PITLOCHRY FESTIVAL THEATRE
Hot Supper Buffets Evening Dinners Daily Specials
Spectacular views combined with fresh local produce and excellent service from our attentive staff ensures dining here will always be a special experience.
Evening Dinners
Evening dinners are available at 6pm on Thursday 16 and Saturday 18 February and Hot Supper Buffets from
5pm on all other evenings.
See overleaf for full details.
The Festival Restaurant and Café Bar is open all day, seven days a week and provides tasty, fresh and wholesome food and daily specials, all at reasonable prices. SAMPLE EVENING MENU
STARTERS
Stilton and Celery Soup
Chicken and Pistachio Terrine Panko Breaded Scottish Haddock Goujons
Flatcap Mushroom, Goat’s Cheese and Spinach Stack
MAINS
DESERTS
Pan Fried Pork T Bone Steak with Pork and Ale Sausage
Poached Pear
Roasted Supreme of Guinea Fowl
Grilled Loin of North Sea Cod Fragrant Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Curry
Two courses: £22.95 | Three courses: £25.95
Mango and Vanilla Cheesecake Classic Cranachan
Trio of cheeses and Kenmore oatcakes
A selection of apéritifs, digestifs and fine coffees/teas are available on purchase.
Winter Words is the perfect way to enjoy the last days of Winter (and celebrate the first signs of Spring) amidst the spectacular landscape of Highland Perthshire in the company of some of the finest writers and minds in the UK.
“As a venue for a book Festival, few are more inviting than Pitlochry Theatre, with it’s buzzing café and exquisite views.” The Herald
Pitlochry Festival Theatre is a Company Limited by Guarantee Registered in Scotland Number SC029243 at the below address. Scottish Charity Number SC013055 Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Port-na-craig, Pitlochry, PH16 5DR | Administration: 01796 484600 | Fax: 01796 484616 | Box Office: 01796 484626 | Email: boxoffice@PitlochryFestivalTheatre. com | Website: www. PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com
As always, there’s an engaging range of genres and themes in this Festival celebration of the written and spoken word: expect plenty of Scottish history and culture, tales of adventure and travel, together with a gentle sprinkling of crime, comic capers and coastlines along the way. This year there are some real treats in store: one of the UK’s best-known politicians, Vince Cable, will share his considered perspective on the British economy, and firm favourite, Nicholas Crane, will talk about the evolution of Britain’s countryside and development of its cities, whilst former Scottish rugby player and sports commentator John Beattie will share fascinating stories from his life as one of Scotland’s most respected sporting professionals. And after last year’s sell-out, Banff Mountain Film Festival returns with two different, adrenaline-packed film programmes. We say ‘bonjour’ to Lapin, a very cute bunny rabbit, who returns from France only to discover it’s far too hot! This is a family friendly puppet show with a tail and mission to entertain and introduce French. For budding writers, the ever popular Fearie Tales writing competition returns, as well as a short story writing workshop and three day playwriting workshop. Poetry enthusiasts will be glad to see Kenneth Steven, Rabbie Burns and Poetry Please! sessions in the programme. Now in its lucky thirteenth year, Winter Words remains the place “where Scotland’s Literary year gets into gear” (The Scotsman). We hope to welcome you to the Festival in 2017! Scotland’s Most Welcoming Theatre, 2015 & 2016
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Ways to Book!
Phone: 01796 484626 Online: www.PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com In Person: at the Theatre Box Office Email: boxoffice@PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com
Book Fair!
From 10.00am - 6.00pm Thursday to Sunday
The Winter Words bookstall is organised by Yeadon’s Booksellers, who will be selling signed books by guest authors throughout the Festival. Yeadon’s have two shops in Elgin and Banchory, both of which are beautifully decorated and stocked with carefully chosen, eclectic selections of books. Well worth a visit (or three!), their staff are all professional booksellers, dedicated, enthusiastic and knowledgeable, who will also be around throughout the day to help and advise. Order (or reserve) a book today! You can now order or reserve any book by a Winter Words author in advance of their event. Simply go to www.yeadons. co.uk and complete an order/reservation form. You can also make a dedication! Books will be charged at full retail price plus postage and packing (10% of retail price UK) and you won’t be charged until dispatch. You can also save on postage by picking up your book at our Bookstall which is open throughout the Festival.
Pitlochry Station Bookshop The unique Pitlochry Station Bookshop will be running a second-hand and new bookstall in the theatre foyer throughout the Festival. The Station Bookshop sells a wide range of donated books to raise money for many different charities. Bestsellers, children’s classics and interesting antiquary gems are waiting to be enjoyed – and not just by train travellers!
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Concessions:
• Friends/Supporters Cardholders | Groups (8+) : 10% off tickets • Disabled Badge Holders: 20% off tickets • Students | U18s | Registered Unemployed : 50% off tickets
Only Friends/Supporter Cardholders concessions apply to Literary Lunches. All ticket prices and concessions are subject to availability.
Transaction Fees apply to advertised ticket prices. If paying by card, the Transaction Fee is 25p for Debit Cards and £1.50 for Credit Cards. If booking via our website, the Transaction Fee is £1.50. There is no Transaction Fee for paying with cash at the Box Office. Please note: Event and ticketing information is correct at time of going to print. The programme of events may alter, so please do check online or at the Box Office. We reserve the right to make changes to the programme, ticket prices and seating plans.
