EPT News
Spring Line-up Announced
1st January 2012
EPT are delighted to announce the line-up for our next two shows, forming our spring season for 2012.
We begin in March with A Murder Is Announced, one of Agatha Christie's classic Miss Marple stories. Join us in Little Paddocks to find out what happened when the lights went out!.
Following in May, we present Losing Louis. Simon Mendes' black comedy sees secrets, which refuse to remain buried, erupt as family members are brought together, after years of segregation, to face it all out in the bedroom — the place where all the confusion began.
More details on both these shows can be found in the Shows section.
Panto Brings Another Year To A Close
31st December 2011
Our annual panto is all over, drawing to a close a highly successful year for EPT. Not only have we had an exciting year of shows and other events, we received the icing on the cake when we won the inaugral "Capital Spirit Award" in this year's Fringe!
We hope you have had as much fun watching all of this year's shows as we had performing them for you! we look forward to welcoming you to our future productions in 2012.
2012 Open Nights
29th December 2011
Our programme of Open Nights for 2012 will begin on Tuesday, 7th February. They will continue on the first Tuesday of every month, unless we have a show on at that time, for example, during the Fringe.
Open nights are a chance for prospective members to come along and and find out more about us. If you'd like to attend one, please comtact Martin Downes, our Membership Secretary.
Matinees Selling Fast
2nd December 2011
As usual, tickets are selling quickly for our panto matinees. The matinee performance of Mother Goose on Tuesday 27th December has now SOLD OUT!
Tickets are still available for the evening performance that day, but book now to avoid disappointment.
Parading Through The Wardrobe
14th November 2011
Edinburgh’s People’s Theatre are joining forces with Dobbies Garden World, Melville, this Christmas to perform a re-enactment of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
'All things Narnia' is the garden superstore’s theme over the festive season and they have invited EPT to get in on the act. After appearing at the Dobbies annual Santa Parade on Sunday 20th November, the EPT cast will perform three shows re-enacting the famous CS Lewis story.
EPT member, Kirsty Boyle, is directing and producing the forty-five minute re-enactment and said, “EPT were delighted to be approached by Dobbies asking us to get involved with their Christmas celebrations with a platform to promote our panto, Mother Goose.
“Now, we’re really excited to be bringing Narnia to life for people in the Lothians and, hopefully, further afield this Christmas, with a free performance every Saturday in December leading up to the big day.
“I have a brilliantly enthusiastic cast ready to do battle between Aslan and the White Witch of Narnia and some extremely talented youngsters taking up the mantle of the Pevensie children.
“Dobbies have a packed programme of events for their festive season and I hope people will take some time out of their hectic shopping day and bring their children along to enter the magical world of Narnia for a short time this Christmas.”
On the day of the parade, you will also be able to buy tickets for Mother Goose from our stall.
Sunday 20th November at 11.00am - Santa Parade with battle re-enactment
Saturday 3rd December at 1.00pm - Narnia Performance
Saturday 10th December at 1.00pm - Narnia Performance, with carol singing at 2.30pm
Saturday 17th December at 3.30pm - Narnia Performance
Panto Cast Announced
1st November 2011
The cast for this year's panto, Mother Goose, has been announced. Full details of who's performing can be found on the show page.
Don't forget that tickets are now on sale for the show. Book early to get your preferred seat and avoid disappointment.
Changes At The Top
1st October 2011
At the recent Annual General Meeting of EPT, a new committee was elected for the membership year 2011-2012. From the public point of view, we are delighted to announce the notable updates:
Andy Hope stood down from committee life this year, having spent the last year as President, and five years as Secretary before that. Irene Beaver takes over at the helm as President, and is no stranger to the role. You can read her welcome message here.
Vice President, Steve Roberts, continues for his third term this year, as does Johanna Hunter who remains in the role of Patrons Secretary. She is the first port of call for our registered patrons to get in touch, as well as for new patrons who wish to be put on our mailing lists to receive priority information about forthcoming shows and EPT events.
Martin Downes is our new Membership Secretary, not only looking after existing members, but is the first point of contact for anyone thinking of getting involved with EPT activities. Martin takes over from Fiona Gibb, who was elected club Secretary for this year, responsible for all administrive matters.
Kirsty Boyle is our new Head of Printing and Publicity, and is your first port of call regarding marketing and publicity enquiries.
Details of how to contact anyone in EPT, can be found on the Contact Us page.
