Full Cast Set For World Première of WILD ROSE at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh

The full cast has been announced for the upcoming world première of brand-new musical Wild Rose, written by Nicole Taylor and directed by John Tiffany.

Joining the previously announced Dawn Sievewright and Blythe Duff are Andy Clark (Alan Boyne/ Train Traveller/ Belmont), Amber Sylvia Edwards (Eileen), Liz Ewing (Agnes/ Mary), Peter Hannah (Sam/Prison Officer/ Gordon Laverty/ Mark Hagen), Hannah Jarrett-Scott (Kathy/Amanda), Janet Kumah (Susannah), Louise McCarthy (Jackie), Emma Mullen (Nurse), Julia Murray (Ensemble), Mia Musakambeva (BBC Receptionist), Star Penders (Train Lady) and Ashley J Russell (Female Partygoer). The role of Wynonna will be alternated by Lily Ferguson, Jessie-Lou Harvey and Ayla Sherriff; and the role of Lyle by Alfie Campbell, Calum Middleton, and Leo Stephen.

The production begins its life in Scotland where the piece is set, opening The Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh in 2025 as part of the company's Spring season. Based on the critically acclaimed award-winning film of the same name written by Taylor, directed by Tom Harper and produced by Faye Ward (Fable Pictures), the production opens on 14 March, with previews from 6 March, and runs until 5 April.

Released to critical acclaim in 2018, the film, directed by Tom Harper, produced by Faye Ward for Fable Pictures, and blessed with an incredible soundtrack, won the BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Feature Film, Best Writer for Nicole and Best Actress for Jessie Buckley – the latter was also nominated for a BAFTA Film Award. It was nominated and won several other awards, including 10 Independent Film Award nominations, winning the Best Independent Film Award for Best Music; as well as several awards for Best Original Song for Glasgow (No Place Like Home) including the Critics' Choice Award.

There is only one thing in Rose-Lynn's life that has ever made sense: country music.  Fresh out of jail for past mistakes, and bursting with incredible raw talent, charisma and cheek, the free-spirited Rose-Lynn dreams of escaping Glasgow to make it as a singer in Nashville. 

But her mother Marion has had a bellyful, insisting that she settle down, ditch the fantasy, and focus on raising her two young kids. 

Rose-Lynn reluctantly agrees to take a cleaning job and finds an unlikely champion in her new boss Susannah, bringing her dream closer than ever. Now Rose-Lynn must decide if risking everything will really pave the road to Nashville.

From Nicole Taylor, BAFTA-winning writer of the original film and global sensation One Day, and renowned director John Tiffany (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Once), Wild Rose is an uplifting and heartwarming new musical about motherhood, dreams and finding your three chords and the truth.

This world premiere production will feature songs from country music legends including Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood, Wynonna Judd, Chris Stapleton, Caitlyn Smith, The Chicks, and Patty Griffin, alongside the film's award-winning original song Glasgow (No Place Like Home).

Based on the film written by Nicole Taylor, directed by Tom Harper and produced by Faye Ward for Fable Pictures.

Biographies

Andy Clark plays Alan Boyne/ Train Traveller/ Belmont. His recent theatre credits include Weans in the Woods (Carrigan's Blantyre), Tally's Blood (Perth Theatre/Cumbernauld/Ayr Gaiety), Stand By (Beacon Arts Centre/ UK tour), Mr Moonlight, Dusty Won't Play (Òran Mór), Pinocchio, A Christmas Carol, Hamlet, Othello & A Handful of Dust (Citizens Theatre), Antony and Cleopatra, Edward II (Bard in the Botanic) The Deep (10ft Tall Theatre), The Winter's Tale (Lyceum Theatre), A Steady Rain (Theatre Jezebel/Tron), Lanark (Citizens Theatre/Lyceum Theatre/EIF), Of Mice and Men, Little Sure Shot (Leeds Playhouse) and Gastronauts (Royal Court Theatre). His television credits include Shetland and River City.

