Broadcast for Sunday 4 April 2004

Today’s  GUEST INTERVIEW - Fiona Garnham, ELM Books

Welcome to Theatre in English - a weekly news summary for Radio 74’s listening audience about the MANY English-language theatre events that take place in our area.

        Well, once again, hello and good evening to you all from me, Howard Hornfeld it is ONLY me this evening, as Sue Lloyd is away at the moment!

            So - in the absence of Sue - I’ll do my best over the next 10 minutes or so to keep you up to date with what’s going on in our little Geneva-region theatre world.

            Before I start, however, let me remind you to have a pencil and paper handy in case you want to note down something …   so, here are a couple of things you might like to get along to if you are wanting an outing…

The next GEDS Playreading is this Tuesday, April 6.   It will be ‘The Anniversary Waltz’ by Danny Start.   This play was first produced by Alan Ayckbourn, and encourager of promising young playwrights, and begins as a couple are on their way to a joint wedding anniversary celebration …

And, as you have your calendars handy, why not mark down 20 April, when the playreading will be ‘Roleplay’, a humorous drama by Alan Ayckbourn himself.

This is the silly season when events organizers feel, probably with good reason, that potential audiences take the long Easter weekend and look for the last snow or the first sunbathing places, so there aren't that many special activities on right now.  BUT Lots of big things happening in the near future.  For example:

Monday 19 April – beginning of the 40^th Carouge Spring Festival – all over Carouge until 27 June.

Friday 23 April – is World Book Day (just read a book on that day, which happens to be the birthday of both Cervantes and Shakespeare).

Sunday 25 April - the GAOS Choral Group is hosting a “Scratch Messiah” - or a sinalong of the Messiah which will take place in the Scottish Church - right by the Cathedral in the old town.   For the uninitiated, this means if you feel like singing your way through Handel’s wonderful oratorio, then you go along to the Scottish church with your copy of Messiah and join in on that Sunday - 7.30 p.m. will be the time, so I understand - but we’ll tell you more soon !!

Tuesday 27 April  -  GEDS Annual General Meeting.  The BIG Event of the Season! Very important evening for all GEDS members, so note it down now and be sure to get along there .  You might even wind up being elected onto the Committee - just what you've always wanted, no doubt!  That's Tuesday 27 April at the Holy Trinity Church, rue du Mont-Blanc, starting at 8 pm.  Come early and be fêted with goodies starting at 7:30 pm - and give your ideas to anyone who'll listen!

30 April and 1 May - THE EDGE - that is the GEDS youth group - will be presenting an evening of theatre - two one-act plays at the Ecole Steiner.   Once again, it’s a question of more information later. In the meantime, anyone wanting to find out more about THE EDGE - please contact  Zsuza Varga - telephone number 076 343 2986 .

… and then, just a little word about the next GEDS production.  “The 2^nd Mrs. Tanqueray” by Arthur Pinero.  It will be presented by GEDS at the Alhambra Theatre on 11 through 15 May.  It’s far enough away, but publicity will be sent next week, so start planning your group now!

Two weeks after that, GAOS presents "Oliver!" in Nyon - about which you have already heard and more will follow later.

For long-term planners, the next Howard Productions spectacle will be "Romeo and Juliet" at the Château de Prangins, on 17-19 June.  More details on this programme as they get finalized.

And one final word from GEDS --- the Society would love to know which plays you think GEDS should do.  If you have any suggestions for a favourite play let them know, either at the AGM, write to the Society at PO Box 83, 1217 Meyrin 1, or visit the website for details of email addresses.

So once again we come to the end of programme.   Next week, Sue will be back with me, so you don't have to listen to me rambling away.  Remember, if you miss our Sunday broadcast, the show is repeated on a Monday evening, at about 7.20 p.m., just after the local news.   Remember, too,  you can always check on the Theatre in English website - that is www.theatreinenglish.ch where, under the page entitled “Radio Show”, we are now listing all the events we talk about on the show, week by week.

            … and that’s this week’s news about “Theatre in English”, another community service of Radio-74.