Category: North Edinburgh Arts

ROYSTON WARDIEBURN FOLK TELL THEIR STORIES

Getting Along with Gran is Citadel Arts Group’s forthcoming dark comedy developed from stories and memories of older people living in Royston Wardieburn.

The Social History Group who meet at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre asked Citadel’s Playwrights Workshop to work with them. They wanted to create a play inspired by their stories of life in the area from the 1960s to the times of Margaret Thatcher. The Iron Lady makes a brief appearance in the play but definitely not as the heroine! The stories have been collected in a book ‘Windows to Our Past’, edited by tutor Jim Aitken. 

The Citadel Playwrights, Elaine Campbell, San Cassimally, Pamela Hanlon, Rhona McAdam, and Richard Peoples held a series of creative meetings with Jim Aitken’s group at Royston Wardieburn CC.

The script emerged from the life stories of Winifred Burke, Pat Gilhooly, Anna Hutchison, Bill and Greta McPhail, Helen McRae, David Norcliffe, Karen Soso, and Cathie Umobi.  They were keen for the play to bring their stories to an all-Edinburgh audience.

They told Citadel ‘We want to see our stories travel . . . reach the wider community, especially as this kind of history isn’t taught in schools.’ Jim Aitken assured Citadel, ‘having a play performed that came out of our social history project would be wonderful.’

A performed reading of the play in the community centre back in March showed how much the play appealed to a local audience. Their feedback was music to Citadel’s ears: ‘enjoyable to share these stories from the community – especially of Thatcher . . .interesting period of history, sadly being repeated by the so-called socialist government . . . it brought back lots of memories . . . interesting social history told through a personal story . . . stirred deep emotions. . . . loved the collaboration with school, community actors and everyone.’

This is an am-pro production, and the audience especially enjoyed the involvement of local actors from the Social History Group, and a P4 class from nearby Granton Primary School who held their own beside Citadel’s professional cast.

Davie Norcliffe, a retired janitor, takes the part of the school janitor back in the 1960s when pupils still got the belt for playing up. 

The play focuses on Gran (Laverne Edmonds) who can no longer live alone. She has moved in with her daughter’s family, and it is granddaughter Em (Mairi Jayne Weir) who bears the brunt of the reminiscences Gran and her friends (Deborah Whyte and Chelsea Grace) inflict on her. Some memories disturb her and cause nightmares: she gets the belt from a sadistic teacher (Jim Bryce) and is chased by a giant fish and even menaced by Thatcher in a nightmare.

She learns about the highs and lows of Gran’s fascinating life: her romance on Silverknowes Beach and travelling to China with her employees.  Her Gran becomes a person she doesn’t mind spending time with. The play tackles serious themes: privatisation, education, disability, political activism and family, with humour which doesn’t belittle anyone’s memories. 

With a class from Granton Primary School playing a key role in the performance, this is a truly intergenerational show. The oldest playwright is over 90 years old.

Creative Producer Liz Hare writes, ‘Once again Citadel Arts Group is working with the community to develop a powerful piece of drama involving performers from the area. The play is a celebration of the cultural richness of Royston Wardieburn and will hopefully take people back to the book that inspired the script.’  

‘Windows to Our Past’ is available online. 

PERFORMANCE DATES: 16^TH and 17^TH June 1.30pm

VENUE: North Edinburgh Arts, 12C Macmillan Square, EH4 4AB

DIRECTOR: Mark Kydd

Cast: Jim Bryce, Laverne Edmonds, Chelsea Grace, Mairi Jayne Weir and Deborah Whtye,

Community cast: David Norcliffe and Anna Hutchison, and P4 Granton Primary School pupils, Drama Teacher: Fergus McNicoll

Stage Manager: Maggie Brown

Light and Sound Design: Roddy Simpson

Creative Producer: Liz Hare

Playwrights: Elaine Campbell, San Cassimally, Pamela Hanlon, and Rhona McAdam, with additional material from Richard Peoples.

TICKETS: FREE. Contact Box office: jamesellison@blueyonder.co.uk/ 07954 295 568 or from the venue or Event Brite.

Citadel Arts Group is a charity (SC 034687) dedicated to giving a voice to older people by preserving their stories and producing their plays in a variety of community venues including schools, care homes, Leith Custom House, churches, libraries and a moving barge. 

This project is supported by Awards for All, City of Edinburgh Council Neighbourhood Grant (Forth area) and Gordon Fraser Community Trust.