Perth Theatre and St Johnstone FC’s celebrated community show Oh When The Saints has been shortlisted in the Community Project of the Year category at The Stage Awards 2023.
It’s the second year that Perth Theatre has been shortlisted, having been nominated for its mobile community stage Gig On A Truck in the same category in the 2022 Awards.
And, as the only organisation north of the border to make the shortlist for the prestigious annual awards, Perth Theatre will be flying the flag for Scottish Theatre at the ceremony in London at the end of January.
In its list of shortlisted organisations, The Stage had this to say about Oh When The Saints, which was the culmination of a two-year project capturing the experiences, stories and memories of generations of St Johnstone fans.
“Perth Theatre succeeded in bringing the fever of the football pitch and the magic of theatre together in a unique project in which one great Perth institution – its theatre – spoke to another: local Scottish Premiership club St Johnstone FC. The production, which was described by The Stage’s reviewer as a “an exemplary piece of community engagement”, involved its professional and community cast working together, with the show growing organically from two years of activities, workshops and discussions, which all fed into the final offering. Transforming the way the theatre engaged with its community and attracting a large number of people who had previously had no contact with Perth Theatre, it won the venue many new fans.”
Nick Williams, Chief Executive of Perth Theatre and Concert Hall said:
“Oh When The Saints was a joyous celebration of club, community and Theatre that captured hearts and minds across the city as we emerged from the pandemic years. I will never forget the buzz of opening night as Saints fans, footballers, celebrities and Perth Theatre regulars laughed, cried and cheered together at a show that was made by and for our local community - with 30 of them starring on stage alongside our all-Perth professional cast. The whole project absolutely epitomises what Perth Theatre is all about. Community is at the heart of what we do, and we are committed to making a real difference to people’s wellbeing through the experiences we create on our stages and through our outreach programmes. Much like a football club, everything we do is a real team effort, so every person across both Perth institutions should be proud of the part they played in this fantastic project.”
Charlie Fraser, Vice-Chairman of St Johnstone FC said:
“I was delighted to hear that the Perth Theatre production of Oh When The Saints has been nominated for a very prestigious Theatre Award. The production was an excellent example of how two Perth Institutions can collaborate to provide entertainment to fans and theatre patrons alike. The show captured the true spirit of what it is like to support Saints, and it would be only fitting, if the production went on to lift the Cup”
The winners of The Stage Awards 2023 will be announced at an awards ceremony on Monday 30 January at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London.
Friday 16 December 2022