Pitlochry Festival Theatre Archives

War Horse star Matthew Trevannion takes on two major roles at Pitlochry Festival Theatre

31May

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Interviews

War Horse star Matthew Trevannion takes on two major roles at Pitlochry Festival Theatre

Matthew Trevannion was one of the stars of the National Theatre’s War Horse and now he takes on two iconic roles as part of a season long acting ensemble at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. It’s rare that theatres take a gamble on hiring an ensemble for a whole season, and it’s the brainchild of the Perthshire theatre’s artistic director Elizabeth Newman. It means Matthew will be leading in two very different roles as the brutal Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire, and then repressed commuter Alec in Brief Encounter. Our Features Editor Paul Clarke caught up with Matthew to find how he is making sense of what seem to be opposing characters, and if being part of an ensemble is informing his work. Stanley in A Streetcar Called Desire offers one of the iconic roles for any...

Artistic Director Elizabeth Newman talks about the new season at Pitlochry Festival Theatre

27Apr

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Interviews

Artistic Director Elizabeth Newman talks about the new season at Pitlochry Festival Theatre

Since taking over at Pitlochry Festival Theatre Elizabeth Newman has delivered some really exciting work as their Artistic Director, as well as working round a multi-million pounds refurbishment of the Perthshire venue. The new look theatre now has a main auditorium, a studio space where they can try out new work and even an outdoor amphitheatre where customers take a punt on the Scottish weather. They've recruited a 20 strong ensemble of actors for their new season, which includes a world premiere of a new Peter Arnott play, A Streetcar Named Desire, Noel Coward's Brief Encounter and a long awaited revival of Broadway classic Gypsy in May. Our Features Editor Paul Clarke spoke to Elizabeth Newman ahead of the new season. Astonishingly it's been 20 years since there's been a prod...

Pitlochry Festival Theatre open 2023 Season with Gypsy

20Apr

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

NEWS

Pitlochry Festival Theatre open 2023 Season with Gypsy

Pitlochry Festival Theatre opens their 2023 Season in May with the first staging in Scotland for nearly 20 years of Gypsy. Jule Styne, Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim's iconic musical is based on the comedic memoirs of famous striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee. It tells the amusing and sassy story of pushy showbiz mother Rose, who travels across America with her daughters, Baby June and Louise, in search of success with their homemade vaudeville act. When Baby June leaves the act to elope, Rose vows to make introverted Louise into a star, and will do almost anything to see her daughter break into the big time. Musical fans will know it features the iconic songs like Some People, Let Me Entertain You and the always show-stopping Everything’s Coming Up Roses. Pitlochry Festiv...

Sunshine on Leith – King’s Theatre, Edinburgh

9Jun

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

Sunshine on Leith – King’s Theatre, Edinburgh

Just before closing for renovations, the iconic King’s theatre is lifting its curtain to David Shrusbsole’s latest version of Sunshine on Leith, an essential musical by Scottish playwright Stephen Greenhorn which was first performed in 2007 and subsequently adapted to the big screen in 2013. Directed by the harmonious tandem of Elizabeth Newman & Ben Occhipinti, this time it is the well established Pitlochry Festival Theatre in collaboration with Capital Theatre to bring this renovated version of the play to the Scottish capital. In essence, Sunshine on Leith is an open love letter to Edinburgh. By using memorable songs from the Proclaimers-Scotland’s most beloved twins-it manages to tell a universal story of belonging and finding your place in the world. In Newman’s words: “[Su...

Donald and Benoit will be enchanting Sound Stage audiences this Christmas

9Dec

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Interviews

Donald and Benoit will be enchanting Sound Stage audiences this Christmas

This Christmas Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Prime Theatre present a Sound Stage festive premiere of audio play Donald and Benoit, based on a children’s book created by legendary Scottish writer John Patrick Byrne, and adapted by the award-winning lighting designer Jeanine Byrne. For the uninitiated Sound Stage is an innovative audio-digital venture offering audiences a unique and engrossing online theatre experience of new plays from the best in British theatre. They are works that in the future Pitlochry hope to convert for the stage. Jeanine Byrne is best known for her lighting design, but her second cancer diagnosis means she dedicates all her spare energy to making work, including this family friendly adaptation of Benoit and Donald, which is available on Sound Stage from 17-1...