Blythe Duff plays Marion. Her theatre credits includes Escaped Alone (Tron Theatre), James IV – Queen of the Fight, The James Plays (NTS), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Cambridge Theatre), Locker Room Talk (Traverse Theatre, Scottish Parliament), Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare's Globe), Grain in the Blood (Traverse Theatre), Into That Darkness (Citizens Theatre), Ciara (Citizens Theatre, The Traverse, Datum Point), White Rabbit Red Rabbit (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), Good with People (59East59 Theaters, New York; A Play, A Pie and A Pint, Òran Mór, Paines Plough, Traverse Theatre, Datum Point), and Beautiful Burnout (NTS, Frantic Assembly, St Ann's Warehouse and international festivals). For television, her credits includes, as series regular DI Jackie Reid in Taggart, and Bringing in the Bells.

Amber Sylvia Edwards plays Eileen/ u/s Rose-Lynn. Her theatre credits include The Good John Proctor (Jermyn Street Theatre), Macbeth (RSC), A Lightweight Disposable Product (Vault Festival), TINA - The Tina Turner Musical (Aldwych Theatre), Orphans: A New Scottish Musical (NTS), Dirty Dancing, 20th Century Boy, Cinderella (UK tours) and Fanatical (The Playground Theatre).

Liz Ewing plays Agnes/Mary/Ensemble/ u/s Marion. Her theatre credits include Local Hero (Chichester Festival Theatre), Follies (National Theatre), Séance (The Other Place), Cinderella (London Palladium), Mrs Henderson Presents (Noël Coward Theatre), Gypsy (Savoy Theatre) and Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Palace Theatre). Her television credits include The Primrose Railway Children, Shetland, The Nest, The Tracy Ullman Show and The Sound of Music Live; and for film, The Union and Damaged.

Peter Hannah plays Sam/Prison Officer/Gordon Laverty/Mark Hagen. His theatre credits include Then, Now and Next (Southwark Playhouse), The Oyster Problem (Jermyn Street Theatre), Into the Woods (Lyric Theatre/Northern Ireland Opera), Waitress (Adelphi Theatre), The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart (National Theatre of Scotland) and Cockpit (Royal Lyceum Theatre). His television credits include Six Four, Call the Midwife, Serpent Queen, Doctor Who, Unforgotten and I Hate Suzie.

Hannah Jarrett-Scott plays Kathy/Amanda/Ensemble. Her theatre credits include Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) (Tron Theatre, UK Tour, Criterion Theatre - nomination for a Stage Debut Award), Peter Pan (King's Theatre Glasgow/ UK tour), Medea on the Mic, Burning Bright, Alright Sunshine (Òran Mór), Gunter (Royal Court Theatre and Summerhall), and Class Act, Same Team (Traverse Theatre). Her television credits include Float and Two Doors Down.

Janet Kumah plays Susannah. Her theatre work includes For All the Women That Thought They Were Mad (Hackney Showroom), Anguis (Avalon and BBC Arts), Room (Theatre Royal Stratford East and Abbey Theatre, Dublin), The Winter's Tale (Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh), Rites (National Theatre of Scotland), and Those Who Trespass Against Us (Hackney Empire). Her television credits include Criminal Record, Breeders, Cobra, Shadow and Bone, Chemistry of Death, Silent Witness, I Hate Suzie Too, London Kills, Enterprise, In the Long Run and Dark Heart; and for film, Marching Powder, By the Throat, and Containment.

