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UCLU Drama Society ready to hog the limelight at Edinburgh Fringe

16 June 2009

Links:

King Ubu runaground.co.uk/" target="_self">Runaground
  • Edinburgh Fringe
  • UCLU's Drama Society is sending two high-profile productions to the world's largest arts festival in Edinburgh.

    The society's touring arm, Runaground, will perform at two of the Fringe's best venues, The Pleasance and The Zoo.

    With the support of UCL Friends' Trust, the society has raised nearly £10,000 for its productions of King Ubu, an adaptation of Alfred Jarry's Ubu Roi by UCL student Luke Davies, and God, a comedy by Woody Allen.

    That dwarfs last year's budget for Runaground's critically acclaimed Edinburgh production of Stephen Berkoff's East.

    Runaground producer James Hodgson, who is also president of the UCLU Drama Society, said: "We are extremely excited about these productions. They have a tremendous amount of support and they are unprecedented in terms of both the budget and in terms of the venues we will be performing in.

    "The production team is working flat out to make sure the shows are a success, and I have every confidence that the directors and the cast members will be able to create two first-class productions."

    Jarry's King Ubu, a landmark of absurdist theatre, tells the story of the rise and fall of the ambitious but cowardly Pere Ubu. Runaground describe their take on the seminal play as 'Vaudeville through screwy eyes; the love child of Kurt Weill and Kenneth Williams'.

    Set in a Greek amphitheatre, Allen's 1975 comedy God follows the trials and tribulations of sex-deprived writer Hepatitis and apathetic actor Diabetes as they struggle helplessly to find an ending for their play.

    Runaground will perform King Ubu at The Zoo from 7 August to 31 August  and God at The Pleasance from 5 August to 31 August.

    The society will also preview their production of King Ubu at the Hen and Chickens Theatre in London on 4 and 5 August.

    For more information follow the links above.

    Image: right, poster for King Ubu.