The Bidding Room De-Rig: until we meet again!
And we are into July! When did that happen?! There is no doubt that the past 10 weeks have simply sailed by and, in tow, The Bidding Room shoots for series 5 and 6 at Leith Theatre.
It was Tuesday when the cameras finally stopped rolling, the sound of an army of flight cases bouncing off our rafters replacing the rolls and cuts that we’ve grown so accustomed to over the past few months. With our Auditorium doors flung open once again, daylight flooded in. The LT team were all back on parking management duties in the front loggia, both excitement and disappointment competing as the road was once again full of long goods vehicles driven by those who definitely passed their driving test on the first attempt.
‘Get Out’ only starts after the obligatory wrap party; we cannot deny there were a few sore heads on site the morning after, but boy have they earned the right to celebrate. It’s long hours and focused work this film malarkey, and with so many hours on site, - just like Jekyll and Hyde before them - we have become one big kaleidoscope of a family.
Break weeks - when shoot time is reduced and crew head home to all corners of the UK - have brought tales of moving house, of leaving a new puppy, of kayaking on Loch Lomond and making the most of being up north. More often than not though, the chat has been all about Edinburgh.
There is no question that The Bidding Room team has been extraordinary lucky with their brush with Scottish weather. Their filming window has also meant that the music fans amongst them have been able to enjoy the Great Eastern Festival at Summerhall and, more recently, Hidden Door at The Old Royal High School. Of course, for us, Hidden Door chat then opens doors for us to enthuse about our August EIF programme; it’s a joy to hear that some of the crew are already planning their return, to witness us running as a music venue with artists back on stage in the main auditorium and audiences lifting the roof.
Eateries in both Leith and beyond have been explored and sampled, from the best fish and chips to the large tables booked in private dining rooms. Yoga classes have been attended and Top Gun Maverick has provided its own thrills and spills in film venues across the city. I know local coffee shops and taxi companies will miss the crew as much as we will!
BBC 1’s The Bidding Room - it has been a pleasure to be your home for the past few months and we cannot wait to see all our LT-TBR team efforts diffused into our telly boxes in 2023, with a glass of local Pilot beer in hand. (Maybe you’ll join us on that one, Leithers?) And amongst all the priceless antiques that you’ve discovered this year, TBR, we hope that you’ll agree that you’ve found an invaluable treasure in the form of Leith Theatre - a home from home for you too, we hope.