Louise McCarthy plays Jackie. Her theatre credits Hen Night Horror (Imagine Theatre), Orphans the Musical, Yer Granny, My Left/Right Foot (NTS), The Dolls Musical Dragged Up (Kings Theatre), The Steamie (The Hydro), Aganeza Scrooge, The Alchemist, Snaw Queen, Sleeping Betty, Three Sisters (Tron Theatre), Bingo! (Grid Iron), Cuttin' a Rug (Citizens Theatre), The Dolls, The Dolls Abroad (UK tours), Role Shift (Òran Mór), Jacquoranda (Perth Theatre/ UK tour), Sleeping Beauty (Perth Theatre), and Mamma Mia! (Prince of Wales Theatre). For television her credits include The Scott's, Queen of the New Year, Stevens & McCarthy, Dogs Squad, Scots Squad, The Dolls: Friday Night Kerry OOT!, In Plain Sight, Only an Excuse, Two Doors Down, Sketchland and What's Funny?; and for film, Wild Rose.

Emma Mullen plays Nurse/Ensemble. Her theatre credits include Mamma Mia! (Novello Theatre, UK and international tour), Sunshine on Leith (Leeds Playhouse, UK tour), A History of Paper and August: Osage County (Dundee Rep). Her television credits include So Long Marianne and Shetland.

Julia Murray plays Ensemble and u/s Rose-Lynn. Her theatre credits Pinocchio (Cumbernauld Theatre), Bookcut (UK tour), Islander (UK and international tour), and Underwood Lane (Tron Theatre).

Mia Musakambeva plays BBC Receptionist/Ensemble. Her theatre credits include TINA – The Tina Turner Musical (Aldwych Theatre), Jesus Christ Superstar (UK tour), and Footloose (Norwegian Cruise Line).

Star Penders plays Train Lady/Ensemble. Her theatre credits include SCOTS (PPP, 54 Below: Off-Broadway), and Macbeth (An Undoing) (Royal Lyceum Theatre, Rose Theatre, TFANA).

Ashley J Russell plays Female Partygoer/Ensemble. Her theatre credits include The Waiting Room (Traverse Theatre), We Will Rock You (UK and international tour), Sister Act (London Palladium), Jest End (Leicester Square Theatre), Shrek The Musical (Newcastle Theatre Royal), Mamma Mia! (international tour), and Tommy the Rock Opera (Blackpool Winter Gardens).

Dawn Sievewright returns to The Royal Lyceum Theatre, where she previously appeared in Twelfth Night (also Bristol Old Vic). Sievewright received critical acclaim and an Olivier Award nomination for her role in Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour – an NTS production which also played at Live Theatre, National Theatre and in the West End at the Duke of York's Theatre. Her other theatre credits includes A Midsummer Night's Dream (RSC), No Love Songs (Dundee Rep and Traverse Theatre), The Welkin (National Theatre), Spuds (A Play, A Pie and A Pint), My Left/Right Foot (NTS), Pinocchio (National Theatre), The A-Z of Mrs P (Southwark Playhouse), Glasgow Girls (Theatre Royal Stratford East, National Theatre of Scotland, Citizens Theatre), Legally Blonde (Savoy Theatre) and Quadrophenia (UK tour). Her television credits includes The Undertow, Shetland and Star Wars: Andor; and for film Man & Witch and Never Seen the Sea.

Acclaimed screenwriter Nicole Taylor's credits for television include Three Girls (which won five BAFTAs including for Best Writer and Best Mini Series), The C Word and The Nest.  She most recently adapted David Nicholls' novel One Day into a critically acclaimed smash-hit 14-part series for Netflix. For film, Nicole wrote the multi-award-winning Wild Rose. 

John Tiffany studied Theatre and Classics at Glasgow University. He trained at the Traverse Theatre and has been an Associate Director at The National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Court. For his work on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, John received Tony and Olivier Awards. He directed Once at NYTW and on Broadway, for which he received a Tony Award. For the Royal Court, his work includes Road, Hope, and The Pass. For The National Theatre of Scotland his work includes Black Watch, for which he received an Olivier Award, Let the Right One In (also West End and international tour), Macbeth (also Broadway), Enquirer, The Missing, Peter Pan and The Bacchae. Other credits include The Glass Menagerie at American Repertory Theater (also Broadway, EIF and West End) and The Ambassador at BAM. Tiffany was a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard University in the 2010-11 academic year.

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