TOURING SCOTLAND Feb-March 2025
Public booking now open!
The Testament of Gideon Mack
by James Robertson, adapted for the stage by Matthew Zajac
We are delighted to announce that James Robertson's best-selling novel has been adapted by Matthew Zajac and will tour Scotland in February and March 2025, thanks to the support of Creative Scotland's Touring Fund.
Published in 2006 and longlisted for that year's Booker Prize, The Testament of Gideon Mack instantly became a Scottish classic, a play about grief and the crisis of faith in our society, channelled through the story of one generous, energetic, perceptive, constrained, ashamed, confused and very Presbyterian individual, the Reverend Gideon Mack of Monimaskit. This is a story of late 20th century post-war Scotland, of the manse and the permissive age, a story of a Church of Scotland minister who doesn’t believe in God. Then he meets the Devil.
Public booking is now open for the following venues, please click on the links below to be taken to the venue's box office:
Published in 2006 and longlisted for that year's Booker Prize, The Testament of Gideon Mack instantly became a Scottish classic, a play about grief and the crisis of faith in our society, channelled through the story of one generous, energetic, perceptive, constrained, ashamed, confused and very Presbyterian individual, the Reverend Gideon Mack of Monimaskit. This is a story of late 20th century post-war Scotland, of the manse and the permissive age, a story of a Church of Scotland minister who doesn’t believe in God. Then he meets the Devil.
Public booking is now open for the following venues, please click on the links below to be taken to the venue's box office:
13 - 15 February 2025 - Eden Court, Inverness
18 - 19 February 2025 - An Lanntair, Stornoway
21 February 2025 - Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling
22 February 2025 - Theatre Royal, Dumfries
26 February 2025 - Eastwood Park Theatre, Giffnock
27 February 2025 - The Byre Theatre, St. Andrews
28 February 2025 - Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy
5 March 2025 - Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock
6 - 8 March 2025 - Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
12 March 2025 - The Gaiety Theatre, Ayr
13 - 14 March 2025 - Dundee Rep Theatre, Dundee
THE TAILOR OF INVERNESS has wowed audiences in London, Edinburgh, Sweden and France in 2024!
In early summer, The Tailor of Inverness completed a successful 4-week run at London's Finborough Theatre. The show has just completed a run of sell-out performances at Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre; in Sweden at the Skellefteå International Storytelling Festival and at Studion, Umeå; and in Chambéry , France, at Cité des Arts and at the Université Savoie-Mont Blanc. To date, the show has entranced over 42,000 people, playing in a huge variety of venues in 13 countries, from prestigious theatres in New York, Adelaide, Kyiv, Malmo and Berlin to tiny village halls. An unforgettable and moving story of displacement and survival in war-torn Europe and a powerful allegory for all victims of war, more relevant than ever, particularly in light of the current war in Ukraine.
Winner of a Scotsman Fringe First, the 2008 Stage Best Solo Performer Award at the Edinburgh Fringe and the 2009 Best Actor Award from the Scottish Critics. Nominated Best Performance Piece 2024 Off West End Awards London.
Matthew Zajac's internationally acclaimed play about his Polish father has captivated audiences in theatres across the world. With over 300 performances and playing to over 42,000 people in 13 countries since opening at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, The Tailor of Inverness has taken its place as one of the great Scottish theatre productions.
"COMPELLING, IMPASSIONED...A FINE ACTOR" New York Times, USA
"INDISPENSABLE" Dagens Nyheter, Sweden
"DON'T MISS IT" Radio Adelaide, Australia
"A SPECIAL GEM" The Day, Ukraine
"THE MOST ELECTRIC THEATRE IMAGINABLE" ayoungertheatre.com, UK
"A TOWERING PIECE OF WORK" Sunday Independent, Ireland
"ZAJAC IS TRULY A VISIONARY" Broadway World, USA
Finborough Selected Press Quotes
"A timeless tribute to the children of war" THE STAGE
“One marvels at Zajac’s performance the way one marvels at an Olympian athlete…a riveting masterclass in storytelling.” Adventures in Theatreland
“It is a real acting tour de force and also – a real rarity – it finds new and memorable things to say about the intolerable choices and experiences of living and surviving at the heart of the conflict between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia…packs a real punch so that we leave the theatre with much to think about and resonant memories of a magnificent performance.” Playstosee.com
“This works brilliantly in this intimate theatre, and should be on your 'must see' list.”
