The Scottish National Portrait Gallery follows Scotland’s history from the sixteenth century to the present day through the portraits of those who shaped it.
Twenty of Scotland’s leading writers have come together to offer audiences the chance to meet some of the nation’s great literary heroes and villans.
The National Theatre of Scotland, in partnership with the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, is presenting ‘Dear Scotland’ a series of performances written by twenty of Scotland’s leading writers and featuring twenty portraits of historical greats.
The writers are Peter Arnott, Jo Clifford, Rob Drummond, Janice Galloway, David Greig, Zinnie Harris, Iain Heggie, Stuart Hepburn, Jackie Kay, A L Kennedy, Hardeep Singh Kohli, Liz Lochhead, Iain Finlay Macleod, Nicola McCartney, Johnny McKnight, Linda McLean, Rona Munro, James Robertson, Ali Smith and Louise Welsh.
Dear Scotland – Iain Heggie from National Theatre of Scotland on Vimeo.
The twenty portraits are of James Boswell, Robert Burns, Michael Clark, The Cromartie Fool, Robert Bontine Cunninghame Grahame, James VI (of Scotland) and I (of England and Ireland), Prince James receiving his son Prince Henry, Jackie Kay, Michael McGahey, Chic Murray, all of the portraits in Gallery 9, Anonymous woman in “Poets’ Pub”, The Oncologists, The Queen, Jimmy Reid, Sir Walter Scott, Mary Queen of Scots, Muriel Spark, Robert Louis Stevenson and Clementina Graham Stirling.
Full cast includes Maureen Beattie, Ryan Fletcher, Lesley Hart, Tunji Kasim, Anne Lacey, Colin McCredie, Sally Reid, Anneika Rose and Benny Young.
Christopher Baker, Director of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery said: “We are delighted to be working with the National Theatre of Scotland; to see its inspiring performances showcased in the context of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and its great collection will be one of the highlights of 2014.”
Dear Scotland, in partnership with the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, is part of the National Theatre of Scotland’s Dear Scotland 2014 season of theatre, debate and celebration.
The Company is inviting audiences to take part in Dear Scotland, not only by coming to events but also through sharing their thoughts about Scotland in 2014.
Audiences in Edinburgh will be given a postcard with the greeting line, Dear Scotland on which they are encouraged to share their rants and regrets, love letters or break-up sentiments, advice or demands, hopes and dreams, and then to send the postcard back for free to the National Theatre of Scotland.
The responses will be interlaced to create a living record of this momentous year.
Dear Scotland Listings
Dates: Thursday 24 April Saturday 3 May 2014 (with no performances on Sunday 27 or Wednesday 30).
Format: This is a promenade guided performance located throughout the 3 floors of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Alternative evenings will consist of Tour A or Tour B and tours will start at 7.30pm until 9pm.
Tour start times: 7.30pm, 7.40pm, 7.50pm, 8.00pm, 8.10pm, 8.20pm, 8.30pm, 8.40pm, 8.50pm, 9.00pm. Running Time: Approximately 90 minutes. Previews: Thursday 24 (Tour A) and Friday 25 (Tour B) February.
Venue: Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen St, Edinburgh, EH2 1JD.
Tickets: Hub Tickets on 0131 473 2000 or www.hubtickets.co.uk. Ticket Prices: Previews: £7.50/All other performances are £10/£15.
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