SCDA One Acts Comp
One Act Play Competition to Church Hill
The competition is hotting up for Edinburgh’s amateur dramatic scene, with Eastern Divisional Final of the National One Act Play Competition being held at the Church Hill Theatre this week.
Open to all audiences, this round of the competition features nine one-act plays, performed on the three evenings from Thursday 2 to Saturday 4 April in what is effectively the semi-final of the Scottish section of the competition.
Edinburgh People’s Theatre (EPT) were placed second in Edinburgh District with Yellow Moon by David Greig. Photo: Walter Hampson
All of the productions have come through a previous round in the competition and should be of a high and entertaining standard. And the styles vary hugely from mannered comic two-handers to a Commedia dell’Arte romp and hard-hitting fact-based drama.
The winners and runners up will go on to the Scottish Final at Kirkwall, Orkney at the end of April to compete with teams from the other three Scottish Divisions.
Three Edinburgh companies will be represented at the Church Hill, following the Edinburgh District round, which was held at the end of February.
Edinburgh Theatre Arts, who won the Edinburgh District round with Blind Date by Peter Quilter, will be performing on Thursday. The company have form in the competition having won at both Scottish and British level, as well as at festivals at Fleetwood and Llandridnodd Wells.
Edinburgh People’s Theatre will stage their slightly shortened take of David Grieg’s Yellow Moon on Friday and St Serf’s Players will perform new play by Neil Robertson: Please Release Me on Saturday.
Fintry Amateur Dramatic Society (FADS) – winners of the Stirling District round with The Path Of True Love by Barry Grantham. Photo: Walter Hampson
Other companies involved include the defending Scottish and British champions, Fintry ADS who will be joined by multiple Scottish and British winners Tryst Theatre, Falkirk.
The nine plays will be adjudicated by Walker Ewart O.B.E., from Northern Ireland who has officiated at many festivals including Scottish and British Finals.
Tickets are £10 nightly or £24 for a three night season ticket.
Available online at: http://www.scdaedinburgh.org.uk/page49.html or by phone 0131 225 5952.
Listings
SCDA One Act Festival 2015, Eastern Division Final
Church Hill Theatre, 33a Morningside Road, EH10 4DR
Thursday 2 April 7.30pm:
Dirty Dusting by Ed Waugh & Trevor Wood
The Stirling district runners-up, Killin Drama Club, present a light hearted, laugh out loud comedy that takes on the issue of ageism and proves that old dogs can learn new tricks. Three elderly cleaners who feel that their lives are coming to an end chance wrong number gives them a new business start-up idea – why not run a telephone sex line?
Three More Sleepless Nights by Caryl Churchill
Fife District’s second placed team, Aberdour Players take on this unusual and intriguing play. It invites the audience to look and listen in on the intimate verbal (and non-verbal) sparring of two couples as their relationships disintegrate…can they then pick up the pieces?
Blind Date by Peter Quilter
Winners of the Edinburgh District round, Edinburgh Theatre Arts, hit the comic high spot with this two-hander. Searching for happiness, Jonathan and Wendy find each other through the pages of a dating magazine. Will their blind date turn out to be successful, or will it be yet another evening of disappointment?
Friday 3 April 7.30 pm:
Yellow Moon by David Grieg
Second placed Edinburgh District company Edinburgh Peoples Theatre, present a powerful piece of drama about the darker side of life when you’re 17 and have nothing to lose
The Lockerbie Bomber by Kenneth Ross
The writer of production presented by Falkirk District winner, Tryst Theatre, happens to be their director and a cast member. A mix of fact and fiction, it looks at the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in December 1988 from three perspectives: the victims’ families; journalists investigating the case; and the US and UK security services engaged in covering up what happened.
The Briggs Boys by Jamie Thorburn
Winners of the Fife District round, Kirkcaldy ADS, perform this a hard-hitting (pun intended) play written by Jamie Thorburn who is one of the cast.
Saturday 4 April 7.30 pm:
Please Release Me by Neil Robertson
Third placed Edinburgh District team, St Serf’s Players, present Edinburgh writer Neil Robertson’s comedy. Young Scots fish-worker Willie Baxter settles down with Linda, who shares his love for The Rolling Stones. But his wanderlust flares up again and he decides he wants to be a Hell’s Angel.
The Path Of True Love by Barry Grantham
Stirling District Winners, Fintry Amateur Dramatic Society, take on a Commedia dell’Arte romp, an improvisational style of theatre which began in sixteenth century Italy. Travelling companies of professional actors performed outdoors in public squares, using simple backdrops and props. Each member of the company played a particular stock character, wearing masks and costumes that defined the characters personality.
The Night I Danced With Cyd Charisse by Nancy McPherson
Comedy from the third-placed Fife company, Leslie ADC. Three mechanics, each at different stages in their life, settle into their usual pattern of work on a typical Friday morning in a garage workshop. Their contrasting characters give rise to much comedy banter, but it soon becomes clear that they are all dealing with loneliness and each has his own individual relationship with the truth.
Tickets and details: http://www.scdaedinburgh.org.uk/page49.html
Edinburgh Theatre Arts (ETA)- winners of Edinburgh District with Blind Date by Peter Quilter. Photo Walter Hampson
ENDS
