Chinchilla

Chinchilla is a play written by Scottish playwright, translator and theatre director Robert David MacDonald [1] (1929-2004).

Subtitled Figures in a Classical Landscape with Ruins.

The original text

Written in 1977, it is a semi-fictitious account of the Ballet Russe and their founder Diaghilev [2] (the Chinchilla of the play's title), the play is set on the Lido Beach in Venice, 1914. The action alternates between past, present and future, 1910-1929 and tells of the impresario, Chinchilla who is on holiday in Venice, longing for both love and money amid the backstage drama of dancers, choreographers, designers and hangers-on. Autocratic, splendid and world-weary, he is the creator and destroyer of what happens on his stage and to his company.

The play was a major production at the 1979 Edinburgh Festival and the text was published in the volume Robert David MacDonald. Plays One.

Performance history in South Africa

Performed by the Troupe Theatre Company at the People's Space in May 1980 directed by Richard Grant, with Duarte Sylwain as Chinchilla, Caroline Newby (Mimi), Chris Galloway (Levka), Ian Roberts (Gabriel), John Caviggia (Fedya), Anthony Hemmes (Ilya), Gavin van den Berg (Vatza), Jeni Gardner (Nina), Alastair Forsyth (Maxim), Stephen Brown (Konstantin), Nicholas Shepherd (Clorindo). Set design by Richard Grant, lighting by Richard Grant and Nic Fine, costumes designed by Jeni Halliday.

Sources

https://www.concordtheatricals.co.uk/p/10789/chinchilla

Chinchilla theatre programme, 1980.

Die Burger 5 May 1980.

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