SLEEPING BETTY to Play Tron Theatre This Holiday Season

Award-winning playwright David Ireland (Can't Forget About You, Everything Between Us) has turned his hand to writing our panto script this year, and with our trusted director/designer Kenny Miller at the helm, SLEEPING BETTY promises to be a hoot, filled with all the usual Glesga patter, hilarious slapstick and general nonsense.

Take a perennially tired princess Betty and her flatulent hamster pal, their battle to outwit an evil fairy determined to ruin her 16th birthday party AND her chance to impress Handsome Dan, the fanciest dancer in all the land and you have all the ingredients for another of our inimitable festive shows.

As fleet-of-foot performer/choreographer (and panto favourite) Darren Brownlie tries to woo narcoleptic Betty, played by newcomer to the Tron stage, Amy Scott, Louise McCarthy evils things up as the wicked fairy battling to keep them apart. Julie Wilson Nimmo returns after her triumph as Mrs Hawker last year in the role of Hamish Hamster, Betty's trusty companion and the cast is completed with two further newcomers, Ryan Ferrie and Neil Thomas.

With original music by Ross Brown and a set that will sparkle and glisten with Kenny Miller's usual fabulousness, SLEEPING BETTY is guaranteed to fill even the tired-est of souls with festive joy!

Running time: approx. 2 hours (+ 20 minute interval)

IF YOU GO:

SLEEPING BETTY

Venue: Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow G1 5HB

Dates: Fri 27 Nov 2015 - Sun 3 Jan 2016

Tickets: £9 - £18; Family ticket £58 (£44 off-peak), Previews £9

Box Office: 0141 552 4267 or www.tron.co.uk

CAST:

Sleeping Betty Amy Scott

Handsome Dan Darren Brownlie

Fairly Evil Louise McCarthy

Hamish Hamster Julie Wilson Nimmo

Queen Pantalooney, The Fairy Neil Thomas

Godfather & Nearly Evil

Ensemble/Understudy Ryan Ferrie

CREATIVE TEAM:

Writer David Ireland

Director & Designer Kenny Miller

Composer + Musical Director Ross Brown

Musician Alan Sweeney

Lighting Designer Kate Bonney

Choreographer Darren Brownlie

BIOGRAPHIES:

DAVID IRELAND - David was Playwright-in-Residence at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast from 2011-12. Born in Belfast, David trained as an actor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now the Royal Conservatoire) in Glasgow. He has worked as an actor with many theatre companies across the UK including the Royal Shakespeare Company, Manchester Royal Exchange, Glasgow's Citizens' Theatre and the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. His first play What The Animals Say was produced at Òran Mór in Glasgow and transferred to the Belfast Festival. This was followed by Everything Between Us (Tinderbox Theatre Company/Solas Nua), which won the Meyer-Whitworth Award and the Stewart Parker BBC Award. Other writing credits include: End Of Desire (Òran Mór), Half A Glass Of Water (Field Day), Yes So I Said Yes (Ransom Productions), Can't Forget About You (Lyric Theatre, Belfast), Most Favoured (Traverse/ Òran Mór), The Hen Night (Royal Conservatoire Of Scotland), Summertime (Tinderbox) and I Promise You Sex And Violence (Northern Stage). He adapted Lorca's Blood Wedding for Dundee Rep Ensemble and Graeae. His hit comedy Can't Forget About You was re-staged at the Tron in summer 2015 to audience and critical acclaim. David is currently working on new plays for Field Day, the Abbey, the National Theatre of Scotland and BBC Radio 4.

KENNY MILLER - Kenny Miller is an award-winning designer and director and is currently Associate Director for Perth Theatre. He has worked in theatre and opera both nationally and internationally, designing and directing for many companies such as Royal Court Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Oxford Stage Company, Hampstead Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Palace Theatre Watford, Greenwich Theatre, Bush Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, Royal Lyceum, Oldham Coliseum Theatre, Dundee Rep Theatre, Borderline Theatre Company, Òran Mór, Scottish Youth Theatre, Birds of Paradise Theatre Company, The Arches, Tron Theatre and National Theatre of Scotland. He is also a founding member of the Glasgow-based company Theatre Jezebel.

DARREN BROWNLIE - Darren began his training on the Musical Theatre course at the Dance School of Scotland, went on to the Arts Educational Schools, London and completed his training at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He works regularly as a performer and choreographer with the Tron Theatre company, recent credits including: Miracle on 34 Parnie Street, Peter Panto and the Incredible Stinkerbell, Cannibal Woman of Mars, Aganeza Scrooge, Flo White, Ya Beauty and The Beast and The Winter King. Other theatre credits include: Nijinsky's Last Jump (Company Chordelia), Tin Forest-Puppet Experience (National Theatre of Scotland), Dance Derby (Company Chordelia/Scottish Opera, Edinburgh Fringe, 2013/2014 Tour), Company (Cottiers Theatre), A Song & A Sip (Insideout productions), From Paisley to Paolo (Mull Theatre/Òran Mór), Whisky Galore, The Greatest Little Republic (Mull Theatre) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bard in the Botanics). Additional choreography credits include: Butterfly (Ramesh Mayyappan), Godspell (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), Dr Ferret's Bad Medicine Road Show (Scottish Opera), The Ugly Duckling (Catherine Wheels), Tall Tales for Small People (TAG), The Wizard of Oz (Citizens' Theatre), Irn Bru Musical advert, Jobs advert (STV). Film/ Television credits include: Being Victor (STV), Meet the Magoons (Channel 4), The James Gang (Polygram Films), Wise Guys, My Barmy Aunt Boomerang and Love Me Tender (BBC Mind The Gap), for which he won the BAFTA for Best Performance.

