Liam Rudden: Capital showcase of loca talent

Edinburgh has talent. I’ve always known that. Just look at the names that emerged from the Edinburgh Youth Theatre of the 1970s and 80s.

People like Kathryn Howden, currently starring in The Guid Sisters at the Royal Lyceum, or her brother Lewis, another regular face on TV screens and the Capital’s stages.

Then there’s Shirley Manson, now lead-singer with Garbage and internationally recognised for her performances.

Other names include playwright David Gregg, Bodies star Neve Macintosh, ex-River City star Jenny Ryan and a whole host of others too numerous to mention.

With the demise of Edinburgh Youth Theatre, the baton was passed to LYT, perhaps the most famous of their past members being Karen ‘Amy Pond’ Gillan.

So it comes as no surprise to me to discover that each year, the standard of entries for Edinburgh’s Got Talent (EGT), get higher and higher.

This year is no exception. There are hundreds, if not thousands of hopefuls in the city, all doing their best to get noticed and to secure their break. What better way to do that than to showcase your abilities on the biggest stage in Europe?

This week, the Top 20 of EGT 2012 was announced. Ten more must go, however, leaving the final ten to battle it out at the Festival Theatre on October 26 - make sure you’ve voted and have your tickets, it’s always a great night.

For the contestants, well, just being seen in the final could open unexpected doors, as you never know who will be watching. At the very least it will be a confidence-building experience.

Speaking to Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber this week, he told me that the beauty of TV talent shows such as I’d Do Anything is that they allow him to see people he would normally never get to see.

EGT is a bit like that, only on a smaller scale.

http://talent.scotsman.com