Eden Court Theatre presents The Return by Ellie Stewart
Scottish tour runs until 10 March # TheReturn Eden Court Theatre brings the mysterious true story of missing man Martin Guerre to life in Scottish Tour of The Return
Production images have been released for The Return which is currently on tour around Scotland until 10 March. The Return is written by rising-star of Scottish playwriting Ellie Stewart (Strictly -Traverse Theatre, Mischief - Play, Pie & Pint) Directed by Philip Howard, former artistic director of Dundee Rep and the Traverse Theatre Based on the mysterious true story of Martin Guerre written from the perspective of his wife.
Image credit: Ewen Wetherspoon
IMAGES AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD HERE
Eden Court Theatre’s new production, The Return, inspired by an old and still mysterious story embarks on a national tour in February and March 2018.
The true story of Martin Guerre is an intriguing one. One day in 1549, in the small village of Artigat in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, a young peasant man named Martin disappeared, leaving behind a wife, young son, and relatively well-off family. Things had not been going well for Martin in the days before his disappearance. He had a troubled relationship with his family, with his own father accusing him of stealing and selling family grain, but no one expected him to suddenly vanish.
Seven years later, Martin’s wife Bertrande is still in Artigat tending to her livestock and mothering her young, fatherless son. One day, out of the blue, a strangely familiar man walks into her life, full of mystery. Bertrande decides to present the man to the community as her long-lost spouse – returned. But is it really Martin?
Inspired by the true story of Martin Guerre, Ellie Stewart’s new play The Return is a gripping play about the mystery of identity and the survival instinct, and asks whether we can ever truly know even those we love the best. Commissioned and premiered by Eden Court, The Return, is produced by the same creative team behind Eden Court’s Not About Heroes in 2015. Philip Howard, former artistic director of Dundee Rep & the Traverse Theatre, once again directs, joined by designer Kenneth MacLeod, who has worked with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Dundee Rep and Vox Motus amongst many others.
Playwright Ellie Stewart is a rising star of Scottish playwriting. Speaking of why she wrote the play, Ellie said:
“I’ve been intrigued by the story of Martin Guerre since I first heard it about twenty-five years ago… It’s been told in different ways over the years, and I’ve always been interested in the pivotal role of his wife Bertrande. The story resurfaced for me recently when I returned to the Pyrenees and was bombarded with sensory memories. My starting point for the writing was to explore the story from Bertrande’s point of view.
“As I was writing I was thinking about people who are seeking refuge in our times, and about the challenges of relationships and parenting. And of course, it’s a love story. Some things are timeless. Perhaps human instincts, emotions and behaviours haven’t changed that much over the years.”
The cast brings together Emilie Patry (Bertrande), Thoren Ferguson (Arnaud) and cellist Greg Sinclair on stage.
Emilie Patry (Bertrande) trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama and at the Studio 34 in Paris and is co-founder of Jagged Fence Theatre Company. Theatre credits include The Gamblers (Greyscale, UK Tour) and A Beginning, Middle and an End (Traverse/Tron/Hull Truck).
Thoren Ferguson (Arnaud) is a Scottish actor, musician and composer who has worked in TV, radio and theatre with credits including Logan High (BBC) and Armchair Detectives (BBC).
Greg Sinclair is a musician and performance artist who has worked with companies including Curious Seed, Starcatchers and Dundee Rep.
TOUR DETAILS Howden Park Centre, Livingston, 20 Feb. Tickets here
Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling. 21 Feb. Tickets here
Cumbernauld Theatre, Cumbernauld. 22 Feb. Tickets here
Tron Theatre, Glasgow. 23 Feb. Tickets here
The Byre Theatre, St Andrews. 24 Feb. Tickets here
Strathearn Artspace, Crieff. 27 Feb. Tickets here
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. 28 Feb – 1 Mar. Tickets here
New Deer Public Hall, New Deer. 2 Mar. Tickets here
The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen. 3 Mar. Tickets here
Macphail Centre, Ullapool. 5 Mar. Tickets here
Locharron, Locharron. 7 Mar.
Boat of Garten, Boat of Garten. 8 Mar.
Braemar, Braemar. 9 Mar.
