Actors donate cash to Eden Court in Inverness during coronavirus shutdown
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An act of generosity from amateur performers has left Eden Court better off.
Eden Court is currently closed as a result of the coronavirus lockdown.
As a result local amateur dramatic company Starlight Musical Theatre had to postpone its planned production of The Sound Of Music there until next year.
This meant it was due to refund a performance fee the cast had all paid when they joined the show.
But this week Starlight director Peter Kelly revealed that when one of them suggested giving the money to the theatre, others also preferred to donate the cash.
He said: “I was astounded and so taken with the cast’s support for the theatre.”
A Savemytheatre Just Giving page has now been set up with Inverness Musical Theatre after its chairman Roger Cope was keen to get involved.
One of its productionsalso had to be cancelled due to the lockdown.
Mr Kelly said: “I met Roger and was saying how disappointing it must have been for their production of Hello Dolly! to be cancelled the very night before they were due to perform – and that Eden Court was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
“We ended up saying ‘Let’s try and do something for Eden Court’.
“We didn’t announce Savemytheatre on the Just Giving page or anything, but it’s working, people are starting to click and go for it.”
"As the page says: 'We are in uncharted waters. This is to show support for Eden Court Theatre because it needs to know we care and are willing to give back.'
“And maybe people who would normally buy tickets for things on at Eden Court – if you’d have spent £35 on a ticket for the ballet, for example, you might give that money to Eden Court instead.”
The cast had been chosen for The Sound Of Music and the first rehearsal had been held when news of the theatre’s closure postponed everything, though Peter says the cast have been given things to work on at home in the meantime.
Starlight’s The Sound Of Music should be seen next year at Eden Court, assuming the coronavirus finally runs its course.
“But if we don’t have a theatre, we don’t have anywhere for doing what we do,” Peter said.
