Supporting your theatre in the hills

Summer 2012

A joyful and life-enhancing asset to Scottish theatre . . . And it’s safe to say that there is no other theatre in Scotland, now, remotely as well equipped as Pitlochry

to present My Fair Lady, or any show like it. Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman, 2011

To Kill A Mockingbrid, 2005

Casting News: Kate’s Back! Best known for her marvellous performances as Eliza Doolittle in last Summer’s flagship

production of My Fair Lady and as Lois Lane in our 2010 musical hit Kiss Me, Kate, Kate Quinnell (pictured here in rehearsal with John Durnin) returns to PFT this Summer to appear

in Little Shop Of Horrors, Communicating Doors and Dear Brutus. The rest of the ensemble will be pleased to note that as she has now won the Leon Sinden Award for Best Supporting

Performance twice - in her first two PFT seasons - she is now no longer eligible for this award!

WelcomeIt is now just over a year since we launched a range of new fundraising and donor schemes, especially designed to help PFT to maintain its large-scale, high quality output despite the severe cuts in public investment levels which PFT faced from 2011 onwards.

Thanks to the unfailing generosity and enthusiastic support of our audiences, these new schemes have, from a standing start, made a very substantial contribution to PFT’s finances. Over the last twelve months, 1,100 Festival Circle donations have been received, with a total value of £116,000, while the 15 members of The John Stewart Society have raised just over £40,000.

Such magnificent support, particularly in these difficult times, has been very welcome and the Trustees and staff of Pitlochry Festival Theatre are extremely grateful for this immense generosity. However, despite this wonderful contribution, PFT’s fundraising target in 2011 wasn’t quite met, so our efforts to raise additional funds to support and maintain PFT’s unique theatre operation will have to be redoubled in 2012.

Operating as a charity since 1953, PFT has always relied on the generosity of our Friends, Patrons, Benefactors and audiences to help sustain the theatre’s various activities. Despite the fact that PFT generates

0101796 484626 •PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

If every one of our current donors - in excess of 1,100 - also took out a Friends membership (costing just £40.00), gaining them benefits such as discounts on tickets, food and goods, as well as access to exclusive Friends events and offers, they would raise an additional £44,000 for PFT every year! So please support your Theatre in the Hills: join our ever growing band of Friends (now over 650) from across the UK and beyond!

Full details of our Friends’ membership scheme can be found on page 27 of the 2012 Summer Season brochure and on our website: PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

in excess of £1.25m through its Box Office every year and earns over 85% of its income itself - a superb achievement, unmatched by any other Scottish producing theatre - PFT’s repertoire model and programme require very high levels of investment to achieve the standards that our audiences demand.

So we have to raise an additional £300,000 in 2012 if the scale, the range, the quality and the diversity of productions for which PFT is justly renowned is to be maintained in the future.

If just 10% of PFT’s Summer Season audience made an annual donation to PFT of £50 - less than the cost of two tickets - this £300,000 target would be achieved; donations that qualify for Gift Aid would boost this total even further. Larger annual donations (£100 and above) would, of course, make an even greater impact: bigger shows, larger casts, even more spectacular settings could result. But any donation, gifted on an annual basis, will make a difference to this special place. At whatever level you can give, your support for the Festival Theatre and the work that it produces, will be very much appreciated.

John Durnin Chief Executive & Artistic Director

Thanks to the unrivalled support of our audiences, most of the projects we set out to deliver when we launched Phase 1 of the Capital Appeal in 2008 have now been realised. An outline of some of the highlights bears repeating, whilst a full update, which was circulated in the September 2010 newsletter, can be found online or supplied upon request. In brief:

• £1.2 million has been raised in total: an extraordinary achievement.

• Early in 2009, we were able to purchase a building on the Port-na-Craig House estate (adjacent to the Explorers Garden) to house desperately needed new rehearsal, education and workshop facilities.

• A full schedule of conversion works at the new Port-na-Craig facility was begun in 2009 and completed in 2011, resulting in: two large rehearsal rooms with sprung floors (vital for the programming of musicals and permitting simultaneous dance/music/drama rehearsals); a dedicated education space; a new, centralised wardrobe store for PFT’s extensive stock of fabulous costumes; and a re-roofed, double glazed, fully insulated - and huge! - workshop and scenic storage space.

• We were able to invest in the Tessitura Box Office ticketing system in 2010, which has improved our ticket sales service out of all recognition and allowed PFT to provide ticketing services for other events and organizations, whilst equipping PFT with new customer relations, marketing and fundraising services.

• We were also able to purchase a state-of-the-art ETC EOS lighting control desk, which has made it possible to deliver far more complex and sophisticated lighting designs since 2010, especially useful for musicals - just think of Kiss Me, Kate and My Fair Lady!