Panto Tickets On Sale
17th September 2011
Tickets for the annual Church Hill Theatre pantomime, Mother Goose, are now on sale.
You can get them from all the usual places - online, by mail order, by phone or in person. Full details in the Box Office section.
Web Server Upgrade
10th September 2011
We will be conducting some upgrades to our web server over this week, between 12th and 15th September. During this period, our website and e-mail systems will be unavailable at times. Our online ticket reservation service will unavailable until 19th September.
We’re sorry for any inconvenience and will do our best to keep disruption to a minimum. If you find you can’t access our services, please leave if for a few hours and then try again.
Another Fringe Behind Us
1st September 2011
Seventeen performances, spanning four weeks and two productions, marked EPT's 53rd year of participation in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Both our shows played to busy houses, with audience members raving how much they'd enjoyed our two hilarious comedies.
Topping of another successful Fringe run, we were honoured to receive the Capital Spirit Award at the 2011 ENDAs.
We'd like to thank all our audiences, casts and crews who have made this Fringe success possible. Here's to next year and our 54th Fringe!
EPT Win Fringe Award
25th August 2011
EPT were delighted to receive the inaugural Capital Spirit Award at this year's Evening News Drama Awards ceremony. Presented by Edinburgh Playhouse general manager, Gary Roden, this new award is given to the theatre company which, in the minds of the competition judges, best captures the excitement and invigorating nature of the Fringe.
The Evening News Drama Awards, affectionately known as the ENDAs, began in 2007, which also saw EPT win that year's runner-up prize in the "best play" category. Jointly run by the Evening News and the Edinburgh Playhouse, the awards recognise the talent of the city's local amateur theatre companies during the internationally renowned Fringe festival.
The 2011 ENDA judging panel consisted of Thom Dibdin, Eleanor Brown and Ron Cattell. Evening News readers also participated in the voting.
Fringe Reviews Online
Updated: 16th August 2011
A review of The Chippit Chantie is now available to read on the new website, edfringe review.com. The pair of reviewers who came along described the show as a "remarkably entertaining evening" and a "jolly good show".
Read the edfringe review article
Also online is Thom Dibdin's review featuring in the Evening News' ENDAs coverage, billing the show as "Cracking production stays true to comedy and heart of original".
Fringe Pics Online
11th August 2011
Publicity photos for both our Fringe shows, The Chippit Chantie and It Takes Four To Tango With Panto, are now available to view online. Double-click on the thumbnail strips below to go to the full galleries.
EPT Feature in Fringe Preview
2nd August 2011
EPT feature heavily in the latest Fringe preview article by the city's leading theatre critic, Thom Dibdin. The piece gives a flavour of what amateur companies are doing in this year's Fringe, as well some historical notes.
You can read the article on Thom's website at thomdibdin.co.uk
Fringe Countdown Begins
1st August 2011
There is now less than one week to go until EPT’s Fringe performances begin, this year for our 53rd time in the festival’s history!
We open this Saturday with our traditional Scot’s comedy – The Chippit Chantie. We take you back in time to 1785 and the village of Ballindean in Fife. X has had her chamber pot broken and it is down to Judge Boyd to get to the bottom of things, dispensing his own unique flavour of justice! Things don’t go all the judges way, however, when the Inspector of Courts arrives in the village, showing a keen interest in the Boyd’s affairs.
Immediately after Saturday’s opening performance, we will be hosting our annual Patrons Evening. This is a chance for our registered patrons to meet the cast and crew over drinks and nibbles served in the venue coffee bar. If you’re not a registered patron, don’t worry. You can sign up to our mailing list on our patrons’ page, or fill in one of our forms in the venue.
The Chippit Chantie will run for the first two weeks of the Fringe and offers two matinee performances. For the third week, we come right back to the present day with It Takes Four To Tango With Panto. This show follows the misfortunes of Newington Amateur Dramatics Society, in what is in fact a comedy double-bill. Featuring David Tristram’s Last Tango In Newington and Last Panto In Newington, we follow the hilarious antics of the four remaining members of the society as they fight for survival and turn to desperate measures to try to boost their audience numbers!
As most of you will be aware, this year’s Festival Cavalcade has been cancelled. Sadly, this means the loss of a useful publicity event for all of the city’s amateur groups. So, please tell all your friends about our shows and help spread the word.
Don’t forget about our half-price ticket offer – see the news item below. We look forward to seeing you at one of performances soon!
