At the FCT AGM last night it was announced that the 2010 Easter Show will be ‘Just So’ by ‘Honk’ creators Anthony Drewe and George Styles.  You can read much more about the show here.

The show will take place from 14 – 17^th April and be performed at St Brides Centre, Gorgie.

Cameron Dyer will make his Directorial Debut.  Already, work has been underway and plans are looking very exciting!  Set to an eclectic, upbeat score, Kipling’s “Just So Stories” are woven with wit and imagination into a song-filled journey through the jungle.  This show provides an excellent mix of characters, giving opportunity to all ages.

Auditions are being held on Wednesday 23^rd December at Trinity Academicals Rugby Club, Craighall Gardens from 1000 – 1600. Please wear comfortable clothing and shoes that are suitable for doing movement in.  It is also advised to bring a packed lunch as there may not be time to go to the shops.

The day will take the format of morning workshops followed by small group auditions in front of the directing team.  It will be a brilliant experience and involve lots of fun, dancing and meeting new people.  All material will be learnt in the morning so there is no need to prepare anything in advance.  Please be prepared to stay until 1600 although there is chance you may be able to leave before depending on when each group is seen.

Rehearsals are due to start on Friday 8^th January 1830 – 2100.  Rehearsals will be held on a Friday evening and a Sunday afternoon, although some principals may be called for occassional rehearsal on a Wednesday evening.

Here’s a little taster.

At the FCT AGM last night a new committee was elected which involved a close tussle for power between Chris Park (the victor) and Fifi Doig (the unfortunate but delightful runner up).

After eight long years current Chairperson Margaret McPherson made an emotional valedictory speech pointing out that she had left on an all time high and thanking FCT for its support for her personally in this very difficult year for her and the family as Jack passed away during the summer.

FCT is utterly indebted to Margaret and cannot find words to thank her for her astounding efforts and subtle management over the last decade.

The new chairman, duly elected is Mark Gorman, who takes up his post following two years on the Fundraising and finance committee.  Mark was also Chair about 20 years ago.

Liam sinclair was reelected for a further three years, Jane Sutherland for one year and joining the committee is Chris Park and , in a new role, Kirsty Harrower who is the new parent member; there to represent the views of current cast members.  Her son Angus played Little Boy in Ragtime.  And as it happens Mark’s daughter, Ria, is also a current cast member.

All three of our acts are top ten; 5, 7 and 8.

Let’s get them 1,2 and 3.

How?  Follow the instructions here.

Lots of FCTers in this great new show that opens at The Churchill on October 20th.  Be sure to support it.

It stars our very own housewive’s choice, Robert Moyes plus Sean Quinn, Cameron Dyer and Patrick Hornig.

Sorry it’s taken so long to post this.  But life is hectic in FCT Land.

FCT were honoured to be invited to a civic reception by The Lord Provost of Edinburgh in The City Chambers just after Ragtime finished.  It was held to mark the occassion of our 30th anniversary and the assembled company were riveted by a great performance from Andrew McDivvit and Rebecca Gilhooley, ably supported by Kerry-Ann on keyboards.

Andrew certainly enjoyed it…

Here are the instructions…

Simply text the word ENTALENT followed by a space then key in the special code of your chosen act,  followed by a space then please key your postcode to 81800. Example (ENTALENT 041 EH8 8AS)
Texts cost 60p plus your standard network rate.

Alternatively, and this is particularly strategic for our trio, you can buy the paper and fill in the voting slip – this method counts as TWO votes, rather than the one vote garnered from a text message.

Do the math: 60p text message = ONE vote.  43p newspaper cut-out slip = TWO votes.

Post completed cut-out slips to: Edinburgh’s Got Talent, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AS or hand deliver to the Talent postbox in reception at the same address.

The best bit is….. you can vote as many times as you like!

C’mon everyone, let’s get them in the top ten so they can perform on the big night.

So, if you’re texting get your votes in folks for Matty Smith  ENTALENT 001

Rebecca Gilhooley  ENTALENT 016

and Charlotte Jones ENTALENT 015

In the 30+ years of FCT’s existence only one actor in Hollywood achieved back-to-back Oscar success. Well, FCT have done the equivalent in their field with consecutive Best Musical ENDAs in 2008 and 2009. An incredible feat given the competition.

Read on….

Yes, a bit difficult to read – here is the full article…

Theatre groups full of cheer after second award in a row

LIAM RUDDEN and LAURA CUMMINGS

Evening News  29 Aug 2009

TWO amateur theatre companies are celebrating after winning Evening News Drama Awards for the second consecutive year.

