2024 sees the centenary year of Edinburgh Gilbert & Sullivan Society (EDGAS) who are celebrating with a new production of G & S’s popular operetta, The Gondoliers, on 8th May at the Festival Theatre. Set in Venice, The Gondoliers is a captivating comic opera that revolves around two handsome gondoliers and a royal mix-up.
Founded on 18th December 1924 at the historic North British (now Balmoral) Hotel, EDGAS is dedicated to promoting and showcasing the timeless works of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan while providing a nurturing platform for some of Scotland’s finest talent.
While the King’s Theatre, the original home of EDGAS, undergoes its exciting redevelopment, the Festival Theatre is hosting their productions with their most recent hit Yeoman of the Guard gracing the stage in February 2023. EDGAS’s journey at the King’s Theatre began in 1973 with The Pirates of Penzance and they have performed annually ever since, becoming an integral part of Capital Theatre’s history.
EDGAS productions feature choruses of over 50 singers, challenging them with roles to develop their techniques. Former EDGAS performers have taken to the stages of London’s West End, a testament to the society’s commitment to excellence and training.
EDGAS’ long-term duo- David Lyle and Alan Borthwick are again working together as Musical Director and Artistic Director for this centenary special. EDGAS’s dedicated stage managers and production team bring their expertise from Edinburgh venues such as The King’s Theatre, The Churchhill Theatre, Adam Smith Theatre Kirkcaldy, and major stages across the UK.
After the founding of the London and Edinburgh Gilbert and Sullivan Societies in 1924, and following copyright expiring, societies formed up and down the country. They celebrate, perform and remember the work of G&S. Meanwhile numerous general societies perform at least one G&S production every 2-3 years. G&S also lives on in university societies, where staging productions is cheaper than buying the rights to musicals. Younger EDGAS members are proud of their backgrounds in university societies from Edinburgh, St Andrews, London and Hull.
EDGAS President Andrew Crawford said “For our 75th anniversary we took the brave decision to fully stage Sullivan’s only Grand Opera, Ivanhoe in the King’s Theatre. This is one of the only times Ivanhoe had been staged since its original successful professional run in London in 1891 and our own production was also met with great praise. We are so looking forward to our brand new production of The Gondoliers at the Festival Theatre for our centenary celebrations.
“We’ve delighted many thousands of people and given hundreds of people the opportunity to perform at the highest level, working with some of the best exponents and experts of the Savoy operas in the world. Many of our performers have successfully gone on to professional acting and singing careers or prominent roles in other theatrical groups around the world…”
The Gondoliersis at the Festival Theatre on 8th-12th May 2024
https://www.capitaltheatres.com/whats-on/all-shows/edgas-the-gondoliers/2260
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 