The Stage

Hyenas cancelled after CSI star Szmanda leaves Fringe

Published Friday 5 August 2005 at 17:30 by Alistair Smith

Edinburgh Festival Fringe show Hyenas has been cancelled after its star Eric Szmanda, who features in US television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, was forced to pull out.

The play, which is produced by American company Stages Theatre Center, had been due to run at the Zoo venue, with seven performances planned from August 7 to 13. However, the show will not go ahead because there was an unexpected change to Szmanda’s filming commitments.

Zoo’s manager James Mackenzie has admitted that he has been unable to find a replacement for the week-long run. He explained: “Unfortunately, it was a bit too late in the day to put on another show - the company tried to get something else to fill the spot, but could not. There are no hard feelings. It is upsetting but there was not a huge amount we could do about it. We have 23 shows on during the festival, so it should not affect us too badly. I think it was just one of those things.”

Szmanda, who plays series regular Greg Sanders in CSI, would have been making his Edinburgh debut in the show. Hyenas is writer and director Paul Verdier’s adaptation of the French original by Christian Simeon.

It is based on a historical event and tells the story of Theodore-Frederic Benoit who was sentenced to death for the double murder of his male lover and his own mother.