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| Edinburgh : A&E : Festivals : Official Festival |
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Booking opens for all by post, phone, fax, counter and online on 2 April 2005. Theatre Preview of Edinburgh International Festival 2005. Their website. It's a wide ranging theatre programme this year, with three world premieres including one directed by Peter Stein from Scottish playwright David Harrower. There's also all the works of J M Sygne performed by Ireland's Druid Theatre, two Japanese plays one a Noh play, the other Kyogen, a no-costume bare board version of the Seagull by an exciting Hungarian director Árpád Schilling and a welcome to The Variety Theatre Company of Gibraltar presenting Nuts Coconuts. Also theatre connected is the return of director and playwright Anthony Neilson, after his 2004 Critics for Theatre in Scotland multi-award winner The Wonderful World of Dissocia, to direct the British Premiere of the opera The Death of Klinghoffer by John Adams in an EIF/Scottish Opera production (Edinburgh Festival Theatre, 23, 25, 27 & 29 August). There will also be talks and conversation by the artists involved and at the Hub there will be masterclasses & rehearsals the public can witness, study days and seminars. Detailed Rundown Of The Theatre Programme all productions in English except, in the case of Sumidagawa/Kagyu (in Japanese), and The Seagull (in Hungarian with simultaneous translation in English). Jump to sections of this page using these links: Week 1 14 - 20 August | Week 2 21 - 27 August | Week 3 28 August - 4 September Thelma's comments. Week One 14 - 20 August. 5 productions open in Week One. Blackbird brings together the world renowned and EIF favourite Peter Stein version of The Seagull was seen in 2003 at the EIF and Scottish playwright David Harrower whose Knives in Hens has been performed throughout the world, his work was last seen in 2003 EIF when he adapted Jon Fosse's A Girl on The Sofa. This will be Blackbird's world premiere. Performed in English. Blackbird will be at the King's Theatre and will run from 15 to 17 and 19 - 24 August at 7:30pm with Matinees at 2:30pm on 20 August. Performance length to be advised. Also opening on 15 August at a new venue for the EIF The Out Of The Blue Drill Hall is Nuts Coconuts presented by The Variety Theatre Company of Gibraltar. Based on an original show by La Cubana. In the latter end of their variety theatre careers these entertainers are delighted have been invited to EIF to open their UK tour, but will things go to plan? This is a new English language version of La Cubana's show seen by over one million people. Their Blinded By Love was a hit at the 1997 EIF. Performed in English. Nuts Coconuts presented by The Variety Theatre Company of Gibraltar will be at The Out of The Blue Drill Hall and will run from 15 August - 3 Sept except 22 & 29 August, 20, 27 August & 3 Sept at 2pm & 8pm. All other performances at 7:30pm. Performances lasting approximately 2 hours. As part of the Royal Bank at the Hub programmes there will be a chance to see two Japanese plays in a double bill, one Noh play, Sumidagawa (The Madwoman At The Sumida River) and one Kyogen play, Kagyu (The Snail). The forms contrast, one concentrating on tragedy, and one Kyogen, comic dramatisations of ordinary life and are presented by The Association For Japanese Noh Plays. Though the stage is bare the costumes are sumptuous, the frequently masked actors are all male and are accompanied by musicians on stage. Performed in Japanese. Britten's opera Curlew River inspired by Sumidagawa will also be on at this Festival on 15 - 19 August at 8pm at The Royal Lyceum Theatre. Sumidagawa and Kagyu performances 15 - 17 August at 7:30pm lasting approximately 2 hours. Opening on 19 August at also at The Hub is The Seagull (Siráj from Krétakör Szinház, Budapest,(Hungary). Directed by the exciting Árpád Schilling whose revealing production has no set or costumes, thrillingly simple as it draws its truthfulness not from theatrical devices. Performed in Hungarian with simultaneous translation in English. Performances 19 - 22 August at 7pm. Performance lasts approximately 3 hours 15 mins. Week Two 21 - 27 August. Prayer Room by Shan Khan from Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company, (England) in its world premiere Scots Playwright Khan's witty play is about one prayer room in a