EDEN COURT THEATRE in Inverness is the largest arts facility in the Highlands & Islands, and is one of the best-equipped multi-purpose arts venues in the country following an extensive refurbishment.

Director’s Statement: Colin Marr

Eden Court has just undergone a huge transformation and added a magnificent second theatre, two new cinemas and two new studios along with 15 new dressing rooms. But our aim hasn’t changed. As the only large scale performing venue in the Highlands I want Eden Court to present as wide a range of high quality entertainment as we can.

I want everyone who lives in the Highlands to find a few things in every season that they want to see and I want to use the venue to encourage local professional work and for the best of the local amateur work to be seen here.

I want people to be able to see events that they are comfortable and familiar with but I also want some of the performances to challenge and stimulate the audience.

Exactly the same philosophy lies behind our cinema programme – to present the best in world cinema – from the comfortable and familiar to the edgy and challenging.

We run by far the largest arts education programme in the country with a team of drama workers based throughout the Highlands delivering work in schools and the community. Within Eden Court we offer the opportunity for school pupils to study for their Higher Drama, Intermediate Drama and Higher Dance.

The new venue also gives us the opportunity to run more classes than before, so if you want to relax doing pilates in your lunch hour or to learn how to act, sing or dance we try to offer that opportunity whatever age you are and whatever standard you are starting from.

Above all we try to look after our audiences and participants well, and I hope that people find Eden Court to be friendly and welcoming. The last couple of years have been strange for us with the building closed and not having such regular contact with our audiences. The audiences have returned in bigger numbers than ever before but we are keen for feedback. Whether it’s about our programme or our service we are always happy to hear from our audience.

When was the venue established?

The venue opened in 1976. It was the subject of great debate within Inverness from around 1967 onwards and of great controversy during its building period from 1973 to 1976. The venue closed in 2005 and was expanded significantly and re-opened in 2007. This period was also not without controversy.

What famous names have taken to the stage over the years?

There have been so many! Dionne Warwick, Adam Cooper, The Smiths, Eddie Izzard, Billy Boyd, Ardal O’Hanlon, Jools Holland, Mark Little, Terry Waite, David Essex, Belinda Carlisle, Sir Simon Rattle, Texas, Siobhan Redmond, Daniel O’ Donnell, Don Williams, Blazin’ Fiddles, Phil & Aly, Ken Dodd and Lenny Henry, to name but a few of the individuals, plus a huge number of major performing companies from Scottish Ballet to Nederlands Dance Theatre

What are your big ideas for the future of the venue?

We have just achieved our big ideas through adding a second theatre, 2 cinemas, 2 studios and 15 dressing rooms as well as upgrading and conserving the rest of the building. My ambition now is to build a programme of live events, cinema and arts education that does justice to our new facilities.

Does the venue have a ghost?

Yes, there is a well documented ghost known as the Green Lady who haunts the older part of the building (the Bishop’s Palace, which dates from 1878). She is rumoured to be the wife of the one of the Bishops who hung herself in the building. Having researched the story of the Bishop’s Palace and its Bishops in great detail we can find no evidence of any occupants of the house that could fit this story.

What was your worst disaster as director?

During the 2001 pantomime, Aladdin, the walls at the front of the theatre were being repaired when they were found to be in an unstable state. We had to close the theatre for three days and cancel five performances of the pantomime – which was sold out. That was an early sign of the difficulties our recent expansion would face because of the poor building work on the 1976 theatre.

And what was your biggest triumph?

It is very difficult to choose one event that stands out because Eden Court is only successful if we present a very mixed programme, from local to international work. Attracting NDT 2 was a turning point and directly lead to the successful presentation of other international dance work like Australian Dance Theatre and Compagnie Kafig.

I am proudest of the huge growth in our audiences and of our arts education programme and of the hard work of all our staff in achieving this.

In years to come the recent building project may be seen as my biggest triumph but its still very close and for me it is a means to more programming and bigger audiences rather than an end in itself.

If you could have any artist in the world for a one-off special, who would it be, and why?

Too many to list…. The work that National Theatre of Scotland are doing is exciting because we will see some of Scotland’s most famous actors returning to Scottish stages … watch this space!

Why should people look forward to visiting Eden Court?

I believe that we have created a venue with a real wow factor, offering style, comfort and state of the art facilities. In terms of scale and ambition it is quite unlike anywhere else in the Highlands and there is a real buzz around the place. You can expect the highest standards of customer care and a very welcoming environment. Crucially, we aim to cater for all tastes so there is an excellent chance that you will find a show, film or activity to interest you.

Links

• Eden Court Theatre