Welcome to Dogstar
Dogstar is a European touring theatre company based in the Scottish Highlands in Inverness, one of Europe’s fastest growing small cities. From its early Highland tours, the company has extended its reach, now touring throughout Scotland and internationally. In 2013-14 alone, the company has toured twice to Denmark, Sweden, Ireland and Wales, once to Ukraine with accompanying Scottish tours. Much of our work springs directly from the Highlands’ defining characteristics: a stunningly beautiful and harsh natural landscape; a tumultuous and marginalised history; a shifting and changing population; a vibrant oral and musical tradition. Our productions endeavour to speak to our audiences using some of Scotland’s best actors, musicians, writers, directors and designers and collaborating with international artists and partners.
For us, theatre is a place for debate and celebration, for ideas and entertainment, for a few laughs, a few tears, a challenge to the mind and a memorable night out.
At its heart, its about communication between the actor and the audience. It can’t exist without you.
Dogstar is a European touring theatre company based in the Scottish Highlands in Inverness, one of Europe’s fastest growing small cities. From its early Highland tours, the company has extended its reach, now touring throughout Scotland and internationally. In 2013-14 alone, the company has toured twice to Denmark, Sweden, Ireland and Wales, once to Ukraine with accompanying Scottish tours. Much of our work springs directly from the Highlands’ defining characteristics: a stunningly beautiful and harsh natural landscape; a tumultuous and marginalised history; a shifting and changing population; a vibrant oral and musical tradition. Our productions endeavour to speak to our audiences using some of Scotland’s best actors, musicians, writers, directors and designers and collaborating with international artists and partners.
For us, theatre is a place for debate and celebration, for ideas and entertainment, for a few laughs, a few tears, a challenge to the mind and a memorable night out.
At its heart, its about communication between the actor and the audience. It can’t exist without you.
Sewart Porter & Matthew Zajac in FACTOR 9
Kickstarter appeal for Factor 9 - A massive THANK YOU We are delighted to announce that our Kickstarter online crowd funding appeal to take Factor 9 to the Edinburgh Fringe in August 2014 has reached and exceeded its target of £16,000. With the help of this and other donations the production now looks to a further 22 performances at the excellent Summerhall venue over the course of the Fringe. More details on our News page.
Factor 9 by Hamish MacDonald from the testimonies of Bruce Norval and Robert Mackie & directed by Ben Harrison, opened on March 11th 2014 at Profilteatern, Umea Sweden, as part of the city's celebration as 2014 European Capital of Culture. Through personal testimony, video diaries, scientific imagery and soundscape, the play tells the story of the blood products tragedy, where many thousands of haemophiliacs and others were infected with HIV, Hepatitis and CJD through the administration of contaminated blood products. This is the greatest disaster in the history of the NHS and one which affected many countries across the world. This project is supported by Creative Scotland and Umea Capital of Culture 2014 and is produced by Dogstar in association with Profilteatern. Following its week long run in Umea, the production toured to Denmark, Wales and Scotland. More details on our News page.
Watch STV national news feature on Factor 9 broadcast on Wednesday April 9 2014 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8ksNulN3Ys
Listen to Factor 9 featured on BBC Radio Scotland's Culture Studio broadcast on Tuesday 8 April 2014 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpkoYvGaBtU
The Tailor of Inverness - 200th performance in Belfast in June !
"This is a towering piece of work with a glorious performance by the author." Sunday Independent Ireland 2013.
Belfast's Lyric Theatre hosted the 200th performance of THE TAILOR OF INVERNESS on June 21st 2014. Matthew Zajac's phenomenally successful play has been seen in 10 countries across the world, with several repeat visits under its belt and is now translated into Polish, Ukrainian, German and French. The company returned in October 2013 from an adventurous 3-week tour of Ukraine with the show, playing to packed houses in Kyiv, Poltava, Kryvyi Rog, Lviv and Pidhaitsi, the small town where the story originates. Scottish performances in Greenock, Glasgow, Inverness, Dundee & Edinburgh took place between October 24th & November 5th. The show undertook a triumphant tour between January and April 2013 to Denmark, Sweden, Ireland and Wales. Matthew Zajac's book on the story is out now, published by Sandstone Press.
Ireland June 2014
11th Market Place Theatre Armagh 028 3752 1821 marketplacearmagh.com
12th Pavilion Theatre Dun Laoghaire +353 (0)1 231 2929 paviliontheatre.ie
14th Town Hall Theatre Galway +353 (0) 91 569777 tht.ie
17th - 21st Lyric Theatre Belfast 8pm 028 9038 1081 lyrictheatre.co.uk
The Dogstar van outside the House of Culture & Art, Kryvyi Rog Ukraine October 2013
