A funny case of Tennis Elbow
A new play about creativity and life’s meaning is about to enjoy a run on Sound Stage, Pitlochry Theatre’s audio performance option, during this time of regular plays not taking place in the theatre.
‘Tennis Elbow’ - available to buy a ticket to listen in to from today, April 30 until May 8 - promises to be a refreshing and witty revival of a narrative first begun by Paisley-based playwright and artist, John Byrne.
Forty-four years after becoming the toast of the Edinburgh Fringe with his debut play ‘Writer’s Cramp,’ John Byrne returns to the story of Francis Seneca McDade, an aspiring writer and wouldbe artist from Paisley, but this time focuses on Pamela, his estranged wife, a fellow budding writer, and artist who is struggling to find her way in the world.
As the Nitshill Writing Circle’s HQ pay homage to the life of their beloved mentor, Pamela, they discover that, from her time at boarding school to a stint in prison, a significant part of her life has been an unfortunate series of mishaps and challenges.
Told in a series of flashbacks, Tennis Elbow is a funny, witty, and moving biopic, which in true Byrne fashion relishes wordplay, big ideas and, of course, questions why we are here and why we make art.
For the Naked Productions Ltd/PFT presentation of Tennis Elbow, Pitlochry’s resident artistic director Elizabeth Newman directs.
The cast is Maureen Beattie(Narrator and Mother Scholastica); Cherylee
Houston (Mrs Ripper); Brian Ferguson (McDade and Denholm Pantaloon); Jessica Hardwick (Reader/Brazil); Louise Jameson (Mama); Anne Odeke (Trusty); Sally Reid (Double Davis); Kirsty Stuart (Pam); Samuel West (TV Announcer) and Fiona Wood (Madge/Winnie/Voice).
Writer John Byrne is best known for writing the BAFTA award-winning BBC series ‘Tutti Frutti’ starring Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson, and Richard Wilson.
John studied painting at Glasgow School of Art from 1958-1963 and his paintings have also been used on several record covers by The Beatles, Donovan, Gerry Rafferty and Billy Connolly.
Tickets for Tennis Elbow are available from www.pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com and will include interactive elements as well as the link to the show on the night.