Gala night set to mark 30 years of The Steamie
A RED carpet gala performance of Tony Roper’s The Steamie will be held to celebrate the classic Scottish play’s special anniversary.
The Steamie will be 30-years-old and to mark the occasion, celebrities will adorn the red carpet at the King’s Theatre next Tuesday.
The current run of The Steamie, which is an ode to the hard working women of the 1950s and to a bygone Glasgow, has been playing to great acclaim since opening in Kirkcaldy in September and has so far enthralled audiences in Aberdeen, Dundee, Ayr, Inverness and Stirling.
Written and directed by Tony Roper, the 2017 production stars Libby McArthur as Dolly, Mary McCusker as Mrs Culfeathers, Steven McNicoll as Andy, Carmen Pieraccini as Margrit and Fiona Wood as Doreen.
The play runs at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow from the opening gala performance until Saturday, November 4.
Bringing together the stars of Scottish theatre and screen in a celebration of this seminal Scottish play, the gala night will also raise fund for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. A number of tickets will be sold through the RCS to raise funds for the institution in its 170th anniversary year.
The Royal Conservatoire has consistently played a key part in creating a rich and successful theatre scene in Scotland over the last two centuries, and the producers are excited to join forces with them for the event to mark this incredible milestone.
The show’s writer Tony Roper and producer Neil Laidlaw are both alumni of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Tony said: “In my late forties I sat down with a biro and a jotter, and wrote my first ever play.
“Thirty years have since passed and The Steamie is still there, giving laughter and tears and touching that intangible something in an audience that has made it a favourite night out.”
Professor Jeffrey Sharkey, Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, added: “For 30 years, The Steamie has enchanted audiences with its homage to Glasgow of years gone by.
“From Tony Roper to Neil Laidlaw, our alumni are involved in all facets of the production, highlighting the versatility and creativity of the students who pursue studies in the performing and production arts at the Royal Conservatoire.
“The Steamie remains a treasured part of Scotland’s theatrical heritage and with so many graduates involved, it’s only right for the Royal Conservatoire to celebrate this historic milestone in the same year our institution marks its 170th anniversary.”
This is the third time Neil Laidlaw has produced a tour of The Steamie, first in 2009 and then the 25th anniversary tour in 2012. Originally from Burntisland, Neil is now based in London’s West End.
Neil said: “The Steamie is one of the greatest Scottish plays – I am extremely proud to have had the opportunity to have been associated with it in the past and am now even more excited to be producing this 30th anniversary celebration. I first saw it in a student production at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland while studying there. Dawn Steele played Mrs Culfeathers fabulously!”