This is why FCT is what FCT is…

Tonight’s dress rehearsal for The Chess Game was fantastic.  We need an audience now as Vic eloquently put it and tomorrow night we get one.  Not as big an audience as we’d like but an audience.

But this picture taken at the dress sums up what the whole thing is about.

We’re all dead proud of our gang.  Adults and kids alike .  Because so many people make so much effort for no personal gain.

Other than to say.  I helped make this photo happen.

Look at those faces and that commitment. Oggy Oggy Oggy...

I think a special thanks to Vic Laing and Kirsty Shaw is in order.

The Chess Game in full fling

Rehearsals are well under way for the latest FCT extravaganza.  It will be our 33rd consecutive Festival Fringe production (our 64th producton in total) and is a newly updated reprise of the show we put on in 1985.

It was written by our great friend Ian MacDonald who returns to MD the show which will be directed by Vic Laing; who will need a big break in September after staging Annie and The Chess Game back to back. (Oh yes, and he has a day job too!)

Kirsty Shaw is helping out with choreography along with Paddy Hornig; so two more past cast members make their production/direction team debuts.

Katy Barry is assisting Ian with Vocal Coaching.

Ian was a big favourite with FCT audiences when he wrote a trio of fantastic shows (The Chess Game in 1985, Chances in 1986 and Angel in 1987).

The Chess Game is a fast moving musical show with several very stirring numbers.  Who can forget Maya Stewart’s rendition of I hear the Bell Toll as the Silly Pawn in 2009’s 30th anniversary show, Ya Beauty.

It uses Chess as an allegory for the world we live in today, with each piece representing different power brokers in today’s society; the military, the church, the media and the monarchy with the poor old pawns merely the footsoldiers and the victims of poor (even corrupt, and certainly self interested) decision making by the powers that be.

Or are they….?

Two days to go and tickets are selling fast

As showtime approaches we have sold 65% of all of our tickets so you really will need to move fast if you’d like to see our latest gem.

Here’s the principals, yes all three of them, taking a break from rehearsal.

Annie rehearsals in full swing and cast photos taken

Well, it’s a big cast.  The best we could do was squeeze them all into two big pictures.  Hope you like them.

You’ll find all of the shots on Flickr.  Look to the photobar on the left of your screen and click through to the link.

Annie, meantime is shaping up to be a great show at the St Brides Centre, in Oswald Terrace in the Dalry area of Edinburgh from April 13th – 16th.

Tickets are priced £11 (£9 conc). All tickets are £8 on Sat Mat.

Call the FCT Ticket Hotline to place your order on 07794 144372.

It’s sure to be popular.