Londonbornandbred.co.uk
"A must-see show." Fringe Review
Winner of a Scotsman Fringe First, the 2008 Stage Best Solo Performer Award at the Edinburgh Fringe and the 2009 Best Actor Award from the Scottish Critics. Nominated Best Performance Piece 2024 Off West End Awards London.
Matthew Zajac's internationally acclaimed play about his Polish father has captivated audiences in theatres across the world. With over 300 performances and playing to over 42,000 people in 13 countries since opening at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, The Tailor of Inverness has taken its place as one of the great Scottish theatre productions.
"COMPELLING, IMPASSIONED...A FINE ACTOR" New York Times, USA
"INDISPENSABLE" Dagens Nyheter, Sweden
"DON'T MISS IT" Radio Adelaide, Australia
"A SPECIAL GEM" The Day, Ukraine
"THE MOST ELECTRIC THEATRE IMAGINABLE" ayoungertheatre.com, UK
"A TOWERING PIECE OF WORK" Sunday Independent, Ireland
"ZAJAC IS TRULY A VISIONARY" Broadway World, USA
Finborough Selected Press Quotes
"A timeless tribute to the children of war" THE STAGE
“One marvels at Zajac’s performance the way one marvels at an Olympian athlete…a riveting masterclass in storytelling.” Adventures in Theatreland
“It is a real acting tour de force and also – a real rarity – it finds new and memorable things to say about the intolerable choices and experiences of living and surviving at the heart of the conflict between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia…packs a real punch so that we leave the theatre with much to think about and resonant memories of a magnificent performance.” Playstosee.com
“This works brilliantly in this intimate theatre, and should be on your 'must see' list.”
Londonbornandbred.co.uk
"A must-see show." Fringe Review
 Chinedu Igu, Yinka Awonyi & Andrew Gourlay - EVERY BRITISH SOLDIER by Alastair Cording & Tunde Euba
SPARK, the inaugural Highland New Play Festival, took place at Eden Court, Inverness from 18-21 January 2024. The festival was presented in partnership with Eden Court and Playwrights' Studio Scotland and was financially supported by Creative Scotland.
AUDIENCE RESPONSES "...maybe the best ever Highland located event...the quality and talent involved was amazing." "This was a brilliant festival...more of this please!" "A really vital and professional event, which I was so glad to see was well attended. The running was smooth, and exactly what I had hoped it would be with a great opportunity to get involved...A ginormous thanks to Dogstar, EC (Eden Court) and PSS (Playwrights' Studio Scotland) for making this happen!! PS- the PSS having a book stand was a SUPERB addition. More of this please!!" PROFESSIONAL PARTICIPANT RESPONSES "It is honestly one of the best things I have been involved in in years . I felt excited each day working on a new script and bringing it to life for the writer !" "It felt like a pivotal moment for Highland arts and theatre. One which inspired people to put their heads together to imagine a brighter future." "The overall vibe and energy of the SPARK festival were amazing, creating a wonderful atmosphere that made the whole experience unforgettable. But what really made it special for me was getting to team up with some incredible people, especially the director and the actors." "I loved how many people from all across the country were kicking about Eden Court for four days. It felt like a really exciting space, the way theatre should always feel. Everyone was supportive and there was a lot of interest in talking about the craft. It was super exciting and really nourishing, I was really moved at a lot of different moments, the work (and the focus on writing in particular) was so affirming. … I felt that this was a very empowering few days that forged new creative connections. I came away from it feeling like I really belonged in the industry and that where I come from didn’t really matter, we are all about the work." "I left the Highlands due to lack of opportunity as a creative. This festival has helped me reconnect to a Highland creative community. It was an opportunity which as an