Here are some comments from companies who have performed at theSpaceUK venues….
Fin Kennedy
Director / Producer Mendi Nights, Stolen Secrets, Unravelling (Fringe First Winner) theSpace @ Venue 45
"What sets the SpaceUK apart from other venues is the personal care and attention we get as a company - it doesn't feel like a production line, and they're great at dealing with teenagers! theSpaceUK team always make themselves available throughout the build-up, and were very patient in the first year when I was finding my feet as a producer. Our technicians always speak very highly of the support they receive too."
Cambridge University
theSpace on Niddry St 2011
"We had a great festival and really enjoyed performing at theSpace. Everyone was so nice and helpful. Thank you for having us on behalf of all the cast and crew of Jet Set Go! "
Emotion Pictures
theSpaces on The Mile 2011
""It was good to be part of the Space exercise at this year's festival. It was particularly so in bringing a young company who needed the backing of a solid and experienced team. "
Amanda Luck
Producer, 'Squeaky Door Productions' theSpace @ Niddry St 2011
"Your first outing at the Fringe can be a terrifying one, full of whats, if's and maybe's. Within 5 minutes of meeting the team at theSpace@NiddrySt any fears I had were allayed. The tech and box office teams were incredibly helpful, professional and with plenty of good advice to offer, as well as being approachable and full of warm humour, any question or problem no matter how big or small was answered quickly with the minimum of fuss. Squeaky Door Production Company look forward to working with theSpace team at the 2012 Fringe! "
David Griffiths
Producer 'Excess Baggage' theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, theatre 2 2011
"Just thought I'd drop you a line to thank you for an amazing experience at Surgeons Hall with Excess Baggage. I know the cast & crew loved the venue and the staff there were amazing and incredibly helpful. Please pass on my thanks to them. The space and timeslot suited us perfectly and helped us achieve a number of sell outs, which was great. I would love to return to Surgeons Hall next year with a new production. "
Pink Lady Productions
theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall 2011
"The food/bar and heated/covered seating area outside was a great facility to have and helped with attracting audiences - particularly on bad weather days. All the staff were there to help & work with us to make the show as good as it could be. Some were interested enough to come and see my show, which was lovely. Relationships with other companies was amiable and made for smooth change-overs. As an audience member at other fringe venues I found that front of house standards didnt always match those I encountered at theSpace. I would recommend this venue to other companies and I hope to return in the future."
Click TC
theSpace @ Venue 45 2011
"An excellent overall experience - helpful, supportive, and a clearly experienced venue. "
Tim Smith
Director, Violet Shock TC, theSpace @ Niddry 2011
"The whole experience of performing at The Fringe in 2011 was outstanding - we have performed as a company at the Fringe on a number of occasions, but none of the previous times have come anywhere near the experience we’ve had this year. This is, in no small part, due to theSpaceUK and their superb venue: The Space @ Niddry Street (V9). In terms of location, you couldn’t ask for a better Fringe venue, just off the Royal Mile within easy walking distance from where you’re actually promoting your show. It was so valuable to catch the public as they walked past, get them interested in the show and then show them how close the venue/box office was to where they were actually standing - a large proportion of our audience figures were, we feel, as a result of this. The main point of me taking time to sit and write this, however, is to praise theSpaceUK team. Every single member of the team was committed, professional, caring, supportive and, most importantly, in possession of a fantastic sense of humour - something we as a company value highly. All queries were answered instantly; get ins and get outs were managed with efficiency and care; administration and box office management were professional and devoid of the long winded, unnecessary bureaucracy that seems to be loved by other venue management teams and the technical specifications of the venue itself and knowledge displayed by the technical staff were really impressive. I can’t praise them enough. We’re coming back to the Fringe next year and the year after and the year after etc. and we won’t work with anyone else! "
Red Rabbit Collective
theSpaces on North Bridge 2011
"Thank you to theSpaceUK for allowing us to make our debut at the Edinburgh Fringe! It was a fantastic experience! "
Carrot Napper Productions
Keith Large, Writer, theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 2011
""If you want to experience a great time in Edinburgh, then as a performer there is no better venue than Space UK, because they are so much more than a venue. Through regular parties they bring together all their performers, creating a camaraderie that generates a warm, friendly and supportive Fringe. Meeting other Space UK companies and spreading the word about each other's shows led to us having a full house. No easy achievement in Edinburgh, but made possible by the innovative way Space UK are on your side. That's why they're, in our experience, are the best and made Edinburgh 2011 our most enjoyable so far.' "
Savage theatre
theSpaces on North Bridge 2011
"Extremely impressive experience. It felt like our company was made to feel welcome. Will definitely be wanting to perform at your venues again. "
GYTC
-theSpaces on North Bridge 2011
"The company was treated in a professional way in spite of its 'amateur' status which was very much appreciated. "
Quids In Theatre Company
theSpace on The Mile 2011
"Staff very helpful and efficient. Venue at theSpaces on the Mile excellent."
