The Cry Moves to Four Venues in Four Days???

Site-specific, human rights drama, The Cry has opened just one day late following a battle with Edinburgh University which saw the show abandon its home at the Pleasance and move between four different performance spaces in four days. The play was due to open at the Pleasance Dome Car Park on Wednesday (4 August 2010) but despite Pleasance boss Anthony Alderson having arranged to use the car park as a venue in March and sought associated licenses, University authorities pulled the plug on the show citing health and safety grounds. Following numerous meetings and pleas from the Pleasance, an alternative space in the building was found, only for University officers to decide that it’s use posed a security risk. On Monday an alternative car park location was identified and writer and director Steve Lambert of Badac Theatre set to work on re-writes and adapting the show to the new surroundings. Finally, yesterday morning (5 August) the spectre of ‘security issues’ once again caused Edinburgh University officials to refuse permission to use the space. The company have now moved to a disused, burnt out room at the top of C soco on Chambers Street, a building wrecked by the 2002 Cowgate fire which fits the bleak show perfectly. Steve Lambert commented: "To have four venues before even opening must be some sort of record. Anthony Alderson and the Pleasance staff have been magnificently supportive through the whole process. Anthony deserves a human rights award of his own." The venue will still be known as Pleasance Dome Car Park and audiences will gather at Pleasance Dome to be escorted to C soco.


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