• Multiple upgrades to our sound system, stage machinery and IT infrastructure have also been undertaken.

• We were able to re-carpet and refurbish the Foyer, Café Bar and Restaurant before the start of the 2009 Summer Season.

Our three central ambitions for Phase 1 were: to ensure that PFT could thrive artistically in the 21st century; to deliver an even better ‘Pitlochry Experience’ for audiences; and to generate new income for the organisation. With the delivery of the projects above, we are well on the way to ensuring that all three ambitions are within reach. A standing ovation and heartfelt thanks are due to all of you who helped to make this happen.

With the completion of these works, PFT’s need for continued capital funding for Phase 1 has come to an end and we shall shortly be closing the Capital Development Fund. However, our need to raise funds to support the artistic programme is greater than ever before:

2008 Capital AppealPhase 1 Successful!

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Martyn James (1948 - 2012)Following the very sad news of Martyn James’ untimely death earlier this year, the 2012

Summer Season is being dedicated to his memory. As well making an immense contribution to PFT over the last 35 years, Martyn appeared on the Pitlochry stage on more occasions than

any other actor in the theatre’s 60 year history.

Martyn James in Whisky Galore - A Musical!, 2009

an additional £300,000 has to be raised each and every year if we are to continue to produce shows like My Fair Lady, Noises Off, An Ideal Husband and Whisky Galore - A Musical! So we would ask all those of you currently contributing by standing order to the Capital Development Fund to please cancel your existing standing order and instead switch your support to the Festival Circle by completing a new standing order. Full details of how to do this can be obtained from Annie Hibberd or Fran Norris on 01796 484600.

As all those who supported Phase 1 of the 2008 Capital Appeal will be aware (and many thanks again to all those who did), the plan to upgrade many of PFT’s facilities over the last four years was merely the first step on a longer-term journey - one that would see the Theatre in the Hills transformed for the 21st century.

We are delighted to announce that the next stage in this process is now underway. Creative Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and Perth & Kinross Council have agreed joint funding of £90,000 to commission a major feasibility study that will assess Phase 2 of PFT’s capital plan: the development of a three auditorium “super-theatre” complex on the current PFT campus. If delivered, the new complex would form a financially self-supporting artistic powerhouse in the heart of rural Scotland, one which will bear comparison with the very best repertoire organisations in the world.

PFT’s vision for the future has been informed by the success of another rural festival theatre. Over the last fifty years, Canada’s Shaw Festival at Niagara-on-the-Lake has grown from modest beginnings into one of North America’s major cultural enterprises. In the process, it has transformed a once sleepy rural community into a vibrant, high-end beacon of international cultural tourism. Through a similar emphasis upon long-term investment in artistic ambition and capital facilities, PFT hopes to emulate the Shaw’s extraordinary achievements within a Scottish context and ensure a secure future for John Stewart’s founding vision for the Theatre in the Hills.

The key ambition of the capital plan is to make possible an expansion in the range and scale of PFT’s repertoire offering by developing larger and much improved capital facilities, building upon PFT’s existing identity as a high quality arts organisation and a major cultural tourism destination. This will be achieved by:

• developing a three auditorium complex on the current PFT campus, comprising a new, sub-200 seat multi-use studio, the current mainhouse (with its capacity reduced to under 500 to improve legroom), and a new flagship mainhouse, with a capacity of 800-900 seats and a full height fly tower;

• creating a new, diverse repertoire programme structure, offering between 10 and 14 PFT productions in the three auditoria during an extended April - November producing season

• using the large seating capacity and technical facilities provided by the new flagship mainhouse to host major international opera, dance and theatre companies, and large-scale UK theatre tours, during the Winter Season.

This combination of artistic expansion, capital development and financial self-sufficiency, supported by the retention of all the traditional elements of the ‘Pitlochry Experience’, will

Phase 2 Begins!PFT’s Capital Development Plan wins Feasibility Study funding

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establish PFT as one of Scotland’s most important cultural destinations: a rural powerhouse delivering a critical mass of activity all year round within an international marketplace.

By supporting PFT in 2012 and in the years ahead, donors will ensure that this dream of a bigger, better and more sustainable future for John Stewart’s Festival Theatre stands the best possible chance of becoming a reality. A magnificent, state-of-the-art, three auditorium complex on the banks of the Tummel, offering all of the values and virtues of the current Theatre in the Hills, but in a greater variety of forms, styles and scales: isn’t that a dream worth supporting?

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Costume Sketch: Ronnette, Crystal, and Chiffon in the finale of Little Shop Of Horrors by Charles Cusick Smith

Legacy Giving

Leaving a gift to PFT in your will can help to ensure that future generations will receive as much pleasure from a visit to the Theatre in the Hills as the audiences who visit today.

