Citadel Arts are returning to their Leith roots this August with Leith Customs, a new play based on memories and stories of retired officials who worked in Leith Custom House when it still functioned for the busy port of Leith. Custom House was used by a range of workers from sailors, betting shop managers, watchmen from the whisky bonds and Leithers renewing their dog licenses. Set in the 1970s, a time of change for Leith, the play shows Custom House and Leith itself coping with challenges yet, living up to it’s motto, still persevering!
Leith Customswill be a promenade performance of 1 hour’s duration held in and around Leith Custom House at 65-67 Commercial Street on Thursday August 8th at 3.30pm; Friday August 9th at 2pm and Saturday August 10th at 3.30pm after which there will be a Q and A with the retired customs officials whose stories inspired the play.
Leith Customs is written by Hilary Spiers and Laure Paterson, directed by Mark Kydd and featuring Gregor Davidson, Mairi Jayne Weir and Deborah Whyte. Tickets are free (or pay what you can afford) and can be booked from Liz Hare by email at lizhare@blueyonder.co.uk or by calling 07770 623 924. Places are limited.
Citadel’s second show is the return to the barge the Lochrin Belle of their 4 and 5 star show, Tales from the Towpath that is also directed by Mark Kydd and scripted by 5 members of the Citadel playwrights workshop. Tales from the Towpath tells stories of the Union Canal, its history and the characters connected to it. The cast comprises Ashley Barlow, Leo MacNeill and Deborah Whyte with Mark Kydd taking on the roles formerly played by Jim Bryce who is busy with his own one-man show on the Fringe – Old Git It’s a Conat Laughing Horse.
Tickets for Tales from the Towpath cost £10. All performances are on the big purple barge, the Lochrin Belle, which will set off from the Fountainbridge canal basin
and lasts 75 minutes.
Booking can be made via jamesellison@blueyonder.co.uk or 07954296 568. Places are limited.
Dates are:
Tuesday August 13th 11am and 1.30pm
Thursday August 15th 11am and 1.30pm
Friday 16 August 11am and 1.30pm
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 