Donald and Benoit are at Pitlochry Festival Theatre this Christmas

26Nov

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

NEWS

Donald and Benoit are at Pitlochry Festival Theatre this Christmas

Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Prime Theatre are staging new audio play Donald and Benoit as their Christmas treat. This whimsical and musical tale for children tells the tale an unlikely friendship between a man and a cat that has been brought to vivid life by playwright John Patrick Byrne and adapted by award winning theatre maker Jeanine Byrne. Benoit lives a life of mundane ordinariness in his Scottish seaside town, but he is feeling very lonely with no mother and his father lost at sea. Enter Donald, a small and mischievous kitten, to cheer him up. Sound Stage is a new audio-digital venture, designed by theatre makers and leading technologists, giving audiences a unique and engrossing online theatre experience of new plays from the best in British theatre which in the future...

Jekyll and Hyde seen from a very different angle at Pitlochry Festival Theatre

12Aug

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Interviews

Jekyll and Hyde seen from a very different angle at Pitlochry Festival Theatre

There have been numerous versions of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde over the years and Pitlochry Festival Theatre is the latest company to rethink this classic tale of science and madness. Hannah Lavery’s adaptation spins the story right around to bring the peripheral female characters front and centre offering their versions of the chaos unleashed when Dr Jekyll goes in search of his darker second nature. Just to make it even more challenging, Lavery has written it as a monologue to be performed by Pitlochry regular Alicia McKenzie. Our Features Editor Paul Clarke spoke to Alicia about taking on a classic text in a new way and getting ready to step onto the stage on her own. Before you took the job were you familiar with this classic tale of what happens when you meddl...

Casting announced for world premiere of David Greig’s new play Adventures with the Painted People

21May

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

NEWS

Casting announced for world premiere of David Greig’s new play Adventures with the Painted People

Pitlochry Festival Theatre have announced Nicholas Karimi and Kirsty Stuart will star in the world stage premiere of David Greig’s new play, Adventures with the Painted People. Greig’s first play since 2013’s The Events will open at Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 10th June to 4th July as part of their outdoor Summer Season. Karimi plays Lucius who is a cultured Roman officer, captured by the Picts and about to be sacrificed. Stuart is Eithne, a wise Pictish woman, who wants to record her people's history in writing, a skill they do not yet have. She makes a deal where she will rescue Lucius in exchange for him teaching her to write. So, they must flee - not by road, the Romans have not built those yet - but down river. Performed in the theatre’s outdoor amphi...

David Greig’s new play Adventures with the Painted People gets its stage premiere

9May

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

NEWS

David Greig’s new play Adventures with the Painted People gets its stage premiere

David Greig’s new play Adventures with the Painted People which started life as a radio play makes its stage debut at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. It was first commissioned as part of Pitlochry’s cancelled 2020 season and subsequently became a radio play on BBC Radio 3. Now it’s set to have its world stage première from 10th June to 4th July in the theatre’s outdoor amphitheatre as part of their Summer Season. Greig’s first new play since 2013’s The Events will be directed by Pitlochry’s Artistic Director Elizabeth Newman, and is a love story exploring the value of history and the power of writing. Lucius is a cultured Roman officer captured by the Picts and about to be sacrificed. Eithne is a wise Pictish woman, who wants to record her people's history in writing - a skill...

Tennis Elbow – Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh

2May

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

REVIEWS

Tennis Elbow – Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh

The good folk of the Nitshill Writing Circle have gathered together to eulogise the life of writer and painter Pamela Crichton Capers, but the conceit of John Byrne’s first play for 13 years is that their late mentor’s career is one of utter mediocrity at best. This is a companion piece with a gender twist to Byrne’s seventies hit show Writer’s Cramp that explored the life of another mediocrity Frances Seneca McDade. Fans of that earlier work will relish his fleeting appearances in this radio play produced by Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh as part of their Sound Stage season. Byrne traces Pam’s life story from her early days as a pretentious schoolgirl in a crummy religious boarding school where we are treated to one of her dreadful poems, and the veteran pl...