Don't Miss Our 'Acclaimed Fringe' Play Battle of Pots 'n Pans COMING TO PANS COMMUNITY CENTRE September 18th @ 7.30pm:

NEXT SHOWING AT THE PANS COMMUNITY CENTRE: September 18th @ 7.30 pm

click to enlarge press cutting


Everyone welcome .. admission free but donations to the Trust always welcome!

Burris Bursary Winner 2008/ 2009 Kelly Mae Ross shares her experience at The Edinburgh Fringe this year from her diary notes below. For any who have ever been tempted behind the footlights read on. And if you are just thinking you might give it a try one day, you read on too!

The Andrew she clearly admires in her diary is Andrew Dallmeyer, the award winning writer and producer originally from Aberlady who created and has directed this excellent play at some 14 performances over the past 24 months - and who is currently writing a new work for the Trust on The 'Whole' Life of Colonel Gardiner.

Kelly's Pots' Diary ... from behind what Fringe footlights!

Saturday: Last Rehearsal

Can’t believe this is the last rehearsal. In full dress we wait to start. Producer Andrew looks calm, cast looks clueless?

And we are off, boys shouting the'r stuff (which is a blur to me). All I have to concentrate on is my cue line, get that over and I have nailed it, the rest will flow.

That’s it Jean is up and in position. My heart has just stopped and we are off.

Jean:“We’ll tell you a story about Prestonpans.
Kelly: How the redcoat army and the highland clans. …”

We flow through the first scene. Great. The nerves have calmed and adrenaline has taken over. Costume change (we will have to do that quicker on the night).

Then Bonnie Prince Charlie becomes me. I hope I can do this some justice. He was a bonnie lad though!

Before I knew where I was I have turned back to being a woman shouting monologues then dancing away. Final bow then over.

Sunday 3rd Cavalcade

Dressed up in the Scottish glamour we gave the Thai Lady Boys something to look at, armed with the BattleBus we marched along Princes Street handing out as much leaflet poundage to the crowd as oor wee erms could fire oot there. It was a great day; we managed to even avoid the rain. After a good job done back home to make sure all costume was packed and in the case for tomorrow night.

Monday 4th

Well we’re all here! That’s always a good start. We all look like rabbits stuck in the headlights, frozen and hanging on every word Andrew says; that’s nerves I’m seeing I think to myself. We all thought in the back of our minds that tonight we might have a couple of folk to entertain, we might get away with a couple of minor mistakes. We were so wrong apart from 5 seats it was a full house. So time to control the nerves, Larvrocks look calm, so cast be calm and on with the show.

Brilliant It was brilliant. We had a good audience who interacted at the right time, we had laughs and a few sad faces at the right time, so we must have done something right. We all came off full of confidence and really enjoyed it. The kids loved it; unfortunately I had to go home with them on the Wiles bus, oh boy what a noise!


Tuesday 5th

After standing at the West End of Edinburgh in full costume all afternoon with my daughter handing out flyers I was buzzing from the atmosphere out there. I targeted the tourist buses with groups of Chinese people on board (I stalked them all day actually); they seemed really interested and loved the costumes. So when I got to the rest of cast I was in the mood to get on with the show.

We had about half the audience of last night but still a good turn out. I forgot to take on one of my props, Oops! So went to clink the cup with Jean but I had bare hand! Anyway that was my only disaster for the night.

Wednesday 6th

Couple of people thought the show had a bit of a pit fall tonight. I can’t say I noticed I thought it went well. Maybe the energy has dropped in us a little mid week and all that. Had a good house again tonight.

Thursday 7th

For me this was the worst night, not for the play but the fact I have family coming tonight and that always makes me nervous!
I was stiff and tense as I peeked up the stairs to watch the audience. There goes my dad and there’s my boy Deacon and there’s my ex-partner and his family and my drama teacher. Can I do this in front of them? My Dad and my Ex in the same room (not the best idea I’ve ever had). But on with the show. And I did. And it went well in fact; it went better than well for me. I blanked everyone. Andrew said an intimate audience is the worst to work with because they are there and in your space. If you can do that you can stand up in front of anyone in any space. Point proved to myself.

Friday 8th

Tonight there was no tension. No nerves from the cast. There was No nothing. We had a job to do tonight and we all were shattered, (something to do with handing out flyers all day). A very good sized crowed but not a lot of interaction tonight, couple of laughs. Maybe it was just me. I just felt my energy was at home tonight.

Saturday 9th

Well we are sold out tonight so already in good spirits! Coreen has been keeping an eye on ticket sales all week. She has certainly taught me a few things about the Festival and how it works. I went to the office with her to get our performer passes. I was chuffed. My first Fringe pass ( I will certainly Frame It ). The show was electric tonight from start to finish; the energy was there. All lines were said and songs sung. I had the rest of my family here tonight who had seen it in the Pans before and they thought it was much better. The redcoats even died in the right space which was good since it meant you didn’t need to do the splits over them. Great night . Andrew seemed pleased. A lot of the audience waited about to tell us the show was good and asked about the enactment. So we left on a high.

Sunday 10th

What can I say! Last day giving out the flyers on the Royal Mile. Last night unpacking the suitcase and last show.
We are all feeling the blues. 123 aaahhh.

We opened a couple of bottles of wine in the church (don’t tell God or the Church officers!). Had a little glass before the show and off we went boys starting the opening scene. Cast on stage, Women’s first monologue. Bonnie Prince on then off. Highland charge. Pots ‘n Pans. Gardiner’s wife sings her song. Redcoat’s dead. Hawthorn tree. Kids scene. Wimmens’ grief. King crowned then away to Skye. And at that point with the Laverocks singing O’er the Sea to Skye, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and I was full of emotion. We had done it, got to the end of the run. I would do it all over again in a second. But unfortunately I will have to wait until September … 18th to be precise!

WHAT MORE CAN I SAY …

I loved doing the show. I love the way it grew from a few rehearsals on Tuesdays and Thursday nights in The Goth [God Bless that place!]. A bit of education, a bit of a laugh. Meeting new people who are all up for making mistakes and making a fool of the’rselves. Meeting and working with a great director who has taught me loads, and had confidence in me when I didn’t. Andrew I can’t thank enough! And working with a live band every night ( that’s a first ever for me). I watched their confidence and that calmed me down when needed. The cast were great and all so very supportive to each other. Malcolm Watson helped me with the slightly Scottish-French accent. But most of all Jean was at my side every night every rehearsal, every mistake all the way the whole journey. I leaned on her the most. She was a wee star and this was her first ever show! I know, hard to believe.

I hope to work with most of the cast again soon. I know the costume ladies are now in my phone book!

On to September 18th, 7.30pm at The Pans Community Centre ….