Perth Theatre and the Scottish Arts Trust have secured an exclusive and intimate In Conversation with… event with globally celebrated actor Alan Cumming and author Louise Welsh as a fundraiser for Perth Theatre’s community activities.
Over a delicious traditional lunch sponsored by Simon Howie in Perth Theatre’s Joan Knight Studio on Friday 12 May, Alan, who recorded the audio book of Louise Welsh’s award-winning novel The Second Cut, will share a conversation with Louise about theatre, Traitors and taking a stand, alongside personal insights from his new book Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life.
Returning to his Perthshire roots to share stories from the eclectic career that has taken him from small stage to big screen, winning him fame and fans across the globe, this is an exclusive opportunity to discover why Time Magazine called Alan Cumming ‘one of the three most fun people in show business’!
Alan who, amongst other causes, is patron of Scottish Youth Theatre and an ambassador for the Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI), an organisation committed to education and empowerment for LGBTQ youth, has expressed his delight at appearing at the event in support of Perth Theatre’s community outreach projects for young people.
Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Louise Welsh is the author of nine novels including The Cutting Room, The Plague Times Trilogy and The Second Cut, and has received numerous awards and international fellowships.
Louise, who will be discussing returning to her protagonist Rilke, twenty years after his first appearance in the cult novel The Cutting Room, said:
“I am very excited about meeting Alan whose work I have been a fan of even before The High Life (I have the entire series on DVD). Alan is an actor of incredible range who is able to give life to multiple genres – a Hollywood actor who still knows how to plant his feet and accents on Scottish soil. A man of the theatre, the big screen and TV. I was beyond honoured that he is the audio book narrator for The Second Cut.”
Sara Cameron McBean, Trustee of the Scottish Arts Trust said: “Alan and Louise are such fantastically engaging writers and speakers and have both provided such great support for our writing programmes at the Scottish Arts Trust. We can’t wait to hear them get into conversation.”
Vanessa Rawlings-Jackson, Trustee of Perth Theatre and Concert Hall, who organised the event said: “To have two such celebrated Scottish talents in a room, having a chat and be able to listen in – wow! We are so proud to have Alan and Louise present the inaugural In Conversation with… We can’t thank them enough for their support in helping Perth Theatre give young people and community participants from across Perth & Kinross the opportunity to play a part in the life of the Theatre.”
In Conversation with… will also feature a raffle for some unique prizes, including a theatre script signed by well-remembered Perth Theatre Artistic Director, Joan Knight. Copies of Alan and Louise’s books will be available for purchase and there will be a book signing as part of the event.
Limited tickets for In Conversation with…, which runs from 12pm until 3pm on Friday 12 May are priced at £45 and are available now at perththeatreandconcerthall.com and from Perth Theatre Box Office on 01738 621031 and in-person (Monday – Saturday 10am – 4pm).
