WIPING MY MOTHER'S ARSE to Make First Revival in 25 Years at Pitlochry Festival Theatre
Iain Heggie's Fringe First-winning play stars Johnny McKnight, Anne Kidd, Lisa Livingstone, and David Rankine.
Winner of a Fringe First Award and a sold-out hit at the Traverse Theatre in 2001, Iain Heggie's play, Wiping My Mother's Arse, is set to return for a bold new version at Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 15 August – 5 September.
At its heart is the story of Andrene, an elderly woman in a care home, Larry, her overworked carer, and her conflicted son Derek. After months away, Derek has brought his new girlfriend Kath to meet his mother to find something has changed for the worse at the care home, which he fears may jeopardise his new relationship and forces him to act.
The play explores the chaos, comedy, and heartbreak of ageing, where secrets can't stay buried and the everyday becomes dangerously unpredictable. Darkly comic, and tender, Wiping My Mother's Arse challenges audiences to face the uncomfortable truths we often avoid, while finding humour and compassion in the most unlikely places.
Wiping my Mother's Arse's cast will feature Johnny McKnight (She's Behind You, Traverse Theatre and National Theatre of Scotland), Anne Kidd (Shetland, BBC Scotland), Lisa Livingstone (DCI Brooke Shaw in River City, BBC Scotland) and David Rankine (The Great Gatsby, Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Derby Theatre).
Under the direction of Pitlochry Festival Theatre's Deputy Artistic Director Sam Hardie (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Pitlochry Festival Theatre), the creative team will include designer Jenny Booth (The Burns Project, The National Trust for Scotland); Lighting by Michaella Fee (Moorcroft, Traverse Theatre) and Sound designer and Composer Niroshini Thambar (Cyprus Avenue, IAP/National Theatre of Scotland).
Iain Heggie is a Scottish playwright, director and improvisation teacher. His plays include A Wholly Healthy Glasgow (Edinburgh International Festival, Royal Exchange, Royal Court), American Bagpipes (Royal Exchange, Royal Court, Musselburgh Theatre.) Politics In The Park (Liverpool Playhouse, Tron, Traverse, Old Red Lion, London), Tobacco Merchants Lawyer (Oran Mor, Traverse, Tron, Finborough, London) and Sauchiehall St (Vanishing Point Tour) He has also adapted Don Juan (after Moliere, Babel Theatre tour), Love Freaks (from Marivaux, RSC reading, Tron production) and King of Scotland (from Gogol's Diary of a Madman Babel tour, Assembly, Tron, Citizens.) Iain has also written for the BBC Scotland television series River City.
Director Sam Hardie said, "I am thrilled to be directing Iain Heggie's new version of Wiping My Mother's Arse. We have such an exciting cast joining the production, many who you'll recognise from across Scottish stage and screens, as well as a brilliant creative team to bring this funny yet tender story to life. Since its premiere at the Traverse Theatre in 2001, where the production won a Fringe First, Iain has rewritten and developed the story for its outing 25 years later at Pitlochry. It packs lots of laughs for our audiences and has a big heart too."
The production forms part of Alan Cumming's inaugural season as Artistic Director at Pitlochry Festival Theatre, as the theatre celebrates its 75th anniversary.
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