multiracial British college and what happens when the smallest religion minority gets bigger. Performed in English. Performances 22 - 28 August at 7:30pm also mat on 28 at 2:30pm at The Royal Lyceum Theatre. The Complete Plays of J M Synge from Druid Theatre Company, their renowned Garry Hines directs 25 actors in the repertoire with three chances to see the plays in one day, and 2 chances to see each pair of the three pairs. A superb opportunity to immerse yourself in Synge and his strong and inspirational Irish plays. Performed in English. The Complete Plays of J M Synge at the King's Theatre 27 August - 3 September - Full cycles (All six plays) 27, 31 August and 3 Sept at 2pm (Lasts 8hrs 30 mins with long supper interval), the Double Bills - The Shadow Of The Glen and The Playboy Of The Western World - 28 August & 3 September at 7:30pm (Lasts 2hrs 50mins), The Tinker's Wedding and The Well Of The Saints - 29 August & 2 September at 3pm (Lasts 2hrs 20 mins). Riders To The Sea and Deirdre Of The Sorrows - 29 August & 2 September at 7:30pm (Lasts 2 hrs 10 mins). Continuing shows are, at the King's Theatre Blackbird until 24 August, at The Out Of The Blue Drill Hall Nuts Coconuts presented by The Variety Theatre Company of Gibraltar goes on to its final week ending 3 September and at The Hub is The Seagull until 22 August. Week Three 28 August - 3 September Opening at the Royal Lyceum Theatre on the 31 of August Stella Quines Theatre Company, Edinburgh premieres Three Thousand Troubled Threads by Chiew Siah Tei and directed by Muriel Romanes. Ying a second generation Chinese Glaswegian has a confused life, an alienated Slovakian boyfriend, a mother sunk in the past, and an employer who wants to go back to her Italian roots. How easy is it to escape your cultural heritage?. 31 August - 3 September at 7:30pm Matinee 3 September at 2:30pm. Continuing shows are, at the King's Theatre The Complete Plays of J M Synge until 3 September, and at The Out Of The Blue Drill Hall Nuts Coconuts presented by The Variety Theatre Company of Gibraltar goes on to its final week ending 3 September. Official Festival Theatre 2005 - What Thelma thinks. This year's selection of theatre productions has treats for all tastes. Everything from the rigor of a Noh play to the fun of La Cubana's show, plus three premieres of plays by Scottish influenced writers. Look beyond the theatre productions this year and consider going to L'Amour Masqué produced by Opera de Tours as musical comedy by André Messager with words by Sacha Guitry whose humour rivals Coward. The staging looks sumptuous and the story is set in 1920s Paris when a girl falls in love with a photograph. And in dance there a chance to see lots of the master choreographerBalanchine. Back in the theatre programme there will be the fascination of seeing all of Sygne at a sitting, a concentrated dose of theatre like this maybe an acquired taste but 8+hrs at £15 or £20, the price of the cheapest tickets, is a bargain. Now that the Fringe programme is also out we can compare the two festivals theatre ticket prices. At the Traverse and at the Assembly Rooms some full price unreserved tickets are £15, many around the £10 mark in several Fringe venues but there are still cheap tickets to be had at both Festivals, it's just that the EIF cheap is generally around £15 while for the Fringe there are some at £7 or less. And both festivals run reductions for special categories and or performances, check them out before you buy your ticket if you are a student, a senior citizen, unemployed etc. There are also for many EIF events (not the Fireworks Concert, Conversations with Artists or events at the Hub) 50 £5 Turn Up And Try Tickets on sale an hour before the performance limited to 2 per customer, a excellent way to experiment with opera, ballet, theatre or concerts. So it's a good, wide ranging selection this year and a better mix of Festival favourites like Peter Stein, David Harrower and new companies, Stella Quines and playwrights Chiew Siah Tei. © Thelma Good June 2005 - Published on EdinburghGuide.com Edinburgh International Festival 2005 Their website Booking opens for all by post, phone,fax counter and online on 2 April 2005. Previous Festival Reviews and Info of EIF and Fringe programmes from Edinburghguide.com Pat Napier's
EIF Opera, Dance and Music Preview |
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Edinburgh
International Festival