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Friday 10th
Friday 17th
7.30pm – 9.00pm | £10.50
10.00am – 11.00am | £7.50
How To Make An Adventure Film
A Mountain Before Breakfast
Paul Diffley
Saturday 11th
£13.50 - £15.00 £24.00 for both screenings
Banff Mountain Film Festival
Blue Screening | 2.00pm – 5.00pm Red Screening | 7.00pm – 10.00pm
MON 13TH – THUR 16TH WRITING COURSE
10.00am – 4.30pm | £130
Playwriting Workshop with Lesley Wilson
Thursday 16th
Alan Rowan
11.30am – 12.30pm | £7.50
Paul MacAlindin
Upbeat: The Story of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq
12.45pm – 2.15pm | £23.50 LITERARY LUNCH
3.00pm – 4.00pm | £8.50
John Lewis-Stempel
The Small Isles
The Making of the British Landscape
Karl Sabbagh
Fearie Tales
What’s Next For Scotland?
Lesley Riddoch, Alex Massie and Gerry Hassan Chaired by Ruth Wishart
Saturday 18th
4.30pm – 5.30pm | £7.50
11.00am – 12.00pm | £5.00
Tales Of Don Roberto
Le Petit Monde
Christopher Whatley Immortal Memory
Bonjour Lapin!
7.30pm – 9.00pm | £12.50
11.30am – 12.30pm | £7.50
After The Storm Chaired by Ruth Wishart
A Hebridean Journey
Vince Cable
The Magical Life of a Short Story
7.30pm – 9.00pm | £12.50
John Hunter
Christopher Fleet and Charles Withers Jamie Jauncey
The Last Pearl Fisher of Scotland
4.00pm – 5.00pm | £8.50
10.00am – 11.00am | £7.50
Mapping The Islands
Julia Stuart
Where Poppies Blow
8.00pm – 9.15pm | £12.50
Play Reading
3.00pm – 4.00pm | £8.50
Letting In The Light
12.45pm – 2.15pm | £23.50
1.15pm – 2.00pm | Free
with Iona Lee
4.30pm – 5.30pm | £8.50
Kenneth Steven
8.30pm – 9.30pm | Free
Robert Burns and Jean Armour – A Love Story
Poetry Please
2.30pm – 3.30pm | £8.50
Alastair McIntosh
Catherine Czerkawska
1.15pm – 1.45pm | Free
A creative writing workshop with Jane Archer
Poetry Please
A Rum Affair: A True Story of Botanical Fraud
LITERARY LUNCH
The Wild Other
1.15pm – 1.45pm | Free
Summer In South Georgia
Poacher’s Pilgrimage
Clover Stroud
2.30pm – 5.00pm | £12.50
Whisky Island
6.30pm – 7.30pm | £8.50
11.30am – 12.30pm | £7.50
LITERARY LUNCH
Fiona Rintoul
10.00am – 11.00am | £7.50
Jamie Grant
12.45pm – 2.15pm | £23.50
Madeleine Bunting
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Nicholas Crane
8.30pm – 9.30pm | Free
Fearie Tales
Sunday 19th 10.00am – 11.00am | £7.50
Clifton Bain
Rainforests of Scotland
11.30am – 12.30pm | £7.50
John Beattie
My Life, On the Field & On the Air
12.45pm – 2.15pm | £23.50 LITERARY LUNCH
Ian Stephen Waypoints
2.30pm – 3.30pm | £8.50
Kirsten Gilmour
The Mountain Café Cookbook
4.00pm – 5.00pm | £10.00
Christopher Brookmyre Black Widow
6.30pm – 7.30pm | £8.50
Malachy Tallack
The Un-Discovered Islands
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Friday 10th 7.30pm – 9.00pm
Paul Diffley
How To Make An Adventure Film £10.50
Ten years ago, Paul Diffley quit his job in IT to pursue a career making documentary films about rock climbing and mountaineering. Paul has gone on to film some of the world’s best climbers, such as Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker (AKA The Wide Boyz) and produced many award-winning films, including E11, The Long Hope and Redemption. He has also founded his own company, Hot Aches Productions. His strikingly powerful films feature strong narratives and insights into the motivations of some of the world’s best climbers, underpinned by stunning action shots.
Hot Supper Buffets
From 5pm – no need to book in advance!
Our mouth-watering hot supper buffet will be available on 10th & 11th and 17th & 19th February.
Seize the chance to spend a fantastic evening with Paul as he talks about his work and processes, illustrated with clips of his action-packed work. Why not make it a weekend of adventure? Book for Paul’s talk and both screenings of the Banff Mountain Film Festival on Saturday 11 February for just £30.00!
Paul Diffley
Example menu: Starters:
Root Vegetable Soup (V) Chicken Liver Parfait
Mains:
Hearty Game Casserole Cod & Salmon Fish Pie
Mushroom Stroganoff (v)
Desserts:
Lemon Posset with Homemade Shortbread
Strawberry Cheesecake 2 course: £15.95 3 course: £18.95 04
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Saturday 11th
UK & IRELAND BANFF-UK.COM
2.00pm – 5.00pm (Blue Screening) | 7.00pm – 10.00pm (Red Screening)
Banff Mountain Film Festival £13.50 - £15.00 | £24.00 for both screenings £30.00 for both screenings and Paul Diffley talk The world’s most prestigious mountain film festival returns to Winter Words with an extraordinary collection of short films – a must-see for anyone with a spirit of adventure! Following last year’s sell-out event, we’ve expanded the festival to incorporate two entirely different programmes, each showing different short films featuring incredible adventurers, amazing adrenaline-packed action sports, stunning scenery and thoughtprovoking pieces shot in the far flung reaches of the globe. For double the adventure, come along to both the Blue Film Programme (2pm) and Red Film Programme (7pm) screenings.
