Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Capital Theatres have announced the 14-strong cast for their eagerly anticipated co-production of Sunshine on Leith.
The first production to be staged in the auditorium of the Pitlochry Festival Theatre in over two years, the cast for the new production of Stephen Greenhorn’s feel-good musical will be led by Keith Jack (Fame, UK tour, Only The Brave, Edinburgh Festival) and Connor Going (Wind in the Willows, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, The Choir of Man, Australia and USA tour) as service members and best friends Ally and Davy.
They will be joined by Scottish singer Alyson Orr (Cinderella, Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow) as Jean; Rhiane Drummond (Dreamgirls/9-5 The Musical, Savoy Theatre, Heathers, UK tour) as Yvonne; Blythe Jandoo (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the London Palladium, Aladdin, the Prince Edward Theatre) as Liz; Meg Chaplin (Arrival, imPOSSIBLE and The Midnight Child, UK tour) as Eilidh; with Keith Macpherson (Stan and Ollie, BBC Films and Donald and Benoit, Pitlochry Festival Theatre) and Rachael McAllister (A Christmas Carol, Pitlochry Festival Theatre) as husband and wife Rab and Hazel.
The cast is completed by Jessica Brydges (Peter Pan, Maltings Theatre); Richard Colvin (Sunshine on Leith, UK tour and A Christmas Carol, Bolton Octagon); Anna Fordham (The Borrowers, Watermill Theatre and The Athena, Sky); James Hudson (Saturday Night Fever, West End/UK tour, The Choir of Man, West End); Kit Orton (Spamalot, West End and UK tour, Oliver!, Watermill Theatre); and Richie Spencer making his professional acting debut in the production.
Co-produced with Capital Theatres, the production will play an opening run in Pitlochry from 20 May until 2 June before heading for Edinburgh to play a two week run at the King’s Theatre from 7 to 18 June, where it will be the final production at the venue before it closes for a £25 million redevelopment scheme. The production will then return to Pitlochry to play performances from 24 June until 1 October 2022.
Featuring new musical arrangements by David Shrubsole, the new production of the musical which features the distinctive music of The Proclaimers will be co-directed by Pitlochry’s artistic director Elizabeth Newman and associate director Ben Occhipinti. The production is designed by Adrian Rees, with lighting by Kate Bonney, musical direction by Richard Reeday, costume design by Julie Carlin and movement by Lesley Hutchison.
Commenting on the production, Newman said: “It has been an incredibly challenging couple of years, but we are very excited about the future. After two years without performances indoors, reopening Pitlochry Festival Theatre with Sunshine on Leith feels like the perfect way to welcome audiences back inside.
“I’ve wanted to make Stephen Greenhorn’s fantastic Scottish musical (with many classics from The Proclaimers) for years. It is an uplifting, hopeful story about family, responsibility, and love. And the musical itself is the perfect blend of singing, drama, music, and dancing.
“This will be a brand new production performed by an incredibly talented ensemble of actor-musicians, and it’s being made by a brilliant creative team at Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Capital Theatres.
“I am looking forward to co-directing with Ben Occhipinti, as both of us have greatly missed making memories with audiences. After everything that has happened, this wonderful musical offers us the chance to really celebrate life. It certainly feels like we’ve walked 500 miles to come back together and I couldn’t think of a better song for us to be singing as we welcome people back indoors.”
On behalf of Capital Theatres, chief executive Fiona Gibson added: “We’re beyond excited to be co-producing Sunshine on Leith with Pitlochry Festival Theatre as the King’s final show before its transformational redevelopment and today we welcome our fantastic cast to visit theatre and take a wee tour around Leith.
“For Capital Theatres, producing this show expands on our ambition to be at the heart Scotland’s theatre community, developing Scottish talent – which this cast is brimming with. Sunshine on Leith will also be a fitting swan-song to The King’s as we know it, before it re-emerges as a re-invigorated world-class theatre and thriving community hub.”
The musical’s writer Greenhorn commented: “I’m thrilled at the prospect of a new production of Sunshine on Leith at one of my favourite theatres. Pitlochry Festival Theatre has a fabulous history with musicals, and I can’t wait to see Elizabeth and her amazing team bring their magic to the show.”
Angela Thomas
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