The Tailor of Inverness ? Krawiec z Inverness, a prestigious Scotsman Fringe First winner, and one of the outstanding productions at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe will be touring throughout Scotland in 2009. The play is written and performed by one actor, Matthew Zajac, and directed by acclaimed Grid Iron director Ben Harrison with a live score from two of Scotland?s finest traditional fiddlers, Jonny Hardie and Gavin Marwick. The tour opens on Saturday 24 January 2009 at The Tron, Glasgow, as part of Celtic Connections, and finishes at Eden Court, Inverness on Saturday 21 February.
The production played at the Assembly Rooms during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Matthew was also awarded The Stage Award for Best Solo Performer and the play received The Holden Theatres Award, Adelaide, and opens at the Adelaide Fringe, Australia, on Wednesday 25 February.
Inspired by the life of Matthew?s father, this is the story of a boy who grew up on a farm in Galicia (Eastern Poland, now Western Ukraine) and became a tailor in Inverness, of how a life and an identity can be reconstructed. The tailor?s life spanned most of the 20th century, and the journey he took was made by thousands of Poles during the Second World War. His was a forced migration, subject to the brutal vagaries of war. Before settling in Scotland, he traveled and fought throughout Europe, the Soviet Union, the Middle East and England.
In a new country, he became a new man and integrated himself into the fabric of Highland life. He made clothes for thousands of people, including himself, constructing the outward trappings which play a part in defining who we are. This man's story is not straightforward. He was one of millions whose fate was determined by massive upheavals over which he had no control. But was he really who he said he was?
Evoking the diversity of the tailor's life through theatrical imagery, The Tailor of Inverness combines storytelling, moving and still video projections, costume and choreography.
In recent years, Inverness based Dogstar, has established itself as a leading theatre company from the Highlands of Scotland, touring extensively there and throughout Scotland and also recently to Ukraine. Recent works includes The Seer by Ali Smith, 'e Polish Quine by Henry Adam and Seven Ages by Hamish MacDonald. The Tailor of Inverness was developed with Grid Iron. This Dogstar production is supported by the Scottish Arts Council and The Hugh Fraser Foundation.
For further press information & images: Liz Smith
Tel: 0141 423 4373 mobile: 07971 417210 email:
daisyben@msn.com
www.dogstartheatre.co.uk
Listings information:
Venue: Celtic Connections, Tron Theatre, Glasgow
Date/times: Saturday 24 & >Sunday 25 January 8.00pm
Tickets: £12.50
Box Office: 0141 353 8000
Online @ www.celticconnections.com
Venue: The Catstrand, New Galloway, Castle Douglas
Date/time: Wednesday 28 January 7.30pm
Tickets: £8/£6
Box Office: 01644 420374.
Online www.thebooth.co.uk
Venue: Eastgate Theatre, Peebles
Date/time:Thursday 29 January 7.30pm
Tickets: £11/£9
Box Office: 01721 725777.
Online @ www.thebooth.co.uk
Venue: Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh
Date/time: Friday 30 January 7.30pm
Tickets: £10.50/£8.50 Under 18s £6
Box Office: 0131 665 2240.
Online @ www.thebooth.co.uk
Venue: Webster Theatre, Arbroath
Date/time Saturday 31 January 7.30pm
Tickets: £8/£6 £5 Clubs
Box Office: 01241 435800
Venue: Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline
Date/time: Monday 2 February 7.30pm
Tickets: £8.50/£7/£5
Box Office: 01383 602302.
Online @ www.carnegiehall.org.uk
Venue: Tower Mill, Heart of Hawick
Date/time: Tuesday 3 February 7.30pm
Tickets: £8/£6
Box Office: 01450 360688.
Online @ www.thebooth.co.uk
Venue: Byre Theatre, St. Andrews
Date/time: Wednesday 4 February 7.30pm
Tickets: £14/£12/£8 24 & under
Box Office: 01334 475000.
Online www.byretheatre.com
Venue: Macphail Theatre, Ullapool
Thursday 5 February 8.00pm
Tickets: £/£5 £3 schools
Email: mail@macphailcentre.co.uk
Box Office: 01854 613336
Venue: An Lanntair, Stornoway
Time/date: Friday 6 February 8pm
Tickets: £8/£6 £7 An Lanntair friends
Box Office: 01851 703307.
Online @ www.thebooth.co.uk
Venue: Sabhal Mor Ostaig, Isle of Skye
Time/date: Saturday 7 February 8pm
Tickets: £9/£4 students/£3 children/£7 members
Tickets: 01851 844207.
Online @ www.seall.co.uk
Venue: Airainn Shuaineirt (The Sunart Centre, Strontian) Date/time
Monday 9 February 8.00pm
Tickets: £8/£6 under 18s £3
Tickets: 01397 709228
Venue: Druimfin, Tobermory, Isle of Mull
Date/time: Tuesday 10 February 8.00pm
Tickets: £8/£6
Box Office: 01688 302828
Venue: Lossiemouth Town Hall
Date/time:Thursday 12 February 7.30pm
Tickets: £9/£8
Box Office: 01343 812016
Venue: Woodend Barn, Banchory
Time/date: Friday 13 February 7.30pm
Tickets: £9 (£7) £5 under 16
Box Office: 01330 825431
http://www.woodendbarn.co.uk
Venue: Lonach Hall, Strathdon, Aberdeenshire
Date/time: Saturday 14 February 7.30pm (doors open from 6.45pm)
Tickets: £7/ £5.
Tickets: Online @ www.thebooth.co.uk
Telephone 019756 51779.
Venue: OneTouch Theatre, Eden Court, Inverness
Date/time: Wednesday 18 - Saturday 21 February 7.30pm
Tickets: £12/£10
Box Office: 01463 234 234
Online www.eden-court.co.uk