3 minute read
The Stage is Set
It may not be the West End, but B2 Theatre Company’s leap from amateur to professional production is bound to get a standing ovation.
Words by Arran Proctor
Advertisement
The theatre is back, and I couldn’t be happier. Being a lifelong theatre fan, involved in different amateur productions from the age of seven, I know its importance. Pivotally, it’s got a massive community and economic benefits. Amateur theatre is crucial, allowing anyone who loves the craft the chance to participate and develop their skills.
When I heard one of the most renowned amateur theatre companies in Edinburgh, B2 Theatre Company, was about to start a brand-new journey into professional production, I was instantly intrigued. Not only that, but they are putting on one of my favourite shows – Once the Musical.
Once, based on the film of the same name, follows two lost souls in Dublin. One struggling with his recent breakup, the other coming to terms with migrating from the Czech Republic. Its beautiful blend of Irish and Czech culture helped secure the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2012.
B2 was started in 2017 by Claire Stewart, a deputy headteacher in Edinburgh. The company currently has two wings: B2 Ensemble (for 16-year-olds and up) and B2 Bairns (4–10-year-olds). They work tirelessly every year to produce a cabaret and a full musical. In 2019 it was Rent, which was extremely well received by audience members and critics.
So much was my excitement, I spoke to the team behind this upcoming production.
Claire excitedly begins to explain how she started B2, “I was a creative director for Forth Children’s Theatre for 20 years and there was a group of leavers, I think there were 16 18-year-olds who were an exceptionally talented generation.” She then came to the realisation, due to the fact Forth Children’s Theatre ended at age 18, this group had nothing else to go on to. “I was so particularly attached to them, I was like, I’m going to start up an, initially, 18-25s transitional programme. B2 was the place that we rehearsed so we just called it B2 (Theatre Company), and it stuck.” Five years on and they are still going strong. However, in 2020, things went a wee bit haywire.
In the wake of the pandemic, their plans to produce a professional pantomime at Leith Theatre were cut short. Claire tells me all about the excitement she and her team experienced since coming back from lockdown, “Everyone has come back with a fresh energy, and I think because there has been that break, some of those rehearsals that you weren’t as enthusiastic about back in the day are now something to really look forward to. Everyone is so keen and buzzing.”
Choosing Once was a decision based on circumstance, Claire says, “The initial goal was the panto which was going to be in Leith Theatre which is a huge auditorium but that’s now closed to the public.” Leading to the gruelling task of searching for a new venue to perform, eventually choosing the Assembly Roxy. “We had to rethink,” she expresses, “like what show could we do which is appropriate for a more intimate setting and it was actually Sarah’s (Innes) idea when the Once production rights came out, I saw that and I had wanted to do it for years.”
With casting underway and rehearsal director interviews being conducted, there is no doubt this small company is ready for this mammoth task. Once The Musical will be played at the Assembly Roxy between 20th and 23rd April 2022, with a fundraising Cabaret between 19th and 22nd January 2022.
Tickets can be purchased now for B2 Theatre’s Cabaret and production of Once the Musical by scanLeft Claire Stewart ning the QR Code. Right Sarah Innes Courtesy of Mark Gorman
