The Royal Lyceum Theatre will open its 2012-2013 season in September with a co-production with the National Theatre of Scotland of Michel Tremblay's The Guid Sisters, translated by Martin Bowman and William Findlay, and directed by Serge Denoncourt.
Following recent successes with 27 and Dunsinane, two major Scottish producing companies join forces to present a Scots classic, directed by a leading European director.
This “rich, raucous and gritty” Scots version of Quebecois writer Michel Tremblay's play Les Belles -soeurs was premiered at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow in 1989. Findlay went on to trans-create 8 Tremblay plays, with co-translator, Martin Bowman. This successful partnership made Tremblay one of the most performed international playwrights in Scotland.
In Findlay’s version of The Guid Sisters, Germaine Luzon wins a million Green Shield stamps. Germaine is in for a windfall but the only way she can collect the money is to stick each stamp into a book. Calling upon her family, friends and neighbours to help the play listens in as this formidable group of women talk about life, the world and the men in their lives.
Serge Denoncourt is one of Canada’s leading directors with over 80 productions to his credit. He has collaborated with Michel Tremblay on a number of pieces including two productions of Les Belles-soeurs. He has worked with Cirque du Soleil and is known for creating visually beautiful productions. This will be his first production of The Guid Sisters.
Mark Thomson, Artistic Director of the Lyceum says: “If theatre is joy in and celebration of people, place and time then Michel Trembley’s The Guid Sisters in the brilliant translation by Findlay and Bowman is a true piece of theatre. I’m thrilled that Trembley’s director of choice and internationally renowned director Serge Denoncourt will direct a Scottish cast. And I’m thrilled once again that we will be working with our friends at National Theatre of Scotland It’s a brilliant piece of theatre alchemy to launch our season.”
Still to come in the Royal Lyceum Theatre's 2011-2012 Season is this year's pantomime Beauty and the Beast, The Infamous Brothers Davenport, Of Mice and Men, The Marriage of Figaro, and The Lieutenant of Inishmore.