Felipe Rodriguez Luxembourg
Director, 'Blues!' theSpace @ Niddry St 2011
"Thanks for the opportunity to put our show on with you guys. It was such an excellent run, and I'm looking forward to planning for next year! More importantly, please pass on our thanks to the awesome tech, production and box office team that supported us in Niddry. They were all professional, friendly and flexible with us as we did our thing. Most of them are now actual friends. They were great. I can't stress that enough. Good luck with the disassembly, and let me know when you'd like to meet in October. Book us for next year, we're already excited. "
Stewart McGill
Producer 'Playbox Theatre' theSpace @ Niddry St 2010
"This was a superb venue,well run and playbox theatre would certainly love to return, Playbox Theatre were proud to be part of The Spaces programme this year, a rich and exciting mix"
Sarah Cook, (US)
Company Director, American High School Theatre Foundation, Surgeons Hall Grand 2009 & 2010, theSpace @ Venue 45 2011
"Everyone at theSpaceUK were great and we would be thrilled to work with you again! Infact we've booked already for 2011."
Renny Kaprinsky
Producer 'Bareback Productions' 'Bare' (Fringe First Winner 2010) theSpace @ Niddry St
"Amicable relationships with companies either side meant that there was a blurring of get in and get out times which made the change overs really easy...and a terrific technical team that made everything run smoothly."
Charlotte Draper
Producer / Director Act II TC, theSpaces onthe Mile & theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall 2010 & 2011
"The tech team were really helpful, supportive and happy. We've worked in other venues at the fringe where the tech staff are really miserable and make you feel like you're just in their way, it makes such a difference when they're smiley and happy! Especially Ruth at Radisson and Jake at Surgeon's Hall."
Serena Pottinger
Serena Pottinger,' Producer 'Esco Theatre Company' theSpaces on the Mile 2010
"Overall very happy with thespace, having visited lots of other venues when I was up in Edinburgh, there was no doubt that thespace was the most comfortable seating, air-conditioned and the friendliest staff. Will be back next year without a doubt- what's more the Radisson was positioned perfectly so that we could grab last minute audience members from just outside and entrance them with the central location and the idea of going to a nice bar beforehand."
Bill Davis
Director, Blunderbus Theatre Company theSpace @ V45 & thespaces @ Surgeons Hall, Grand Theatre 1996-present
"Each year, our visit to the Edinburgh Festival is an expensive affair, bringing with it, a host of stresses and strains, and a worrying degree of financial uncertainty. We've performed at the festival since 1996, and over the years, we've learnt the importance of good organisation, effective publicity, and being professional. There are numerous theatre spaces available; some are fabulous, delivering exactly what they promise, but many are not, instead, delivering little more than a promise. Fortunately for Blunderbus, we have been performing at theSpaceUK (Venue 45 1996-2007 and Surgeons Hall, Grand Theatre 2009) for 10 years, and we have always been delighted by the professionalism of the entire team. From technical or box office staff, to venue manager, everybody at theSpaceUK seems to understand, and tries their very best to support the needs of visiting companies. More importantly, we return to the same venue each year, because we trust the team to deliver a very high level of service time and again. "
Valerie Thalassinou, Greece
Producer, Campion School, Athens, Greece. theSpace on the Mile @ Niddry St 2010
"Again, the staff were wonderful. Change-overs were easy and the staff were great to us during that first morning time-slot. "
Vanessa Garcia, (US)
Producer / Performer theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall 2010
"Everybody was very very nice, we TRULY appreciated that kind of attitude. Especially when arriving in Edinburgh for the first time from the US."
Simon Rae
theSpace @ Venue 45 Top Edge Theatre Company 2004-present
"The SpaceUK has been the Edinburgh home for Top Edge Productions since 2004 and we really have been made to feel at home. In stark contrast to some other Edinburgh venues, the team really care about the companies who use their space, giving superb technical support and unfailing assistance in a crisis. Technical standards are high, and - which is important if you have a lot of props. Our theatre is also brilliantly located just off the Royal Mile and a stone's throw from the station. theSpaceUK is well established (and well known - reviewers don't get lost getting there) and the management are showing their commitment to the Fringe project by offering several further venues at the same end of town. Finally, theSpace are sensible about money. They charge very reasonably, and they recognise that your money belongs to you: you get the box office receipts straight after the show, not several weeks later when you've actually gone bankrupt. We like it so much, we're bringing two shows up this year. Why would anyone want to go anywhere else?"
