Pitlochry Festival Theatre are delighted to announce details of their 2008 Summer Season.

The ensemble will boast several familiar faces from recent seasons: Martyn James, who we welcome back for his 21st Season, following rave reviews of his performance as Jock in last year’s The Flouers o Edinburgh; Jacqueline Dutoit (5th season), who returns after her critically acclaimed performance as the psychopathic Miriam in Snake in the Grass; Robin Harvey Edwards (4th season), who is tickled pink to be at PFT again following previous roles in The Magistrate and Kind Hearts and Coronets; Jonathan Coote (3rd season), who will be remembered by many for his extraordinary performance as Atticus in To Kill A Mockingbird; Richard Addison (4th season), who earned a nominatation for Best Actor in the 2007 CATS awards for his last PFT appearance in Man Of the Moment; Dougal Lee (7th season), who was unforgettable as Sir Thomas More in Man For All Seasons in 2005; Karen Davies (3rd season), who was last seen at PFT as the eponymous Woman Of No Importance and Ma Joad in Grapes of Wrath; Greg Powrie (6th season),who returns fresh from his hilarious multiple incarnations in Passing Places; and finally, Grant O’ Rourke (2nd season), the most memorable new face from last season. All these will be joined by eight talented newcomers to the ensemble.

Chief Executive & Artistic Director, John Durnin, said: “The Country Matters season takes as its theme the more intimate side of human relationships and the six plays chosen cover an extraordinarily wide range of styles and genres. The other common bond is the sheer quality of the writing on offer: it’s not often that you’ll find so many outstanding playwrights in one season.

Although many of these plays have a period setting, the 2008 Season contains something from each of the last four decade of British theatre: Habeas Corpus from the 1970s, Wild Honey from the 80s, Arcadia representing the 1990s and from the current decade we have Outlying Islands. This intriguing journey through the last thirty years is book-ended with an 18th century comedy and an early 20th century masterpiece – about as wide-ranging a programme as you could wish!

Great plays, a marvellous acting ensemble, exceptional production standards: throw in the repertoire system and the spectacular location and you have all the ingredients that make PFT such a special experience for theatre-goers from across the UK and beyond.”

The full line up of plays for Summer 2008 are as follows:

Wild Honey
by Michael Frayn
Getting us off to a flying start is the Scottish premiere of Wild Honey, Michael (Noises Off) Frayn’s wildly funny adaptation of Chekhov ’s first play. Set on a Russian country estate, a midsummer night’s party sparks into life a number of unexpected romantic intrigues. And then there’s the train in the auditorium...

She Stoops To Conquer
by Oliver Goldsmith
In She Stoops To Conquer, the path of true love ne’er runs smooth, as a practical joke leads to a night of misunderstanding, mistaken identity and all round confusion for four young lovers – and a host of outrageous yokels - in Oliver Goldsmith’s classic Georgian comedy.  This lively rural romp is guaranteed to be a season highlight!

Habeus Corpus
by Alan Bennett
Love is firmly eclipsed by lust in Habeas Corpus, Alan Bennett’s brilliant re-invention of the Whitehall farce. In this walking, talking seaside postcard, the Permissive Society visits the genteel environs of 1970s Brighton – prepare to be left helpless with laughter!

Arcadia
by Tom Stoppard
Another Scottish premiere, Arcadia is a historical detective story that celebrates the unpredictability of human desire. An academic hack tries to solve the mystery of curious events at a country house two hundred years before – but only we see what really happened. Highly theatrical, dazzlingly witty and deeply moving.

Heartbreak House
by Bernard Shaw
In the magnificent Heartbreak House, George Bernard Shaw’s sparkling comedy of ideas, a weekend party at the home of the eccentric Captain Shotover - and his even more eccentric daughters - gradually goes off the rails, as engagements are broken and new matches made. And the war comes ever closer...

Outlying Islands
by David Greig
Last to open is David Greig’s fascinating and powerful Outlying Islands. On the eve of the Second World War, two young ornithologists surveying the wild bird population on a remote Scottish island are confronted by dark, pagan forces. Featuring scenes of a sexual nature, this is a shocking and affecting adult drama.

Opening Nights:
May 16th, 8pm: Wild Honey, directed by John Durnin (preview) May 22nd, 8pm: She Stoops To Conquer, directed by Richard Baron (preview)
May 29th, 8pm: Habeus Corpus, directed by Ben Twist (preview) June 5th, 8pm: Arcadia, directed by Richard Baron (preview) July 17th, 8pm: Heartbreak House, directed by John Durnin August 20th, 8pm: Outlying Islands, directed by Ken Alexander


TICKET PRICES: from ￡12.00 - ￡23.50, concessions available

CONTACT BOX OFFICE: 01796 484626 or email: boxoffice@pitlochry.org.uk