Edinburgh Playhouse Celebrates World Theatre Day With Seat Dedications To Audience Members

The Edinburgh Playhouse celebrates World Theatre Day on 27th March by granting Seat Dedications to the 11 winners of our 'Your Theatre Your Story' competition.

On 19th January 2022, the company posted this video our Edinburgh Playhouse staff reciting the 'Your Playhouse, Your Theatre, Your Story', poem commission from Simon Lamb for the re-opening, asking audience members to submit their theatre memories for a chance to win a seat dedication in our theatre to cement their place in Edinburgh Playhouse history.

Six of the winners are featured here to share their theatre memories:

"Lockdown was hard for everyone, the days were bleak and long, it felt like months just merged together with little excitement or hope for the future since everything was so uncertain. I started to realise that my mother wasn't being her usual self and I couldn't really blame her. It was her 60th birthday coming up and due to COVID her plans for a family holiday were crushed. I made it my mission to give her something to look forward to and I did exactly that. I booked 6 different performances from Edinburgh theatre (one for every 10 amazing years she's blessed this earth) Every time I hear her excitedly ask "when are we going?" My heart skips a beat. I can't give her the world but I'm so thankful that for one night I can introduce her to another. May it be the glamour of Chicago, The showmanship of Gastons Tavern or even the quirkiness of a small diner, no matter where we're transported to I'm always right there by her side. These are memories we will cherish forever" - Shannon McCallum (right, with her mum Ann on the left)

"My first trip to the Edinburgh Playhouse was to see Disney's Beauty and The Beast when I was a young girl with my Mum and Dad.

I remember being completely mesmerised by the magic of theatre. It was then I fell in love with performing arts. I then grew up to have a career in the performing arts.

My first trip back to the theatre after the Pandemic was to see Chicago at the Playhouse. It was amazing to escape reality for a few hours in the enchantment of theatre.

My most recent trip to the Playhouse was at the end of last year to see Beauty and the Beast Musical and, as always, I was completely enamoured.

The Playhouse will always have a special place in my hearti??" - Emma McDougall

"#YourTheatreYourStory Where to start, going tomusicals with my mum and dad, front row seats for too many gigs to mention, seeing David Lee Roth with my mum, sharing wonderful memories with my family and friends, soaring out of the Playhouse after a brilliant night's entertainment, seeing a school friend in a lead role in Les Mis, seeing Russ Abbot with my dad and watching him laugh hysterically and now wishing mum and dad were still here so I could take them to more special nights in the Playhouse. Thank you." - Tricia McKinlay

"Going on a date over 20 yrs ago with my boyfriend, now husband, to see my favourite musical ever - Grease. Then passing on the love of musical theatre to my daughter taking her to see her favourite of the time (as she was only 5) - High School Musical and her dressing up in her wee "wildcat" outfit. We've made so many more memories together at the playhouse." - Kim Robinson

"Married in the late 60s and lived in Albert Street. £1 took us both to the pictures, bought sweets and a fish supper each on way home - how times have changed! Still going there now (but not at these prices!)" - Jeanette Smith

"I've always been, at best, agnostic. But there's something about sitting quietly in the dark watching professionals hit the big notes in songs you absolutely adore (I'm looking at you, Defying Gravity, in particular) that is I think the closest I'll get to a religious experience and the size and grandeur of the Playhouse just turns everything to eleven." - Vicki Allardice

Learn more about World Theatre Day here: https://www.world-theatre-day.org/worldtheatreday.html

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