Curtain raised on plans to turn zoo into a theatre venue
It has already staged shows in the middle of Edinburgh Airport, the heart of a department store on Princes Street and a haunted underground street beneath the Royal Mile.
Now one of Scotland’s leading theatre companies has revealed plans to take audiences on a theatrical experience around the grounds of Edinburgh Zoo.
Grid Iron, the Edinburghbased company which has been specialising in site-specific productions for two decades, will be creating a familyfriendly show for the famous attraction during the Easter holidays in April.
It is joining forces with the Lung Ha Theatre Company, which works with performers with learning disabilities, and the Royal Lyceum Theatre to create a new show which will be staged after the zoo has closed to the general public.
Up to 100 audience members per performance will be gathering for the production, which will focus on the “cryptozoologist” who is about to unveil a brand new creation she has discovered during her worldwide travels.
Dr Stirlingshire’s Discovery will be written by Edinburghbased playwright Morna Pearson and directed by Joe Douglas, who created Blood Trams, a play inspired by real-life accounts of the impact of the controversial trams project.
The show, which will be staged in both indoors and outdoor spaces at the zoo, will be part of the official programme for the Edinburgh International Science Festival, which is staged over Easter.
Judith Doherty, co-artistic director of Grid Iron, said it had been in development for three years after the zoo was suggested as a potential venue.
She added: “The play is really about a new discovery which is going to be announced at the zoo. The audience has effectively been invited to the unveiling of the new creature. But it quickly becomes apparent it is not going to be as simple as everyone sitting down and it being uncovered.
Jo Paulson, events manager at Edinburgh Zoo, said: “We’re delighted to be hosting the world premiere of Dr Stirlingshire’s Discovery as part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival.
“This is an entirely new venture for us and is a great way of engaging a whole new audience. We’ve been collaborating with the festival for many years and we’re particularly excited to host a theatrical production for the first time, as part of the festival. It’s a wonderful way of bringing the arts and science together.”