New tax legislation that comes into force on 1st April, 2012 will reduce the Inheritance Tax rate from 40% to 36% when one-tenth or more of your taxable estate is given to charity.

As no inheritance tax is payable on the amount of your legacy gifted to a registered charity, this can be an even more effective way of reducing the tax liability of your

estate, whilst at the same time benefiting the special place that is Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

Legacies can be made by way of a gift of cash, or shares, and your solicitor can advise you on including one or more legacies in your will.

To leave the gift of a legacy to PFT, please pick up a Legacy leaflet next time you are in to see a show, or visit the PFT website for further information. Alternatively, you can contact Fran Norris or Annie Hibberd on 01796 484 600, who can assist and advise on Legacy gifts and other donations.

New Legislation Notification

06 The Steamie, 1995

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In Memoriam

Memory Plaques Taking pride of place on the balustrade panels of the twin staircase leading to the upper auditorium, Memory Plaques will be available at three giving levels:

Bronze £500 Silver £1000 Gold £1500

All can be prepared with individual wording of names, dates and messages of remembrance.

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Pitlochry Festival Theatre has played an important part in the lives of many, many theatre-goers over the past 60 years, and we love to hear how a visit to The Theatre in the Hills has proved a highlight in lifetimes composed of many happy summers.

After receiving several requests to provide a special way of remembering a loved one who had spent many such happy times enjoying PFT’s work, we have decided to launch a range of In Memoriam schemes that will celebrate and commemorate these important associations and allow your loved one’s name to live on within their favourite theatre.

Sponsor A ShowOne of PFT’s Summer Season productions can be dedicated to the memory of your loved one - perhaps one by a favourite playwright. This support would be recognised in the main Season programme, the individual programmes and even on publicity material for the chosen play. Show sponsorship packages are available from £2,000 and can be tailored to your individual requirements

Seat EndowmentA limited number of theatre seats are available to endow in the current auditorium format. For £500, small name plaques can be attached to the fold-up seat base.

Frances CollierFollowing her previous incarnations as a wig stylist (My Fair Lady), dress maker (Cinderella), and even a donkey maker (Kiss Me, Kate), we are delighted to announce that Frances Collier (pictured) will be turning her multi-talented hand (and mind) to Rope and Communicating Doors in the 2012 Summer Season as set and costume designer. Rope Set Model

For more details of these schemes, please contact Annie Hibberd on 01796 484638 or reach her by email: annie.hibberd@pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com

“The stylistic equivalent of a West End producing

theatre set against a picture-postcard backdrop of rolling

Perthshire hills” Neil Cooper, The Herald, 2011

Festival Circle EventAll Festival Circle donors are invited to join us for a drinks reception and a 3 course dinner, followed by an introduction to Dear Brutus from the Artistic Director, best seats for the performance and post-show drinks with the cast, on Friday 7th September.

Tickets: £40.00

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Corney & Barrow, PFT’s Wine Club merchants, will be present at our donor events to provide an informal tasting of a range of wines early in the evening. Look out for special offers on a range of exquisite wines on the night.

A preliminary costume sketch for Mrs. Dearth in Dear Brutus by Adrian Rees. The next stage will be to add colour to the design!

Friday 25th August

PFT is delighted be able to host an exclusive reception during the Summer Season for the growing membership of The John Stewart Society. You are invited to join your fellow JSS members and their partners for a superb 4 course dinner and an introduction to The 39 Steps from the Artistic Director. JSS members will enjoy premium seats for the performance, a complimentary copy of the 2012 Season programme and post-show drinks with the cast.

Tickets: £50.00

John Stewart Society Reception

Festival Wine Club

Do you order goods and services online from retailers like Tesco? Or M&S? Or Amazon? If so, did you know you can raise much needed cash donations for PFT by making these purchases via the easyfundraising.org.uk website? Leading online retailers who are registered with easyfundraising will make a donation to your selected charity (PFT) every time you buy online. Hundreds of major retailers are already working with easyfundraising, including Comet, Clarks, Thorntons, Sainsbury’s, Lastminute.com, GAP, Boots, Boden and many others.

And there’s more . . . if your business places online orders with Dell PC, Viking, Rymans, Staples, Virgin, thetrainline, O2, Vodafone or other business suppliers, you can support PFT through your business by making these purchases via easyfundraising!

And even more still . . . when you search the web, use the charity search engine easysearch.org.uk and they will donate half a penny to Pitlochry Festival Theatre for every search that you and your colleagues at work make! Every little helps, and we estimate that you could raise an average of £25 a year for PFT simply by using easysearch instead of Google or any other search engine.

So please set http://pitlochryfestivaltheatre.easysearch.org.uk as your homepage, use it every time you search the web and watch the funds you earn for PFT mount up!

