Filed under: 2009, Awards, Journalism, Media, youtube | Tags: Edinburgh Evening News, Edinburgh's Got talent, Forth Children's Theatre, Musicals, Youtube FCT
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
Filed under: 2009, Awards, Festival shows, Journalism, Media, Reviews, cast photos | Tags: 30 years of FCT, Amatuer theatre in Edinburgh, Edinburgh Evening News, Edinburgh Festival, edinburgh fringe, Evening News Drama Awards, FCT, Forth Children's Theatre, Fringe, liam rudden, Ragtime, Ragtime the Musical, The ENDAs
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.”
Filed under: 2009, Festival shows, Journalism, Media, Reviews | Tags: 2009, 30 years of FCT, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Evening News, Edinburgh Festival, edinburgh fringe, FCT, Forth Children's Theatre, Ragtime, Ragtime the Musical, Reviews
Filed under: 2009, Archive photos | Tags: FCT, Forth Children's Theatre, Neil Sommerville, the band
The band always get overlooked when the praise is being handed out for a show (or so they told e). But not in Ragtime. Margaret Macpherson was effusive in her praise for them on Saturday night and we even had a quick time out to capture them in their glory (well most of them). It is, after all, like herding cats.
Here they are.
Filed under: 2009, Archive photos, Festival shows | Tags: FCT, Forth Children's Theatre, Musical director, neil, Ragtime, Somerville
We have been honoured, blessed and thrilled to have Neil Somerville with us for 25 shows, many of them as Musical Director. But he decided that Saturday night was the, very emotional, time to bow out and concentrate on his musical career in The South of England.
To say we are indebted to Neil would be a huge understatement and the gasps of horror from those who were unaware that it was last show told a story in itself.
Neil we thank you from the very bottom of our hearts.
Oggy, oggy, oggy. Oi, oi, oi. Yaaaaah beeaauuuuuttttyyyy!!!
Filed under: 2009, Festival shows, Reviews | Tags: 30 years of FCT, braodway, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Festival, edinburgh fringe, FCT, Forth Children's Theatre, Ragtime, Ragtime the Musical, tony awards
Very best wishes,
Eva and Barbara Spevack
Filed under: 2009, Festival shows | Tags: 30 years of FCT, Edinburgh Festival, edinburgh fringe, FCT, Forth Children's Theatre, Ragtime, sold out
Sorry folks……
You could take your chances on returns. We get a few. But not many…
In fact, the returns waiting lists for each of the remaining performances are running to 5-10% of total capacity.
Good luck.
Filed under: 2009, Journalism, Media, Reviews | Tags: FCT, Forth Children's Theatre, Primary Times, Ragtime, Ragtime the Musical
This great review appeared in Primary Times today. Thanks to Lucy Leslie for her kind words.
Ragtime, Forth Children’s Theatre Inverleith Church Hall,
Award-winning FCT proudly presents the Scottish premiere of ‘Ragtime’. Set in America at the turn of the last century, this epic musical is filled with show-stopping songs and inspirational characters.
A must-see this Fringe! www.fct.org.uk
Sitting in the church hall at Inverleith, you could be forgiven for thinking you had been transported to the West End or Broadway, such is the musical talent that is on offer in Forth Children’s Theatre’s production of Ragtime.
It is set against the backdrop of America at the turn of the 20th century, a time of great hope and change. It is a time when racial tensions threaten the fragile co-existence of the black and white Americans, stirred by the growing number of immigrants arriving in search of the American dream.
Tateh and his daughter have just arrived in America from Latvia, convinced that the streets will be paved in the gold, but instead find poverty and destitution. Sarah, a black servant girl, is an unmarried mother. She is shunned by society, but given shelter and compassion by her employer, the wealthy ‘Mother’, acting against the prejudiced views of her class.
Meanwhile racial unrest is growing as the black population attempts to emulate the prosperity of their white neighbours. The African Americans of Harlem are represented by Coalhouse, a ragtime pianist and proud owner of a Model T Ford, who dreams of equality with tragic consequences.
It is an epic story told in an epic production. The cast boasts over 40 immensely talented young people, as well as a live band. The ensemble scenes are spectacular -fabulous musical numbers performed with energy, commitment and passion. The effect is quite spine-tingling. It is also an incredibly moving piece of theatre, in no small part due to the amazing performances from the lead actors, in particular Hannah Scott as Mother and Rebecca Clark as Sarah. They both demonstrate a maturity and presence that belies their youth, and marks them out as potential stars of the future.
Jojo, 7, sat spell-bound throughout the performance, she commented: “It was amazing to see such young people singing and dancing so well. Some of them looked not much older than me and they were brilliant. I really like the little girl who was very poor because she looked so sad, but I was glad that she was happy in the end.”
Filed under: 2009, Archive photos, Festival shows | Tags: FCT, Forth Children's Theatre, Ragtime, fringe 2009, The fringe, mark Elvin, set design, the festival, Irene Hogg, 30th Anniversary
And so, this is the night to salute the behind the scenes heroes;
Front of house,
Costumes,
Lighting,
Sound,
Props,
Stage management,
Set design,
Make up,
Photography,
Programme design,
Irene (You had to say that. Ed.)
The list is long.
But then you walk into the theatre with the kids and you see this and you think…
“We are blessed.
We are truly blessed.”
Mark Elvin. You are a GOD.
The rest of you? You are, well, gods too. (But don’t cross Irene.)
Filed under: 2009, Archive photos, Festival shows, Media, cast photos | Tags: Broadway, Edinurgh Festival, FCT, Forth Children's Theatre, publicity photos, Ragtime, The fringe
Well we ran off about 400 photos this afternoon at Newhaven Harbour and The Botanics. Here’s just a few as a wee taster. You can find them all on this Flickr link…
The New Rochelles were shot in sepia to reflect the stuffiness and formality of the time and their super wealth.
The Immigrants are shot in a blue duotone to represent the cold misery they are about to face in an America that ain’t gonna welcome them.
I’ve chosen a pinky hue for the Harlem chorus, but particularly contrasted them as the way of photos back then.
