The cast of the thrilling first stage adaptation of the iconic Scottish film Restless Natives is set to open this year with a cast of Scottish stage talent hitting the road this Spring on a Scottish tour.
Leading the cast as Will and Ronnie, AKA The Clown and The Wolfman, will be young stars Kyle Gardiner and Finlay McKillop, with Olivier-nominated Kirsty MacLaren as Margot.
The cast is completed by Sarah Galbraith as Bender, Alan McHugh as Baird, Harry Ward as Nigel/Dad, Caroline Deyga as Mrs Patterson/Others, Robin Campbell as Male Ensemble and cover Will and Nigel, Ailsa Davidson as Female Ensemble and cover Margot and Bender, Stuart Edgar as Male Ensemble and cover Ronnie and Baird and Ava MacKinnon as Female Ensemble and cover Mrs Paterson/Others)
Rebelling against their drab urban lives, intrepid underdogs Ronnie and Will become Highland Highwaymen, holding up buses and winning international renown, fleecing tourists with charm and panache. Tour guide Margot believes these Robin Hood heroes can restore national pride, but the police are closing in. Will this be the end of the story – or the beginning of a legend?
Produced and directed by the same team who made the cult classic 1985 film alongside co-producers Perth Theatre, Restless Natives: The Musical sees the iconic outlaw duo, the Clown and the Wolfman, ride again in a new stage musical. It continues the enduring legacy of one of the films that paved the way for a boom of Scottish cinema. Writers Ninian Dunnett, Michael Hoffman and Andy Paterson, with composer Tim Sutton, promise to deliver a not-to-be-missed production with music inspired by the songs and spirit of Big Country, that will delight devotees of the original – and capture the hearts of a new generation.
Restless Natives: The Musical will premiere at Perth Theatre from Saturday 26 April, with previews 24-26 April, until Saturday 10 May, before heading out on tour at selected Scottish venues including Macrobert Arts Centre in Stirling, His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen, Eden Court in Inverness, and The King’s Theatre in Glasgow.
From 7-22 June, Restless Natives: The Musical will also kick-off a three-month summer programme of theatre, music and film at Edinburgh’s Leith Theatre, the first theatre production to call the venue its home since 2018. The summer programme will be co-commissioned by Restless Natives: The Musical producers Andy Paterson and Wild Yak Productions, and the Leith Theatre Trust team, with the return of audiences to the building marking a significant milestone for the venue.
Tickets for performances in Perth, Stirling, Aberdeen, Inverness, and Glasgow are on-sale now. Tickets for Leith Theatre will be on sale at a future date.
The creative team includes designer Becky Minto, lighting designer Colin Grenfell, choreographer Chris Stuart Wilson, musical director Hilary Brooks, associate director Becky Hope Palmer, and casting director Simone Pereira Hind.
Restless Natives features songs by Big Country and is based on the screenplay by Ninian Dunnett, by special arrangement with StudioCanal.
Dates and tickets here.