emerging writer has given me so much confidence and incredibly valuable feedback for going forward. The variety of work that we could see was also really fantastic. It felt like a wonderfully diverse range of voices and was very inspiring." SPARK consisted of four engaging strands to appeal to both audiences and the growing body of theatre professionals in the Highlands: Script Sessions: rehearsed readings of new plays. Audiences will get to hear never-seen-before plays from new and established playwrights before they reach the stage with the audience invited to give feedback and engage in a discussion about the play afterwards. Scratch Sessions: an opportunity for audiences to get a glimpse into the creation and development of new plays, with writers presenting extracts from work-in-progress with an opportunity for feedback and discussion afterwards. These sessions also allow playwrights to develop new ideas and work on specific sections of their plays with a director and a group of actors. Writers were selected via an open call facilitated by The Playwrights’ Studio. Speakout Sessions: ranging from practical panel discussions about career paths in theatre to topical discussions about the place of Highland theatre in the wider world. Featuring guest experts from home and abroad. Ceilidh Sessions will top off the festival, celebratory events with live performances from local artists, poets and musicians on the Friday and Saturday night. This was the first edition of SPARK. Our aim is for SPARK to become a biennial event, a new cultural fixture for January in the Highlands. More details about featured plays and festival speakers and performers will follow! |
Meghan Macdonald & Helen Mackay - BREAKERS by Anna Whealing
Helen Mackay, Laura Lovemore, Maggie Corbett & Adam Sutherland - THE SEEDS OF EPPIE by George Gunn
Jimmy Yuill & Benjamin Osugo - OVER THE HILLS & FAR AWAY by Anna Halas
Meghan Macdonald & Lewie Watson - FASTLANE by Gregor Mackenzie
Laura Lovemore & Fergus Munro - SEORAS STANDS ON CONCRETE & PEAT by Kenny Boyle
Holly Sonabend - EVIL FOREST by Rebecca Martin
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ROBERTA TAYLOR
Roberta Taylor, who died on July 6th, was one of the great actors of her generation. I was lucky enough to meet Roberta for the first time in 1986, when we worked together on the Citizens Theatre production of Rolf Hochhuth's epic and controversial play about the Pope's response to the deportation and murder of Jews during World War 2, The Representative. Roberta was a delightful, down-to-earth and generous woman and a formidable presence on stage, appearing in many leading roles in the internationally-acclaimed Citizens' ensemble led by Giles Havergal, Robert David MacDonald and Philip Prowse. Roberta became a household name through her leading TV roles in Eastenders & The Bill.
There are few actors of Roberta's status who would even consider undertaking a small-scale tour of Scotland in a new play, but that is exactly what Roberta agreed to do with Dogstar in 2013. I was delighted to welcome Roberta into the company to play the extraordinary Danish author Karen Blixen (pen-name Isak Dinesen) in The Baroness, Thor Bjorn Krebs' examination of Blixen's relationship with the young poet Thorkild Bjornvig, named as Denmark's Play of the Year in 2011. I knew Roberta would be brilliant in the role, and so it proved. It's a testament to Roberta's talent and character that the quality of the work came first, whatever the stage, and she recognised the role and the play as a great fit for her. She was also very happy to see the Highlands & Islands from her seat in the van and to play to Dogstar's enthusiastic audiences, from Stornoway to Mull, Edinburgh to Inverness, Peebles to Tullynessle. I'm only sorry we didn't get the chance to repeat the experience.
You can read about Roberta and The Baroness on our Production History page here: The Baroness
There are many fine tributes to Roberta, accessible online. She deserves them all. She was a wonderful person and I am grateful and proud to have known her as a friend and colleague.
