After an unimaginable bought out and award-winning run on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024, Wonder Fools are current their model new present The Kelton Hill Fair. This thrilling new manufacturing will probably be opening at Theatre Royal Dumfries on 21 & 22 March earlier than travelling to the Tron Theatre, Glasgow 25-29 March.
Written by Robbie Gordon and Dumfries & Galloway’s Jack Nurse (above), The Kelton Hill Fair tells the gripping story of Flora, a defiant and desperately alone care skilled teenager from Castle Douglas. As a mighty storm gathers, Flora runs away and stumbles upon a mysterious honest run by the legendary Billy Marshall ‘The King of the Travellers’. The Kelton Hill Fair, is a spot the place time stands nonetheless, particularly as Billy was presupposed to have died in 1792 and is buried close by in Kirkcudbright. Yet right here he’s on the honest in 2025 and accompanied by different well-known Scottish faces linked to Dumfries & Galloway together with none aside from Robert Burns, William Hare (of Burke and Hare fame) and Lady Florence Dixie. But that’s unattainable. Isn’t it?
Rooted in Dumfries & Galloway and co-created with 5 native younger folks, this unmissable new manufacturing brings fascinating storytelling, music and track and explores themes round neighborhood, delusion, legacy and morality while telling the extraordinary story of Billy Marshall who, throughout his 120 yr life, participated in among the most important historic occasions that formed trendy Scotland. As the corporate’s first new mid-scale manufacturing since 549: Scots of the Spanish Civil War and that includes Wonder Fools’ signature theatrical model focussing on storytelling, motion and music, The Kelton Hill Fair presents an interesting exploration of up to date Scotland, as seen by way of the eyes of the nation’s folklore and legends.
The Kelton Hill Fair will probably be carried out by an unimaginable forged of six together with Pericles Snowdon who’s taking part in the primary character of Billy Marshall. Lady Dixie is performed by the fantastic Julie Wilson Nimmo, and Martin Donaghy performs the function of the Bard, Robert Burns. Michael Dylan takes on the character of William Hare and Laura Lovemore is taking part in Lizzy. The function of the troubled teenager Flora is performed by latest RCS graduate and Wonder Fools Youth Board alumni Ava Hickey.
The historical past of Wonder Fools’ The Kelton Hill Fair began again in 2021 after they delivered theatre abilities workshops to varsities throughout Dumfries & Galloway and recruited 5 younger folks for paid apprenticeships to work on their present And Then Come The Nightjars. These younger folks – Charlie McAdam Dorans, Emma Forsyth, Holly Marie Chapman, Sara Thomson, Eilidh Thomson – have been then given the chance to analysis and develop an area story for a brand new Wonder Fools present in addition to creating their theatre-making abilities with bespoke assist from the corporate. Over the previous three years, throughout a number of residencies, the younger folks have been central in creating this seed of an thought into this new full-length play – The Kelton Hill Fair.
Again, for this present, Wonder Fools will probably be providing apprenticeships to 5 younger folks from Dumfries & Galloway to work on the present.
Jack Nurse and Robbie Gordon say of the manufacturing “We are completely thrilled to carry our new manufacturing to audiences this spring. It’s been a pleasure to work so carefully with the Young Collaborators in Dumfries & Galloway to create a brand new present that has such deep roots within the area while additionally holding a wider attraction by way of its common themes and daring theatricality. We hope and really feel that that is essentially the most bold Wonder Fools manufacturing but – we have now an unbelievably gifted forged and inventive staff bringing this timeless story to life, and we are able to’t wait to see folks’s reactions within the viewers.
Emma Forsyth, one of many younger collaborators says of her expertise “To see an idea that was batted around Dalbeattie town hall be something that’s going to appear as a whole world onstage is unreal. The chance to work as an apprentice stage manager in the town next to where I grew up years ago was unheard of, and really motivating for me as an artist to see things can be done down here. I wouldn’t have thought I’d then be involved from the start in creating theatre about my region. Being included in all the stages has been really special and has shaped and consistently motivated my work to add to the rich arts culture in Dumfries and Galloway. It’s just all pretty amazing”
Building on their momentous and prolific 2024 and up to date Multi Year Funding announcement, this bold manufacturing marks an thrilling new chapter for Wonder Fools theatre firm.
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