National Theatre, Royal Court Stars to Join Alan MacKenzie in SCRIBBLE at Edinburgh Fringe

Twenty-three performers who have performed with organisations and venues including the National Theatre and Royal Court in London, the English National Opera, National Theatre of Scotland, Citizens Theatre and Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum Theatre and Traverse Theatre will be taking to the stage to perform the supporting role during the month-long Festival Fringe run of Scribble, winner of the Assembly Roxy Theatre award, opposite Alan Mackenzie in the lead role of Ross.

The creative team of Scribble are delighted to announce the first group of actors, which includes graduates from prestigious drama schools across the UK and multiple award-winners, who will be performing for the first time each day script unseen with no rehearsals beforehand throughout the first week of performances.

Thursday 3rd August: Catherine Elliott

Friday 4th August: Neil John Gibson

Saturday 5th August: Joseph Brown

Sunday 6th August: Lana Pheutan

Monday 7th August: Daniel Cameron

Tuesday 8th August: Vivien Reid

Wednesday 9th August: Pauline Lockhart

Thursday 10th August: Kirsty Eila McIntyre

Opening the month-long run at the first preview is Catherine Elliott who first performed at the Fringe in 2008 in Dear Theo... at the Bedlam Theatre. This year she can also be found stage managing a marathon tabletop role-playing game, Adventurers Wanted at Sweet Holyrood. This is followed by Neil John Gibson who has appeared in Emperor and Galilean at the National Theatre and English National Opera productions of The Flying Dutchman and Billy Budd. The weekend begins with Joseph Brown, a graduate of BA (Hons) in Actor Musicianship at Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance, London. He was born with mild cerebral palsy, and in 2016 was Assistant Musical Director for the National Theatre of Scotland's production The 306: Dawn which was nominated for Best Music And Sound at the CATS Awards. The week draws to a close with Lana Pheutan, originally from the Isle of Skye she performs in both Gaelic and English.

The second week of August begins with Daniel Cameron, graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and winner of a BAFTA Scotland New Talent award for his performance in the film I Am Me in 2016. The creative team are delighted to have Vivien Reid on board for Tuesday's performance. A former member of the Citizens Theatre ensemble, she appeared in productions of Sarah Kane's 4:48 Psychosis, and the Scottish premiere of Blasted directed by Kenny Miller, as well as Together at the Royal Court directed by Nikolai Foster prior to his appointment as Artistic Director of Curve, Leicester. Next up is Pauline Lockhart, a Glaswegian actor who appeared in Stellar Quines 2016 production The Air That Carries The Weight and Bondagers at the Royal Lyceum Edinburgh. She won the prestigious TMA Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Manchester Royal Exchange's Experiment With An Air Pump and also appeared in the National Theatre of Scotland's first ever production, Home in 2006. Lastly Kirsty Eila McIntyre, a graduate of East 15 Acting School in London will perform. Most recently she appeared in Linda McLean's Glory On Earth at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, directed by Artistic Director David Greig.

Taking this ambitious approach to casting Scribble has two aims for the creative team: firstly to explore the changing nature of mental health on a daily basis, and secondly to represent the range of people affected by mental health problems across society by working with actors from a variety of backgrounds. The performance will be different every day because our mental health can be different every day. Playwright Andy Edwards commented:

"What excites us about Scribble, and what we hope might offer something new to this conversation, is the quality of 'liveness' we've tried to embed into the work. Scribble will feature a different actor every day, reading the script for the first time... we hope by doing this within the context of a work about mental health, we can say something interesting."

Director Amy Gilmartin added: "Scribble is a conversation between two people, a conversation we keep having... The work won't ever be finished and we are endeavouring to keep it live, different every day, because it's important that it's about our mental health today and in the moment. We have a great performer in Alan Mackenzie, and we're really excited by the different actors he'll be joined by at each performance who will be bringing their experiences and personality to the performance, making it a completely unique performance for the audience."

Scribble began life during Andy's time being mentored by Rob Drummond on Playwrights' Studio Scotland's Mentoring Scheme. Director Amy Gilmartin then became involved when she staged a rehearsed reading of the play during the Hothouse season for emerging Scottish talent at the Traverse Theatre, during her time as assistant director on Milk.

Tickets can be purchased online here, by calling Box Office on 0131 623 3030 and in person at Assembly box offices at Assembly Hall and Assembly Roxy, Assembly George Square, Assembly Checkpoint and Assembly Rooms.

F YOU GO:

Venue: Assembly Roxy, Downstairs 2 Roxburgh Place, EH8 9SU (Venue 139)
Time: 15:50
Running Time: 60mins
Age Suitability: 16+

Dates: 03 - 27 August.
Previews 3-4 August.
No show Mon 15 August, Mon 22 August.

Tickets: Previews 3-4 August £6; 5-6, 9-10,14,16-17,21,23-24 August £9 (£8); 7-8, 11-13, 18-20, 25-27 August £11 (£10)

Bookings: assemblyfestival.com, 0131 623 3030 or Assembly box offices at Assembly Hall and Assembly Roxy, Assembly George Square, Assembly Checkpoint and Assembly Rooms

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

About Alan Mackenzie | Alan trained in Acting for Stage and Screen at Edinburgh Napier University. Most recently he appeared in Simon Stephen's Sea Wall (Heroes Theatre) which undertook a pub theatre tour of Glasgow before heading to the New Diorama Theatre, London as part of the Incoming Festival.

His previous work includes: Movie Time (Mull Theatre), Friends Electric (Visible Fictions), Future Earth (Edinburgh International Science Festival) and The Pitchfork Disney (Heroes Theatre). Alan also took on the title role in Hamlet at Bard In The Botanics in 2014 and appeared in Globophobia, directed by Amy Gilmartin in 2013 with Edinburgh-based Urban Fox Theatre Company. He has previously performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Fourplay (2013) and Someone to Watch over Me (2012).