Half Price Ticket Offer
7th June 2011
We are pleased to announce our Fringe 2011 half-price ticket offer, meaning you can save money when you come to see both our Fringe shows. Click on the link below to visit the offer page and find out more.
Fringe 2011 ticket offer - full details
Fringe Tickets On Sale
1st June 2011
Tickets are now on sale for both our Fringe shows - The Chippit Chantie & It Takes Four To Tango With Panto. Find out more in our Shows section or book your tickets now in our Box Office section.
Mrs Markham Review Online
27th May 2011
Thom Dibdin's review of Move Over Mrs Markham describes the show as "a cracking good night out". It will appear in tonight's Edinburgh Evening News, but you can read it by clicking the link below.
Mrs Markham Preview Online
19th May 2011
Ahead of next week's production of Move Over Mrs Markham, the Edinburgh Evening News has published their preview article of the show in this week's edition of The Guide. You can read it by clicking the link below.
Mrs Markham Pics Online
10th May 2011
Publicity photos for Move Over Mrs Markham are now available to view online. Click on the thumbnails below to go to the full gallery.
Fringe Line Up Announced
28th March 2011
For our 53rd year on the Fringe, EPT will be offering a triple-bill of shows.
Weeks one and two see us perform the traditional Scots comedy. This year it will be The Chippit Chantie - this adaptation by Victor Carin is based on Der Zerbrochene Krug by Heinrich von Kleist.
Following on in week three, we bring you It Takes Four To Tango With Panto. This is a double bill of two of David Tristram's hilarious one-act plays - Last Tango In Grimley and Last Panto In Grimley. They follow the mis-fortunes and antics of a failing am-dram company, which we'll be setting in Newington.
Like last year, we are pleased to be able to offer Saturday matinee performances for both shows. We will also have a special offer giving you discounts when ordering tickets for both shows directly from us. More details are on the show pages.
Charing Cross Pics Online
11th March 2011
Publicity photos for 84 Charing Cross are now available to view online. Click on the thumbnails below to go to the full gallery.
Charing Cross Preview Online
10th March 2011
Ahead of next week's production of 84 Charing Cross Road, the Edinburgh Evening News has published their preview article of the show. You can read it by clicking the link below.
Charing Cross Tickets On Sale
20th January 2011
Tickets for our March show, 84 Charing Cross Road, are now on sale. You can book online or order them by post using the downloadable order form. They will also shortly be available to buy over the phone or in person from the Queens Hall box office.
Full details of how to book can be found in our Box Office section. More information on 84 Charing Cross Road can be found on the show page.
Spring Line-up Announced
1st January 2011
EPT are delighted to annouce the line-up for our next two shows, forming our spring season for 2011.
We begin in March with 84 Charing Cross Road. This adaptation by James Roose-Evans, tells the story of Helene Hanff's twenty year correspondance accross the Atlantic with a London Bookseller. A heart warming and very human tale.
Following in May, we present Move Over Mrs Markham. Written by two masters of the genre, Ray Cooney and John Chapman, this bedroom farce will be an evening of mayhem and hilarity.
More details on both these shows can be found in the Shows section.
Panto's Over For Another Year
21st December 2010
Our annual panto is all over for another year. A huge thank you to all our audiences who braved the snowy conditions to cheer Humpty on in his quest to thwart the evil Monstro.
We hope you had as much fun watching the show as we had performing it for you!
Matinees Sell Out
17th December 2010
Our matinee performances of Humpty Dumpty on Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th December have SOLD OUT!
Tickets are still available for our remaining evening performances. However, you will need to buy these on the door at the theatre. We regret that we are unable to offer online bookings for these.
Humpty Review Online
15th December 2010
Edinburgh theatre critic, Thom Dibdin, has posted his review of Humpty Dumpty on his website. Click on the link below to read it:
Read the Humpty Dumpty Review here
Humpty Dumpty Pics Online
15th December 2010
Publicty photos for our 2010 pantomime are now available to view online. Click on the thumbnails below to go to the full gallery.
Humpty Opens
10th December 2010
THE annual Church Hill Theatre pantomime, Humpty Dumpty, opens tonight at 7.00pm. Good luck to all the cast and crew and also a huge thank you to them for battling through the snow to get everything setup in time!
Please allow extra time to get to the theatre. We recommend using public transport as, like in much of the city, on street parking may still be limited by snow banks on the kerb. If you arrive early, you can also relax with hot food and drink in Loop Lorna's Tea House at the theatre.
