National Theatre of Scotland

After a Scotland-wide tour, which has racked up rave reviews from audiences and critics alike, Tony Roper's enduring tale opens at the King's Theatre on Monday 2nd November.

Rewind to a cool late summer Monday afternoon at Rock Villa, the home of the National Theatre of Scotland, where rehearsals are underway.

The strains of Pals, this show's most famous song and a glorious ode to female friendship, filters into the reception area every time the main doors open, making everyone coming and going smile.

The rehearsal room is staged, unusually, like the set will be, with separate stalls, full of the nuts and bolts of a steamy, wooden washboards, scrubbing brushes and cloths, so that the cast can really get into the feel of the show.

So I guess that's more of a surefire hit.

But then you've also got the wonderful Kieran Hurley adapting Graham Armstrong's The Young's Team, which is co-produced with National Theatre Scotland.

Much loved novel about a young man in North Lanarkshire.

So, yeah, also working with the Citizen Theatre in Glasgow on that one, where it's going afterwards.

It's almost as if the whole planet is run by people who are mad, bad, or dangerous to be left in charge of anything.

Anyway, should be able to put some more positive spin on events here in the Loose Ends studio as we welcome an array of artistic talent, which includes the top-rated stage director, Vicky Featherstone, here to tell us about a new stage version of Muriel Spark's great novel, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, uh, which she's produced for the National Theatre of Scotland.

Now, you were a key figure in the founding of the National Theatre of Scotland.

I mean, yes-

Yeah

Yeah.

Yeah, which was nice.

And now you're, you're back in the National Theatre of Scotland.

It is where I have taught, learnt and met many of the people with whom I consistently collaborate today.

I am therefore delighted to have been offered an honorary doctorate." Beyond his work at the Citizens Theatre, Dominic has directed productions for the National Theatre of Scotland, Royal Lyceum Theatre, the Bristol Old Vic, as well as for Scottish Opera, the Royal Shakespeare Company and Regent's Park Open Air Theatre.

He has also served as artistic director of the Trav- Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh and as joint artistic director of Dundee Rep.

Professor Jeffrey Sharkey, Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, praised Dominic's contribution to the arts.