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Amongst the films due to be screened will be the captivating, Doing It Scared which features adventurer Paul Pritchard, whose attempt to climb the infamous Totem Pole sea stack in Tasmania left him partially paralysed. He returns to the scene, determined to scale it again. In this awe-inspiring film, we discover if he succeeds . . . Look out for full 2017 programme details when they are unveiled in early January. Visit our website for updates or go to www.banff-uk.com.
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Monday 13th to Thursday 16th
Mon 13th | 1.00pm - 4.30pm Tues 14th - Wed 15th | 10.00am – 4.30pm Thurs 16th | 10.00am – 1.00pm
Playwriting Workshop with Lesley Wilson
£130 | includes lunch and refreshments | Max 12
Lesley Wilson
This practical, three day playwriting workshop will explore the basic elements of writing for theatre. Focusing on setting, narrative, character, dialogue and dramatic action, this workshop will lift your story off the page and give it life!
Throughout the three days, you will have the opportunity to create a short play, or to work on an excerpt from a longer piece, in preparation for a live reading of your work by professional actors during a free lunchtime event in the Theatre foyer. This workshop is suitable for both beginners and those with some experience in playwriting. Participants should submit an example of their writing (up to two A4 pages in length) in advance, together with (if applicable) a brief synopsis of any plays participants are working on. Please email these items to annie.hibberd@pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com. Lesley Wilson was mentored by Playwrights’ Studio Scotland in 2013 and was shortlisted for The Kenneth Branagh Windsor Fringe New Writing Award in 2014, Scotland’s Short Play Award in 2015 and The Theatre 503 Playwriting Award in 2016. Lesley has had a number of plays read and performed at The Traverse, Edinburgh and The Tron, Glasgow.
SPECIAL OFFER!
Participants in the workshop will have the chance to enjoy the best of the rest of the Festival and attend any 5 daytime events for free (excludes lunches and final evening events), plus Jane Archer’s The Magical Life of a Short Story workshop (Sat 18 Feb, 2.30pm) for half price! Please reserve your free places at the time of booking this course. 06
Writing Competition 2017 Calling All Budding Writers!
This unique competition receives more and more submissions every year, both from would-be authors and more established writers. The format is simple. You write a Fearie Tale and send it to us. We then choose three or four entries to be read aloud in the cosy atmosphere of the River Room on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th evenings during Winter Words. Every Fearie Tale must be an entirely new story, written especially for Winter Words and not previously published in any form. Each entry should be a minimum of 2,250 words up to a maximum length of 3,250 words. Entries must be received at Pitlochry Festival Theatre by 12 noon on 31st January, 2017. Full competition details are available on our website.
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Thursday 16th
10.00am – 11.00am
Jamie Grant Summer In South Georgia £7.50
Jamie Grant In Antarctic waters some 1,000 nautical miles from the Falkland Islands, the remote, inhospitable island of South Georgia is one of the most far flung corners of the world. In late 2015, Scottish photographer and writer Jamie Grant left his home in Glenlyon to take up the post of Artist in Resident on this remote island, for the South Georgia Heritage Trust (SGHT). He resided in Grytviken (an abandoned whaling station) with other SGHT museum staff, close to the British Antarctic Survey Base at King Edward Point. Joining field biologists on multi-day expeditions on remote peninsulas, Jamie was able to visit areas that most visitors can’t reach. Join Jamie for a fascinating account of a summer spent on this sub-Antarctic isle in images and words: a unique tale of wildlife, conservation and wilderness at the end of the world.
11.30am – 12.30pm
Alastair McIntosh
Poacher’s Pilgrimage £7.50
The islands of the Outer Hebrides are home to some of the most remote and spectacular scenery in the world: mysterious structures including stone circles, beehive dwellings, holy wells and ‘temples’ from the Celtic era. Travelling over moors and mountains – not to mention torrential rivers! – Alastair McIntosh walked from the most southerly tip of Harris to the northerly Butt of Lewis in 12 days. He tells of a journey through space and time, across a physical landscape and into a spiritual one. As he battled with his own ability to
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endure some of the toughest terrain in Britain, he met with the healing power of the land and its communities. This is a moving tale, a powerful reflection of imaginative hope for humankind. Alastair is an independent writer, broadcaster, speaker and activist who is involved in a wide range of contemporary issues, from land reform, globalisation and nonviolence to psychology, spirituality and ecology. He features regularly on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Scotland.
Alastair McIntosh
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Thursday 16th 12.45pm – 2.15pm LITERARY LUNCH
Catherine Czerkawska Robert Burns and Jean Armour – A Love Story
£23.50 | includes a two course lunch and a glass of wine Scotland’s national bard composed many romantic poems and songs in his time. His wife, Jean Armour, is immortalised in both Bonnie Jean and The Belles of Mauchline, in which he writes Armour’s the jewel for me o’ them a’. And whilst much is known of Burns, little is documented about Jean. Catherine Czerkawska’s novel The Jewel is her tale. We hear of an extraordinary marriage, passionate and tempestuous, revealing Jean’s indomitable strength and character. Set against a background simmering with political intrigue and turmoil, from the first advances of the mercurial ploughmanpoet, whose roving eye and delusions of grandeur were already notorious, to Robert’s early death, we share the compelling tale of how she lived with, and frequently without, Scotland’s most famous son. Turn to page 22 to discover full lunch menu details. 08
1.15pm – 2.00pm
Play Reading Free event in Café Bar
Enjoy new writing from budding playwrights who have participated in this week’s three day playwriting workshop. Readings will be presented by well-kent faces from Pitlochry’s stage.
