Ambition, intrigue, foolish love and custard pies - EUSOG welcomes you to the high drama of the Jester Election. The hero Cedrick, the Village Idiot of Haselmere, faces his greatest fear - the voters.

Plot

In the 16^th century village of Haslemere, Cedrick, the village jester and member of the Slapstick Guild, treats the villagers' illnesses by entertaining and amusing them. But now it is election time and Cedrick risks losing his seat to Amy, of the Worldplay Guild. The Slapstick Guild's aged leader Graham is fighting off a leadership coup from Theresa, his single-minded deputy. The Worldplay Guild's highly competent leader Benjamin fears Theresa and is trying to ensure that Graham stays in place. Cedrick finds himself caught in the middle of their dispute, as well as attracted to his opponent, and must make a difficult choice as the crucial vote which will decide his future approaches.

About Guilds

Guilds is a 50-minute musical comedy which was written for EUSOG to perform at the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It requires a cast of 4 men, 2 women, and chorus. If you would be interested in performing Guilds, please contact the EUSOG committee at committee@eusog.org.

Reviews

A joy to watch; `Guilds` is a wonderfully topical comic musical. The play centres on an election campaign between two jesters both vying for the title of village idiot. Cunningly it`s contemporary politics that is being poked fun at; negative campaigning, photo ops, sound bites and voter apathy are all mocked, and brilliantly. On top of this, the play is a showcase of talent, with technically difficult pieces sung to perfection. Laughter also graces the stage - Ed Curry`s performance is one of particular comic brilliance. Not often do whole audiences giggle throughout a musical, but the comedy, both slapstick and subtle, that adorns this musical is extremely amusing. So we have wit and intelligence, talent, and laughter: this show is hard to fault. - 3 Weeks

Guilds is a fantastic, clever and funny show with an excellent cast and great storyline that will keep you hooked. This group of University students are more than a match for some of the more seasoned performers out there. Once again, great show. - Ed Tweddle

Hey, went to see Guilds last night and i would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a good laugh and to enjoy some brilliant singing and acting! This show is in a great venue on George IV Bridge and as mentioned below was sold out last night. On the performance last night it should be sold out every night! The lyrics are clever and topical, and the actors are very talented- go buy your ticket! - Vicky Miller

This was the first show I have seen in 2007`s fringe and it means all the rest of the shows have something to live up to. The music was fab and the political satirical element was excellent. It has something for everyone - both commedy and music. A MUST SEE!!! Enjoy the show xx - Scott Mathe

Sound Clips

You can download sound clips of the music in Guilds at the bottom of this page.