Join the growing numbers of registered supporters of Pitlochry Festival Theatre who have raised a fantastic £610 to date, using these simple yet brilliantly effective websites.

Raise money for PFT when you shop and search the web!

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A Dinner with a DifferenceA very special 60th Anniversary Fundraising Dinner took centre stage - literally! - at PFT on 19th November, 2011. Whilst the dinner and entertainment was much enjoyed by the 130 specially invited guests, the fundraising side of the evening brought a very big smile to the faces of those who work at PFT: raising £24,000 in a single evening is no mean achievement! We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our supporters and sponsors for making this evening possible.

Whisky Galore - A Musical!, 2009

My PFTMy family’s association with Pitlochry first began over 40 years ago when my wife, while attending boarding school in St. Andrews, would sometimes spend her half term holidays with

a close friend who lived in Pitlochry. Visits to the salmon ladder and the shops were of interest, but she always remembered her theatre visits more vividly.

My first introduction to the Festival Theatre was on returning from an 11 year sojourn in England, where my work had taken me in 1983. Coming home to Scotland with my family was a joy made all the more special as it allowed the children to get to know their grandparents.

Fortunately for all of us my father, Robin Douglas, was a non-executive director of a company that had links with the Theatre through its charitable giving. This allowed Robin the opportunity to bring all of the family to see plays at the Theatre in the Hills. He took great pride in his involvement with the Theatre and was honoured to be asked to become Chairman of the Board. He saw many changes through his time on the Board, some welcome, some not, but a high point without a doubt was a visit from the Duke of Rothesay.

My father’s enthusiasm was infectious and I too succumbed to the siren call of the Theatre in the Hills and became a member of the Pitlochry Festival Theatre Society.

I found myself becoming more and more drawn to the place, the people and the plays and started to make regular contributions to the Theatre in the mid-nineties. It seemed only natural that, when the opportunity arose to become a member of The John Stewart Society, I should join to affirm my commitment on an on-going basis to everything the Theatre has meant to me.

After some 40 years of association

with this place, the Theatre is

more to me and my family than a

mere building. It is a collection of

memories of wonderful productions,

evenings’ entertainment, meeting

cast members, family days out, pride

in the things my father achieved and

the promise of more to come. It has

interwoven itself into my life and

introduced me to things that I would

not otherwise have discovered; and

for that I cannot recommend it

highly enough.

Six plays in six days is only the start

of what Pitlochry Festival Theatre

can give to you.

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Gavin Douglas John Stewart Society member

My PFTIn the 2001 programme covering the 50th Anniversary of Pitlochry Festival Theatre, I was delighted to be invited to contribute an article explaining how a very happy coincidence had

connected me firstly with Scotland and then especially with Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

It started in 1942 when, as a young Cornish naval rating, I was posted to a wartime air base at a Scottish village called Fearn, in Ross and Cromarty - “HMS Owl” - which, on the map, seemed a long, long way from home! I travelled to north of Inverness overnight in a blacked out train and thus saw nothing of Scotland, eventually arriving at a bleak outpost of the Fleet Air Arm close to the East coast at Balintore.

On my first leave back to Cornwall, I caught the midday train from Inverness to Perth - and imagine my delight when, for the first time, I saw the glorious mountain scenery of the Scottish Highlands, such a contrast to the maritime scenery of Cornwall.

Many years later came the coincidence. In the sixties, I was still serving in the Royal Navy and stationed at the Admiralty in London. A Civil Service friend asked if I would possibly consider a holiday in Scotland with her, as she had been invited to meet up with a close friend, Barbara Martin, who worked in the box office of a charming theatre in Pitlochry - apparently in a tent!

Looking at the map, I realised immediately that I had travelled through Pitlochry on that wartime train journey twenty years before and immediately agreed to her suggestion. That first visit was such a happy one, especially as I was able to “stay six days and see six plays”, and thus I have come back nearly every year since, including last year, 2011 when I celebrated my 91st birthday with dinner and a performance of See How They Run! at the theatre. I was privileged to witness the original in the West End during World War II and even had the pleasure of playing Rev. Arthur Humphrey on two occasions in amateur productions!

There has been an added enjoyment to most of my recent visits, when I have been privileged to be asked to give a programme covering the life, poetry and lady friends of the late poet laureate, Sir John Betjeman, who rests close to my home in Wadebridge in the wonderful setting of St. Enodoc Church out on the North coast of Cornwall.

Only one question remains: shall I be able to celebrate my 92nd birthday in one of my very favourite locations - with the added delight of the Pitlochry Festival Theatre? So many memories of the theatre, the high quality of production, the superb front of house facilities, the shop and perhaps best of all, that wonderful slogan that still applies - “Stay 6 days and see 6 plays”

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Clifford Snell Festival Circle donor and member of the Friends