Forth Act’s final act
Amateur company calls it a day
Local amateur company The Forth Act has announced that it is closing after six productions, including two memorable al fresco Shakespeares in the Italian Garden of Saughton Park.
The company made the announcement in a statement from its founder and Chair, Helen Schofield on Facebook, this Saturday afternoon, saying that financing new productions is now beyond its means.
Helen Schofield in the Italian Garden at Saughton Park. Pic: the Forth Act
“It is with regret the committee of The Forth Act have agreed to close the company. Financing new productions, and in particular Shakespeare in the Park, is now beyond our means.
“We have loved performing our shows and very proud of what we have achieved. We would like to thank all our performers and audience for supporting us.”
Covid lockdown
The company was dreamed into existence by Schofield in the early summer of 2020, as the restrictions of that first Covid lockdown started to bite. On her walks through Saughton Park she began to picture it as the perfect venue for a production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
“I kept returning to one particular space in the park, the Italian Garden. Perhaps, because I was missing my regular theatre fix, I started to see there a stage, actors, an audience watching the show, and my first thought was, ‘When this is all over, someone should put on a play here’, she told Æ three years later, as the dream became a reality.
Chris Young (Lysander), Sophie Ollivier Tyler (Hermia), Cosette Bolt (Hippolyta), Gavin Macdonald (Theseus), Sophie Ollivier Tyler (Helena) and Nathaniel Forsyth (Demetrius) Pic Andrew Morris
That first production was staged on midsummer night in 2023 in the gardens which are, suitably, a league without the Old Town. The “★★★★☆ Accomplished” production was reviewed here. The company returned that Christmas with a “★★★★☆ thoughtful” production of A Christmas Carol (reviewed here), which was revived in 2025.
Spectral and Memorable
The company returned in November 2024 with a “★★★★☆ Spectral” production of Noël Coward’s Blythe Spirit (reviewed here) and a “★★★★☆ Memorable” Christmas production Merry Crisis! A Comedy in Carols, “a heartfelt new one-act with music, good cheer, holiday family drama, and a thorough dusting of joy – all wrapped up in a neat bow” according to our review.
In June 2025, Forth Act returned to Saughton Park with another helping of outdoor Shakespeare, transporting the Illyria of Twelfth Night to a beach town in the summer of 1967, which our reviewer said was “★★★☆☆ Droll” (review here).
Wag, Josie Williams, Jac Wheble, Ahmed Masood Nabi Nur and Samuela Noumtchuet in Blithe Spirit at the Siegfried Room, Craiglockhart Campus. Pic Andrew Morris Photography
In a final post on Facebook, the Forth Act committee said: “Helen’s ethos for the company was to bring theatre to non-traditional spaces, making it accessible to communities who may not always get the chance to access standard productions.
“It was also a company that was open to those with a variety of experience in performance and behind the scenes roles. Helen initially reached out to her own friends and contacts and then as new people joined they brought in their friends and contacts so that together we grew a company with a wide range of talents and skills.
“After six excellent productions under The Forth Act banner and a lot of fun, many thanks to Helen for pursuing that initial lockdown idea and ‘Helening’ us.”
ENDS
