Later this month, Leith-based Citadel Arts Group will be in a new venue for the group. That will be the Pianodrome that is located inside Debenhams, the former department store inside Ocean Terminal that has been transformed by the Living Memory Association into a Leith community hub. In the building leased by the Wee Museum of Memory, you can find everything for arts and crafts; poetry readings; a fencing club; kids’ discos and even a circus.
The Pianodrome is a 78-seat tiered auditorium and is the brainchild of Tim Vincent-Smith and Matthew Wright. In today’s throwaway culture, they have created ‘a unique playable community centre built entirely from otherwise disused pianos.’ Miles Tubb of the Living Memory Association says “They came to us in April with the piano sculptures and the theatre came direct from its residency at the old Royal High School during the Festival in September.”
The imaginative old Debenhams space at Ocean Terminal will be the latest of a series of Leith venues where Citadel Arts Group has presented plays to the local community such as the Custom House, an ideal location for site-specific theatre. Before that the company presented plays in the Granary, South Leith Church Hall, numerous schools and sheltered housing centres and most frequently in Leith Dockers Club, where they are based.
The programme of plays the arts group will offer in the Pianodrome will be directed by noted novelist and playwright Hilary Spiers who said “It’s such an exciting space to work in – the imagination runs riot. As do the imaginations of our six writers who use the mannequins as launch pads for some very weird and wonderful stories.”
A Mannequin for All Seasons is on November 26th at 7pm. Tickets are free and can be booked from lizhare@blueyonder.co.uk
The cast is made up of Citadel regulars: Gregor Davidson, Chelsea Grace, Mark Kydd, Mairi Jayne Weir and Deborah Whyte.
The scripts are by Citadel Playwrights Workshop members: Elaine Campbell, William Haddow, Rhona McAdam, Lizzie McLean, Alan Mountford, and Hilary Spiers.
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 