Creatives Announced For LOCAL HERO at The Lyceum And The Old Vic

The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and The Old Vic, London are delighted to announce that John Crowley will direct the World Premiere of Local Hero, a stage adaptation of the 1983 film, co-written by David Greig and Bill Forsyth, with music and lyrics by Mark Knopfler.

Local Hero will open at The Lyceum on 23 March 2019, and The Old Vic run will open in June 2019.

John Crowley's stage work includes The Present, Anton Chekhov's Platonov adapted by Andrew Upton and starring Cate Blanchett; the London and Broadway runs of Martin McDonagh's Tony-nominated The Pillowman starring David Tennant; McDonagh's A Behanding in Spokane on Broadway starring Christopher Walken; the West End production of Love Song, starring Neve Campbell and Cillian Murphy, and the West End run of On An Average Day, starring Woody Harrelson and Kyle MacLachlan. He was Associate Director at The Donmar Warehouse.

Crowley's film work includes Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning Brooklyn, starring Saoirse Ronan, Film Four's Boy A, starring Andrew Garfield and the upcoming film adaptation of Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch starring Ansel Elgort, Nicole Kidman and Sarah Paulson.

Crowley returns to The Lyceum having directed the 1993 production of The Master Builder starring Brian Cox.

The creative team further includes Tony Award-winning Set and Costume Designer Scott Pask, whose work includes The Pillowman, directed by John Crowley, The Coast of Utopia, The Book of Mormon and more recently Tina Fey's Mean Girls and Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan, starring Condola Rashad.

Lighting Designer Paule Constable is a National Theatre of Great Britain Associate who has won the Olivier Award for Best Lighting Design a record four times. Her work includes Follies, Angels in America, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time and War Horse.

Tony and Olivier Award-winning Sound Designer Paul Arditti's work includes Billy Elliot: The Musical, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Scottsboro Boys, King Charles III and Amadeus.

Video design will be by BAFTA-winning Luke Halls, whose work includes The Royal Opera House's Don Giovanni, Metropolitan Opera's Otello, and The National Theatre of Great Britain's Ugly Lies The Bone, as well as the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic closing ceremonies, and video designs for tours by Adele, Beyoncé, Pet Shop Boys, U2 and Rihanna.

Music Supervisor Dave Milligan is an acclaimed jazz pianist and leading figure in the diverse Scottish music scene, having co-founded Unusual Suspects and worked extensively with Celtic Connections and Edinburgh Jazz Festival. Music Director Phil Bateman's recent work includes Bob Marley musical One Love, Bugsy Malone, The Lorax, Billy Elliot: The Musical and Made in Dagenham, and he was Vocal Arranger on the films Kinky Boots and Cemetery Junction.

The stage adaptation is co-written by The Lyceum's Artistic Director David Greig and multi-award winning director and writer Bill Forsyth, with music and lyrics by acclaimed composer and Glasgow-born producer Mark Knopfler - founder of internationally celebrated band Dire Straits, whose album Brothers in Arms is one of the top 20 highest selling albums in UK history - and who has previously composed music for films including The Princess Bride, Wag the Dog and Comfort and Joy.

The Lyceum's Artistic Director David Greig says: 'God, this is exciting! I'm thrilled The Lyceum will be working with a team of this calibre to make Local Hero. John Crowley is a director on top of his game. From The Pillowman to Brooklyn he has shown himself a master of complex emotional material. I was recently privileged to see his production of The Present on Broadway with Cate Blanchett and it was one of the defining experiences of my theatre-going life. Scott Pask is a visionary Stage Designer who is at home with an intimate play as he is with a huge Broadway musical. The Lyceum audience are in for a treat to see his work in our gorgeous theatre. Paul Arditti worked with me on the crazy, surreal soundscape of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory and Paule Constable has lit some of the most beautiful shows in London's West End in recent years. Together with Luke Halls' video work having pushed boundaries at the Paralympics and in Royal Opera House, we have a world class creative team in whom to trust the legacy of Bill's much loved film.'

The Old Vic's Artistic Director Matthew Warchus says: 'It's very exciting to see Bill Forsyth's masterpiece entrusted to such a classy line-up of international creative talent.'

Local Hero is due to open at The Lyceum in Spring 2019 before transferring to The Old Vic. This production is generously supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland and presented by special arrangement with Neal Street Productions and Patrick Daly of Caledonia Productions.

The first release of public tickets for Local Hero will go on sale at 10am on 1 May 2018 at The Lyceum. Advanced booking for Local Hero will open at 12pm on 5 June 2018 and general booking will open at 12pm on 26 June 2018 at The Old Vic. Please see full listings below for further information.