The Stage

Scotland’s producing theatres unveil spring 2010 seasons

Published Wednesday 2 December 2009 at 13:28 by Thom Dibdin

The Glasgow Citizens has announced that film director Iain Softley is to return to Backbeat, his 1994 movie about the fifth Beatle Stuart Sutcliffe, in a new staged version of the film this spring.

The news comes as three of Scotland’s producing theatres, the Citizens and Tron in Glasgow and the Dundee Rep, all announce their spring seasons with new in-house productions.

The world premiere of Backbeat, the play, opens in February in an adaptation by Softley and Stephen Jeffreys of the original movie. Also at the Citizens, Ros Philips directs a new production of My Name is Rachel Corrie - Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner’s adaptation of the writings of the 23 year-old killed by an Israeli bulldozer in the Gaza Strip. The venue’s second premiere and Philips’ second production is One Million Tiny Plays About Britain, her own adaptation of the popular column in the Guardian newspaper.

At the Tron Theatre, the Spring Season kicks off with a co-production with Communicado of Adrian Mitchell’s adaptation of Gogol’s The Government Inspector. Gerry Mulgrew directs a ten-strong cast who will tour Scotland following the mid-February opening. Andy Arnold, Tron artistic director, takes on the company’s second offering - Martin Crimp’s The City with a cast including Selina Boyack, Gabriel Quigley and Ronnie Simon.

The Tron also invites Random Accomplice to open its new thriller Promises Promises in February. Inspired by true events, Douglas Maxwell’s script will be directed by Johnny McKnight and performed by Joanna Tope. It will then set off on a tour covering Scotland and including the Soho Theatre in London.

In Dundee, associate director Jemima Levick opens the season at the Rep with a production of Peter Shaffer’s Equus in February. Mike Kenny’s The Elves and the Shoemakers follows in March, while the team behind the award-winning Sunshine on Leith get back together to tackle Sondheim’s musical take on Sweeney Todd in May.

Also at the Rep, Scotland’s national contemporary dance company Scottish Dance Theatre present the premiers of two new works in mid-February prior to touring them around the UK and Europe. The Life and Time of Girl A is choreographed by Ben Duke from Lost Dog. While NQR, an “irreverent inquiry into the ideas of ‘normality’,” sees a three way collaboration co-directed by SDT artistic director Janet Smith, SDT’s dance agent for change Caroline Bowditch and Marc Brew, currently associate director fellow with the company.

http://citz.co.uk/

http://www.tron.co.uk/

http://www.dundeerep.co.uk/