The Clown and the Wolfman are set to roar into Leith Theatre this June along with the brand-new stage version of the classic Scottish film Restless Natives.
The production will launch a three-month summer programme of theatre, music and film co-commissioned by Restless Natives’ producers, Andy Paterson, Wild Yak Productions and the Leith Theatre Trust team. Hailed a significant milestone for the venue, the curated collaboration will offer audiences a rare and exciting chance to enter the faded grandeur of a theatre that has remained largely the same since opening in 1932. The pop-up summer season will offer a unique opportunity for audiences to glimpse at the theatre’s future while it continues on its journey towards restoration.
Original Restless Natives screenwriter and now lyricist, Ninian Dunnett, director Michael Hoffman and composer Tim Sutton, inspired by Big Country songs and themes, will open the season by delivering what is guaranteed to be a ‘must see’ full stage musical designed to delight devotees of the original movie while capturing the hearts of a new generation.
For those unfamiliar with the film, a charming sense of national pride is built as intrepid underdogs Ronnie and Will – the afore mentioned Clown and Wolfman – become Highland highwaymen, holding up tour buses and winning international renown, fleecing visitors with panache. With the police hot on their tales, will they evade arrest? And if they do, will this be the end of their story or the beginning of a legend? All their quirky fun comes to Leith Theatre’s raked stage in June. Excitingly, this will be the first theatre production to make Leith Theatre its home since 2018.
Restless Natives producer Andy Paterson is thrilled to see the musical leading the summer programming for the venue. He says, “We are so inspired by the Trust’s vision for this incredible building. Our memories of shooting key scenes from the film just a few hundred yards away on the Western Harbour make this new partnership all the more special. We can’t wait to bring the Clown and the Wolfman back to their actual and spiritual home in Edinburgh.”
By partnering with Restless Natives, Leith Theatre Trust will shine a spotlight on the building’s history and restoration journey and bring an exciting cultural experience to the stage that fits with all of the film, music and theatre connections that already make up the venue’s heritage.
Lynn Morrison, Chief Executive from Leith Theatre Trust, adds, “We are absolutely delighted to announce Leith Theatre as the Edinburgh venue and to work in partnership to deliver this incredible three-month summer season, starting with Restless Natives: The Musical. Despite the challenges posed by our building’s health, we remain committed to being at the heart of cultural life in Leith. This theatre adaptation blends theatre, film and music which is everything we love, and we couldn’t be prouder to welcome this exciting crossover and summer opportunity to our venue.”
Andy Paterson, one of the producers of the film and lead producer on Restless Natives: The Musical, continues, “The moment we walked into Leith Theatre we had a feeling that we’d come home. The unique atmosphere and personality of the venue chimed with Ninian’s story. Both embody the resilience, the spirit of Scottish community, a sense of perseverance and solidarity – and the belief that with the right values and serious ambition, you can make something great.”
Leith Theatre Trust is a charity set up to protect and preserve Leith Theatre, which is part of a wider complex gifted to the people of Leith by the City of Edinburgh after the amalgamation of the two in 1920. Opened in 1932, the complex also includes Leith Library, the Thomas Morton Hall and a small Gatehouse. This impressive building has seen both joyous celebration and darkest moments; hit by a bomb in 1941, it took 20 years to be repaired, only to be closed again in the 80s to save costs. The Trust took over in 2016 following lengthy community campaigning to save the building from private development and are now working to secure capital investment to ensure that this glorious semi-derelict building and important cultural asset is available and protected for future generations.
Leith Theatre sits in the heart of the Port, which continues to undergo significant redevelopment and regeneration. It is a building with a strong theatrical legacy, having played host to many productions through the Sixties and Seventies as part of the Edinburgh International Festival before being closed for nearly three decades. It reopened in 2016. The venue’s most recent theatre production was Last Days of Mankind, in 2018. Prior to that, it was home to the likes of Rikki Fulton’s Molière adaptation, A Wee Touch o’ Class in 1986.
For more information about Leith Theatre visit here.
For Restless Natives tour details and to register for priority booking visit here.
