Lunchtime performances a throwback for director

Rapture Theatre’s next bite-sized lunchtime theatre performance will be trip down memory lane for director Michael Emans.

Treading the boards as a teen actor, the East Kilbride thespian starred in a local lunchtime theatre production of The Browning Version.

Now an established amateur theatre director, Michael brings the timeless play to East Kilbride Arts Centre as part of the company’s new Rapture Bites project.

Michael told Lanarkshire Live: “My first acting role as a young teenage actor was Taplow in The Browning Version which was performed at my local venue in East Kilbride.

“It is a play that stayed with me and one that I am excited about revisiting as I am now close to the age of the hero of the piece: Andrew Crocker Harris.

“Terrence Rattigan writes beautifully about the human heart and I am always moved every time I read the play. When creating Rapture Bites: Lunchtime Theatre Season the inclusion of this wonderful play was a no-brainer. I hope audiences will feel as I do about this wonderful piece of writing.”

The Browning Version is a timeless masterpiece of love and regret and the human capacity for change.

Set in a boys’ public school after the Second World War on the eve of Greek Classics teacher Andrew Crocker Harris’ retirement, this moving and humorous tale displays a profound understanding of the human heart.

“Only those made of steel will be able to sit through this play dry-eyed”, adds Michael.

A seven-strong cast sees Rapture favourites Robin Kingsland as Andrew Crocker-Harris and Paul Albertson as Frank Hunter return after their phenomenal success in Rapture’s production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Starring alongside them are Pandora Cliford, Michael Mackenzie, Dylan Blore, Steven Scott-Fitzgerald and Natalie Clark.

Rapture Bites is an exciting short season of bitesize lunchtime theatre written by some of the most influential, groundbreaking and highly-regarded writers of the last 100 years.

Spanning the 20th century with themes, characters and situations that resonate today, this is a season of three classic plays for a modern audience.

The Browning Version follows on from the success of debut production The Twelve Pound Look.

Michael said: “We are producing a short season of classic one-act plays, touring each play to venues across Scotland for lunchtime audiences.

Our Rapture Bites project will give people an opportunity to see quality lunchtime theatre in their local venue.”

Performance is March 10 at 1pm. Lunch is served from 12pm. Tickets cost £12. Contact the box office on 01355 261000 or visit sllcboxoffice.co.uk