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.

The group – who are all aged between 9 and 12 and live in Muirhouse, Pilton and Granton – have been working with conservation experts to learn about the importance of saving endangered species and habitats. The project – which is unique in its involvement of Edinburgh’s leading academic, conservation, and performing arts organisations – will culminate with the young people informing their local communities about conservation issues, through the performance – on Saturday 26 January – of a pantomime they have developed with the support of North Edinburgh Arts.

The young people will also go to Edinburgh Zoo for a ‘behind the scenes’ visit as part of the project, to learn about endangered animals first hand.

Speaking in advance of Saturday’s conservation-themed pantomime, project coordinator Naomi Webster – who is currently a visiting research fellow at Edinburgh University’s ESRC Genomics Policy and Research Forum, and works as Education Officer for the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust , said: “Young people have a natural interest in animals and wildlife, but often don’t realise just how endangered many creatures are or how organisations like Durrell and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland are working to save them from extinction. This project has enabled us to work with children in an innovative way to help them appreciate the importance of nature conservation, and to allow them to show their families and communities what they have learnt, by producing and performing their own conservation-themed pantomime.”

Kate Wimpress, Director of North Edinburgh Arts, said: “North Edinburgh Arts works with young people throughout North Edinburgh, through creative initiatives such as drama workshops, to encourage them to explore issues and develop understanding. Collaborating with the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Zoo and the Lyceum Youth Theatre on this initiative has enabled us to help young people to gain a greater understanding of conservation in an engaging, yet fun way. I know our young performers are very excited about both their trip to the zoo, and producing and performing their own conservation-themed pantomime.”

It’s a Quangle Wangle Christmas at North Edinburgh Arts!

Licketyspit’s ‘The Christmas Quangle Wangle’ has opened at North Edinburgh Arts. Written by Virginia Radcliffe and based on the works of Edward Lear, ‘The Christmas Quangle Wangle’ is suitable for all ages (3 – 103!) and it’s the perfect way to really get into that Christmas spirit.

Daily performances at 10am and 1pm (Saturday 10.30am and 1.30pm) and tickets start at only £2.

The Christmas Quangle Wangle runs until 15 December. For more information contact North Edinburgh Arts on 315 2151 or see the www.licketyspit.com and www.northedinburgharts.co.uk websites.

Quangle Wangle brings Christmas magic to North Edinburgh Arts

Licketyspit and North Edinburgh Arts will be presenting Licketyspit’s acclaimed Christmas production

The Christmas Quangle Wangle

at North Edinburgh Arts

from Thursday 6 – Saturday 15 December

The Christmas Quangle Wangle is a hilarious, musical adventure for families, friends, schools and nurseries, inspired by the poems and stories of Edward Lear. It is presented at North Edinburgh Arts by its newly appointed Theatre Company in Residence, Licketyspit. The production is written by Virginia Radcliffe and developed in collaboration with Johnny Austin.

“On top of the Crumpetty Tree, the Quangle Wangle sat………”

Stella and Stan are waiting for Christmas. They find a mysterious parcel which leads them to the Quangle Wangle, sad and alone in his Crumpetty Tree. But the arrival of an array of colourful characters changes his and their lives forever.

Join Stella and Stan on their adventure and spend this Christmas at North Edinburgh Arts on the Quangle Wangle’s Hat with the Orient Calf from the Land of Tute, the Dong With the Luminous Nose and the Jumblies as they sail to sea in a sieve! Children will delight in this nonsensical world of make-believe and storytelling, limericks and madcap songs. The Christmas Quangle Wangle is the perfect festive introduction to theatre for younger audiences, from ages three upwards and their grown-ups.

Stella and Stan are played by Scott Fletcher and Ashley Smith, rising young performers in Scottish theatre. Scott is best known for his role as Charlie Smith in Gary: Tank Commander and his many theatre roles include performances in Black Watch for National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Lyceum’s production of Peter Pan.

Ashley has worked extensively in Scottish theatre since graduating from RSAMD and appearances include Sex and God, Magnetic North; Magic Spaghetti for Licketyspit; 27 for National Theatre of Scotland and Hansel and Gretel with Catherine Wheels.

These performances celebrate the development of a new partnership for North Edinburgh Arts and Licketyspit. North Edinburgh Arts is establishing Licketyspit Theatre Company as Theatre in Residence, supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, to specifically engage and to further develop an Early Years and families audience. North Edinburgh Arts received £50,000 from Creative Scotland’s Public Engagement programme to establish Licketyspit Theatre Company as Theatre in Residence.

Laura Mackenzie-Stuart, Portfolio Manager for Theatre at Creative Scotland, said; ‘We are delighted to have invested in The Christmas Quangle Wangle. We hope the magical experience of going to the theatre will spark a lifelong passion for theatre in younger audiences and their grown-ups.’

North Edinburgh Arts and Licketyspit are excited to be presenting The Christmas Quangle Wangle during 2012, the bicentenary of the birth of Edward Lear.

Crumpetty Tea and Orient Calf Noodles will be available in the North Edinburgh Arts Café where children can make Quangle and Jumblie pop-ups and draw Quangle Wangle’s Hat for a North Edinburgh Arts and Licketyspit exhibition.