Tullynessle & Forbes, Tullynessle & Forbes. 10 Mar. www.eden-court.co.uk Facebook: /edencourttheatre Twitter: @EdenCourt
# TheReturn
Cast & Creatives
Writer - Ellie Stewart Director - Philip Howard Designer - Kenneth Macleod Lighting & Sound Designer - Mike Savage Movement Director - EJ Boyle Composer - Greg Sinclair
Producers - Mike Griffith, Philip Howard, Jane Litster
Stage Manager - Sam Ramsay
Cast:
Bertrande - Emilie Patry Arnaud - Thoren Ferguson Sanxi - Greg Sinclair
/ENDS For more information, interview and review requests for The Return, please contact:
Will Moss – [email protected] / 0131 202 6220 Susie Gray – [email protected] / 07834073795
For further information on Eden Court please contact: Teresa Bendoris - [email protected] / 01463 239 841
Notes for Editors
Biographies
Ellie Stewart - Writer Ellie Stewart’s play Hope and Joy (about a woman who lays an egg) won the Tron Theatre’s Progressive Playwright Award in 2016. Mischief (described as lyrical, witty and raunchy) was produced by Play Pie Pint with the Traverse Theatre in 2016. She is a founder member of the Thrawn Craws writers’ collective, and also writes for Village Pub Theatre. Her poetry is published by Tapsalteerie and she is currently writer in residence with Firefly Arts in West Lothian.
Ellie is thrilled to be working on The Return with Philip Howard, Eden Court and the outstanding artistic and production teams. Her profound thanks goes out to all who have inspired, lived and worked this play with her.
Philip Howard - Director Trained at the Royal Court Theatre on the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme from 1988-1990. Associate Director at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh from 1993-1996 and Artistic Director from 1996-2008.
Productions at the Traverse include 24 world premieres of plays by David Greig, David Harrower, Iain F MacLeod, Linda McLean, Henry Adam, Catherine Czerkawska, Catherine Grosvenor, Sue Glover, Iain Heggie, Jules Horne, Nicola McCartney, Ronan O’Donnell and the late Iain Crichton Smith. Fringe First awards for Kill the Old Torture Their Young, Wiping My Mother’s Arse, Outlying Islands (also Royal Court, London; World Stage Festival, Toronto) and Damascus (also Harbourfront Centre, Toronto; Off Broadway, New York; Meyerhold, Moscow; Tricycle, London; British Council tour to Near East & North Africa); Jury Special Award for Production of Petrol Jesus Nightmare #5 (In the Time of the Messiah) at InFest, National Theatre of Priština, Kosovo.
From 2012-15 Philip was joint Artistic Director of Dundee Rep, with Jemima Levick, where productions included Victoria, Cars and Boys and In My Father’s Words (also Off- Broadway, New York). Since 1993 he has produced and / or directed 18 small-scale Highland touring productions including Promises Promises for Eden Court/Dundee Rep and Not About Heroes for Eden Court.
Adaptations include Fuenteovejuna and King John (Òran Mór, Glasgow); Titus Andronicus for director Stewart Laing (Dundee Rep); Brigadoon (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). Publications include Scotland Plays, Scottish Shorts and Theatre in Scotland — A Field of Dreams (Nick Hern Books). Philip is a director of Pearlfisher, a new theatre company dedicated to the touring of new plays and talent development.
Kenneth MacLeod - Designer From Inverness, Kenneth is a set, costume & video designer and illustrator. Recent design credits include Chess, Cabaret, West Side Story (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) Never Land, Not About Heroes (Eden CourtTheatre), Money Makes The World Go Round, Echoes In The Night, The Stranger (Carnival/Cunard Line) The Maids (Dundee Rep), Time & Motion (National Youth Ballet) and Chick Whittington (MacRobert Arts Centre). He was also storyboard artist on Flight (Vox Motus/Edinburgh International Festival). Upcoming productions include Spring Awakening (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland/Dundee Rep).
Kenneth is a Production Arts & Design Graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and recipient of the Alex McCrindle Award for Production. He also studied Scenic Design & Immersive Themed Entertainment at The California Institute Of The Arts. He is thrilled to be back designing for Eden Court Theatre.
