Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre Announces Spring 2022 season

As we enter a new year which looks to offer similar challenges for the arts industry as the one before, Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre are proud to continue to invest in high-quality, inspiring dance, theatre, music and comedy production for the people of Dundee and beyond.

Following a testing 2021 which saw Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre successfully launch their digital platform, REP STUDIOS, allowing thousands of people around the world to enjoy work produced in the heart of Tayside, and present such inspiring work as John McCann's Wings Around Dundee, Amethyst and SINDER, both companies are thrilled to reveal 10 new productions which form their spring 2022 season and confirm that a brand new musical version of Cinderella by Lynda Radley and Michael John McCarthy will be their 2022 festive offering, following 2021's A Christmas Carol which was met with a great reception from live and digital audiences as well as critics.

Dundee Rep's Artistic Director Andrew Panton directs the Scottish Premiere of The Children by Lucy Kirkwood, a gripping story of two retired nuclear scientists in an isolated cottage by the sea as the world around them crumbles. This brilliant play took London and New York by storm in 2017 and was hailed as one of the top 3 in The Guardian's recent Best Theatre shows of the 21st Century. Following the success of Smile, Sally Reid returns to the Rep to direct the world premiere of The Bookies by Michael Burnett and Joseph McCann, a black comedy thriller set in a rundown Edinburgh betting shop.

After wowing audiences in 10 countries, Scottish Dance Theatre brings the magic of The Life and Times back to REP STUDIOS as a hybrid performance presented simultaneously to audiences in the theatre and at home. Conceived by Artistic Director Joan Clevillé the show is a surreal dance journey set to a sumptuous Baroque soundtrack. The company is also delighted to announce a brand new commission with internationally acclaimed choreographer Meytal Blanaru. Ray explores the themes of connection and emergence.

Marking a big milestone for the company directed by Associate Directors (Engage) Jess Thorpe and Tashi Gore, Dundee Rep Young Company presents its new devised work and its first major production: the world premiere of Optimism, a show about being young and having hope for the future against all odds - climate change, Brexit, financial crisis... The Young Company shares their ending to this story.

Alongside work produced by Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre's ensembles, the spring season also features a range of exciting new productions made in Scotland. Following a critically acclaimed Edinburgh Festival Fringe run in 2017, The Gardener, part-theatrical conversation, part-personal memoir, returns to offer an intimate portrait of all the minor triumphs and major tribulations of amateur gardening, and of a life-time spent in love...

Created by Vanishing Point in 2020 to rave reviews, Matthew Lenton offers his take on Kafka's The Metamorphosis while National Theatre of Scotland and Capital Theatres co-produce the return to the James Playes with James IV - Queen of the Night by Rona Munro. PAST-inuous from Farah Saleh and collaborators offers a reflection on the ongoing Palestinian refugee crisis through a live interactive dance performance with an international in-person and digital cast.

Madness' frontman Suggs visits Dundee to share stories from his almost half a century long music career while Horse McDonald celebrates the 30th anniversary of her ground-breaking album, The same sky. And in comedy, the unmissable Jack Docherty and Craig Hill are back in town to put a smile on everyone's faces.

Continuing Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre's committment to offering high-quality cultural experiences, our Engage programme presents a range of classes for participants of all ages across theatre and dance.

This year also sees Scottish Dance Theatre strengthen its international reputation, through two digital residencies focused on emerging female voices in India, and a series of online creative dance workshops for children in collaboration with Shanghai International Dance Center, led by Glasgow-based dance artist Aya Kobayashi.

Artistic Director (Dundee Rep) & Joint-Chief Executive Andrew Panton and Executive Director & Joint-Chief Executive Liam Sinclair said: "The challenges we have faced over these last 22 months have inspired us to find new ways to invest in, create and share high-quality work with our communities. We are determined to weather the pandemic storm; continuing to adapt and deliver inspiring, impactful, and innovative work for our audiences, both in-person here in Dundee and digitally throughout the world on REP STUDIOS. Together with our audience's support, we are excited to begin 2022 with a new and exciting season of work. We look forward to welcoming you back to Dundee Rep Theatre this season."

Scottish Dance Theatre's Artistic Director Joan Clevillé said: "I am proud of how the company has not only adapted to the challenging circumstances but seized this moment as an opportunity to create new ways of experiencing dance. From the magic of The Life and Times to the intimacy of Ray and the urgency of Farah Saleh's PAST-inuous, this season at Dundee Rep is full of wonderful opportunities to re-discover dance with fresh eyes."

Jess Thorpe and Tashi Gore, Associate Directors (Engage) said: "We are delighted to finally be making a live work on the Dundee Rep stage. Collaborating with young people to create performance has always been a huge part of our practice and it's brilliant to be working with the Rep Young Company on Optimism. Considering the future and what it means to be hopeful feels like such a relevant theme just now and it's been a rich and meaningful creative experience for all of us to think about this together. We are looking forward to sharing this brand-new work with audiences."

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