Humpty Fights On!
8th December 2010
Despite the awful weather conditions, Humpty's quest to rid the evil Monstro of his powers will not be thwarted! All performances will go ahead as sheduled.
Please allow extra time to get to the theatre. We recommend using public transport as, like in much of the city, on street parking is currently extremely limited. If you arrive early, you can also relax with hot food and drink in Loop Lorna's Tea House at the theatre.
Santa Parade Pics Online
26th November 2010
The cast of Humpty Dumpty welcomed Santa in style at the recent Dobbies Parade, despite the appaling weather! You can check out pictures of the event below.
If the above feature doesn't work, use this link to view the gallery.
Panto Cast Meet Santa
1st November 2010
The cast of the EPT's annual pantomime extravaganza, Humpty Dumpty, are set to meet Santa when he visits Dobbies Garden Centre, Lasswade at 11am on Sunday 21 November. Dame Dobb, Mother Goose and friends will welcome Santa to Edinburgh when he arrives by helicopter ahead of his busiest time of year.
The characters will all be appearing in EPT’s Humpty Dumpty at the Church Hill Theatre in December and are available for photos at the event on 21 November. Cast members will be taking part in the Santa parade and handing out information for the panto, tickets orders can also be taken on the day
Director, Mandy Black, is in charge of Humpty Dumpty and said, ahead of the event;
“This is a unique opportunity to meet the characters from Humpty Dumpty before the show and a great way to introduce children to them when they are greeting Santa.
“EPT panto is legendary and this year will be no different from the usual lively, bright and entertaining show people are used to.
“Characters like Dame Dobb, Mother Goose, Tommy Tittlemouse, Mary Quite Contrary and Little Bo Peep will be more than happy to stop for photos with anyone on the day and the cast are looking forward to helping people get in to the Christmas spirit as Santa arrives at Dobbies and kicks off the season in style!”
Click here to find Dobbies' location.
Charity Panto Preview
28th October 2010
EPT are throwing open our doors to charity for this year’s pantomime preview night. For the first time, we are inviting charities in the city to come along to the preview night of Humpty Dumpty on Thursday 9th December.
Charitable organisations are being offered the opportunity to see the show before the general public and at a reduced price of £5 per ticket, with £4 of that going directly to the charity.
Former EPT President and preview night organiser, Carol Caldwell, said;
“We are fortunate to be supported by a number of organisations in Edinburgh and we would just like to give a little something back to other charities who work hard.
“Panto is a great fun family show and our hope with having a charity preview night is to encourage people who might not normally come along to give it a go. No doubt everyone will be singing along by the end of the night and it’s just our way of helping out some worthwhile causes.
“The reduced rate of £5 for tickets is available to any charity in Edinburgh for the performance on Thursday 9th December. £4 of that price will go directly to the charity afterwards so do please get in touch with EPT, via Webmaster, Robert Fuller, stating which charity you work for, if you are interested in coming along on preview night”.
Prescription Review Online
16th October 2010
Edinburgh theatre critic, Thom Dibdin, has posted his review of Prescription For Murder on his website. Click on the link below to read it:
Read the Prescription For Murder Review here
Member’s Got Talent
15th October 2010
EPT member, Mairi Beaver, recently made it through to the Top 40 in Edinburgh’s Got Talent. The local talent contest, run by the Evening News, follows the theme set by the hit national ITV series.
Masses of entries were received by the paper and out of those, the judges compiled a shortlist of the Top 40 contenders. Now the public get to decide which of these make it through to the next round. The resulting 20 will then be whittled down by the judges to the last 10, when there will be another public vote, counting towards 50% of the overall result on the finals night, to be held at the Assembly Rooms.
You can listen to Mairi’s entry here. If you like what you hear, please vote for her (code 036) at the Edinburgh's Got Talent website.
Reserved Seating is back
12th October 2010
We are delighted to announce the re-introduction of reserved seating for pantomimes. This will begin with the 2010 production of Humpty Dumpty. So what are you waiting for? Book now to secure the best seats!
All other shows remain unreserved seating.
Visit our Box Office section to book now!
Tweet, Tweet...
29th September 2010
EPT are excited to announce that we are now on Twitter, the worldwide micro-blogging site. Why not keep up-to-date with all things EPT and follow along at www.twitter.com/EPeoplesTheatre?