The Christmas Quangle Wangle is written by Virginia Radcliffe, around Edward Lear’s poems, and developed in collaboration with Johnny Austin. The production is directed by Johnny Austin; design is developed from the original Catherine Lindow design by Ali Maclaurin; music is by Tim Brinkhurst & Virginia Radcliffe.

“Quangle Wangle…captures its audience’s fiery imagination… a pyrotechnic telling of Lear’s poems” – The Stage, 2004 production

LISTINGS:

Licketyspit and North Edinburgh Arts present

The Christmas Quangle Wangle

North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court, Edinburgh EH4 4TZ

Thursday 6 – Saturday 15 December 2012

Monday – Friday: 10am and 1pm; Saturdays: 10.30am & 1.30pm

Tickets: Forth Ward Residents £2, all other tickets £6.

Box office: 0131 315 2151

www.northedinburgharts.co.uk

Quangle Wangle was first produced by Virginia Radcliffe for the Wee Stories Early Years Project in 2003 and again for Licketyspit for Christmas at Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre in 2004 directed by Matthew Zajac. It was also produced for Derby Live for Christmas 2009 with a new design by Ali Maclaurin. It was first created in collaboration with Johnny Austin and designed by Catherine Lindow with original Music by Tim Brinkhurst.

The Fringe – what's hot and what's not?

This year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe guide runs to 376 pages, packed with a cornucopia of comedians, dance troupes, musicians, actors and novelty acts – good, bad and downright dire – all vying for your attention at 378 official venues.

Choosing just what to go and see – and, more importantly, what to avoid! – is tough, so perhaps you can help. Let us know what’s worth seeing – we’ll publish your reviews on the blog. And if a performance is truly awful, it’s best that we know that too!

Enjoy the shows!

The Fringe – what’s hot and what’s not?

Enjoy the shows!

Granton youth production's on the Fringe

Granton Youth Theatre will be performing their powerful production ‘Just Like Everybody Else’ at the Holyrood Road’s Bongo Club this weekend.

The drama was devised and developed by Granton Youth Centre participants and the group’s performance was highly praised when ‘Just Like Everybody Else’ premiered at North Edinburgh Arts Centre in April.

Jut Like Everybody Else can be seen at The Bongo Club, Holyrood Road on Saturday and Sunday at 2.30pm. Tickets are only available at the venue box office or through www.thebongoclub.co.uk . The performance is suuitable for ages 12+.

Granton youth production’s on the Fringe

Granton Youth Theatre will be performing their powerful production ‘Just Like Everybody Else’ at the Holyrood Road’s Bongo Club this weekend.

Local theatre company to perform Shakespeare – in Stratford

Edinburgh Theatre Arts is to perform a Scots version of MacBeth at the heart of William Shakespeare country. The amateur group, which is based at St Ninian’s Hall in Comely Bank, have been invited by the world famous Royal Shakespeare Company to perform their version of ‘the Scottish play’ at Stratford’s Courtyard Theatre next week.

Edinburgh Theatre Arts are one of only 10 from across the UK – and the only Scottish company – to be selected to take to the stage alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). They will take to the stage with their version of Macbeth, which is performed entirely in Scots, on 14 July.

Edinburgh Theatre Art’s director Mike Duffy said it was a great honour.

“They don’t normally have amateur companies using their theatres, so it’s a unique opportunity for an amateur company to get onto one of their main stages”, he said. “It’s like Scotland are playing England at Wembley! For an amateur company to go to a main Shakespeare theatre, with all the kudos of the RSC, everybody has to raise their game.”

IT worker Danny Faramond is playing the title role, and he told the BBC he is delighted to have the chance to perform in the heart of Shakespeare country. He said: “It’s a very challenging role, there’s an enormous range of emotion required, it’s a very long involved role. You’re on stage for a lot of the time, physically quite demanding, quite an arc is required from the initial quite muted character to the, sort of, insanity at the end, so a big range is required. The more you realise what great actors have done it, the more you realise it’s quite a challenge.”

Edith Piers, who is playing the role of Gruoch, the Scottish equivalent of Lady MacBeth, added: “I’m so excited about it, I don’t at the present moment feel nervous, just really, really looking forward to it. It’s a huge opportunity and I think it will raise the profile, hopefully, of amateur theatre and lose the “am dram” tag that tends to accompany amateur theatre.”

GYC's Fame Academy needs YOU!

Granton Youth Centre have been developing their arts provision over the last couple of years and have created two successful pieces of theatre – Split Second and Just Like Everyone Else. Fame Academy is the latest opportunity for local young people to create their own piece of theatre that could potentially become as successful as previous productions.

The project offers young people aged 12+ the chance to try out various art forms including drama, music, film and set and costume design.

Heather Marshall explained: “GYC needs you! We’re looking for young people aged 12+ who would like to create their own show. Rehearsals will take place at GYC and will include:

Theatre

Music

Movement

Film Set

Costume design

You can sign up to perform or help backstage:

Monday 2 July 1-4pm Thurs 5 July 1-4pm

Monday 9 July 1-4pm Thursday 12 July 1-4pm

Monday 16 July 1-4pm Thursday 19 July 1-4pm

Monday 23 July 1-4pm Thursday 26 July 1-4pm.

This is your opportunity to create a brand new show!”

i@grantonyouth.com

GYC’s Fame Academy needs YOU!