Theatre News

New theatre platform unveiled by Pitlochry Theatre, Royal Lyceum and more

The ”Sound Stage” initiative features eight new plays from acclaimed writers

Pitlochry Festival Theatre
Pitlochry Festival Theatre
© Julius Cardew

A new audio-digital theatre platform has been unveiled, releasing new plays from March to October 2021.

Mark Ravenhill, Roy Williams, Timberlake Wertenbaker and John Byrne are among the playwrights presenting premieres as part of the platform, named Sound Stage, which is a venture between Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh.

It will open with Ravenhill's first autobiographical play, Angela, which will be availale from 26 March 2021. Tickets go on sale on Valentine's Day. Other playwrights on the platform include Lynda Radley, Jaimini Jethwa, Frances Poet and Gary McNair.

Elizabeth Newman, Artistic Director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre said: "Pitlochry Festival Theatre is thrilled to share the news about Sound Stage. The original idea came from my experience last year making the audio premiere of Adventures with the Painted People with David, Polly, and the rest of the Naked Productions Team. The quality we could produce remotely blew me away and made me think this is how we can make great work during lockdown.

"However, this did not solve the problem of how much audiences and the theatre industry as a whole were missing the experience of going to the theatre itself… and so Sound Stage was born. With Sound Stage audience members can come together for the experience of not only listening to exceptional new audio plays written by some of the UK's best-known playwrights but also the experience of ‘attending' a virtual theatre. From entering the theatre itself and being ushered to your seat, to meeting people in the interval and staying afterwards to listen to a post-show discussion, Sound Stage will be an exciting new theatrical experience for everyone."

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