Six Blue Peter Presenters At The Tabard Theatre

Janet Ellis joins colleagues on stage before the play moves to Edinburgh Festival

Photo by Nick Rutter

It was all smiles, jokes and clowning around as six of the best loved children’s TV presenters got together for a special photoshoot this week.

Former Blue Peter presenters Mark Curry, Peter Duncan, Janet Ellis, Peter Purves, Valerie Singleton and Tim Vincent are to appear together on stage at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Presenter Tim Vincent, who devised the drama Once Seen on Blue Peter and is producing the play with Cahoots Theatre Company, said: “Once Seen on Blue Peter takes place backstage at a fictional 2018 TV awards ceremony, where an elite group of the 37 BluePeter presenters from over the decades have been summoned to jointly collect a lifetime achievement award. But things don’t go according to plan... with hilarious results! There will be lots of film clips, rivalries and surprises. It’s a very funny nostalgic insight into a iconic show BUT from the viewpoint of the presenters.”

Once Seen on Blue Peter has been written by award-winning writer Tim Whitnall, whose one-man play, Morecambe, about comedian Eric Morecambe, premiered at the 2009 Edinburgh Festival, winning a Fringe First Award, then transferred to the West End, where it won a prestigious Olivier Award. It is being directed by Olivier-Award nominated Ian Talbot.

Blue Peter first sailed onto British TV screens on October 16, 1958. Aimed at kids from the age of 6-14, it has been an important part of growing up for generations of youngsters. 60 years and over 5,000 episodes later, it’s still there as the longest running children’s TV show in the world.

Once Seen on Blue Peter, a tribute to a much-loved TV family favourite, will be at the Tabard Theatre on 29 and 30 July h before moving to the Assembly Ballroom, Edinburgh from 4 - 26 August.

July 5, 2018