3.00pm – 4.00pm
Christopher Fleet and Charles Withers
Mapping The Islands £8.50
Two of Scotland’s foremost mapping experts, Christopher Fleet (Senior Map Curator at the National Library of Scotland) and Charles Withers (Geographer Royal for Scotland and Ogilvie Chair of Geography at Edinburgh University), discuss the rich and diverse story of Scottish Islands, told through beautiful and historically significant maps which are reproduced in their book from the National Library of Scotland’s magnificent collection. From the earliest maps to the most up-to-date techniques of digital mapping, this fascinating event will uncover the many dimensions of Mapping The Islands.
4.30pm – 5.30pm
Jamie Jauncey
Tales Of Don Roberto £7.50
Perthshire writer and popular singer-songwriter Jamie Jauncey leads this illustrated event about his great-granduncle, RB Cunninghame Graham (1852-1936) – politician, author, horseman and adventurer. Jamie’s flamboyant ancestor was a landed aristocrat (with a claim to the Scottish throne!), the UK’s first-ever socialist MP, co-founder of the Labour Party with Keir Hardie and later, the founding president of the SNP. Also a prolific writer, he was a mentor to Joseph Conrad, friend of Beerbohm and Shaw among many others. He spent time in South America as a young man (hence the sobriquet ‘Don Roberto’) who, rode a horse with the gauchos in Argentina and Buffalo Bill in Texas, was held to ransom by a Sheikh in the Atlas Mountains and was jailed for six weeks for rioting in Trafalgar Square on Bloody Sunday in 1887. . . the list of his exploits goes on and on! This event was a hit at the International Storytelling Festival last year.
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7.30pm – 9.00pm
Vince Cable After The Storm
Chaired by Ruth Wishart
£12.50
In his bestselling book The Storm, Vince Cable (perhaps best known as Chancellor of the Exchequer that never was), explored and explained the causes of the 2008 world economic crisis and how Britain should respond to the great challenges it brought. In his follow up, After The Storm, Cable provides not only a unique perspective on the state of the global financial markets but also a previously unreported inside view of the Coalition government of 2010-2015. In this not-to-be missed event, he will offer a carefully considered perspective on how the British economy should be managed over the next decade and beyond, and reflect on his working relationships with some of the biggest characters in contemporary politics. This talk will be chaired by broadcaster and The Herald columnist, Ruth Wishart. Don’t forget to get your copy of After The Storm signed at the end of the event.
Vince Cable 01796 484626 • PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com
Why not enjoy a pre-show dinner in the Festival Restaurant, 6pm. Call Box Office on 01796 484 626 to make a reservation. 09
Friday 17th
10.00am – 11.00am
Alan Rowan A Mountain Before Breakfast £7.50
be climbed, with or without the help of Sandra Bullock! Alan will also be appearing at John Muir Trust’s Wild Space on Station Road at 1.30pm on Friday 17th February – tickets £5.00 from the Box Office or on the door, on the day.
11.30am – 12.30pm
Paul MacAlindin
Upbeat: The Story of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq £7.50
A welcome return to the Festival of experienced journalist and mountain man Alan Rowan, who was last seen at Winter Words in 2014, discussing Moonwalker. In this event, hear about Alan’s latest madcap adventure in The Corbetts mountains: cue more midnight dashes across the country and tales of madness and mayhem. There are car crashes and roads that don’t exist, wild pigs and staring goats, the temporary loss of both feet, supermodel posties, giant chickens and snake-infested hillsides. It’s a tall order, but these mountains are going to 10
Hear the uplifting and extraordinary story of how Scottish conductor Paul MacAlinden helped to create the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq. Having worked with orchestras all over the world, Paul took the courageous decision to go to Iraq in 2011 in the most difficult and dangerous of times to engage with young musicians from diverse backgrounds to help them overcome their own ethnic divisions to perform concerts in Iraq and around the world. Paul will talk about the many challenges he faced – musically, culturally and politically – and will share some film of ‘the bravest orchestra in the world’ in action from a forthcoming documentary.
“Be prepared to laugh,
cry and – above all – to
discover music’s power
to overcome seemingly
irreconcilable differences and create harmony out of chaos”.
Julian Lloyd Webber
Paul MacAlindin
2.30pm – 3.30pm
Kenneth Steven
Letting In The Light £8.50
Firm Festival favourite Kenneth Steven returns to read and discuss his new book of poetry, Letting In The Light.
12.45pm – 2.15pm LITERARY LUNCH
Fiona Rintoul Whisky Island
£23.50 | includes a 2 course lunch and a glass of wine
Islay is a magical island in Scotland’s Southern Hebrides which boasts eight active distilleries, countless world renowned single malts and its own whisky classification, protected by Scots law. Fiona’s event is a celebration of the whiskies of Islay and of the beautiful island that shaped them. With a population of just over 3,000, Islay produces some of the finest whiskies in the world, distilled in rocky coves off Islay’s sheltered east coast for at least 200 years. Islay produces a dram for every palette, and its vibrant and expanding whisky industry is a constant source of renewed excellence and taste innovation.
