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EGTG: 60 years young
Sixty years old. There aren't many
amateur theatre groups that can
boast such a lengthy history. Of
course, duration is no indication of
quality but we also like to think we're
one of Edinburgh's more interesting
theatre groups. As we make a
fervent point of avoiding traditional
drawing room drama - unless we can
do it with a twist.
Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Group
was set up by graduates of
Edinburgh University in 1964. Having
feasted on the some of the best
drama societies available to students
at UK universities, they were
saddened at the lack of (so-called)
"adult" groups in Edinburgh
producing contemporary work and so
created their own.
Our sixtieth year to date has been a
brilliant reflection of our diverse
programme. May saw us mount an
enormously ambitious production,
the UK amateur premiere of Tracy
Letts' August Osage County. A
challenging three hour play that
called for a three storey house to be
built on stage. Thanks to expert help
from Gordon Craig and a brilliant
cast of long-standing and brand new
members, director David Grimes
served up a painfully funny
exploration of the ties that keep
families together - and what happens
when they're torn about.
We produced two plays in the
Edinburgh Fringe, thanks to our
welcoming friends at the Royal
Scots Club on Abercromby Place.
The Duchess of Malfi saw John
Webster's classic script given a
wonderfully imaginative steampunk
twist at the hands of darkly
creative director, Sara-Jane
McGeachy. And Anthony Neilsen's
The Wonderful World of Dissocia
was creative, colourful and
crushingly sad. Director Ross Hope
was particularly happy to be able to
stage this little-known work by
Scottish playwright, Neilsen,
having seen the original Edinburgh
International Festival production in
2004.
As the end of our anniversary year
looms alarmingly large, we have
one show left. And this promises to
be another treat. David Eldridge's
Festen was adapted for the stage
from a Danish film produced as part
of the Dogme film-making
movement, best known for the work
of Lars Von Trier of Dancer in the
Dark and Melancholia fame.
The film version provided director,
Claire Wood, with visual inspiration
for her production design,
deliberately sparing with set and
props to allow the audience to focus
fully on the actors and their
performances.
“This production feels like a brilliant
way to celebrate our sixtieth
anniversary,” says Claire. “We’ve
got a wonderfully talented cast of
some of our longest serving group
members along with some straight
out of Edinburgh’s universities
shiny new people. This year also
sees the tenth anniversary of
Eldridge’s script so it’s a double
celebration. We’re loving working
with his elegant and incredibly
sparing dialogue. It’s challenging
but I think this cast will do it
justice.”
Siobhan McGovern has been a
member of EGTG for more than 20
years and has recently been
elected as the group’s President.
“I’ve been a member of this group
for such a long time because I
really believe in what we’re trying
to achieve,” said Siobhan. “With so
many excellent theatre groups in
Edinburgh, we’re continually
pushing ourselves to be bold and
imaginative with our production
7
choices. This year’s programme,
with its mix of classic and leading
contemporary productions, feels like
a lovely summation of why we think
theatre continues to be vital in our
increasingly digitised society.”
Production information
Festen by David Eldridge
26 to 29 November 2014 at 7:30pm
Adam House Theatre, Chambers
Street, Edinburgh
Tickets £10 available from
www.egtg.co.uk
Claire Wood