Our fifth and final ‘Fringe Spotlight’ blog post is all about our very own Ann Treherne, Chair of The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre’s show – Arthur Conan Doyle – The Spiritualist. You can buy tickets from the official Fringe website HERE. We’ve asked Ann a few questions to let our audience know a little about the show and what inspired her.
Can you please tell us a little more about your show?
As part of the Edinburgh’s world famous Fringe, the show focusses on Arthur Conan Doyle’s life in Edinburgh which is not a commonly portrayed part of his life and Is sadly often forgotten. The show talks about his growing up in Edinburgh, living out his school years here and attending Edinburgh University, where he met Dr Joseph Bell – the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes.
What made you become so interested in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his connection with spiritualism?
Arthur Conan Doyle was a fascinating man. He lived life to the fullest – in fact, how one man fitted so much into one lifetime is quite amazing. He exceled in a number of fields – not just writing but in sports and history and was also a champion for social causes. As well as all of his other exploits, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was the worlds foremost spokesman on spiritualism. To answer your question – I just find him an overall very captivating character.
You’ve brought your show about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to the Fringe for the last 4 years and these have all been sell-out shows – well done! What’s different about this year’s show?
The main difference is in the name of the show and its emphasis on spiritualism. The last four years, the title didn’t allude to the spiritual aspect of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s life and what I’d be talking about in the show and from feedback I realised this was something people were keen to learn about. It just made sense to make sure I was appealing to those interested in finding out more about the spiritual side of things.
We know your show is specifically connected to the Dir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre. Can you please let us know more about the history of the building and the link?
We named the building The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre as a tribute in regards to his contributions towards spiritualism. We also thought it was appropriate as there is no fitting commemoration of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in Edinburgh – his birthplace – other than a Sherlock Holmes statue. Naming such a grand building after a man with such a legacy seemed to fit right into place.
Book your tickets for Arthur Conan Doyle – The Spiritualist on the official Fringe website now.
