The Battle of Pots ‘n’ Pans

The Battle of Prestonpans Heritage Trust has teamed up with the Prestonpans community to commemorate the historical battle which took place there in September 1745. This is a lovingly constructed performance perhaps particularly resonant in the current political climate; Prestonpans being the battle at which the Highlanders held out hope of defeating the redcoats. Singers, musicians and actors from East Lothian come together to creatively interpret the events leading up to the battle, and so this production merits to be recognised as a community theatre event. As such, it cannot easily be compared with the rest of the noisy, self-promoting aspects of the Edinburgh Fringe.

Chatting casually about football as they enter for their "dress rehearsal," the actors discuss its religious roots while waiting for their director. This theme is then carried throughout until just before the curtain call, when the director is asked which side he takes. He replies "I sit on the fence. If enough people sit on the fence, they’ll break it down."

The presence of several young children in the cast allow the story of the battle to be told from an entirely different point of view, and the rendition of ‘Skye Boat Song’ at the end of the play is light-heartedly dismissed as too cheesy by the cast. These touches bring a charm to this rudimentary production, based as it is in a church hall with no set or technical equipment to speak of.