A bigger and bigger success each time, the Inverness Big Shop, follows on from the Leith Big Shop, held in 2004. This last large scale community project took place in Inverness during the month of October. Community workshops were held in Inverness over the summer in the development of the October shows. The feedback from our audience alone was worth all the ahrd and more. We are still receiving letters and emails thanking us for the experience. The staff, cast and crew are deligthed with the outcome and so we might actually be swayed to do another project like this again in the future.

The Venues

We must acknowledge that without the vision and generous help from the following Developers and Property Agents in Inverness The Big Shop would have had nowhere to exist. We are grateful to -

Burns and Partners, for Parrot Pine, Church street and Units 2 and 4 on Struthers Lane .

Allied Souter and Jaffrey for The Old Job centre on the high street

Upland Developments for the old HSBS building on Harbour road ( opp RBS) Here we have created the sets and made these dreams a reality.

Waterbridge Properties for the vaults on 27 Bank street an amazingly unique space.

A brief overview of the shows -

The Wee Tartan Shoppie

Starting on a Bus in Struthers Lane the Tour Guide makes the coach party stop of at his favorite souvenir shop to buy a wee memory of Bonnie Scotland.

Arriving at the shop the visitors discover that two stray backpackers have inadvertently got caught up on the trip and are now playing up to the owner of the shop and her pile of Tartan Tat.  This is a mistake as she is breeding sporran plants, bright orange in colour and with a taste for human flesh.. In a fit of peak she feeds the lippy interlopers to the mother of all her plants the giant man eating orange sporran monster.

Caged

In a basement a trapped girl tells us about her life on the edges of society, dodging the authorities and living rough on the Inverness Streets. Watching her is the jailer obsessed with facts and figures. His behavior leads us to question the relationship between Jailer and jailed.

Where Helen Lies

In a Makeshift studio the The BBC home service dramatic players are presenting their radio drama - The Inverness Mystery. In part three we find out the motive and Major spent so much time in Africa fighting malaria and mosquitoes. Beside our cast the brilliant sound effects department are putting together a dazzling array of tools to create the sound scape of the drama.

Poland

A polish migrant trying to settle in at her new school. Facing questions of identity. In correspondence, her grandfather takes us through the significance of Polish History and fables. His grand daughter listens to these stories as they tumble into the abyss. Told with Puppets and objects; featuring an incredible bilingual performer and two marvelous puppeteers.

Forest

In a fabulous indoor woods a group of friends gather to remember the life of a loved one. A very unusual and beautifully moving story that features the unique use of headphones and relates a tender and moving tale of love and friendship.

The Astral Job Centre

There are few takers for the job of seer these days and even fewer for the many other astral jobs that this threatened government service has to offer.. It seems that they may be shut down and re-assigned to other posts, that is until the odd looking Bag lady comes in carrying the Brahan Seers stone of destiny.