In a Class of their Own
2025 marks the 30th Anniversary of Citadel Arts Group, Leith’s own theatre company, with a ‘Play, Pint and a Sausage Roll’ performance at Leith Dockers Club in tribute to co-founder Millie Gray.
About In a Class of their Own
IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN – Citadel Arts Group’s Tribute to co-founder Millie Gray
2025 marks the 30th Anniversary of Citadel Arts Group, Leith’s own theatre company, with a ‘Play, Pint and a Sausage Roll’ performance at Leith Dockers Club. To honour the company’s co-founder Millie Gray, the well-loved storyteller, novelist, playwright and champion of older people, San Cassimally has adapted Millie’s first novel, In a Class of their Own as a play for three performers. Millie wrote the novel when she was 75 and went on to write nine more until her death in 2023.
Citadel’s long association with Millie started in 1994 when she joined a creative writing class at Edinburgh University’s Lifelong Learning Department. Tutor and Citadel co-founder Liz Hare writes, ‘Millie’s gift for dialogue and her wicked sense of humour instantly stood out. She won the Martha Hamilton Award for her play ‘It Helps if You Understand the Lingo’ which we performed at Feb Fest, the University’s Festival of new writing.’
Donald Smith saw the show and invited Millie and Liz to stage it at the Netherbow, now the Storytelling Centre. They realised that older people must start their own theatre company if they are to see their shows performed, and that is what they did. Citadel Arts Group was born in 1995 and enjoyed encouragement and support from Sylvia Dow, now a playwright of renown, who was working for the Scottish Arts Council, now Creative Scotland. Over the years, Citadel Arts Group became a professional company, recognised by Joyce McMillan as ‘one of the best know community theatre companies in Scotland.’ True to Millie’s vision, the group has always given older people a voice, by developing and performing their plays and preserving their stories.
Millie’s ten novels are based on her experience of growing up in Leith before and after WWII. Playwright San Cassimally writes, ’Millie Gray mined her own life to produce her first novel, In A Class Of Their Own. She writes with humour and compassion, but also with clarity. You will chuckle with an aching throat and laugh aloud amid your tears.’
In a Class of Their Own introduces the struggling Campbell family. The mother, Rachel, virtually a single parent, is determined to see her children succeed in life despite the odds. Her first step is to escape their slum tenement in Admirality Street and move to a flat in Restalrig. San Cassimally has adapted their story as a three-hander for Rachel (Ashley Barlow) and her twins Carrie (Chelsea Grace) and Sam (Conrad Williamson). The play is directed by Liz Hare who directed Millie’s first play 30 years ago.
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