Matthew Zajac
NIGHTLANDS by Jack MacGregor
SUMMERHALL Edinburgh Festival Fringe August 2022
Nightlands is a play about Russia today, about how authoritarianism weaponises nostalgia, a psychological thriller located in the ex-Soviet ghost town of Pyramiden, Svalbard, during a ferocious Arctic winter. Set in 1999, at the dawn of the Putin autocracy, Pyramiden’s caretakers play out a generational and ideological conflict. Sasha is nostalgic for the collapsed communist past, Slava looks to the possibilities of a future free from authoritarianism and poverty. Their epic struggle rages like the storms of the Polar Night as Slava tries to shake off the ghosts of Russia's past.
with
REBECCA WILKIE as Slava
MATTHEW ZAJAC as Sasha
Director JACK MACGREGOR
Designer ALI MACLAURIN
Composer BRIAN MCALPINE
Sound Design BRIAN MCALPINE & JONNY HARDIE
Lighting GRANT ANDERSON
CIRCLING A FOX - THE STORY OF THE TAILOR OF INVERNESS presented by Matthew Zajac, directed by Brian Ross
Broadcast on BBC Scotland, Circling a Fox takes Matthew Zajac’s multi-award-winning play about his father’s life and turns it into a genre-bending documentary film that challenges received notions of personal and national identity. It is a deeply personal story, taking us on a journey from war-torn Poland and Ukraine to the Highlands of Scotland and then back again. Blending documentary, theatre and poetic drama-reconstruction, Circling a Fox tells the story of Matthew's quest to seek the truth about his father’s past and his efforts to use theatre to reach out to a family he never knew he had.
CHECK IT OUT HERE:
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/circlingafox
Broadcast on BBC Scotland, Circling a Fox takes Matthew Zajac’s multi-award-winning play about his father’s life and turns it into a genre-bending documentary film that challenges received notions of personal and national identity. It is a deeply personal story, taking us on a journey from war-torn Poland and Ukraine to the Highlands of Scotland and then back again. Blending documentary, theatre and poetic drama-reconstruction, Circling a Fox tells the story of Matthew's quest to seek the truth about his father’s past and his efforts to use theatre to reach out to a family he never knew he had.
CHECK IT OUT HERE:
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/circlingafox
Based on the testimonies of Robert Mackie and Bruce Norval
with STEWART PORTER as Rab & MATTHEW ZAJAC as Bruce |
Factor 9 is inspired by the story of the biggest healthcare disaster in the history of the UK’s National Health Service. This is a play based on the lives, deaths and testimonies of some of those affected by treatment with contaminated blood – an horrific story of blighted lives which explores the causes that allowed HIV, Hepatitis C and CJD infection to be spread among the community of blood products users in Scotland, the rest of the UK and throughout the world during the late 1970s and 1980s.
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Using transcripts, interviews, newspaper articles and other documentary evidence, and mixing this with metaphors and myths from the realms of science fiction and horror, Factor 9 is a visceral multi-media performance dominated by that vital fluid, blood. At its core, it tells a story of ordinary people and how their lives were shockingly changed forever.
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Prepare to be physically shaken by Factor 9.”
Yasmin Suleiman, The List "I have NEVER been more affected, impressed and devastated by a play in a long theatrical life…A play of shame, pain and extraordinary power." Pete Searle, audience member “Superbly tense drama, with Porter and Zajac on top form.” Ed Frankl, Edinburgh Evening News ****** “Factor 9 says what it has to say about a mighty public scandal, in a vividly theatrical style that no-one who sees it is ever likely to forget” Joyce MacMillan, The Scotsman **** “The playwright got it just right…powerful and very human.” Paula Murray, Sunday Express |
“Be sure to see it."
Anders Sjögren, Västerbottens-Kuriren Sweden “…unforgettable, high quality and hard-hitting…” Margaret Chrystall, Inverness Courier ***** “Stop what you are doing and check to see if Dogstar Theatre Factor 9 is coming to you. Gut wrenching, tragic, furious, brilliant.” Bruce MacGregor, Inverness “SUPERB, POWERFUL and SEAMLESS performance – still shaking with the effects of it – best theatre I’ve seen since the Tailor of Inverness.” Joanna Boyce, Edinburgh |
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THE TAILOR OF INVERNESS
Written & Performed by Matthew Zajac Violin Jonny Hardie Directed by Ben Harrison Music by Jonny Hardie & Gavin Marwick Designed by Ali Maclaurin Lighting by Kai Fischer Production filmed & edited by Brian Ross |
Matthew Zajac's internationally acclaimed play about his Polish father has captivated audiences in theatres across the world. With over 275 performances and playing to over 40,000 people in 12 countries since opening at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, The Tailor of Inverness has taken its place as one of the great Scottish theatre productions.
