Curtain Up on Highland Showcase in Edinburgh

JOHN BURNS sets the scene as Highland-based Cartoon Theatre set up their show The Perfect Spot at the Edinburgh Fringe.

FINALLY, after months of planning, endless forms and last minute crises trying to get everything done, I am standing at the venue of the Highland Showcase during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

We have taken a venue that is part of a complex managed under the banner of the Smirnoff Underbelly.  The Underbelly is aptly named as it is buried well below the street level of today’s city and it feels as though I am standing in the very belly of Edinburgh with the vaulted brick ceiling of the performance space above me.

As the roof drips water and stalactites hang suspended in time, I am reminded of how Jonah must have felt standing in the belly of the whale.  On the wall there is a small notice that states simply, without any sense of drama, that “All supernatural occurrences must be reported to the management.”  Our Fringe adventure is about to begin.

Dave Smith, Director of Cartoon Theatre, rushes about the small space taking measurements and carrying in props in a well-choreographed frenzy of activity that never quite spills over into panic.

He is clearly used to setting up shows in a variety of spaces across the Highlands and beyond, and is not fazed by the tomb-like theatre we find ourselves in. This is our first show and, with so many productions running back-to-back, time is a very precious commodity.

“The one act play follows the adventures of a lone camper as he struggles to cope with Highland midges, a storm, a bull and eventually a bear”

The previous show overran – not unusual in a first night, but something that will be an unpardonable sin when the Fringe is well into its run.  The prospect of disgruntled audiences waiting outside the theatre and other theatre companies growing impatient with the productions waiting to get in to the theatre is not something anyone relishes.

Fortunately, Dave Smith and his company have developed a degree of professionalism over the years that enables them to get their show up and running in under the allowed time and so pull back a little lost time putting the theatre almost back on schedule – at least for now.

We are putting ‘The Perfect Spot’ on early in the Fringe run, and there are one or two days before the Festival will become its usual seething mass of culture-hungry humanity, so our first audience is small but very appreciative.

I had not seen Cartoon Theatre’s special mix of live action and animation before, and found the production fascinating.  As Eric Morecambe used to say, “You can’t see the join,” and the two mediums blend imperceptivity.

The one act play follows the adventures of a lone camper as he struggles to cope with Highland midges, a storm, a bull and eventually a bear.  Watching the production, I am reminded of the silent movies that filled the picture houses of the 1920’s and 30’s. There is a fast pace with little dialogue and enough action to capture the attention of even the youngest members of the audience.

The first show finished to long and appreciative applause from our small audience, who clearly leave happy.  We heave sighs of relief before we exit the theatre as fast as we can to allow the next production, already waiting in the wings, to assemble their set.  The basic concept at this stage is essentially “grab everything and run”.

Fortunately, our first show went without a hitch.  No Gremlins turned up, and there were no ghostly apparitions to report to the management.  As the Fringe gets underway we are looking forward to bigger, and hopefully full houses. Deep below the streets of Edinburgh we are hoping that we have found… the perfect spot.

© John Burns, 2005