THE TOBACCO MERCHANT'S LAWYER Opens at Finborough Theatre September 29

Open Book - Plays by Writers in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre presents THE TOBACCO MERCHANT'S LAWYER, the English premiere of a new play by Iain Heggie, directed by Liz Carruther and performed by Callum Cuthbertson.

A huge sell-out success in Scotland on tour and in Glasgow at both Òran Mór and the Tron Theatre, the multi-award-winning Finborough Theatre presents the English premiere of the witty one act satire THE TOBACCO MERCHANT'S LAWYER by award-winning playwright Iain Heggie, opening for a four week limited season on Tuesday, 29 September (Press Night: Thursday, 1 October 2009) at London's Finborough Theatre.

1775. Glasgow is booming, but the American war is looming, and the city's wealth is dependent on the import and export of American tobacco. Can the great port survive? However, this pressing question is NOT addressed by Enoch Dalmellington, Virginia Street. He is more concerned about marrying off his dreich pious humourless daughter Euphemia, being able to afford his pew at the Tron Kirk, and what to do about Mistress Zapata's scurrilous predictions about life in 2009. Apparently "women will be attending university, the poor will all have water closets and his beloved Virginia Street will become a hotbed of sodomy!"

One of Scotland's leading playwrights, award-winning playwright Iain Heggie was born in Glasgow in 1953. His Mobil prize-winning play, A Wholly Healthy Glasgow (1988), and his John Whiting award-winning play, American Bagpipes (1989), both premiered at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, and were later seen at The Royal Court. His short plays, The Sex Comedies (1993), have been produced many times in London, Scotland, Germany and Austria. His other plays include An Experienced Woman Gives Advice (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, and Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh), an adaptation of Moliere's Don Juan (Tour of Britain and Ireland 2001), an adaptation of Marivaux' Double Inconstancy (2003) retitled as Love Freaks (Tron Theatre, Glasgow), and King of Scotland (2001) and Wiping My Mother's Arse (2002) which both premiered at the Edinburgh Festival and won Fringe First awards. His latest play Global Warming Is Gay (2008) was performed by students of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, where Iain is a regular teacher of acting, specializing in improvisation. As a companion piece, Iain's new one man show, Wide Asleep, performed by the writer, is also presented at the Finborough Theatre for a limited Sunday and Monday run of six performances, opening Sunday, 4 October 2009 (Press Night: Monday, 5 October).

Director Liz Carruthers was born in Edinburgh and has been a theatre director for over 20 years. She was Scottish Arts Council Trainee Director at Perth Theatre, Staff Director at Chichester Festival Theatre and Artistic Director of Cumbernauld Theatre. As a freelance director, her work has been seen at the Citizen's Theatre, Glasgow, Tron Theatre, Traverse Theatre, the Assembly Rooms, the Arches, the Gilded Balloon, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, the Purcell Rooms, Soho Theatre, the Gate, and touring venues all over Scotland and England. She has directed new plays by numerous Scottish playwrights including Ann Marie di Mambro, Louise Welsh, Stephen Greenhorn, Tom McGrath and John McKay. Recent work includes twelve new plays for Oran Mor, Glasgow and three Christmas productions for the MacRobert Arts Centre in Stirling. Past productions have won the Guinness Pub Theatre Award, the LWT Plays on Stage Award and been nominated for the Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland for Best New Play and Best Production for Children and Young People. The Tobacco Merchant's Lawyer is her fourth collaboration with Iain Heggie.

Callum Cuthbertson has worked extensively in Scottish theatre with such companies as the National Theatre of Scotland, Tron Theatre, Traverse Theatre, 7:84 Theatre Company, Glasgow Citizens and TAG, Dundee Rep Theatre, Suspect Culture, the Arches Theatre Company and the very successful A Play, A Pie and A Pint seasons at Òran Mór in Glasgow. His numerous film and TV appearances include Breaking the Waves, Dear Green Place and Still Game. Callum has just finished work on the BAFTA award-winning Tank Commander - Gary's War soon to be seen on the BBC. Callum is also a singer-songwriter who was signed to Stiff Records in the 1970s and has now returned to his first love with his band Plywood whose first LP will be released later this year.

Performances will run Tuesday, 29 September - Saturday, 24 October 2009. The performance schedule will comprise Tuesday to Saturday Evenings at 7.30pm. Sunday Matinees at 3.00pm. Saturday matinees at 3.00pm (from 3 October). Tickets cost £13, £9 concessions, except Tuesday Evenings £9 all seats, and Saturday evenings £13 all seats. Previews (29 and 30 September)will cost £9 for all seats. The performance lasts approximately 1 hour with no interval.

Finborough Theatre is located at The Finborough, 118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED. Tickets can be purchased at the box office by calling 0844 847 1652, or they can be bought online at www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk. 

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