Giffnock Theatre Players announce first play of the 2019/20 season

Giffnock Theatre Players will perform The Matchmaker later this month.

This popular and long-established group is preparing to stage The Matchmaker, a hilarious farcical comedy from the pen of American writer Thornton Wilder.

Member David Pearson explained the history of the play.

He said: “Thornton Wilder wrote a play called The Merchant of Yonkers and later rewrote it as The Matchmaker. It premiered in its new form at the Edinburgh Festival in 1954. The two central characters are matchmaker and widow Dolly Levi and grumpy millionaire Horace Vandergelder. Much later the play became the inspiration for the famous Hollywood musical Hello Dolly, with Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau in those lead roles.

Recent productions from the much loved theatre group include All My Sons (Jan 2018), The Cripple of Inishmaan (Oct 2018), Dial M for Murder (Jan 2019) and The Diary of Anne Frank (May 2019).

“The Matchmaker contains all the elements of farce: romantic entanglements, characters hiding from one another, mistaken identities and lots more.”

David explained that GTP had staged this play 33 years ago.

“We successfully presented The Matchmaker in October 1986 and we are hopeful that today’s audiences will love it just as much,” he continued. “It’s a real feel-good comedy, just the thing to put smiles on faces as we head towards those dark winter months!”

The Matchmaker runs from Wed 16th - Saturday 19th October at Eastwood Theatre.

Performances are at 7.30 with an additional Saturday matinee at 2.30.

Tickets cost £15/13 (+ booking fee)and can be obtained from Giffnock Theatre Players at 07518201756 or by emailing [email protected].

Alternatively contact Eastwood Theatre box office at Eastwood Park Theatre

Local readers of a certain age may be interested in the following timeline which sets out the beginnings of Giffnock Theatre Players:

∙ 1948

Local Giffnock man Tom Craston has written a play and decides Giffnock needs a theatre where local groups can perform.

∙ 11th November 1948

A meeting is held in Court Room of Giffnock Police Station. The Repertory Theatre Players is established.

∙ 2nd March 1949

Auditions held in Wycherly Studios, Carment Drive, Shawlands. 24 folk audition - most are not up to standard and only 4 are invited to join!!

∙ 20th April 1949

26 members now in place and rehearsals get under way in Court House and a member’s sitting room!

The School Hall in Eastwood School (Seres Road) is booked for 24-28 May 1949.

Tickets 3/6 front rows, 2/- back rows.

∙ 24-28 May 1949

Now called Giffnock Theatre Players, the 1st production GRAND NATIONAL NIGHT makes profit of £68-8/9. Among the cast is a young Rikki Fulton...