UK PREMIERE
Opening at An Lanntair Stornoway August 31st and Touring throughout Scotland until September 28th 2013
Roberta Taylor
as Karen Blixen
in
The Baroness
Karen Blixen's Final Affair
by Thor Bjorn Krebs
Translated by Kim Dambaek
Ewan Donald
as Thorkild Bjornvig
Romana Abercromby
as Benedicte Jensen
Director Matthew Zajac
Designer Catherine Deverell
Composer Aidan O'Rourke
as Karen Blixen
in
The Baroness
Karen Blixen's Final Affair
by Thor Bjorn Krebs
Translated by Kim Dambaek
Ewan Donald
as Thorkild Bjornvig
Romana Abercromby
as Benedicte Jensen
Director Matthew Zajac
Designer Catherine Deverell
Composer Aidan O'Rourke
- "Denmark's play of the year" - Berlingske (Danish National newspaper) 2011
- "See it, enjoy it and be alarmed by it - but for God's sake, don't miss it." Borsen
The Baroness is Thor Bjorn Krebs’s provocative, free interpretation of the relationship between Blixen and Bjornvig. A smash-hit in Denmark, this is a play full of tension and poetry which really should not be missed.
Roberta Taylor will play Karen Blixen. One of Britain’s most talented and respected actresses, Roberta was a prominent member of the great Citizens Theatre Company led by Robert David MacDonald, Giles Havergal and Philip Prowse prior to becoming a household name as Irene Raymond in the BBC soap Eastenders and as Gina Gold in ITV’s The Bill. Also a successful author, her memoir, Too Many Mothers, is a best-seller. This is a rare opportunity for Scottish audiences to see Roberta on stage once more in a tremendoous role. Roberta is joined by two excellent young Scottish actors, Ewan Donald and Romana Abercromby.
Matthew Zajac will direct with set and costumes by the exciting young designer Catherine Deverell and orginal music composed by one of Scotland's most innovative and vibrant traditional violinists, Aidan O'Rourke. Aidan is probably best known for his work with the amazing trio LAU, three times winners of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Band of the Year www.lau-music.co.uk/
Dogstar will tour The Baroness throughout Scotland and we hope to take the show further afield. Tour dates are below with additional details to be added.Thor Bjorn Krebs has produced an outstanding piece of new writing. With a top-class cast, The Baroness promises to be one of the highlights of the theatrical year.
Tour Dates
AUGUST 2013
Fri 30 Preview - An Lanntair, Stornoway 8pm 01851 703307 lanntair.com
Sat 31 UK Premiere - An Lanntair 8pm
SEPTEMBER
Tue 3 Strathpeffer Pavilion 01997 420124 strathpefferpavilion.org
Wed 4 Macphail Centre, Ullapool 7.30pm 01854 613336 macphailcentre.co.uk
Thu 5 Lyth Arts Centre, Caithness 01955 641434 lytharts.org.uk
Sat 7 Mount Stuart, Isle of Bute 7.30pm 01700 503877 mountstuart.com
Tue 10 Tower Mill, Heart of Hawick 7.30pm 01450 360680 heartofhawick.co.uk
Wed 11 Catstrand, New Galloway 7.30pm 01644 420374 catstrand.com
Thu 12 Buccleuch Centre, Langholm 7.30pm 01387 381196 buccleuchcentre.com
Fri 13 Birnam Arts Centre 7.30pm 01350 727674 birnamarts.com
Sat 14 Tullynessle Hall, Alford 01975 564336 neatshows.org
Tue 17 Resolis Memorial Hall, Balblair, E. Ross 01381 610204 resoliscommunityarts.com
Wed 18 Universal Hall, Findhorn 7.30pm 01309 690110 wegottickets.com/Universal Hall
findhorn.org/universalhall/info
Thu 19 Gordonstoun School, by Elgin
Fri 20 & Sat 21 Eden Court Theatre, Inverness 01463 234234 eden-court.co.uk
Tue 24 Mull Theatre, Druimfin, Tobermory 7.30pm 01688 302828 mulltheatre.com
Wed 25 Craignish Village Hall, Ardfern, Argyll 7.30pm 01852 500746 craignishvillagehall.org.uk
Thu 26 Eastgate Theatre, Peebles 7.30pm 01721 725777 eastgatearts.com
Fri 27 7 Sat 28 Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh 0131 228 1404 traverse.co.uk
Age guide 14+. Running time approximately 2 hours
"In his new play, Thor Bjorn Krebs demonstrates a truly remarkable talent...A rare pleasure of a play." Information Denmark
The Tailor of Inverness - New Scottish Dates & Book Publication
October 2013
24th Beacon Arts Centre Greenock 01475 723723 www.beaconartscentre.co.uk
25th&26th Tron Theatre Glasgow 0141 552 4267 www.tron.co.uk
30th Eden Court Inverness 01463 234234 www.eden-court.co.uk
31st Dundee Rep 01382 223530 www.dundeereptheatre.co.uk
November
1st&2nd Summerhall Edinburgh 0845 874 3001 www.summerhall.co.uk
The second half of 2013 will see the publication of Matthew Zajac's book on The Tailor of Inverness by Sandstone Press. The book expands on the story of the play, a historical memoir which records Matthew's lifelong relationship with Poland and the journey of discovery he took to Poland and Ukraine to uncover his family's remarkable 20th century experience. To coincide with the publication, we have set up new Scottish dates for the show and hope to set up our first tour in England with the show for 2014. In addition, we have recently received an invitation to present the show in October 2013 at the Mariafest Monodrama Festival in Kyiv, Ukraine, held in the Ukrainian capital's prestigious Ivan Franko Theatre. We are also setting up additional Ukrainian dates in Lviv, Kyiv, Poltava and Pidhaitsi, the small town close to the origin of the story. Film director Brian Ross will accompany us, shooting material for a documentary about the play and its story.
Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Wales January – April 2013
"It's the best one-man show I have ever seen." Terry Hands, Artistic Director Clwyd Theatr Cymru
“This is a towering piece of work with a glorious performance by the author.” Emer O’Kelly Sunday Independent
“…compelling…fascinating…triumphant…” Colette Sheridan Irish Examiner
"Art can bare its essence and express moments which prove that theatre is indispensable as a meeting place, a guarantee of enchantment and of the human spirit. Precisely this wonder occurs when Matthew Zajac, from the Scottish Dogstar Theatre, on its tour of Swedish theatres, takes to the stage for his company’s short run at Teater Pero. Matthew Zajac presents, with expressive support from violinist Jonny Hardie, a drama of Europe’s dark history through the destiny of one man, his father Mateusz."
Pia Huss, Dagens Nyheter Sweden
Some audience reaction
"Just back from tonight's performance of The Tailor of Inverness in the Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin. Absolutely excellent. Matthew Zajac's performance was incredible. Wish I could go again tomorrow." Kevin Hanrahan - Facebook post on Dogstar page
"Your performance was the best I have seen for many years. Indeed, the wrong man got the Oscar on Sunday night ! My wife and I left the theatre almost stunned." Frank Kennedy, Midleton, Co. Cork - letter
“I saw the first night in Malmö, and it was wonderful. I think there were a lot of people there who seldom or never go to the theatre, and loads were in the pub raving about it afterwards. I heard it was impossible to get a ticket for the 2nd night because word-of-mouth had entirely filled the place up.” Philip Clover, Malmo
“Thank you very much for a fantastic play from Dogstar Theatre Company! It was a performance that touched us deeply, and we think that it is wonderful that our local theatre had an eye on such a great play – it really was an international wonder – unbelievable experience in our little town.” Kurt & Hanne Larsen, Published in Allerød Lokalavisen, Local Newspaper, Allerød, Copenhagen Denmark.
We have now completed our 38-performance tour of The Tailor of Inverness in Denmark, Sweden, Wales and Ireland, including a warm-up gig at Broughton High School Edinburgh. As you can see from the responses above, the tour was a great success. The show received many standing ovations and we are hoping to return to these countries. The Scandinavian dates were set up by Dogstar with Mungo Park Arts Centre, Allerod, Copenhagen, while the Irish Tour was promoted by Richard Ryan Promotions of Dublin. Our sincere thanks to these two organisations for their fantastic support.
24th Beacon Arts Centre Greenock 01475 723723 www.beaconartscentre.co.uk
25th&26th Tron Theatre Glasgow 0141 552 4267 www.tron.co.uk
30th Eden Court Inverness 01463 234234 www.eden-court.co.uk
31st Dundee Rep 01382 223530 www.dundeereptheatre.co.uk
November
1st&2nd Summerhall Edinburgh 0845 874 3001 www.summerhall.co.uk
The second half of 2013 will see the publication of Matthew Zajac's book on The Tailor of Inverness by Sandstone Press. The book expands on the story of the play, a historical memoir which records Matthew's lifelong relationship with Poland and the journey of discovery he took to Poland and Ukraine to uncover his family's remarkable 20th century experience. To coincide with the publication, we have set up new Scottish dates for the show and hope to set up our first tour in England with the show for 2014. In addition, we have recently received an invitation to present the show in October 2013 at the Mariafest Monodrama Festival in Kyiv, Ukraine, held in the Ukrainian capital's prestigious Ivan Franko Theatre. We are also setting up additional Ukrainian dates in Lviv, Kyiv, Poltava and Pidhaitsi, the small town close to the origin of the story. Film director Brian Ross will accompany us, shooting material for a documentary about the play and its story.
Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Wales January – April 2013
"It's the best one-man show I have ever seen." Terry Hands, Artistic Director Clwyd Theatr Cymru
“This is a towering piece of work with a glorious performance by the author.” Emer O’Kelly Sunday Independent
“…compelling…fascinating…triumphant…” Colette Sheridan Irish Examiner
"Art can bare its essence and express moments which prove that theatre is indispensable as a meeting place, a guarantee of enchantment and of the human spirit. Precisely this wonder occurs when Matthew Zajac, from the Scottish Dogstar Theatre, on its tour of Swedish theatres, takes to the stage for his company’s short run at Teater Pero. Matthew Zajac presents, with expressive support from violinist Jonny Hardie, a drama of Europe’s dark history through the destiny of one man, his father Mateusz."
