| Cumbernauld Youth Theatre | home |
 |
| Archive
|
||
|
||
THE PILGRIMAGE
April 1999
Tribal warfare is scheduled to break out this weekend when Cumbernauld Youth Theatre
presents it’s latest show, ‘Pilgrimage’.
The work, by Liverpool playwright Paul Goetzee, is the group’s entry in the
nation-wide BY National Connection project. It opens at the Theatre on Friday for
two nights, before travelling to Stirling’s MacRobert Centre for a performance on
Saturday, April 10 as apart of a regional showcase.
The play is a fable about friends and enemies, families and foes.
The Sheep People live in a wild and remote part of a country which could very well
be somewhere in Eastern Europe. For as
long as anyone can remember they have been sworn enemies of the Goat People who live in
the next alley and there is a long history of animosity and fear between the two tribes.
Grandparents have the right to be carried everywhere on the back of their children.
Tradition is everything – nothing new can change the time-honoured ways. The
Grimm family are shepherds of an ancient line.
The Pilgrimage is the story of what happens when twin brother and sister Chaff and
Mendel come across Josef a young goatherd. Only a miracle will break the centuries
long cycles of hatred and revenge.
Evelyn Wallace and Terri Jones of Cumbernauld Theatre’s community drama team are directing the show. Evelyn comments: “It’s quite a challenge for the cast. A 30-strong chorus narrates the story and there’s lots of mime and movement in it.
Cumbernauld Youth theatre is taking part in the
biggest youth theatre project in the world next week.
For they will be joining youth theatre groups from all over the country when they
stage Liverpool writer Paul Goetzee’s work ‘The Pilgrimage’, one of the ten
plays specially commissioned for young people under the auspices of the Royal National
Theatre with backing from BT’s National Connections scheme.
The Pilgrimage is one of ten hour-long plays produced for young people.
Performances by each theatre group will be assessed at their local venue and there will be
a chance to perform in one of then regional showcases in the UK.
These will be attended by writers and representative from the National Theatre, and
the culmination will be a festival week in June with ten groups from across the country
performing the plays to demonstrate the rage of young talent across the UK.
The Pilgrimage is a funny, original and powerful fable about friends and enemies,
families and foes, set in the wild and remote East European country where two tribes live
in mutual animosity and fear.
The play is being staged on Friday and Saturday, April 2 and 3. Tickets are £5
(£2.50 concession).
For more details phone the box office on 732887.
The youth Theatre will also present it at the National Connections regional showcase at the MacRobert Theatre in Stirling the following weekend.
Tribal warfare came to Cumbernauld Theatre at the
weekend – and what a lesson it taught!
For Cumbernauld Junior Youth Theatre’s production of “The
Pilgrimage” was particularly topical, dealing as it did wit two tribes who have lived
in mutual enmity for generations.
The play, by Liverpool writer Paul Goetzee, was the group’s entry in the BT
National Connections Project, a series of plays especially written for young people.
They will present it again at Stirling’s MacRobert Centre this weekend.
The fable tells of the Sheep People and the Goat People, who live in neighbouring
valleys in a remote part of a country which could well be somewhere in Eastern Europe
– though perhaps their attitudes can be found nearer to home too. The two
peoples are sworn enemies, action by one leading to retaliation by the other. Tradition is
everything. Grandparents, who carry the folk memories and despise book education,
have the right to be carried on the backs of their children (very symbolic).
Then one day twins Chaff and Mendel of the Sheep People come across a young
goatherd and discover he is just like them. This causes consternation, splits the
tribe, and war ensues before the cycle of hate and revenge in eventually broken. Quoting
from the play, peace is a strange land when you have lived in the house of war for far too
long.
The cast handled all this rather well. Joanna and Katriona Wilson played
twins Chaff and Mendel, with their parents, Clove and Gregor played by Claire Sharkey and
Fiona McFarlane. Chris Davis was their bookish son, Butt, whose factual knowledge is
eventually appreciated. Grandparents Grim and Mermer were extremely well played
Stuart Hardie and Laura Moran. Martin Hannigan took the role of goatherd Josef, and
Simon Petherbridge was excellent as the tree dwelling Sylvan. Rachel Taylor was
Brag, Gregor’s brother, and Butt’s wife Lena was Ashley Cole, Jennifer Fox and
Eilidh Bryce were the two Virgins worshipped by the tribes.
Chorus Members: Joanna Waters, Rachel
Walker, Lisa Duffy, Cheryl Smith, Eamon Reilly, Amy McLaughlin, Therese Lalley, Erin
Docherty, Victoria Loudon, Claire Ford, Leanne Docherty, Rachael Muir, Kyle Haddow,
Danielle McWilliams, Maria Connoly, Martin Griffith, Ami Skimming, Caitlin Taylor, Alison
Crowe, Marie Clare Wallace, Adrienne Calgie, Melissa Deans, Eildh Bryce, Ruth Peterbridge,
Paula Seaman, Abbie Russell, Jennifer Russell, Holly Martin and Claire Paterson.
Special Credit to directors Evelyn Wallace and Terri Jones.
Cumbernauld Youth Theatre are to take part in the biggest youth theatre project in the
world.
The production of Paul Goetzee’s ‘The Pilgrimage’ is directed by the
theatre’s Evelyn Wallace and is part of a prestigious national enterprise.
With corporate backing from BT, who have teamed up with the Royal National Theatre
and youth groups form all over Britain, the project will provide 10 hour-long plays
created for young people.
This is the third year the Youth Theatre has taken part in the initiative. And on
this occasion, the amusing and powerful drama, which may be set in fictitious, East
European country, tell the tale of friend and enemies, families and foes.
From this month, performances by each group will be assessed at their local venue
and will be given a chance to perform in one of the ten regional showcases in the UK
The showcases will be attended by writers and representatives from the National
Theatre and the culmination will be a festival week in June. Ten groups will be
selected from across the country to try to perform the ten plays, demonstrating the range
of young talent across the UK.
The production is scheduled to play at Cumbernauld Theatre on Friday, April 2 and Saturday April 3, and also at the National Connections regional showcase at Stirling’s MacRobert Theatre.