Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s has announced further productions for Alan Cumming’s second season as Artistic Director in 2027, featuring an exciting line-up of World Premières and revivals of musicals and plays.
The Main House Season 2027 will open with a new production of Alan Ayckbourn’s dramatic comedy Absent Friends (12 March – 3 April) and directed by Owen Horsley (Troilus and Cressida, Shakespeare’s Globe). Set in 1974, Absent Friends sees a well-intentioned tea party descend into chaos as wealthy, unfulfilled housewife Diana arranges a gathering of old friends to cheer up bereaved Colin, whose fiancée drowned two months earlier. Performed in real time, Absent Friends is funny, painful, and painfully recognisable: a play about the terrifying distance between the person we imagine ourselves to be and the person we have actually become.
Later in May, Musical Theatre returns to The Main House when Cora Bissett (The Singer, Dundee Rep Theatre and Glasgow Girls, Raw Material), directs a new production of Dolly Parton’s much-loved musical 9 to 5 (1-29 May). Based on the iconic 1980 film and set to Dolly Parton’s Grammy-nominated score, 9 to 5 follows Violet, Judy, and Doralee: three coworkers pushed to breaking point by their sexist, egotistical boss, Franklin Hart Jr. Fed up with being overlooked, underpaid, and undermined, they hatch a plan to get even and accidentally end up running the company far better than he ever did.
As previously announced, The Main House’s Season 2027 will also feature John Tiffany (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) directing the award-winning actors Alan Cumming and Ewan McGregor in the World Première of the spectacular new stage adaptation by Harry Macqueen of his beautiful, critically acclaimed 2020 film Supernova (24 July – 21 August).
The Studio in 2027 will see the première of two exciting new plays. Opening in late May will be the World Première of Hannah Lavery’s (Lament for Sheku Bayoh, National Theatre of Scotland and Jekyll and Hyde, Pitlochry Festival Theatre) new play Love Songs for Monsters (28 May – 19 June). David Bowie once played the title character in Brecht’s Baal, a poet who devours everyone in his path. Now Hannah Lavery takes a scalpel to that play giving voice to the woman he never wrote. The new play is directed by Amber Sinclair – Case (Kinky Boots, Chester Storyhouse) and will feature original songs by Lavery and acclaimed Scottish musician Callum Easter.
The Studio Season will also see the World Première of Eden McIntyre’s debut professional stage play Jack Vettriano Can’t Paint! (16 July – 7 August). The new play, which has had the blessing and support from the Jack Vettriano Estate, explores the extraordinary story behind the paintings from one of Scotland’s most popular and controversial artists – Jack Vettriano. During his career, his paintings were sold in their millions as prints and reproductions, yet critics and the art establishment repeatedly dismissed his work.
Alan Cumming, Artistic Director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre said:
“I’m so excited that our ‘27 season is both celebrating icons like Dolly Parton and Alan Ayckbourn as well as spotlighting new Scottish writing and indeed launching the career of a new Scottish playwright! These works alongside the previously announced Supernova with myself and Ewan McGregor, make for a season that is both innovative and familiar, international, and home grown and embodying the eclectic personality of the new era of Pitlochry Festival Theatre. And gird your loins – there’s more to come! “
Further productions for Alan Cumming’s second season as Artistic Director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre will be announced in the coming months.
The Pitlochry Festival Theatre Season is produced in association with Sonia Friedman Productions.
Priority booking for Members and Patrons starts from Thursday 15 October with public booking opening on Thursday 29 October. For further information visit pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com.