Pia Huss, Dagens Nyheter Sweden
Some audience reaction
"Just back from tonight's performance of The Tailor of Inverness in the Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin. Absolutely excellent. Matthew Zajac's performance was incredible. Wish I could go again tomorrow." Kevin Hanrahan - Facebook post on Dogstar page
"Your performance was the best I have seen for many years. Indeed, the wrong man got the Oscar on Sunday night ! My wife and I left the theatre almost stunned." Frank Kennedy, Midleton, Co. Cork - letter
“I saw the first night in Malmö, and it was wonderful. I think there were a lot of people there who seldom or never go to the theatre, and loads were in the pub raving about it afterwards. I heard it was impossible to get a ticket for the 2nd night because word-of-mouth had entirely filled the place up.” Philip Clover, Malmo
“Thank you very much for a fantastic play from Dogstar Theatre Company! It was a performance that touched us deeply, and we think that it is wonderful that our local theatre had an eye on such a great play – it really was an international wonder – unbelievable experience in our little town.” Kurt & Hanne Larsen, Published in Allerød Lokalavisen, Local Newspaper, Allerød, Copenhagen Denmark.
We have now completed our 38-performance tour of The Tailor of Inverness in Denmark, Sweden, Wales and Ireland, including a warm-up gig at Broughton High School Edinburgh. As you can see from the responses above, the tour was a great success. The show received many standing ovations and we are hoping to return to these countries. The Scandinavian dates were set up by Dogstar with Mungo Park Arts Centre, Allerod, Copenhagen, while the Irish Tour was promoted by Richard Ryan Promotions of Dublin. Our sincere thanks to these two organisations for their fantastic support.
Older Stories
Mariafest, Kiev 2012
In October 2012 Hamish MacDonald returned to the unique Mariafest Monolog Festival in the Ukranian capital of Kiev. You can find Hamish's article about his visit - published by Northings - by clicking on the link: http://northings.com/2012/12/06/mariafest-2012/
The Captain's Collection - back in the fold
Hamish Macdonald's play was given an excellent revival earlier in 2012 and is now back in the company's repertoire. The production, led by director Alison Peebles, opened at Scotland's largest festival of traditional music, Celtic Connections, in Glasgow's Tron Theatre in January. It then went on to tour extensively in Scotland in May, receiving a great response from our audiences. The production forms part of one of Dogstar's strongest strands of work - poetic and physical music theatre which examines the individual's response to historical events. We are working towards further performances of The Captain's Collection. More info on our Productions Page.
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The Tailor of Inverness - US Premiere !
Dogstar's remarkable international hit show THE TAILOR OF INVERNESS had its US premiere on January 31st 2012 at the Curtain Theatre, University of Massachusetts in Amherst. The show played there for four nights as part of a week-long residency at UMASS. We have long harboured the ambition to take the show to an American audience and our hopes for the show were rewarded with a tremendous reception which included a spontaneous standing ovation from a packed house at the final performance. Further performances in the US now look likely as a result of our visit, details of which will appear here on confirmation. Our residency at UMASS also included lively meetings with students, post-performance discussions with audience members and Gavin Marwick gave three brilliant lecture-demonstrations on Scottish traditional music to UMASS music students. We would like to express our gratitude to all the wonderful staff at the UMASS Theatre Department and especially to English Professor Jenny Spencer, who facilitated our visit as part of the UMASS Edinburgh Fringe Programme. Jenny worked tirelessly to raise funds and organise every aspect of our visit along with Theatre Department colleagues Harley Erdman and Michael Cottom, who oversaw the construction of a near-perfect replica of the show's set. Thanks also to the students who worked with such dedication on the production, assisting our production manager Sholto Bruce. Read much more about The Tailor of Inverness on our Productions Page.
Translation and Publication
The Tailor of Inverness has now been translated into four languages, the latest being a French translation by theatre professor Daniele Berton. A German translation of the play, by Jens Raschke is available from PER H. LAUKE VERLAG OF HAMBURG, following our successful performances in Berlin, Kiel and Dresden. The play has also been translated into Ukrainian by Svitlana Shilpchenko and into Polish by Wojciech Wozniak for supertitling. The leading Ukrainian literary magazine VSESVIT published Svitlana's translation of the play to mark our visit there in autumn 2010. Svitlana's translation was assisted financially by the Literature Department of the Scottish Arts Council/Creative Scotland. The Polish translation of the play by Wojciech Wozniak is also available.
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Matthew
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Collaboration with Leev Theatre of Iran
Hamish MacDonald and actress Irene Allan (The Seer 2006) spent a week at Dartington College, Devon in May 2011, where they worked with Iranian artists Sasan Pirouz and Hassan Madjouni, developing ideas for a potential co-production between Dogstar and their company Leev Theatre, based in Tehran. Unfortunately, progress has been delayed due to the current freeze in diplomatic relations. We very much hope things will improve to enable this work to come to fruition.