RYAN FERRIE - Ryan trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in BA Musical Theatre. Ryan's performances whilst studying include; Olivier Awards 2011 (Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London), Stephen Sondheim Society Student of the Year Award (Garrick Theatre, London), John Barrowman's Concert Tour and BBC Children In Need: Rocks Scotland 2011 (Glasgow's SECC). Since graduating in 2012 Ryan has performed as part of Susan Boyle's UK Tour and has recently returned from playing Nick Piazza in Fame he Musical onboard the Silja Serenade, Scandinavia. Ryan has performed for the last two years at Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling for their Christmas Pantomime. He is so excited to be in Glasgow and hopes everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

LOUISE McCARTHY - Louise trained at the Arts Educational School, London. Her theatre work includes Jaquoranda (Perth Theatre), Peter Panto and the Incredible Stinkerbell (Tron Theatre Company), The Trouble With Double (Òran Mór), Yer Granny, Men Should Weep (National Theatre of Scotland), Much Ado About Nothing (Bard in the Botanics), Mamma Mia (Prince of Wales Theatre, London), Company (Cottier Theatre) and Dick Whittington (Kilmarnock Palace Theatre). Television work includes Stacey Stone and Raptures (CBBC), Sketchland, What's Funny About The Indyref (BBC Scotland) and Scot Squad (BBC Comedy Unit), Two Doors Down (BBC).

AMY SCOTT - Amy began her training at the Dance School of Scotland on the Musical theatre course. She was the first recipient of the International Fellowship Award which involved studying at MacDonald College of Performing Arts, Sydney, before completing a BA Hons in Musical Theatre at Mountview Academy in London. Pantomine credits include: Dick Whittington (Plowright Theatre), Peter Pan (The Churchill Theatre) and Mother Goose (The Palace Theatre). Amy has also appeared in Christ On A Bike (Edinburgh Fringe 2015), Wag! The Musicial, Private Lives, Smokey Joe's Cafe, Tuxedo Junction, Reel To Reel, Songs from 88 Notes, West End West Side (P&O Cruises), Leela and Omar The Poet (Tara Arts) and Beyond The Barricade. Amy has featured as a Sensational Sister of Soul on two UK tours of The Blues Brothers' Party and as Miss Sherman in Fame (Edinburgh Fringe 2010). Television and commercial work includes: Stacey Stone (BBC); The AA's Tales from The Roadside, Bet 365 Bingo and the Co-op. This is Amy's first time appearing in panto in her home town and she can't wait to have a fun-filled festive season with you all.

NEIL THOMAS - Neil graduated from Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh, in 2006 with a BA in Acting. Since graduating Neil has worked in theatre both in the UK and internationally, as well as in TV, radio and voiceover and as a singer. Neil has appeared in many theatre productions, including various Scottish touring and Edinburgh Fringe productions. He has also enjoyed five runs with Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum Theatre Company, appearing in productions as diverse as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and A Midsummer Night's Dream. He has also appeared in many musicals including Company, Clinton: The Musical, Little Shop of Horrors and the Visible Fictions/Scottish Opera co-production Clockwork. Neil also regularly sings in cabarets and musical theatre revue shows around Scotland, both in major theatres and for corporate events.

JULIE WILSON NIMMO - Julie trained at the RSAMD (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) in Glasgow. Theatre credits include: Miracle on 34 Parnie Street, Shining Souls (Tron Theatre Company), Tutti Frutti, 365, The House of Bernarda Alba, Men Should Weep (National Theatre of Scotland), Beautiful Burnout (Frantic Assembly and National Theatre of Scotland), The Static (ThickSkin), Double Nugget, News Just In, The Beat Goes On (Random Accomplice), Corstorphine Road Nativity (Festival Theatre, Edinburgh), Aladdin (First Family/ Kings Glasgow), Balamory Live (DC Entertainment/BBC Live), The Magic Island (TAG), The Date (Òran Mór), Beauty and the Beast (Citizens' Theatre, Glasgow). TV and film work includes: Chewin' The Fat, Rab C Nesbitt, The Baldyman (BBC comedy unit), Taggart (STV), Balamory, Murder Rooms, Pulp Video (BBC), Mike and Angelo (ITV), The Slab Boys (Skreba Films), My Life So Far (Enigma Films), Mrs Caldicott's Cabbage War (Mersey Films), Afterlife (Colonial Films). Radio includes: Fags, Mags-n-Bags, Cube, Through and Leechill (BBC Radio Scotland/Radio 4).

ABOUT TRON THEATRE COMPANY - The Tron Theatre Company is currently under the artistic leadership of Andy Arnold. The Tron Theatre aims to present the people of Glasgow and the West of Scotland with outstanding professional productions of the finest contemporary classics, with an emphasis on world, UK and Scottish premieres. Recent productions include Ghosts, Happy Days, Ulysses, Stones In His Pockets, Plume, Staircase, Valhalla, Sea and Land and Sky (World Premier and winner of the Open.Stage writing competition), Dirty Paradise, The Government Inspector, The City, Defender of the Faith (UK Premiere), Like the Rain (Scottish premiere), Bliss (Scottish premiere) and Mud. This is in addition to our justly celebrated pantomimes, most recently, Miracle on 34 Parnie Street, Aganeza Scrooge, Mister Merlin, Flo White and Ya Beauty and the Beast, which have acquired something of a cult following. The Tron Theatre was established as a theatre club in 1979 (going fully public in 1989), rising from the ashes of the destroyed Close Theatre, based at the Citizens' Theatre, Glasgow. The Tron is also an established receiving theatre on the small-middle scale, as well as a major venue for many of Glasgow's festivals including Celtic Connections, Glasgow International Comedy Festival and the Merchant City Festival.