Fiona Rintoul, an awardwinning novelist, translator, journalist and whisky enthusiast, tells us the fascinating history of the islands and their distilling processes, alongside tasting notes on the main malts and blends. A wee nip will be included, so we can fully understand the magic! Turn to page 22 to discover full mouth-watering lunch menu details.
1.15pm – 1.45pm
Poetry Please
Free event in the Café Bar We step beyond Burns to celebrate some other uniquely Scottish voices in verse over the years with a special look at the work of Muriel Spark, in the 100th anniversary of her birth. An esoteric selection, recited with verve and vigour by familiar actors from the PFT stage!
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In this new and deeply intimate collection, Kenneth reflects on bereavement, marital breakdown, the pain of separation from his beloved young daughter and the search for ‘home’. Kenneth’s poetry to date has always focused on the natural world. Finding himself struggling to address his own harrowing circumstances, it became clear that the words he needed would only be found by journeying inside to a deeply personal place. Read in his trademark calm and reflective style, Kenneth will discuss what drove him to write this latest collection and how he has, eventually, found light at the end of the tunnel. Kenneth is an accomplished writer and poet who was based in Aberfeldy but now lives on the Isle of Seil, and whose previous work includes Iona: Poems and The Well Of The North Wind. 11
Friday 17th
6.30pm – 7.30pm
John Hunter
A Rum Affair: A True Story of Botanical Fraud
4.00pm – 5.00pm
The Small Isles £8.50
Some ten thousand years ago, hunter-gatherers emerging from the grip of the last Ice Age ventured to the deserted Small Isles (Rum, Eigg, Canna and Muck) on the western seaboard. With readings from his definitive new book, archaeologist John Hunter tells of his searches for the stories of the Small Isles in the evidence that survives - from the fragmentary physical remains of dwellings, defences, places of worship and monuments, to the records of early antiquarians, historians and travellers. Within a few generations, cultural identity on the islands disappeared and a new order developed: place names were changed, buildings abandoned and traditions forgotten. They became islands without memories. John’s book is illustrated with a wealth of photographs, maps and drawings. Crisscrossing the landscapes of four fascinating and evocative islands, it reveals traces of a forgotten past in everything that has been left behind. 12
Karl Sabbagh £8.50
In the 1940s, the eminent British botanist John Heslop Harrison proposed a controversial theory: that several species of plants and grasses found on the Isle of Rum on the islands off the West Coast of Scotland had somehow survived the last Ice Age. His premise flew in the face of what most botanists believed – that no plants had lived through the 10,000-year period of extreme cold. Rival amateur botanist John Raven boldly questioned whether those grasses were truly indigenous to the area, or whether they had been transported there and planted. In this fascinating event, Karl Sabbagh unveils an enthralling tale of rival scientists and fraudulent science, a skillful whodunit of what happened when a determined, amateur
botanical detective set out to find out the truth, and instead, uncovered something extraordinary . . . Karl Sabbagh is a documentary producer and director, who has made a broad range of factual programmes for British television channels during a television career spanning 30 years. Why not begin your evening earlier and join us for a tantalising Hot Buffet served from 5pm. No need to book in advance – see page 4 for full menu details and prices.
8.30pm – 9.30pm
Fearie Tales Free event in the River Room
Come in out of the winter gloom and find safety in numbers from the terrors of the dark, for an evening of spooky tales, of shapeshifting demons, eerie sounds from across desolate moors, a twisted face at the window and a shadow at your back. Talented writers from far and wide have taken up a weirder kind of pen and sent us their stories: original, spine-tingling - and ever so slightly disturbing . . . Read by PFT actors known to be in touch with their darker side, namely, Baron BeelzebubLee and Dame Lilith of Logan. See Page 6 for how to enter the Fearie Tales Competition.
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Gerry Hassan
Alex Massie
8.00pm – 9.15pm
What’s Next For Scotland?
Lesley Riddoch, Alex Massie and Gerry Hassan Chaired by Ruth Wishart
£12.50
Join us for a topical, informed discussion on the challenges that face Scotland, following an unprecedented year in national and international politics, and looking forward to a future landscape that few can yet imagine. The discussion will be led by a panel of Scotland’s most celebrated journalists and writers: Lesley Riddoch (award winning journalist, commentator and broadcaster who writes for The Scotsman, The Sunday Post and The Guardian), Alex Massie (Scotland Editor of The Spectator) and Gerry Hassan (columnist for The Guardian). The discussion will be chaired by journalist, broadcaster and columnist for The Herald, Ruth Wishart. Following the discussion, you will have the chance to have your burning questions answered. Questions for the panel may be submitted in advance by emailing annie.hibberd@ pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com or write to Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Port Na Craig, Ptilochry, PH16 5DR. The final selection will be at the discretion of Pitlochry Festival Theatre and members of the panel.
Lesley Riddoch 13
Saturday 18th 10.00am – 11.00am
Christopher Whatley Immortal Memory £7.50
This event with eminent historian Professor Christopher Whatley is a fascinating picture of the role Burns played long after his death in shaping multiple facets of Scottish society. Robert Burns’ work was at the heart of the palpable rise of Scottish-ness that swept Scotland from the 1840s through to the First World War. In this fascinating event, Christopher describes the several contests that were to ‘own’ and ‘mould’ Burns, from Tories and radicals to middleclass urban improvers. But the kirk condemned Burns as the Antichrist, deploring the Burns cult (‘Burnomania’) as a slur on a nation that prided itself on its strict Presbyterian inheritance.
