Rowan Tree

The Journey of Jeannie Deans (derived from The Heart of Midlothian)

Assembly United Arts,
96 George St (Venue 7)
Edinburgh

BOX OFFICE: 0131 623 3030; www. asssemblyfestival.com

It is 30 years, not 300, since the Act of Union of 1707. There is unrest on the streets of Edinburgh. A minor criminal is hanged, and in the ensuing riot, the unpopular Captain John Porteous, fires on the crowds. There are fatalities, and Porteous is tried and convicted of murder.

In London, Queen Caroline, acting as Regent for George II, commutes the death penalty. There is uproar in Edinburgh. Organised riots take place; the mob breaks into the Tolbooth prison, and Porteous is lynched.

Against these public events, the human drama of the Deans sisters, both young working women, is played out. Effie, the younger sister, has given birth to a child that has disappeared. Her lover, who has escaped the gallows, and is involved in the Porteous Riots, is on the run. Since she has concealed her pregnancy, the law assumes that the child is dead, and that she has murdered it. A conviction will send her to the gallows: the only way she can be saved is if Jeannie testifies falsely that Effie had confided in her about her pregnancy. But, as a devout Christian, can she bring herself to do this? Her decision forces her to undertake an ambitious journey on Effie’s behalf.

The themes of those times are as relevant today: the remoteness of government, the crushing effect of a harsh law, and the conscience’s dilemma of choice. Jeannie Deans, drawn from the real life character of an 18th century Dumfriesshire woman, is Walter Scott’s most successful heroine; Effie is a genuinely tragic figure. His portraits of the middle class burghers, of Edinburgh, both men and women, are robust and humorous, and their discussions of contemporary political and legal issues are uninhibited and astute, including the well-known sentences quoted above.

THE HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN has many complex sub-plots and a battalion of characters. In creating THE JOURNEY OF JEANNIE DEANS, Judy Steel has discarded this complexity and gone to the heart of both public and private issues, told through a handful of key players and observers. This creates a re-telling of Scott’s powerful story that is clear, accessible and timeless. The director is Catriona Taylor; the cast are Sean Kane, Nicola Jo Cully, Zoe Hunter and musician Hannah Read.

PERFORMANCE DATES:
3rd – 14th August ,

followed by Border Tour –
Fri 17 Aug: Carlops Community Hall
Sat 18 Aug: Macfie Memorial Hall, Heriot
(Mon 20, Tues 21 August – Rehearsals)
Wed 22 Aug: Eastgate Theatre, Peebles
Thu 23 Aug: Buccleuch Centre, Langholm
Fri 24 Aug: Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh
Sat 25 Aug: Wynd Theatre, Melrose
Wed 29 Aug: Coldingham Village Hall
Thu 30 Aug: Yetholm Village Hall
Fri 31 Aug: Smailholm Village Hall
Sat 1 Sept: Maltings Arts Centre, Berwick-upon-Tweed
Wed 5 Sept: Clovenfords Village Hall
Thu 6 Sept: Newcastleton Village Hall
Fri 7 Sept: Lauder Scout Hall
Sat 8 Sept: Bowhill Theatre

PERFORMANCE TIMES:
Fringe 12.45 pm; tour 19.30

TICKET PRICES:
Fringe £12/£10 (£5 0n 3rd August)

WEBSITE:
www. rowantreecompany.co.uk

CONTACT NAME:
Margaret Sweetnam

PRODUCTION INFORMATION:
Director: Catriona Taylor
Playwright: Judy Steel (from Walter Scott)
Designer: Catriona Taylor
Lighting Designer: Dave Toneri
Size of Company (including no on the road): 5
Freight: Long based Transit
Minimum Performance Space: 5 m x 3 m
Supporting Activities: talks from playwright; possibility of workshops

Indicative Financial Information: negotiable