Standing Stanes – Besieging Malmaison

As a company, we like to perform in interesting spaces and have worked in a nightclub, bar, historic castle and for our last production, an empty retail unit at Ocean Terminal shopping centre. We started to research other interesting, unusual spaces in the Leith area (since that is where we are based) and were immediately enticed by Malmaison’s slogan for its meeting spaces 'No dramas. Just pure theatre’. We thought this was a sign! The hotel is contemporary, distinctive and stylish – values that Siege Perilous aspire to.

Standing Stanes  is set in the mid-80s, a time of high unemployment, recession, strikes and a Tory government. There were job creation schemes, enterprise zones and frequent battles between planners and developers. The play also captures the tensions that existed between the western powers and the communist east. Nothing really changes in politics. We're still fighting over the same issues, still struggling to get decent jobs and the west still imposes its 'democratic ideals' on other countries. This direct connection of then and now together with its charming and surreal comedy inspired us to stage it. We aim to suffuse the politics with a mixture of surreal comedy and of course a soundtrack of classic 80s tunes. Watch out for Duran Duran, Wham! and more!