EJ Boyle - Movement Director EJ is a choreographer and movement director. Theatre work: Oresteia: This Restless House (Citizens Theatre/ NTS/Edinburgh International Festival), Lanark: A Life in Three Acts (Citizens Theatre/Edinburgh International Festival); The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black Black Oil, Victoria, Great Expectations, Much Ado About Nothing, James and the Giant Peach (Dundee Rep); Trainspotting, Cuttin’ A Rug (Citizens Theatre); Still Game: Live (Glasgow Hydro); Forest Boy (Noisemaker - New York Musical Festival/Arcola); Into The Woods/ Atlantic: A Scottish Story (Noisemaker/RCS), Richard III (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Hedda Gabler, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Jumpy (Royal Lyceum Edinburgh); Still Game:Live (Glasgow Hydro); Cabaret, West Side Story, Carousel (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). For Eden Court: Not AboutWHeroes (Eden Court)
Film/TV: The Crown (Netflix Original Series); In Plain Sight (ITV); Two Doors Down (BBC); God Help the Girl (Sundance Special Jury Prize)
Other work: Creative Associate/Choreographer Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Ceremonies; Assistant Artistic Director Baku 2015 European Games; Mass Movement Director Queens 90th Birthday Parade; Director Under the Ground (Edinburgh Fringe), Associate Director Out of This World (Sadlers Wells/UK Tour)
Greg Sinclair - Composer/ Sanxi Greg Sinclair is a musician and performance artist. In 2016 he won The Arts Foundation’s children’s theatre fellowship. His performance Sonata for a Man and a Boy won a CATS award for best production for children and young people in 2013. As a composer/performer he has worked with companies including Curious Seed, Starcatchers, Dundee Rep, The Polar Bears and Frozen Charlotte.
Emilie Patry - Bertrande Emilie trained at the Central School of Speech And Drama and at the Studio 34 in Paris. Theatre credits include The Gamblers (Greyscale, UK tour), A Beginning, Middle and an End (Traverse/ Tron/ Hull Truck), Stars in the Morning Sky (Riverside Studios), Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down (Arcola), Macbeth (New Wimbledon Theatre), Les Isles Kerguelen (Théatre De La Tempête, Paris), Bastringue (L’Etoile du Nord, Paris). TV credits include Casualty 1907 (BBC), Behind Closed Doors (BBC Scotland), The Advocates (STV) and Gayle Tuesday: The Comeback (Living TV). She is co-founder of Jagged Fence Theatre Company. Winner of the Best Supporting Actor Award, Off West End Awards 2016 for ‘The Christians’.
Thoren Ferguson - Arnaud Thoren is a Scottish Actor, Musician and Composer. He first started performing on stage with youth theatre groups from the age of 9 until 18. During that time he performed on theatre, radio and TV including a lead role in 2 TV series of Yo! Diary filmed at the Comedy Unit. During taking a break from acting Thoren focussed on his music. Thoren has played as a soloist at events across the country; he’s played to HRH Princess Anne, with the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra, and he’s also won fiddle competitions across Scotland. He is a composer with 2 published compositions “The Lads of Quintinshill, 1915” and “The Somme”, both recently played on BBC Radio Scotland, BBC radio 4, STV and at numerous events across the country. He leads the ceilidh band “The Jacobites” who founded The Edinburgh Street Ceilidh, and teaches Scottish Traditional Music. He is the player of the renowned Wilfred Owen Violin.
Returning after a career break back into acting Thoren has recent credits in TV and Film including Mr Zamborini in Logan High (BBC), Jonas Jordan in Armchair Detectives (BBC) David Fairbairn in Mother (New Light Films), Johnny in Blue Christmas (Short Film) and Zach Marini in Date Life (Sitcom Pilot).
ABOUT EDEN COURT
• Eden Court is a registered charity and is the largest multi-arts venue in Scotland housing 2 theatres, 2 cinemas, 2 dance studios and conference and meeting spaces. It presents around 450 live performances and 2000 lm screening every year as well as almost 60 classes a week. is activity attracts an audience of over 300,000 people every year.
• Eden Court runs the largest creative learning programme of any UK theatre. As well as the extensive programme of weekly classes it also has creative workers throughout the Highlands working in schools and running youth theatre and dance companies. It is the only theatre in Scotland to offer Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) courses in Drama and Dance. Pupils from across the Highlands have the opportunity to study at Eden Court for an SQA Higher Dance, Drama or Intermediate 2 exams. Aside from Eden Court, there is only one school in the Highlands where pupils can sit SQA Higher Drama exams. Eden Court is also the Scottish Government’s partner for Cashback for Creativity where seized criminal assets are redistributed to provide meaningful artistic activity for young people at risk.
• Eden Court is a registered charity and is grateful to receive regular funding from Creative Scotland and the Highland Council.