Margaret Griffiths
Producer Troika Productions theSpace @ Venue 45, 2004-present
"In addition to the technical side, Charles and his team have provided support in many other areas including marketing and press coverage and their accounting for box office receipts has always been carried out promptly and efficiently. We now regard them as friends. Margaret sadly passed-away in September 2010. She will be sadly missed by all those that had the pleasure of working with her. Her passion for theatre, notably in her performances as Edith Piaf at theSpace@Venue 45 gave aspiration to all young actors who had the good fortune to see her perform. "
Kollodi
Set Designer Mendi Nights 2007, Stolen Secrets 2008, Unravelling (Fringe First Winner) 2009
"SpaceUK - Helpful and knowledgeable venue team; prompt timekeeping; good facilities; and a wonderful spaces to design for. Always a pleasure. "
Sian Morris
Producer, Just Good Friends TC 2009
"Thanks to theSpaceUK staff for all their help in making us Fringe virgins fell very welcome. We had a fantastic time and thoroughly enjoyed our Fringe adventure."
Ivan Ickovits
Producer, Fired Up Productions. The Space on the Mile 2009
"We were so lucky to have the Space on the Mile as a venue; it was a great selling point. It was incredibly convenient for audiences, air conditioned, elegant in a relaxed way."
Julia Voce
Mendi Nights 2007, Stolen Secrets 2008, Unravelling (Fringe First Winner) 2009 Venue 45
"Based on my experience with the team at the space @ Venue 45 I thought that all Festival venues were friendly, welcoming, informed and highly professional- NOT SO!!! I did just two nights at another city venue and it was dirty unsupported, boiling hot and miserable - I feel like we've struck gold with theSpaceUK and Mulberry Theatre Co will be sticking with them in the future - a very fruitful collaboration!"
Alasdair Richardson
Producer / Director, Feltonfleet TC, theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, Theatre 1 2009
"I've put shows on in three other spaces at the Fringe and without doubt this was the best year in terms of venue. Lovely Space, highly professional staff (much more so than previous venue), who were very helpful and accommodating. The whole set up of theSpaceUK really was outstanding and very welcoming. Although I don't plan on bringing a show in 2010. I certainly hope to come back and perform with theSpaceUK in future years. (Alasdair Richardson, Feltonfleet @ The Fringe)"
Emily-Grace Hyland
Producer - Evolve Theatre theSpace @ Jury's Inn (V260) 2010
"Everything was brilliant! Can't think of a single fault. From the box office staff to the techies, everyone was so helpful and understanding. Our first Edinburgh Fringe wouldn't have been the same without the great team at theSpaceUK. Thank you so much, we can't wait to come back."
Sharron Matthews
Cabaret singer (5 stars - Broadway Baby) Canada
"Thank you so much for everything. Your venue was excellent (a lot of performers who came to see my show asked about the space) and the support people were fantastic!"
Abigail Richardson
Producer, theSpace @ Surgeons Hall, Theatre 3 2009 theSpace on the Mile @ Jury's Inn 2010
"Having taught Drama 'A' level for the previous 7 years, my passion for theatre, particularly alternative theatre, had soared. And when my 13 year old students produced Sky, Death and Wonder (***) for their devised piece in December 2008, I decided it was time to conquer Edinburgh Fringe! How difficult could it be? - how naive! Thankfully I discovered theSpaceUK team who could not have been more supportive. Having never been to the fringe festival I had to rely entirely on their advice - I had earmerked other, not so suitable, performance spaces before being recommended theatre 3 at theSpace@Surgeons Hall, which was perfect. Charles was patient and sympathetic to my procrastinations and to our endless delays and frustrations with our funding. Once booked, the subsequent comprehensive e-mails and correspondence helped me plan and organise the complicated procedure of getting to Edinburgh. If I had any questions e-mails were responded to immediately with helpful, personal advice. And the team is always available on the phone. In short theSpaceUK organised everything: the box office, the PRB, invited critics, provided me with gels when I'd forgotten mine! - They even helped with accommodation advice. I would thoroughly recommend theSpaceUK, particularly to less experienced groups. The process was painless, they had thought of everything."
Sam Raffal
Producer No BS Productions, theSpaces on the Mile @ the Radisson 2010
"I felt that the technical staff were wonderful. I work in a West End theatre, and I know that what they got paid, compared to the hours of hard work they put in was not amazingly good. They were just really dedicated and made the business of putting a show together in the venue a real pleasure. I think Charles Pammet was a good contact person, he offered good advice and was always available for a chat."
Graeme Melvin
Why Not? Musical Theatre Company 'Grand Theatre' theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall 2009/2010
"I believe the team who run "Space UK" do an outstanding job. I am lucky to live local to Edinburgh and so have been a visitor of the Fringe for many years. I feel other Fringe Venues and Venue staff can make you feel unwelcome and their performance spaces can look scruffy/dull/bare. The Space team have done an outstanding job again this year of making my team and our patrons welcome in your venue and we look forward to returning in 2011."
Bradley Leech
Producer, Italia Conti Ensemble, theSpaces on the Mile @ Niddry St 2010
"The Tech team were so very helpful and so on top of what was going on, All problems were solved quickly and efficiently, with a can do attitude. The storage space was clear and sufficient. The tech crew were fantastic, the best I have ever worked with in terms of wanting to be there and wanting to help and wanting to ensure that I am happy! Box office were great, felt I could come in and have a chat - which at the Fringe is always useful…"
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