REVIEW: This Eden Court 50th birthday collab was far too good for One Night Only!
One Night Only! 50 Years Of Musicals At Eden Court | Inverness Musical Theatre/Starlight Musical Theatre/Ness Entertainment | Saturday 18/07/2026 | Eden Court, Inverness
by Margaret Chrystall
IT didn’t take long for the irreverent business of theatre to break into Eden Court CEO Rebecca Holt’s welcoming speech near the start of One Night Only! on Saturday afternoon.
To be fair, we’d already had our socks blown off by a hurricane of big music as the three Inverness amateur dramatic companies and orchestra opened the show with their combined forces to present an inspired medley of musical Mamma Mia’s most euphoric numbers.
And introducing the show, the theatre’s boss explained that from the start of planning the celebrations for the 50th birthday of Eden Court this year, the crucial part the amateur groups had played in the theatre’s story meant they had to be included.
Along with events including an RSNO concert, a cinema flashback and a youth takeover that have happened already, more follow including a promenade production, a site specific film special and a primary school show called The Lonely Pine.
“All the events this year are meant to be a real celebration of Eden Court’s ambition for culture in the Highlands,” Ms Holt said.
“And speaking of ambition, you are going to see that in bucketloads on the stage this afternoon.
“When we were making plans for Eden Court’s 50th, we decided very early on that we wanted the local companies to be involved because they have a connection to this building’s origin story and we have had partnerships with them for the last half-century.
“Many of the songs you will hear this afternoon, you have heard on this very stage over the last five decades.
“You are also going to hear extracts from the upcoming shows We Will Rock You, The Addams Family and Grease. Tickets for all these shows are on sale now. So if you enjoy what you hear, please do book to come along.”
The concert orchestra conducted by musical director Alan Mackintosh was introduced by the CEO, then she gave the stats of all the people who had got together for the show – 74 performers, 10 musicians, nine stage crew and the three companies.
“For one night only, they will come together on this stage,” she continued, but now interrupted by two arguing men in black who had suddenly walked on stage.
“Enjoy the show!” were the last words we could hear from her before she gave up trying to make herself heard and, with a smile, departed, drowned out by – Matthias Kremer and Chris Tonks – discussing the merits of what? the concept of a musical???
As Chris pointed out: “So out of nowhere an actor is saying his lines and he suddenly bursts into song? … That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!”
Actually, no.
And from the 2015 show Something Rotten! set in the 16th century, with its number A Musical, the two discussed it with the IMT ensemble onstage too – complete with scripts, chorus-line kicking, “jazz hands”, and the guys donning bright feather boas – till they all decided musicals were actually a great new idea.
Phew!
On with the show of musicals, then …
But it was a typically inspired touch from the production team, to interrupt the orderly flow of numbers so soon after the show got started, just to mess us around a bit!
Yet like the piece that immediately followed – the young clear voice of Georgia Baker Smith singing the iconic Tomorrow from Annie – it was setting the scene for what was to follow. And, at the same time, it took us back to the beginning of everything for performers and audience alike and that first experience of musical performance many of us probably had at Eden Court.
The production was slick with fast changeovers – a group walked off, a soloist walked on a beat later; a gauze curtain lifted and a group of performers walked forward.
The choreography from Ruth Foster (IMT), Alan Banner (Starlight) and Sally Robertson (Ness) was clear, impactful and move perfect from the performers, such as Starlight’s ‘clock hands’ in Radio Gaga from We Will Rock You!
Costumes were simple, low-key and elegant – initially groups all in One Night Only T-shirts and black trousers, soloists wore colourful or black formal dresses or black jackets and ties.
The performers – orchestra behind – opened the show in their gold logo show T-shirts. Picture: Thanks to One Night Only!
As well as nailing a huge sound and spot-on lyrics heard from the chorus – whether the full company that opened and closed the first half and end of the show or the individual IMT or Starlight ensembles – there was a flowing parade of individual solo turns offering a dizzying variety of great voices to savour.
