Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac, an 'heroic comedy' of love and honour, has enjoyed various revivals in the cinema and on the stage, and undergoes yet another metamorphosis in this brilliant translation by Edwin Morgan. Made for the Communicado Theatre Company's production at the 1992 Edinburgh festival, it was a triumphant success with public and critics alike: it won a Fringe First award and also a special prize from the Hamada foundation, administered by the Scotsman. Morgan's Glasgow-based Scots version, with its verve and energy, reinvigorates rostand's classic with a sharp immediacy of both humour and pathos. There is a virtuousity of language that pleases the ear, but it is never allowed to override the emotional charge this famour story delivers.

Cyrano

"One of the great achievements of the decade."

- Mark Fisher, The Herald, 31/8/2000.

"...vigorous, funny, and colourful ... this translation was the inspirational foundation on
which director Gerry Mulgrew built his highly popular production."
- Mark Fisher, The Herald, 31/8/1999.

Edwin Morgan (1920-2010) was born in Glasgow. He served with the RAMC in the Middle East during World War II. He became lecturer in English at the University of Glasgow, where he had studied, and retired as titular Professor in 1980. He was Glasgow's first Poet Laureate and from 2004 until 2010 served as Scotland's first Makar, or National Poet. He was made an OBE in 1982 and received the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 2000. A Book of Lives (2007) won the Scottish Arts Council Sundial Book of the Year. Carcanet has published most of his work, including his Collected Poems, Collected Translations, plays such as A.D.: A Trilogy of Plays on the Life of Jesus Christ and The Play of Gilgamesh and his translations of Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac and Racine's Phaedra. The Edwin Morgan Trust and partners will be celebrating Edwin Morgan’s 100th year in 2020 – 2021.Commencing on Edwin Morgan’s birthday, April 27, 2020 and continuing until April 2021. For more information on #edwinmorgan100, of their biannual Edwin Morgan Poetry Award and Translation Exchanges please visit their website.