11.00am – 12.00pm
11.30am – 12.30pm
Le Petit Monde
A Hebridean Journey
Bonjour Lapin!
£5.00 | Age guidance:
3-8 yrs (free entry for accompanying adults)
Madeleine Bunting £7.50
This show and story is performed in both English and French.
Tania is just back from her sunny beach holiday in France! In her little suitcase, she has brought back her rabbit friend Lapin, who is feeling a bit too hot . . . This stunning puppet show is performed by Edinburgh based puppet theatre company Le Petit Monde and features a reading of the book Lapin Is Too Hot by Tania Czajka, followed by a drawing session. Tania’s show introduces young children and their families to the French language and culture through authentic French speaking puppets.
Over six years, Madeleine travelled to the far NorthWest, returning again and again to the Hebrides, exploring their landscapes, histories and magnetic pull. With great sensitivity and perceptiveness, she will delve with us into the meanings
“The perfect introduction to a foreign language for tiny ones” - The List
Christopher is currently Professor of Scottish History at the University of Dundee. 14
Bonjour Lapin!
way back to England’s lyrical Vale of the White Horse. The Wild Other is a grippingly honest account of love, loss, family and the healing strength of nature. Powerful and deeply emotional, this is the story of an extraordinary life lived at its fullest. Turn to page 22 to discover full lunch menu details.
1.15pm – 1.45pm
Poetry Please
Clover Stroud 12.45 – 2.15pm LITERARY LUNCH
Clover Stroud The Wild Other £23.50 |
Madeleine Bunting of home and belonging and the extent of the islands’ influence, finding that their history of dispossession and migration has been central to the British imperial past. Madeleine Bunting is an award-winning reporter, leader writer, religious affairs editor, Guardian columnist, who has written about a wide range of subjects over the last decade. Recently, however, it has been the magical Hebridean Islands which have caught her attention and she refuses to let it go.
includes a 2 course lunch and a glass of wine Clover’s idyllic childhood was shattered when a horrific riding accident left her mother permanently brain-damaged. Aged just 16, she set out on a remarkable journey in search of a sense of home which had been so savagely ripped from her. Travelling from gypsy camps in Ireland, to the rodeos of West Texas and then into Russia’s war-torn Caucasus, Clover eventually found her
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with Iona Lee Free event in the Café Bar
Come along and hear your favourite pieces of poetry spoken aloud by our Festival readers - familiar faces from the PFT stage and guest poet Iona Lee. If you have a favourite poem you would like to hear, just let us know by dropping a note into Box Office before lunchtime on Saturday 18 Feb. Make sure you grab a light lunch or try a hearty bowl of soup and settle back to enjoy Poetry Please. Iona Lee has performed her own poetry at Glastonbury Festival and in Paris, Vienna and London. She’s also appeared on BBC Loop and iPlayer and made several Edinburgh Fringe apperances. Iona is the current Scottish Slam champion. 15
Saturday 18th 3.00pm – 4.00pm
Julia Stuart
The Last Pearl Fisher of Scotland £8.50
2.30pm – 5.00pm
The Magical Life of a Short Story A creative writing workshop with Jane Archer
4.30pm – 5.30pm
John LewisStempel
Where Poppies Blow £8.50
£12.50 | Max 12
Spend a winter’s afternoon with author Jane Archer exploring the techniques and processes in creating and crafting short stories. “I’d just been pearl diving in Bahrain, where I lived at the time, and managed to find a pearl. It was beautiful, albeit the size of a freckle. I showed it to a friend, who disappeared for a moment, then returned with a string of gorgeous, slightly misshaped white pearls, which she explained had been found in Scottish river mussels. I was amazed. I thought you could only find pearls in oysters.”
Participants will explore beginnings, middles and ends (not necessarily in that order), the change or surprise within, how to create characters worth remembering and the pitfalls of stereotype and cliché.
That curious necklace was the inspiration for The Last Pearl Fisher of Scotland, the latest novel by bestselling author Julia Stuart.
There will be time at the end to ask your own questions, if what you need to know hasn’t been covered!
She has spent most of her career as a journalist and joins Anna Day (programme director of Winter Words and Dundee Literary Festival) to discuss the meticulous research that went into the novel, the history of the pearl fishers of Scotland and how their legend lives on. 16
This interactive workshop is designed to stretch your ideas and thinking about the short story format, with plenty of informed and inspiring suggestions and tips along the way.
Jane has had fiction published in New Writing Scotland, Gutter Magazine and other anthologies. Her work has been read at AyeWrite and Wigtown Book Festivals.
One of the most respected nature and wildlife writers in the UK, winner of the Wainwright Prize and author of Meadowland, John LewisStempel joins us to tell his story of the British soldiers of the Great War and their relationship with the animals and plants around them. John’s book Where Poppies Blow is also about the human condition in wartime - the soldiers’ hopes, loves and need to express the finer side of being human through caring for animals and plants. John lives in Herefordshire, where his family have lived for over 700 years and is currently a columnist for Country Life.
