The new comedy-drama by Stephen Christopher and Graeme Smith returns to the Traverse following its acclaimed A Play, A Pie & A Pint run.
The Traverse Theatre has announced the cast for its upcoming production of DANCING SHOES by Stephen Christopher and Graeme Smith, which will run in Traverse 1 from December 4–20, 2025. The vibrant and heartfelt comedy-drama about friendship, fame, and finding your rhythm is directed by Brian Logan and produced by the Traverse Theatre Company in association with A Play, A Pie & A Pint.
The cast features Stephen Docherty reprising the role of Donny, Craig McLean as Jay, and Lee Harris as Craig. Following its popular spring run at Òran Mór, the production returns to the Traverse with new energy, heart, and humor.
In Dancing Shoes, Donny’s life has been shaped by addiction and isolation, but when he joins a local support group, he forms an unexpected bond with Jay and Craig. As their friendship deepens, Donny reveals his secret passion—dancing alone in his bedroom. When a video of his private routine goes viral, sudden internet fame threatens the trust they’ve built, forcing all three to confront what it means to be seen.
Stephen Docherty began his career with Clyde Unity Theatre in the 1990s, performing in award-winning productions including A Little Older, Killing Me Softly, Beyond the Rainbow, Lambs of God, Love Among the Juveniles, Breadmakers, and Babycakes. His extensive stage credits include Tomorrow (Vanishing Point), Twelfth Night and Scenes from an Execution (Dundee Rep), Angels in America (Sheffield Crucible), Homers (Traverse), A Taste of Honey, Lion in the Streets, Just One More Dance, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, and The Three Estates. A seasoned pantomime dame, he has appeared at The Byre, The Brunton Theatre, The Webster Theatre, Carnegie Hall, The Alhambra, and The Adam Smith Theatre. Screen credits include Rebus, Armchair Detectives, Rockface, and the upcoming BBC production Gifted, as well as films Orphans, My Name Is Joe, The Acid House, and Post Mortem.
Lee Harris trained at the Dance School of Scotland and Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. His theatre credits include Nun of Your Business (A Play, A Pie & A Pint), the world premiere of To Wong Foo (Hope Mill Theatre), Aladdin (King’s Theatre), Tiger Bay (Wales Millennium Centre), Yank! (Hope Mill and Charing Cross Theatre), This Happy Breed, Hard Times, Carousel, Scrooge!, and A White Feather (Pitlochry Festival Theatre), as well as Les Misérables (Sondheim Theatre) and Oliver! (UK tour). Screen and radio credits include Chork (BBC), Daedalus (BFI Film Academy), Once Upon a Time in Morningside (Screen Education Edinburgh), Transmogrification (Hatmistake Productions), Dear Green Place (BBC), Swipe Right (Controvento Films), and The Death of the Phone Booth (Big Room Productions).
Craig McLean, originally from Holytown, North Lanarkshire, made his stage debut in A Respectable Widow Takes to Vulgarity (A Play, A Pie & A Pint). His screen work includes Rebus (BBC One), Dirty Water (STV), and Stevens & McCarthy (BBC Scotland), alongside numerous independent short films. Stage credits include Tally’s Blood (Perth Theatre), The Scaff, Rab Hood, Cinderella 2 – I Married a Numpty, Dixie Whittington – The Hamecoming (Òran Mór), and Maw Goose (Insideout Productions).
The production is written by Stephen Christopher and Graeme Smith, directed by Brian Logan, and designed by Heather Grace Currie, with lighting design by Renny Robertson and choreography by Jack Webb. Katie Edmondson serves as stage manager and Skyler Riordan as assistant stage manager.
DANCING SHOES will run from Thursday 4 December to Saturday 20 December 2025 in Traverse 1. Tickets and the full programme are available at www.traverse.co.uk.
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