Edinburgh Theatre Arts received the award for Best Play on this year’s Fringe at a glittering awards ceremony on the roof of The Gilded Balloon, in the Loft VIP Bar last night.

The biggest cheer of the night came when Forth Children’s Theatre was named the winner of the Best Musical award for its production of Ragtime.

It follows the youth theatre company’s success at the 2008 awards when it won the same accolade for its production of Jekyll and Hyde.

Cabaret star Camille O’Sullivan presented Edinburgh Theatre Arts with the Best Play award for A Tale Of Two Cities, which centred on the French Revolution.

Cabaret act Frisky and Mannish – also known as Laura Corcoran and Matthew Jones – presented Forth Children’s Theatre with its award.

Frisky had the audience in fits of laughter when she said that both her and Matthew started off in the amateur world, which is “a great place to learn a sense of irony”.

Chairman of Edinburgh Theatre Arts and director of A Tale Of Two Cities, John McLinden, 62, said: “It is fantastic to win the award because it is great recognition for six months of really hard work putting the show together.

“It was quite a complicated show with 34 scenes, which we had to cram into St Ninian’s Church hall.”

He laughed: “We also had to build a working guillotine for people to have their heads chopped off!”

Director of Ragtime, Andrew Dyer, 23, added: “It is the second year in a row that we have won the award and we are very grateful. It was a very proud moment for everyone and the children are all fair away with themselves!”

Around 100 actors, directors and producers from all 12 nominated amateur companies witnessed the presentation of this year’s awards.

The awards were introduced by the Evening News two years ago to recognise the work of local companies during the Fringe.

Edinburgh Theatre Arts, whose Fringe history dates back to the early seventies, won the Best Play for its production of Dennis Potter’s Blue Remembered Hills at last year’s awards.

The drama awards were judged for the second year running by Scottish Community Drama Association adjudicator Ron Cattell, Evening News theatre critic Thom Dibdin, and Fiona Rogan – an arts professional with more than 30 years’ experience working with amateur groups across Scotland. The award for Best Musical was judged by Edinburgh actor Arron Usher, musicals producer Eleanor Brown, and James Haworth, general manager of the Edinburgh Playhouse.

Mr Haworth, 39, said: “Many of the shows that the Edinburgh amateur companies have put on have actually been better than the professional productions I have seen this year.

“The thing that you get from amateurs is an incredible enthusiasm.”

“For amateurs to be able to perform in front of worldwide audiences is just an incredible treat for them.”

laura.cummings@edinburghnews.com

On Friday night we gathered en-mass at the VIP Room at The Gilded Balloon to see how we had fared in the third ENDA Awards.  (Evening News Drama Awards) which are open exclusively for Edinburgh groups.  Liam Rudden has to be commended for bringing recognition to local groups in a Festival which is overwhelmed sometimes by comedy acts.

The Drama ENDA this year went to ETA for A Tale of Two Cities.  Well Done ETA on recording a double.

Next up; the best Musical award and we were facing Tempo and Edinburgh University’s Savoy Company.  We didn’t have to wait long though before the news we were all hoping for broke.  We’d won.  Again!

It was the perfect finish to the Fringe for a cast, band and crew that had truly excelled.

The moment of truth as Andrew Dyer hears the news...

Roll on 2010.

The trophy.

FCT has a special relationship with Tempo Musical Productions.  We share a number of technical and musical stars and the author of this post was fortunate enough to take in not one, but two of their Fringe shows tonight.

Nobody Does it Better is not billed as a big show but believe me it is a great treat.  It showcases around 20 James Bond movie theme songs in a variety of solos, company and dance numbers.  It’s great fun and our very own Robert Moyes delights as ever performing All the time in the world.

But this is  really only only the support (no disrespect) to Tempo’s main production – the rarely performed “The Rink”.  The music is written by Chicago and Cabaret’s Kander & Ebb and is in that style.  The script is brilliantly written by Billy Elliot (actually it might be The Full Monty) writer Terrence McNally.

What a great show.  It’s a delightful mix of comedy and pathos and the singing is universally excellent; as is the acting.

The show’s glue is the mother and daughter duo of Norma Kinnear (wow) and Gabrielle Pavone (wow) but is monumentally supported by the male wrecking crew who take on a variety of parts as well.

One criticism is that Tempo’s programme doesn’t establish who is who so I’m not sure who the excellent Dino was.

This is musical theatre at its best.  It’s only on till Saturday so dither ye not.  Get there pronto.  I promise you will enjoy both shows and particularly The Rink.

(Oh.  And the band is brilliant.  Especially the trombonist!!!)