News Article
Hidden Jewel attracts great reviews!
27/07/2009
The Year of Homecoming event at Dunollie has been hailed as a huge success by theatregoers from far afield and locally, thanks to the superb work by the Walking Theatre Company, local volunteers and unbelievable luck with the weather.
One of the 58 core national Homecoming events,
The Hidden Jewel attracted funding from EventScotland and Argyll and Bute Council and was part of the busiest programme of the year either side of The Gathering in Edinburgh.
The Hidden Jewel was a new play written specially for the Year of Homecoming event by Sadie Dixon-Spain of the Walking Theatre Company, whose work as a playwright is increasingly attracting attention alongside her work as director and actress with her theatre company.
The drama wound its way through the woods, pasture, gardens and castle courtyard from 8pm through until 10.30pm, when the final scene played out against a spectacular projection of a film onto the white walls of Dunollie House.
Despite occasional downpours during some days, the rain cleared each evening and some audiences had to fight the distraction of superb sunsets from the Castle while the cast played out the story of the 1745 call to the Jacobite rising.
Involving local people was a core aim of The Hidden Jewel project, and the cast of the Walking Theatre Company was swelled by the inclusion of five young local actors all of whom were given the opportunity to work with a professional company for the first time. Veterans of Scottish Youth Theatre, the RADA youth programme, and the Brit School, all five are pursuing careers in the arts and have been bowled over by their experience with the Hidden Jewel.
Halfway through the theatre week Sadie Dixon-Spain said "they are all fantastic and I would work with them all again", and has already been as good as her word: two young actors started work with the Walking Theatre Company on Monday 27th July on their new Homecoming production on Lismore.
In addition, no fewer than 45 local volunteers helped out in whole range of ways, from manning the box office in the centre of Oban to marshalling the events and accomodating actors in their own homes. Event organiser Catherine Gillies said "there is no way we could have run this event without our volunteers. They have been endlessly willing and have worked so hard. Luckily they all seem to have enjoyed the buzz of the week! I cannot thank them enough".
Torquil MacLeod from the Homecoming team at Event Scotland described The Hidden Jewel as "a great addition to the national Homecoming celebrations", adding that the setting was spectacular and the show was "great".
Feedback from theatre goers has been equally enthusiastic. Feedback from one visitor was typical: The Hidden Jewel was "brilliant on all levels and hope this is the first of many similar events".
The Clan Chief and her family, and the MacDougall of Dunollie Preservation Trust, are taking a well earned rest before starting to look at what other events may take place in the future.
To see a review of the show on the ForArgyll website click here, and watch out for the picture gallery which will be posted shortly.
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