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7.30pm – 9.00pm
Nicholas Crane
The Making of the British Landscape £12.50
Nicholas Crane, a familiar face from the BBC’s Coast, is also an award winning author, expert cartographer, international explorer and the current President of the Royal Geographical Society. Nick will be talking about his fascinating new book, which brilliantly describes the evolution of Britain’s countryside and the development of its cities. As the Iron Age develops into a pre-Roman ‘Golden Era’, Nick looks at what the Romans did (and didn’t) contribute to the British landscape. Major landscape ‘events’ - the Black Death, enclosures, urbanisation and recreation are described and explored in perfect detail, weaving the role played by geology in shaping our cities, industry and recreation, the effect of climate and of global economics. The Making of the British Landscape concludes with thoughtprovoking and urgent questions about the future of Britain’s landscape. Nick will also be talking about his career and there will be an opportunity for a short Q & A session before signing books in the foyer. This event is sure to be popular, so book early to guarantee you don’t miss out! 01796 484626 • PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com
8.30pm – 9.30pm
Fearie Tales Free event in the River Room
Join us – we dare you! - for another instalment of spine-tingling supernatural Fearie Tales. If there’s a chill in the air, and a bump in the night, don’t worry - there’s plenty of other, like-minded bravehearts venturing out after dark! Cosy up in the River Room and enjoy hearing winning tales with a wee dram or two . . . 17
Sunday 19th 10.00am – 11.00am
Clifton Bain
Rainforests of Scotland £7.50
writing gives a personal and passionate insight into the human interventions that have shaped Scotland’s wildlife and landscape. Clifton will also be appearing at John Muir Trust’s Wild Space, Station Road, Pitlochry, at 1.30pm on Sunday 19th February. Tickets £5.00 from Box Office or on the door, on the day.
11.30am – 12.30pm
John Beattie My Life, On the Field and On the Air Following his successful event here in 2014 with his book Ancient Pinewoods of Scotland, Clifton Bain has now turned his attention to the mixed oak, birch and other woodlands that line the west coasts of these islands, especially Scotland.
£7.50
John Beattie was brought up swinging from the trees in Borneo, following that up with schooling on the island of Penang in Malaysia
and some formative years on a rubber estate. All of which helped his upper body strength for his later exploits as a fairly aggressive rugby player. In an illustrious career, he played 25 times for Scotland, and toured twice with the British Lions. He’s had various careers, including a spell as a civil engineer who retrained as a chartered accountant, and a stint as chairman of the Scottish Executive’s physical activity task force. Now a well-known sports commentator, journalist and presenter, John is a familiar voice on Radio Scotland. In conversation with fellow presenter, Theresa Talbot, John will have many a tale to tell from his years at the heart of Scottish sport and the media.
Correctly described as a rainforest, these trees take a higher rainfall than some areas of the Brazilian rainforest. Since the Ice Age, they have provided resource for the human population, habitat for animals and birds, and acted as a lung for the planet. Clifton lives in Edinburgh and has over 25 years of experience working on environmental issues with the wildlife charity RSPB. Now Director of the IUCN Peatland Programme, his 18
John Beattie 01796 484626 • PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com
12.45pm– 2.15pm LITERARY LUNCH
Ian Stephen Waypoints
£23.50 | includes a 2 course lunch and a glass of wine
Adventure, memoir, storytelling and celebration of all things maritime converge in Waypoints, a beautifully written account of sea journeys from Scotland’s west coast. Ian Stephen reveals a lifetime’s love affair with sailing; each voyage honours a seagoing vessel, and each adventure is accompanied by a spell-binding retelling of a traditional tale about the sea. His stories are enchanting and lyrical, gentle but searching, and his book contains beautiful illustrations of each vessel, drawn by his wife, artist Christine Morrison. Ian is a Scottish writer, artist and storyteller from Lewis, who fell in love with boats and sailing as a boy. Pairing this love affair with a passion for the beautiful but merciless Scottish coastline, is the inspiration and motivating force behind his work for many years. Turn to page 22 to discover full lunch menu details.
Kirsten Gilmour 2.30pm – 3.30pm
Kirsten Gilmour
The Mountain Café Cookbook
in conversation with Dan Holland of BBC Scotland
£8.50
The Mountain Café in Aviemore is hugely popular with climbers, skiers and walkers, with the reputation of its mountain-sized cakes extending far beyond the Cairngorms. Chef and owner, Kirsten Gilmour from New Zealand, will discuss her recent book, The Mountain Café Cookbook, which is inspired by her Kiwi roots and travels around the world.
With over 130 recipes, including Cider Sage Barbeque Chicken and Passionfruit Melting Moments, you will certainly find culinary inspiration for your kitchen! Prepare to sample some of these baking delights that have become such a signature of this remarkable place. Kirsten is a regular Radio Scotland Kitchen Cafe contributor and has been a finalist in the Scottish Baking Awards and Café Life Awards.
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Sunday 19th
4.00pm – 5.00pm
Christopher Brookmyre Black Widow £10.00
The winner of this year’s McIlvanney Prize for the Best Scottish Crime Novel of the year is the ever popular Christopher Brookmyre. Previous novels include The Sacred Art Of Stealing, Quite Ugly One Morning and Bedlam.
