Three English-language theatre groups from Luxembourg – New World Theatre Club, Pirate Productions and St George’s International School – won awards at this year’s Festival of European Anglophone Theatre Societies (FEATS) in Hamburg, Germany.

‘Escurial’ directed by John Brigg on behalf of New World Theatre Club took three awards, coming second overall with the ECC Centennial Cup and taking the Grand Duchy Award for Best Stage Production, with Gav Guilfoyle taking the Blackie Best Actor award.

Irredeemable characters on the surface in Escurial, a play by Belgian playwrite Michel de Ghelderode © Photo credit: Alfonso Salgueiro Lora

Escurial’ is an intriguing play by the Belgian playwright Michel de Ghelderode who created bizarre and macabre worlds peopled by irredeemable characters living without hope – on the surface. In spite of this, they are recognisable to us today and their, at times, extreme behaviour is mirrored in many of the present day powerful people.

In Escurial, the King is ‘universally hated’ but is dependent on his Court Fool. They play games which end badly.

“The play has interested me since I first came across it,” said John Brigg. “I wanted to explore the humanity hidden in the text as well as work with a ‘chorus’ which is present throughout, even though the play is essentially a two-hander. This proved to be a joy.”

It was the first time that St George’s International School and Pirate Productions participated, and the latter took the Sonny Pathak Discretionary Award for Ambitious Staging for their production on the life of Cole Porter entitled Too Darn Hot!

Pirates were also nominated for Best Actor (Ignacio Gonzales) and Best Original Script by Neil Johnson.

Too Darn Hot! won the Sonny Pathak Discretionary Award for Ambitious Staging and was nominated for Best Original Script and Best Actor © Photo credit: Pirate Productions

“I’ve always loved the music of Cole Porter, the melodies and especially the lyrics have always spoken to me. His personal life was no less fascinating so he seemed a natural choice for a short piece of musical theatre,” said director Neil Johnson.

Too Darn Hot! is more a piece of theatre with music than a traditional piece of musical theatre. “Once I’d struck upon the idea of an elderly Porter being interviewed about events from 30 years previously, with these scenes performed as flashbacks, the script seemed to flow,” said Johnson. “I was therefore thrilled to be nominated for best original script, Ignacio nominated for Best Actor and to receive the award for staging, especially as this was the first time a piece of musical theatre participated in the festival. It just goes to prove that music is a universal language, to be appreciated by everyone.”

St George’s International School was nominated for the Stage Management Award and the Discretionary Award for their performance of My Father Odysseus.

The 13 students from St George’s school were the only youth theatre group to perform at FEATS  © Photo credit: St George’s International School

Based on the ancient myth of Odysseus, the play focuses on the people he left behind rather than his exploits. It’s an upbeat and at times fast-paced interpretation, said Clare Williams, the director and a teacher at the school, adding that it included music and live vocal performances.

“The stage crew at FEATS commented on the St George’s cast’s teamwork and professionalism and this was why we were nominated for the Discretionary award and the Stage Management award,” said Williams.

“We had a fabulous weekend in Hamburg with 13 students participating in their first competitive amateur theatre festival alongside 11 other theatre groups. We were the only youth group at the festival but we held our own.”