Cast in order of appearance
Lewis Pierce Reid
Glen Matthew McVarish
Director Ros Philips
Designer Mamoru Iriguchi
Lighting Designer Laura Hawkins
Sound Designer Kevin Murray
Dramaturgy David Greig and Ros Philips
Stage Manager Bee George
Costume Supervisor Emily Kenyon-Roberts
Producer Annabel Cooper
Mentor Alice McGrath
With additional support from Edinburgh International Book Festival, the role of The Guest was played by various authors, artists and activists.
First performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh on Thursday 12th October 2017.
An LGBT History Month Scotland Cultural Commission.
Script developed with support from Playwrights Studio, Scotland.
Thanks to the support of Edinburgh International Book Festival and Red Bridge Arts.
Annabel Cooper Producer
Annabel is an independent arts producer and collaborator based in Edinburgh. She is co-founder/director of queer arts collective Dive Queer Party, co-founder/director of Queen Jesus Productions which supports the international touring of The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven and Associate Producer with Red Bridge Arts.
Bee George Stage Manager
Bee graduated from St Andrews University with a degree in Theology in 2008, and swiftly began working in the closest theatre as a venue technician. After two years she moved into freelance Stage Management. Most recently she has worked for Utter Theatre, Opera North, Northern Ballet and Catherine Wheels.
David Greig Dramaturg
David is the Artistic Director of Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and he is an acclaimed and award-winning playwright. His work has been performed at all the major theatres in Britain, including the Traverse Theatre, Royal Court Theatre, Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and his work is produced all over the world.
Laura Hawkins Lighting Designer
Laura graduated with a degree in Lighting Design from Rose Bruford College. Recent design credits include Descent (Linda McLaughlin), If I Had a Girl (Amina), Aladdin (Brunton Theatre), Netting (Allie Butler), Lady Macbeth, Nijinskys Last Jump, Dance Derby (Company Chordelia) and Tribes, Smokies (Solar Bear). www.ald.org.uk/laurahawkins
Mamoru Iriguchi Designer
Mamoru is an award-winning theatre designer and performance maker based in Edinburgh. His design includes Mincemeat (Cardboard Citizens, Best Design, Evening Standard Theatre Awards) and The Pink Bits (Mapping4D, Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Award). His performance work includes Eaten, 4D Cinema (Autopsy Award) and Projector/Conjector. www.iriguchi.co.uk
Emily Kenyon-Roberts Costume Supervisor
Emily is a recent graduate of Queen Margaret Universitys Costume Design and Construction course. Previously she has worked with Grid Iron and Lung Ha theatre companies, Ed Littlewood Productions, and on various university and amateur performances. Emily is very excited to have been invited to join the Lavender Menace team.
James Ley Writer
James trained at RCS. He lives in Leith and is the founding member of Leiths acclaimed Village Pub Theatre. His plays for the company include Alison & Paolo, The Boxer and Repulsive Acts of Love. His other plays include I Heart Maths (Oran Mor), Spain (Citizens Theatre for Glasgay!) and UP (The Vault, Edinburgh Fringe), all published by Oberon Books. www.mrley.com
Alice McGrath Mentor
Alice is an experienced arts producer, facilitator and collaborator based in Scotland. She works with artists and arts organisations in the development, creation and presentation of theatre, dance and events for young and intergenerational audiences. Alice is the Creative Director of Red Bridge Arts and has held previous roles at Scottish Dance Theatre, Macrobert Arts Centre and Imaginate.
Matthew McVarish Glen
Matthew has a BA and MA from QMU and RCS. His theatre credits include: I Heart Maths, Sweet Home Balmaha, Triumvirate, The Backpacker Blues (Oran Mor), To Kill a Kelpie, Spangle Baby, Magpies (Poorboy), The Bridge (Boilerhouse) and East (Pend Fringe). His TV credits include: River City, Spring Watch, Me Too! (BBC) Taggart (SMG).
Kevin Murray Sound Designer
Kevin has a Masters in Sound Design for the Moving Image from Glasgow School of Art. He won a BAFTA new talent award for his short film Paperclip. His recent work Stand By (Utter Theatre) won a Fringe First this year. Previous work includes The James Plays (Sound Associate, National Theatre of Scotland), Happy Days (Tron Theatre) and The Tempest (Xinchan Performing Arts Beijing).
Ros Philips Director
Ros trained at Citizens Theatre, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and Manchester Metropolitan University. Her directing credits include Educating Rita, Our House (Queens Theatre Hornchurch), The House Of Bernarda Alba (RCS) Midsummer (Dundee Rep), One Million Tiny Plays About Britain, My Name Is Rachel Corrie (Citizens Theatre), Top Girls (Japan, Tottori), Falling/Flying (Tron Theatre), I Heart Maths (Oran Mor).
Pierce Reid Lewis
Pierce trained at RCS. His theatre credits include Collaborators, Men Should Weep, and Damned by Despair (National Theatre), Hostage Song (Finborough Theatre), The Seagull (York Theatre Royal), Twelfth Night, Mother Courage (Dundee Rep). His film credits include Collaborators (NT LIVE), The Taxidermist (Charlotte Carden) and Our Father (Artur Zaremba).
The Royal Lyceum Theatre Company is a crucible of Scottish talent, developing Scotlands considerable indigenous artists and presenting the best of international drama from its home in a magnificent, intimate Victorian building in Edinburghs West End.
The Company rehearses in its own rooms opposite the theatre, and costumes and sets are designed and built at The Lyceums workshops in Roseburn.
Internationally celebrated playwright David Greig became the eighth Artistic Director of The Lyceum in 2016. As part of his premiere 2016/17 season, the company produced ten full productions, making it one of the biggest producing companies in the United Kingdom. In Season 2017/18 The Lyceum will present five World Premieres and three Scottish Premieres.
In recent years, The Lyceum has staged co-productions with Told by an Idiot, Edinburgh International Festival, Actors Touring Company, Theatre Royal, Bath; The Bush Theatre, London; Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company; National Theatre of Scotland; Citizens Theatre; Dundee Rep; Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse; Chichester Festival Theatre and the Lyric Hammersmith.