Join us for a fantastic event with Christopher, as he reads from his critically acclaimed new novel, Black Widow, which revives the much loved maverick reporter Jack Parlabane, who appeared in six Brookmyre novels previously, as he gets drawn into a dark and complex tale. Diana Jager is a clever, strong and successful surgeon and fierce campaigner via her blog about sexism. Yet it takes only hours for her life to crumble when her personal details are released on the internet as revenge for her writing. Then she meets Peter. He’s kind, generous, and knows nothing about her past: the second chance she’s been waiting for. Within six months, they are married. Within six more, Peter is dead in a road accident, a nightmare end to their fairytale romance. But Peter’s sister Lucy doesn’t believe in fairytales, and tasks Parlabane with discovering the truth behind the woman the media is calling Black Widow . . . Join one of Scotland’s leading crime writers for a fascinating late afternoon’s entertainment.
Christopher Brookmyre
A Hot Supper Buffet is available after this event. No need to book a table in advance! See page 4 for full details.
© Chris Close
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01796 484626 • PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com
6.30pm – 7.30pm
Malachy Tallack The Un-Discovered Islands | with live music £8.50
Malachy Tallack has written for the New Statesman and The Guardian and was with us for Winter Words last year with his critically acclaimed book Sixty Degrees North. He returns with The Un-Discovered Islands, an exploration of some of the world’s strangest places. Gathered in the book are two dozen islands once believed to be real but no longer on the map. These are the products of imagination, deception and simple human error. They are phantoms and fakes: an archipelago of ex-isles and forgotten lands, from the wellknown story of Atlantis to more obscure tales from around the globe, and from ancient history right up to the present day. This is an atlas of legend and wonder, of places discovered and then undiscovered. Don’t miss what promises to be an intriguing and highly captivating event. If you love geography, history and mystery, you will love this! To bring this event to a close (and the Festival), Malachy – who is also an accomplished singer-songwriter – will perform a set of folk inspired tunes to send us on our merry way!
Malachy Tallack 01796 484626 • PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com
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Literary Lunch Menus
Tasty 2 course lunches served with a glass of wine or soft drink
Thursday 16th Feb
Catherine Czerkawska Robert Burns and Jean Armour – A Love Story
Friday 17th Feb
Saturday 18th Feb
Sunday 19th Feb
Whisky Island
The Wild Other
Waypoints
Fiona Rintoul
Clover Stroud
Ian Stephen
Main Scottish Lamb Casserole with minted new potatoes and medley of vegetables
Breast of Chicken with roasted haggis and wholegrain mustard sauce, creamed potatoes and confit carrots
Grilled Loin of North Sea Cod with a tomato and fennel ragout, new potatoes and green beans
Scottish Seafood Chowder with rustic bread
Desserts Classic Cranachan with shortbread
Mango and Vanilla Pana Cotta
Trio of Chocolate Mousse Terrine
Apple and Mixed Berry Crumble with custard
Coffee or Tea and Fudge
Coffee or Tea and Fudge
Coffee or Tea and Fudge
Coffee or Tea and Fudge
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John Muir Trust’s Wild Space
The John Muir Trust Wild Space visitor centre is located in the heart of Pitlochry. It showcases Scotland’s fantastic wild places and the role of conservation in keeping them wild.
During Winter Words, there is an exhibition plus three readings/events at the Wild Space visitor centre:
Jim Crumley
Thursday 16 Feb | 2.00pm
Alan Rowan
Friday 17 Feb | 1.30pm
Colin Duncan’s Beyond The Summit
now showing at the Wild Space Gallery in Pitlochry
Colin Duncan is not so much a landscape painter as a painter in the landscape. His work is about the experience of being immersed in and surrounded by nature. Not obviously representational it instead captures aspects of the land and sensations of weather, abstracted qualities that are the building blocks to creating his paintings. The exhibition Beyond The Summit is his response to time spent exploring the inspirational John Muir Trust land at Schiehallion, in Highland Perthshire.
Clifton Bain
Sunday 19 Feb | 1.30pm
Price: £5.00 available from PFT’s Box Office
Sample Colin’s unique Beyond The Summit work at the Wild Space Gallery in Pitlochry this February.
Discover Wild Space today! Tower House, Station Road, Pitlochry PH16 5AN
SPRING
EVENT PROGRAMME at PITLOCHRY FESTIVAL THEATRE
RANT
Fri 24 Feb
Islands in the Stream
The Springsteen Sessions
Oh Carol!
Sat 4 Mar
Fri 10 Mar
Sat 11 Mar
The Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers Story
The authentic sound of The Boss and the E-Street Band
The musical story of Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield
‘Allo ‘Allo ‘Allo ‘Allo
Alice in Wonderland
Sat 25 Mar
Sat 1 Apr
Tribute Murder Mystery Dinner
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Immersion Theatre
Pasadena Roof Orchestra Sat 1 Apr
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An Evening of Dirty Dancing
Blazin’ Fiddles
The Tribute Show Sat 25 Feb
Fri 3 Mar
The Johnny Cash Roadshow
Noël & Gertie
Moishe’s Bagel
Jacqui Dankworth & Charlie Wood
Tin Forest, Puppet Animation Festival
SCDA Scottish Final Festival Of One Act Plays
Fri 17 Mar
Fri 7 Apr
Sat 18 Mar
Sat 8 April
01796 484626 • PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com
Fri 24 Mar
Thu 13 to Sat 15 Apr
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EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW GUIDE
SUMMER SEASON HIGH SOCIETY
Music & Lyrics by Cole Porter Book by Arthur Kopit
MARY ROSE by J.M. Barrie
ABSURD PERSON SINGULAR by Alan Ayckbourn
PEOPLE
by Alan Bennett
THE RULING CLASS by Peter Barnes
EUROPE
by David Greig
Tickets Now On Sale!