The Tailor of Inverness, with its cry for victims of war and forced migration everywhere, is "a universal work of theatre" (Sunday Herald). |
"I come from the Soviets and the Nazis. I come from a farm, from the forests and fields of green Ukraine, from the resettlement camps of Germany, from the beaches of the Adriatic, from the grimy streets of Glasgow and the cool air of Inverness."
"A TRIUMPH" The Observer, UK
"COMPELLING, IMPASSIONED...A FINE ACTOR" New York Times, USA
"INDISPENSABLE" Dagens Nyheter, Sweden
"DON'T MISS IT" Radio Adelaide, Australia
"A SPECIAL GEM" The Day, Ukraine
"THE MOST ELECTRIC THEATRE IMAGINABLE" ayoungertheatre.com, UK
"A TOWERING PIECE OF WORK" Sunday Independent, Ireland
"ZAJAC IS TRULY A VISIONARY" Broadway World, USA
BEST ACTOR CRITICS' AWARDS FOR THEATRE IN SCOTLAND
BEST SOLO PERFORMER THE STAGE NEWSPAPER EDINBURGH FRINGE AWARDS
SCOTSMAN FRINGE FIRST AWARD WINNER
"One actor, one fiddler, one brilliant and moving piece of theatre...See it, friends." April Alliston, New York
"One of the most moving theatre experiences we've ever had." David Getz, New York
"Unbelievably moving and unexpected." Misha Glenny, London
"Matthew Zajac's performance was incredible. Wish I could go again tomorrow." Kevin Hanrahan, Dublin
"It really was an international wonder" Hanne Larsen, Copenhagen
"What a story, what a play, what a performance...I could barely speak afterwards." Gerda Stevenson, Edinburgh
"A TRIUMPH" The Observer, UK
"COMPELLING, IMPASSIONED...A FINE ACTOR" New York Times, USA
"INDISPENSABLE" Dagens Nyheter, Sweden
"DON'T MISS IT" Radio Adelaide, Australia
"A SPECIAL GEM" The Day, Ukraine
"THE MOST ELECTRIC THEATRE IMAGINABLE" ayoungertheatre.com, UK
"A TOWERING PIECE OF WORK" Sunday Independent, Ireland
"ZAJAC IS TRULY A VISIONARY" Broadway World, USA
BEST ACTOR CRITICS' AWARDS FOR THEATRE IN SCOTLAND
BEST SOLO PERFORMER THE STAGE NEWSPAPER EDINBURGH FRINGE AWARDS
SCOTSMAN FRINGE FIRST AWARD WINNER
"One actor, one fiddler, one brilliant and moving piece of theatre...See it, friends." April Alliston, New York
"One of the most moving theatre experiences we've ever had." David Getz, New York
"Unbelievably moving and unexpected." Misha Glenny, London
"Matthew Zajac's performance was incredible. Wish I could go again tomorrow." Kevin Hanrahan, Dublin
"It really was an international wonder" Hanne Larsen, Copenhagen
"What a story, what a play, what a performance...I could barely speak afterwards." Gerda Stevenson, Edinburgh
These outstanding film and theatre experiences are available to view for £3 or download for £8
Please do pass the above links on or share with friends using the social media buttons to the right hand side of this page. And remember to tag us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to let us know what you thought of the films! Use the hashtag #DogstarTheatre on Twitter and Instagram.
Please do pass the above links on or share with friends using the social media buttons to the right hand side of this page. And remember to tag us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to let us know what you thought of the films! Use the hashtag #DogstarTheatre on Twitter and Instagram.
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with every good wish
Matthew
www.dogstartheatre.co.uk
with every good wish
Matthew
www.dogstartheatre.co.uk
