This week marks the centenary of Scotland’s iconic comedian Chic Murray. BBC Scotland are repeating my play about the great man tonight at 11 pm.
A huge thanks to Craig and the team at Carrick Cycles in Ayr for preparing the Bianchi bike for “Marco Pantani : The Pirate” at Oran Mor. Also my sincere thanks to Mick Cullen, Janet Coulson and Tom McGovern for their immense contribution to the success of the play.
“Chic Murray- A Funny Place For A Window” starring the legendary Dave Anderson, the lugubrious Brian James O’Sullivan and the larger than life Maureen Carr is being shown on BBC Scotland at 23.00 on is going to be repeated this Sunday, 10th November at 2300 on BBC Scotland channel. It will also be back on the BBC iplayer.
Five Star comedy on the triumphs and tragedies of the glittering but flawed life of unique Scots comedian, Chic Murray. Seriously funny.
Written and Directed By Stuart Hepburn, Chic Murray – A Funny Place For A Window tells the story in music, comedy and song of the rise and fall of Scotland’s “Comedian’s Comedian”, Chic Murray. Starring Dave Anderson, Brian James O’Sullivan and Maureen Carr.
We follow the Chic from his humble beginnings in Greenock, through his chance meeting with his muse, wife and stage partner, Maidie Dickson and then on to international stardom. Chic was a man who could have been a Hollywood movie star, but preferred to plough his own remarkable, hilarious and at times absurd furrow.
“Chic Murray- A Funny Place For A Window” went on to be voted one of the ten best PPP plays ever, and enjoyed packed houses and five star reviews all along the way.
We open at The Newtown Theatre, Venue 7 on the 19th-25th Of August. Book tickets here.
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/chic-murray-a-funny-place-for-a-window
Oran Mor 14th, 15th and 27th August . Book Tickets here
https://www.ticketweb.uk/event/chic-murray-a-funny-place-oran-mor-tickets/9540395
Beacon Arts Centre Greenock. Friday 30th, Sat August 30th, (Matinee 1.30)
https://beaconartscentre.co.uk/events/chic-murray-a-funny-place-for-a-window-3/
Day two of the new play by Mull Historical frontman Colin McIntyre. Starring Andrew John Tait, Eva Traynor and Tom McGovern . Designed by Gemma Patchett and directed by Stuart Hepburn
Last chance to see ” A Funny Place For A Window”
” The Beaches of St Valery” which opened to four star reviews at Oran Mor in March will be touring next year to venues all over Scotland. The play tells the epic story of a young Scottish Soldier of the 51st Highland Division.
The play debunks the “miracle” of Dunkirk, and tells the tale of the 9,000 Scottish Soldiers sacrificed by Churchill in a secret deal with De Gaulle. For them there was no way home. For them there were no little ships. For them there was only St Valery-en-Caux, surrender, and four years incarceration .
But a few of them escaped . We follow one of them , 18 year old Private Callum Chisholm as he ages from a raw recruit in the 4th Cameron Highlanders in 1938, to a war-weary officer on the Rhine in 1945.
He suffers defeat, surrender, escape, and a hollow victory, as the juggernaut of war rumbles on. But through the horrors of war, Callum finds and then loses the love of his life, Catriona. “The Beaches Of St Valery” is Callum and Catriona’s story.
Watch this space for details.
Major General Victor Fortune Surrenders to General Erwin Rommel at St Valery ©Imperial War Museum
I am delighted to announce that my new play, “The Empty Charcoal Box” will open the new season at Oran Mor on Monday August 28th.
“It all started with the empty Charcoal Box. But that’s not where it started for Eddie. For Eddie, it started with Sonja Kristina……”
“The Empty Charcoal Box” is the tragi-comic story of how a long-hidden event of extreme violence 45 years ago has haunted the lives of three Ayrshire Schoolboys ever since. A contemporary crisis mean that Billy, Eddie and Deansy are finally forced to confront that age old question which determines our path to wisdom: Should we look backwards to try undo our mistakes, or forwards and try not to repeat them?
The play will be directed by myself and will feature three of Scotland’s most talented actors, Ryan Fletcher, James McKenzie and Gavin Jon Wright.
Ryan Fletcher
Gavin Jon Wright
James McKenzie
The play will use sound, movement and live music to tell this darkly comic tale of guilt, retribution and rebirth. Amongst others it features the work of Curved Air, Pink Floyd, John Kongos, Sham 69 and The Ramones.
Ryan Fletcher has most recently been seen on the stage as Phil McCann in “Cuttin’ A Rug” at the Citizens and in “Milk” at The Traverse, and has appeared in “River City” , “Gary Tank Commander” and “The Limmy Show” on the small screen.
Gavin Jon Wright is just back from the US tour of “Titus” where he played the title role. He played “Spud” in Trainspotting at The Citizens, and features in the role of Hugh Kirk in the recent three part ITV Drama “In Plain Sight”.
James McKenzie was last seen onstage at the Oran Mor and The Traverse as John Wilkes Booth in “His Final Bow” . He also appeared in the NTS production “Rites” and will be familiar to “River City” fans for his role as Gary Trenton.
The play runs from August 28th till September 2nd.
Full programming and booking details here at Play, Pie & Pint
