According to Whatsonstage.com, the first program for the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF), preceding the larger Edinburgh Fringe, has been announced by EIF director Jonathan Mills. This year, the Festival runs in theatres, concert halls, and opera houses across the city August 10—September 2. Making his EIF debut this year will be Alan Cumming, starring in The National Theatre of Scotland's world premiere of Euripides' The Bacchae. Directed by John Tiffany (Critics' Circle Best Director winner for NTS' Black Watch), the show will be seen in a new version by David Greig.
Cumming made his long-awaited return to the West End last autumn in
Daniel Kramer's revival of
Martin Sherman's 1978 play
Bent. Cumming's American stage credits include
Cabaret, for which he won a Tony Award,
Design for Living, and
The Threepenny Opera. His film credits include
X-Men 2,
Eyes Wide Shut, and
The Anniversary Party.
Also running at this year's EIF are opera-inspired works such as Vienna Schauspielhaus'
Poppea, directed by Barrie Kosky, and the
Wooster Group's
La Didone. EIF will also host the UK premiere of
Mabou Mines DollHouse, directed by
Lee Breuer;
American Repertory Theatre's
Orpheus X, a modern take on the Orpheus myth; and an international collaboration between Theatre Cryptic and Singapore's T'ang Quartet.
One of several festivals that overtake Edinburgh in August, the EIF, along with the Edinburgh Film Festival, Book Festival, Jazz & Blues Festival, Visual Arts Festival, the Military Tattoo and the Edinburgh Fringe which, on its own, is part of the world's largest arts festival, with over 1,500 shows presented annually.
EIF tickets for 2007 go on sale to the public on Saturday, April 14. For more information on the Edinburgh Fringe program, visit
www.edfringe.com.
Photo of Alan Cumming by Retna Ltd.
