The Citadel Arts Group has announced its forthcoming dark comedy, Getting Along with Gran, developed from stories and memories of older people living in one of Edinburgh’s more deprived areas.
The Social History Group who meet at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre asked Citadel’s Playwrights Workshop to work with them, seeking to create a play inspired by their stories of life in the area from the 1960s to the times of Margaret Thatcher.
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.
The script emerged from the life stories of Winifred Burke, Pat Gilhooley, 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, telling Citadel: “We want to see our stories travel, reach the wider community…especially as this kind of history isn’t taught in schools.”
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, the play makes for a truly intergenerational show, with the oldest playwright 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.”
The play will be performed on 16 and 17 June at 1:30pm at North Edinburgh Arts, 12C Macmillan Square, EH4 4AB.
