The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Theatre celebrates its first anniversary
Cast and crew marked special occasion with cake at the end of ‘a fantastic year’
Perth Theatre has celebrated the first anniversary of its dramatic relaunch.
The beloved city-centre venue closed its doors for four years of renovations and improvements worth nearly £17 million.
It re-opened in spectacular fashion when an unscripted fire alarm interrupted the first performance of pantomime Aladdin.
The building was evacuated while fire fighters carried out safety checks.
When the show resumed, members of the emergency-service crew were invited to join the show and surprised audiences by carrying dame Widow Twankey back onto the stage.
Since then, the theatre has had a busy 12 months, with rave reviews for its CATS (Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland) winning production of Knives In Hens, Richard III and a co-production of singer-songwriter Karine Polwart’s Wind Resistance.
The new Joan Knight Studio has hosted a variety of events from children’s shows, music gigs, and presentations, as well as the celebrated WOW Women Of The World Festival and the Southern Fried extravaganza.
It has been a fantastic year... our staff hit the ground running with a hugely busy schedule
One of the most talked about shows was The 306: Dusk – the emotional climax of a highly acclaimed collaboration with The National Theatre of Scotland.
The first anniversary of the new-look theatre was marked with cake and party, featuring the cast of the latest panto Snow White And The Seven Dames.
Mike Griffiths, interim chief executive of Horsecross Arts, the creative organisation and charity behind the theatre and nearby Perth Concert Hall, said: “It has been a fantastic year.
“We have welcomed back audiences who have been overwhelmingly complimentary about the transformed theatre.
“Our staff hit the ground running with a hugely busy re-opening schedule and their dedication and energy has carried us through a jam-packed year.”
Depute Provost Willie Wilson joined yesterday’s celebrations. He said: “Perth Theatre is one of the major parts of our cultural transformation programme for Perth and Kinross.
“Since it opened, it has welcomed many thousands of people through its doors, contributing to the growing vibrancy of our nightlife and local economy.”
He added: “The restored Edwardian interior and new studio theatre together embody Perth’s unique blend of old and new.
“I’m sure Perth Theatre will have many successful years ahead of it.”
The theatre is now preparing for its second season with productions of Victorian thriller Gaslight, Miss Julie – a story of passion across the class divide – and Scottish fishing tragedy Lost At Sea.