Jason’s Fringe benefits
A Coatbridge actor is aiming for a capital gain as he prepares to bring his one-man show to the Edinburgh Fringe – all in the name of charity.
Jason Harvey, 43, will take to the stage next week for performances of play Mcnaughton.
Proceeds from the former Coatbridge College student’s production will go towards Men’s Mental Health in Scotland.
Jason explained:“i play a character called Daniel Mcnaughton in the show; he’s a wood turner who, in 1843, had to wait in his prison cell while a jury decided his fate for the attempted assassination of Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel.
“Daniel suffered from mental health issues, which is why I decided to raise funds for this particular charity.
“The show is written by award-winning playwright Steve Gooch and directed by Christine Kimberley.
“I cannot wait to bring the play to the Fringe and hopefully as many people as possible turn out to see the show and support the charity; it would be nice if people from Lanarkshire were among the audiences as well.”
Earlier this year, Jason was shortlisted alongside A-list stars Steve Buscemi and Ray Winstone for the prestigious Best Supporting Actor prize at the National Film Awards (NFA).
The nomination was for his role as Wallace in the independently produced feature-length movie Retreat.
Jason’s acting career has spanned almost 20 years and dovetailed with another trade as he attempted to make ends meet.
He said:“i was 23-years-old and working as a joiner when I decided on acting; since then I’ve been combining both; last year I decided to gamble and put my tools down to concentrate completely on acting.”
Performances of Mcnaughton take place at the Space on the Mile at the Raddison Hotel on August 19-24, between 7pm and 8.10pm.
Tickets cost £8/£6 and can be booked by visiting http://tickets.edfringe.com/ whats-on/mcnaughton