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LES ESCOGRIFFES _________________________________________________________________________

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Quel est cet escogriffe ?

Peter Allen and Les Escogriffes The creation of a group at the University of Edinburgh devoted to the production of French-language plays can be dated to the start of the new academic year in October 1968, when Peter Allen, recently appointed Lecturer in French, took up his appointment.

The new appointment was for a specialist in French drama, and the then Professor of French, Professor Alan Steele, encouraged Peter to give a high priority to developing live drama end engaging the student body in acting and directing.

Peter believed passionately in the importance of drama, and indeed of all the performing arts. His fourth-year Special Subject on Twentieth Century (French) Drama was a magnet for students interested in drama not only as literature but also, and perhaps principally, as performance. Peter’s inspirational teaching and engagement in French drama had a profound impact on the generation of students he taught. He set a high standard in the production of French drama which later generations of Escogriffes have aspired to maintain.

From the start, students were directly involved in planning productions. The first play (staged in February 1969) was le Satyre de la Villette by René de Obaldia. The first cast consisted largely of second-year students. The play contains the question “Quel est cet escogriffe?”. The cast were taken by this strange word, and so “Les Escogriffes” came into being (and Obaldia remained one of their favourites).

Initially operating under the auspices of the French society, Les Escogriffes soon became a student society in their own right with a student president and committee. The pattern developed of three productions each year – usually one major play (chosen in the previous academic year so that planning could begin), and shorter

plays with smaller casts (often a double-bill). Peter undoubtedly was the inspirer and motivator of the group, and initially directed most of the plays, but as early as 1972 students were selecting and directing plays. The group included actors from among the staff, and also attracted francophone talent from other areas of the university.

Peter’s early death in 1983 was a shock to that generation of Escogriffes (as it was to those who had gone before them) and it is an indicator of their admiration and affection for him that they continued to produce plays and thus ensured that the group still lives on.

The Peter Allen prize, which rewards the best performance in the French play every year, was established in his honour, funded by donations from students, colleagues, and friends.

Un jour, dans un magazine des associations de l’université d’Édimbourg, j’ai découvert par hasard Les Escogriffes dont le nom bizarre et la description obscure m’ont attirée de façon inexplicable. Ma prochaine rencontre fut lors de la foire de associations, où je me suis sentie marcher dans leur direction sans même m’en rendre compte. Les membres en personnages de mime m’ont rapidement convaincue de les rejoindre dans leurs aventures. À travers la création d’une œuvre pleine de joie et de souvenirs, c’est une vraie famille qui se crée et après trois années, la troupe continue à former une grande partie de ma vie universitaire, les membres composant un groupe qu’il est difficile de quitter quand l’année se termine.

Moa Bell Secrétaire générale des Escogiffres 2018

Sommaire La préhistoire………………………………..…..…….….p. 9 1969…………………………………………….…………p. 15 1970…………………………………………….…………p. 23 1971…………………………………………….…………p. 27 1972…………………………………………….…………p. 41 1973…………………………………………….…………p. 49 1974……………………………………………….………p. 63 1975……………………………………………….………p. 93 1976……………………………………………………..p. 131 1977……………………………………………………..p. 183 1978……………………………………………………..p. 217 1979……………………………………………………..p. 245 1980……………………………………………………..p. 273 1981……………………………………………………..p. 293 1982……………………………………………………..p. 303 1983……………………………………………………..p. 313 Et cætera……………………..…………………………p. 327 ttt

La prĂŠhistoire (Avant 1969)

Le satyre de la Villette R. de Obaldia

L’école des femmes (extraits) Molière (Les Escogriffes – 1969)

Le rendez-vous de Senlis J. Anouilh

Le grand vizir R. de Obaldia (Les Escogriffes – 1970)

Chaud et froid F. Crommelynck

Huis clos J-P. Sartre (Les Escogriffes – 1971)

Bouton d’avril B. Zimmer

La cantatrice chauve E. Ionesco

L’école des femmes Molière (Les Escogriffes – 1972)

Électre J. Giraudoux

Les bonnes J. Genet

Le cerveau S. Rezvani (Les Escogriffes – 1973)

Le tartuffe Molière

Oraison F. Arrabal

Conversation sinfonietta J. Tardieu

Le cosmonaute agricole R. de Obaldia

Andromaque J. Anouilh

(Les Escogriffes – 1974)

Victor R. Vitrac

Le médecin volant Molière

La cantatrice chauve E. Ionesco

Abel et Bela R. Pinget

En attendant Godot S. Beckett (Les Escogriffes – 1975)

Le cid P. Corneille

Fando et Lis F. Arrabal

L’azote R. de Obaldia

La lacune E. Ionesco

La baye P. Adrien (Les Escogriffes – 1976)

Le jeu de l’amour et du hasard Marivaux

Cendres S. Beckett

Un cabaret français Iphigénie J. Racine

The merchant of Venice W. Shakespeare (Les Escogriffes – 1977)

Le malentendu A. Camus

Le roi se meurt E. Ionesco

Le misanthrope Molière

Classe terminale R. de Obaldia (Les Escogriffes – 1978)

Coelina R-C. Guilbert de Pixerécourt

La navette H. Becque

L’anglais tel qu’on le parle T. Bernard

Charities parade (Les Escogriffes – 1979)

India Song M. Duras

Aciérus P. Hors d’Haleine

Lorenzaccio A. de Musset (Les Escogriffes – 1980)

La cantatrice chauve E. Ionesco

Les caprices de Marianne A. de Musset

Les jumeaux Êtincelants R. de Obaldia (Les Escogriffes – 1981)

Tueur sans gages E. Ionesco

Le bourgeois gentilhomme Molière

Les mains sales J-P. Sartre (Les Escogriffes – 1982)

Ubu roi A. Jarry

La caverne d’Adullam J-J. Varoujean

En attendant Godot S. Beckett (Les Escogriffes – 1983)

Et cætera (Les Escogriffes – Post 1983)

This collection was put together by Anne-Laure Brugnon and Sylvain Blanche, with the help of Moa Bell and VĂŠronique Desnain.

To our knowledge, with the exception of those directly credited within this book, all the documents, photographs included, belong to Les Escogriffes. You can therefore not reproduce them without their consent. If you wish, you can contact them at: lesescogriffes@gmail.com https://www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/activities/societies/society/LesEscogriffes/