About Catherine Elliott | Catherine is a Glasgow based actress & theatre maker. A current member of the Tron 100 professional development scheme, she recently performed at Tron 100 Festival for new writing.

Catherine first performed at the Fringe in 2008 in Dear Theo... at the Bedlam Theatre. At last year's festival she made a move off stage, designing her first show, Modest Predicament's Erin, Errol & the Earth Creatures & this year she can be found stage managing a marathon tabletop role-playing game, Adventurers Wanted.

Other credits include: The Monologue of the Fly, That Summer Day, Christmas in a Bath Full of Wine & Bones {Tron 100); handle with care and Going, Going, Gone (Gilmorehill/allofthethings); Hamlet (Govanhill Baths); Rings, Price Tags (The Arches).

About Neil John Gibson | Neil is an actor based between Glasgow and London, and graduated from East 15 Acting School's MA Acting course with distinction. Most recently he appeared in Lung Ha/Grid Iron co-production Dr Stirlingshire's Discovery which was nominated at the CATS Awards.

Since graduating in 2011 Neil has performed in Emperor and Galilean at the National Theatre and English National Opera productions of The Flying Dutchman and Billy Budd in London, appeared in the BBC's 2014 production Bannockburn and appeared in the UK Premiere of the work of Kerrigan and Lowdermilk at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Neil was awarded a commendation at the NSDF and Idea's Tap Emerging Artists Awards in Edinburgh 2012 for his work on Party Worth Crashing at the Fringe Festival.

About Joseph Brown | Joseph is a graduate of BA(Hons) in Actor Musicianship at Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance, London. He was born with mild cerebral palsy.

In 2016 he was Assistant Musical Director for the National Theatre of Scotland's production The 306:Dawn which was nominated for Best Music And Sound at the CATS Awards. As an actor, most recently he has appeared in The Secret Sex Life Of Robert Burns (BlueEyed Lassies) and I Am Me (PACE). He also appeared in Tell Me What Giving Up Looks Like directed by Robert Softley and Sam Rowe.

A long-time collaborator with director Amy Gilmartin, his credits include Heartlands as Musical Director, and as a performer Theatre Uncut: Ira Provitt and The Man and a rehearsed reading of Safeword at the Traverse Theatre's Hot House season in 2014 for Urban Fox Theatre Company.

About Lana Pheutan | Lana is a graduate of the BA Acting and English course at Edinburgh Napier University. She received the Best Comedy and People's Choice award this year at the ninth annual FilmG Alba Awards, a prestigious celebration of Gaelic screen talent, for her short film Gàidheal gu Luath.

Originally from the Isle of Skye, she has performed in both Gàidhlig and English for a number of years. Her recent credits include Alvinnn agus na Chipmunks (Obh! Obh! Productions) and 100 and Little Box of Oblivion (RiffRaff Productions).

About Daniel Cameron | Daniel is a graduate of the BA Acting course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, graduating in 2013. As an actor his credits include: King Lear (Citizens Theatre), Lifesaving (Oran Mor/ Play Pie and Pint) and Cinderella (His Majesty's Theatre/Qdos). He won a BAFTA Scotland New Talent award for his performance in I Am Me (2015).

He is also a playwright and has presented work at the Tron Theatre's Progressive Playwright and Tron 100 Festival. His first professional production We Were Kings debuted at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

About Vivien Reid | Vivien trained at Drama Centre London, under Yat Malmgren, Christopher Fettes and Reuven Adiv.

Her credits include: London Assurance (The Watermill Theatre & UK Tour), Peter Shaffer's Amadeus (Crucible Theatre) and Together at the Royal Court, all directed by Nikolai Foster, prior to his appointment as Artistic Director of Curve, Leicester.

Vivien is a former member of the Citizens Theatre ensemble and has performed in various productions at the venue. Credits include: Sarah Kane's 4:48 Psychosis and the Scottish premiere of Blasted directed by Kenny Miller. She also appeared in world premiere of Vernon God Little by Tanya Ronder (Winner CATS Award 2004 For Best Ensemble Work). She also appeared as Cecily in The Importance of Being Earnest (Citizens Theatre) directed by Giles Havergal.

About Pauline Lockhart | Pauline was born in Glasgow and has worked with some of the UK's most prestigious theatre companies, including National Theatre Scotland, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Traverse Theatre and the Manchester Royal Exchange where she won the TMA Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in An Experiment With An Air Pump.

Selected credits include: The Air That Carries The Weight (Stellar Quines); Bondagers (Royal Lyceum Edinburgh); Entartet (Vanishing Point); Men Should Weep (National Theatre of Scotland); What We Know (Traverse Theatre Edinburgh); A Perfect Child (Oran Mor); Static (Suspect Culture/Graeae) and Home (National Theatre Scotland).

About Kirsty Eila McIntyre | Kirsty is a graduate of the BA Community Theatre course at East 15 Acting School in London. Most recently she appeared in Linda McLean's Glory On Earth at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, directed by David Greig.

Other credits include: InElsWhEre (Gaiety, Ayr), Towers of Babel (Urban Fox), Frankenstein, The Elephant Man (Canny Creatures), Miss Julie, The Bruce In Ireland, Something Resembling Love (Black Dingo), I Promise I Shall Not Play Billiards (Tightlaced) and 1933:Eine Nacht Im Kabarett (Sporadic Music).

She also appeared at the Tron 100 Festival in The House That Melts In The Rain, and has performed at their Progressive Playwright event. In 2011 she appeared in developement event WORDS, WORDS, WORDS (Traverse Theatre) directed by Jenna Watt (2016's Faslane).

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