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Watch Inverness drama group The Florians virtual live performance of plays from tonight until Friday


By Margaret Chrystall


INVERNESS drama group The Florians will stage live virtual performance online this week set in a psychiatrist’s office.

The four short plays in An Evening Of One Act Plays: In The Therapist’s Chair by Bruce Kane is being directed by Fiona Grant.

And on the eve of the first performance Fiona admitted that getting the plays rehearsed for live streaming had been challenging.

“But I’d happily do it again,” said the director. “And I hope our audiences will be pleasantly surprised with what we have achieved.”

The short plays include famous characters such as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet plus fairytale princess Cinderella and her stepmother.

The Florians involved in live performces – Christine Fletcher, director Fiona Grant, Matthias Kremer, Gareth Williams. Middle row – Lisa Senior, Brian Howlett, Aileen Hendry, Geoff Burns. Bottom – Rob Kenyon, Morag Barron, Aimee Vincent and Aimee Ironside.
The Florians involved in live performces – Christine Fletcher, director Fiona Grant, Matthias Kremer, Gareth Williams. Middle row – Lisa Senior, Brian Howlett, Aileen Hendry, Geoff Burns. Bottom – Rob Kenyon, Morag Barron, Aimee Vincent and Aimee Ironside.

The plays – lasting an hour and 15 minutes is new territory for The Florians.

But the group wanted to do something to keep its members and regular audience going until their next live performance which they hope will be staged in June 2021 with The Steamie.

The group’s new president Alan Holling said on announcing the live streams that he had wanted to have the performances for the mental health of the members who have been unable to work on productions in lockdown since Covid-19 arrived – and also the enjoyment of the audience.

“People have been locked away, not only physically but mentally, so the plays are an outlet for basically as many creative people as we can provide one for.

"For the virtual plays, we were looking for things that would mean we could use as many members as possible, but not too many to make directing them difficult.”

Fiona said: “Rehearsing on Zoom, the beauty of it is you do it in a couple of hours. I live in Forres and for a normal production would have had to travel there and back to Inverness. But of course with doing it on the screen, it’s strange being in your spare room with no feedback or audience reaction to the play.”

Fiona is full of praise for her “technical wizard” Geoff Burns.

“He has taken on a lot of the technical side and has effectively been holding my hand the whole way through rehearsals and pulls it all together technically.”

Fiona said: “We will be live in your living-rooms at 7.30pm – and 6pm on Friday.

"We still need that frisson of live performance!”

n An Evening Of One Act Plays: In The Therapist’s Chair by Bruce Kane, Wednesday and Thursday, October 7-8 at 7.30pm and in lieu of a matinee, on Friday, October 9 at 6pm. To reserve free tickets email: florians.tickets@gmail.com

PICTURE: From left top row – Christine Fletcher, director Fiona Grant, Matthias Kremer, Gareth Williams. Middle row – Lisa Senior, Brian Howlett, Aileen Hendry, Geoff Burns. Bottom – Rob Kenyon, Morag Barron, Aimee Vincent and Aimee Ironside.


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