A handpicked programme of different musical numbers was arranged to offer a range of moods and emotions to enjoy. There were ones the companies had performed at the theatre before – including Starlight’s stunning acapella Preludium from Sound Of Music (2024) and a mischievous It Must Be Believed To Be Seen from Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (2025) to Alison Ozog’s heartfelt We Nearly Had It All from IMT’s Made In Dagenham (2024) and that classic Tomorrow from Ness Entertainment’s Annie (2025).
Cleverly, there were also irresistible previews of the shows to come advertising the performance projects all three companies are working on for later this year and into next.
Ready to rock? Ruth Foster whetted your appetite for Starlight’s We Will Rock You on August 19-22 with No One But You (Only The Good Die Young) – and they’ve already booked in Sister Act too for August 11-14 2027. Kayleigh Radford offered a moving taster with The Life I Never Had. What could be more enticing than Lauren Macdonald singing classic number Hopelessly Devoted To You from Grease which Ness Entertainment have scheduled in for October 15-18. And Zoe McIntyre performed Wednesday’s “impossibly cute” Pulled from The Addams Family which IMT present in March 2027.
At least 25 individuals were heard over the two parts of One Night Only! and it was hard to pick out a few from so many gold star voices – but James Twigg’s vocal performance of Maria from The Sound Of Music was one standout, as was Ruth Foster’s rockier approach to No One But You and the fabulous electric guitar solo at the end of the song.
Like the crucial role played by Adam Dallman’s designs for lighting – visuals included starry mirrorball twinkling around the theatre or red and white spotlights sweeping across to us from the back of the stage or acres of stage floor decorated with patterns till one girl on a stool didn’t seem too isolated – the orchestra’s impact was subtle, but huge too.
The tinkling of a celeste – or celeste effect – added stardust to the end of more than one emotional number, a sad violin (Jenny Wychrij) in James Twigg’s Maria added pathos. And in You Gotta Get A Gimmick the trumpet performance (Gavin Spowart) gave comic timing and bum notes, just emphasising the laugh-out-loud fun of Nic Grey’s own trumpet playing and ‘gimmick’. With clarinet riffs and ‘va-va-voom’ drum and cymbal rolls (Clair Munro), it created a highlight number with the knowing savvy of Nic Grey, Kayleigh Radford and Amy Crook’s performances.
Choosing highlights, when there were so many good moments, is tough. But the enormous, heart-swelling sound of first half finisher One Day More from classic Les Miserables with the full company was one.
Another showcasing individual talents having fun was the murderously good Chicago highspot Cell Block Tango, as the IMT ensemble backed up supreme comedy from Nic Grey, Lauren Robertson, Caroline MacPherson, Tatiana Ahelaznakova, Serenity Harbour, and Ruth Foster.
Breaking the fourth wall, director and producer Nic Grey added some thoughts before the last couple of songs: “Give the amazing concert orchestra a massive round of applause…
“They weren’t that good!” she joked as the audience generously obliged.
But she added: “Many folk started their journey here performing and participating – long may that continue and long may that continue here – Happy Birthday Eden Court!”
Earlier, Nic had reminded us about the unique first we had just witnessed.
“It has been a historic afternoon getting all three companies into the show…”
It is hard to imagine all the work and commitment involved by so many to put One Night Only! together.
But maybe it needn’t be a one-off?
What if a collaboration of the three companies could become a regular highlight of their year, planning and showcasing together their take on a musical world that individually they already love to bring to Eden Court?
What if it became an annual collaboration – maybe even something that could be franchised to other amateur groups in other cities to personalise with some of their own highlights, previews and top West End and Broadway numbers?
What a gift to musical-lovers from Eden Court’s special 50th birthday party …
And what a legacy that might be from a show called One Night Only!
******* For ticket details of upcoming shows from Inverness Musical Theatre, Starlight Musical Theatre and Ness Entertainment, go to: http://www.eden-court.co.uk
So impress me 