A Perth Theatre production about St Johnstone FC is in the running for a top award.
Oh When the Saints has been shortlisted in the community project of the year category at The Stage Awards 2023.
It means Perth Theatre is the only organisation in Scotland to make the shortlist for the annual awards, which take place in London at the end of January.
It is the second year the theatre has been shortlisted, having been nominated for its mobile community stage Gig On A Truck in the same category in the 2022 awards.
Two-year project
The show was staged at the theatre in June as the culmination of a two-year project capturing the experiences, stories and memories of generations of St Johnstone fans.
Oh When The Saints was launched at the height of the Covid-19 lockdowns.
The ambition was to write a show that reflected the experiences of local football fans, a community who do not traditionally think theatre is for them.
The theatre designed activities that both built audiences and contributed to the show’s script: 32% of the almost 3,500 participants and audiences throughout the project had no pre-existing relationship with Perth Theatre.
Host of activities
Activities included:
- McDiarmid Memories, which were football-themed activity packs for 130 local care home residents
- Super Saints: Behind the Lens, a filmmaking project with 11 local young carers
- Raise the Roof, which explored women in sport with Perth and Kinross Council and Perth’s women
- Team Talks (live and online), which included famous football pundits, local figures and fans in conversation. These were hosted by Stuart Cosgrove (BBC Off The Ball) with guests including Colin McCredie (actor), Eve Muirhead (Olympian) and Eilidh Barbour (BBC presenter)
- Creative fan groups in Perth Theatre, which were free workshops to encourage connection, conversation and creativity.
Thousands watched show
Using the experiences and memories shared, including some 53 stories gathered through interviews and submissions, playwright Martin McCormick wrote the final Oh When The Saints show script, capturing what it truly means to be a Saintee.
The production was a triumph, enjoyed by 2,356 people across its 12-show run.
The all-Perth professional cast – Colin McCredie, Lorna Craig, Greer Montgomery and Tom McGovern – were supported by a community cast of 30 Saints fans, including mums and sons, fathers and daughters, cousins, and sisters from 11 to 78 years old.
Unforgettable buzz
Nick Williams, chief executive of Perth Theatre and Concert Hall, said: “I will never forget the buzz of opening night as Saints fans, footballers, celebrities and Perth Theatre regulars laughed, cried and cheered together.”
Charlie Fraser, vice-chairman of St Johnstone, said: “The production was an excellent example of how two Perth Institutions can collaborate to provide entertainment to fans and theatre patrons alike.”
The winners of The Stage Awards 2023 will be announced at an awards ceremony on Monday, January 30 at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London.
