EUSOG's History

Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group was formed in 1962 by Edinburgh University students to promote and perform the operettas of William  Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. Since its inception it has delighted Edinburgh audiences with at least one Savoy opera every year.  In addition to this, EUSOG has included in its reportoire musicals  and operettas by other composers such as Offenbach, Sondheim,  Porter and Gershwin. The inclusion of other material into the  EUSOG schedule allows its participants to gain a wider education of musical theatre and experience the different demands of the different styles, providing a sound basis for those who wish to  pursue a future in the medium, both professionally and on an amateur  basis. Although an amateur company, EUSOG has been privileged  to work in a range of professional theatres, ranging from the expansive Leith Theatre, where its first productions were based,  to the Royal Lyceum Theatre. Furthermore, the society has had  the good fortune to work with many talented professional directors and musical directors, producing amongst its alumini a West End  director, and a conductor of the Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

EUSOG is very proud of its productions past and present, and has received much critical acclaim for shows.  A full list of our previous productions can be found in our show archive.  In addition to performing G&S shows, EUSOG has a long tradition of performing works of a similar nature and character.  Our most recent venture was Guilds, performed in the fringe festival of 2007. Guilds was a completely original work written by two members of the society and was incredibly successful.  We have since had requests from other groups who wish to perform the work themselves.

EUSOG Today

EUSOG is proud to maintain its tradition of producing top quality shows by Gilbert, Sullivan and others, without compromising the sense of fun and energy.  We currently produce three shows a year.  The first show takes place at the Pleasance Theatre, and this is where EUSOG  gets to show off its ability to perform other composers’ works  to a very high standard.  The second, our G&S production, is presented at the Churchill Theatre every March and  represents the pinnacle of the EUSOG calendar. The third is performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where we have consistently received four and five star reviews in The Scotsman and Evening News.  By being involved with the Fringe Festival,  EUSOG's performances have been advertised in the 300,000 Fringe Brochures, the free Three Weeks festival magazine, and reviews have been printed in national and local newspapers. The high profile of EUSOG is also heightened by the large-scale distribution of  posters and flyers around the city, during a month in which the  population of Edinburgh doubles in size, drawing in visitors from all parts of the UK, and around the world.

EUSOG Audiences

EUSOG attracts a wide range of people to its shows. A very prominent group are students, due to the society’s affiliation with Edinburgh University, but the society also attracts members from other educational institutions as well as non-students. This  is reflected in the makeup of audiences which attend our shows.

There is quite a strong contingent of G&S enthusiasts as well as people local to the venue, particularly when EUSOG performs at the Churchill Theatre in Morningside. The strength of local  support is reflected in the size of the mailing list, which in  the previous year has grown to over three hundred people. In addition, we are hoping to encourage more schoolchildren  to attend performances, as we feel the society is able to present  musical theatre of a standard that would both help, inform and inspire them to follow an interest in the medium. 

EUSOG's Constitution

All societies of Edinburgh University must have a constitution which specifies its aims, office-bearers and various other rules and regulations.  Our constitution can be accessed here or by following the 'constitution' link in the site navigation menu.