THE demand to see the new stage adaptation of the much-loved Scottish film Local Hero has led to the production being extended by two weeks.
The musical play based on the 1983 film, is to be staged at the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh, and will now run to the beginning of May.
The show has been adapted for the stage by David Greig, and the writer and director of the original film, Bill Forsyth, and features new music and lyrics by Mark Knopfler, inspired by his famous original film score.
The extension of the show's run has been announced along with its full cast.
The musical, a joint production between the Lyceum and the Old Vic in London, will be directed by John Crowley and will star Damian Humbley as Mac, Katrina Bryan as Stella, Matthew Pidgeon as Gordon, and Simon Rouse as Happer.
Rouse is known for playing the role of Detective Jack Meadows in the long running ITV drama The Bill.
In the original film, Peter Riegert played Mac, Denis Lawson played Gordon Urquhart, Felix Happer was played by Burt Lancaster, and Stella by Jennifer Black.
The cast includes Scott Ainslie, Caroline Deyga, Julian Forsyth, Emmanuel Kojo, Helen Logan, Suzie McAdam, Matthew Malthouse, Joanne McGuinness, John McLarnon, Adam Pearce, and Wendy Somerville.
Following previews, Local Hero will open at the Lyceum on 23 March, and The Old Vic run will open in June 2020.
Plays directed by Crowley include The Present, Anton Chekhov’s Platonov adapted by Andrew Upton and starring Cate Blanchett, the London and Broadway runs of Martin McDonagh’s Tony-nominated The Pillowman starring David Tennant, A Behanding in Spokane on Broadway starring Christopher Walken and the West End production of Love Song, starring Neve Campbell and Cillian Murphy.
He also directed Brooklyn, the Oscar nominated film starring Saoirse Ronana and Boy A, which starred Andrew Garfield.
Crowley is also directing the film adaptation of Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch starring Ansel Elgort, Nicole Kidman and Sarah Paulson.
In 1993 he directed The Master Builder, starring Brian Cox, at the Lyceum.
Of the production, last year Greig, the Scottish playwright and artistic director of the Lyceum, said: "God, this is exciting.
"I’m thrilled The Lyceum will be working with a team of this calibre to make Local Hero.
"John Crowley is a director on top of his game.
"From The Pillowman to Brooklyn he has shown himself a master of complex emotional material.
"I was recently privileged to see his production of The Present on Broadway with Cate Blanchett and it was one of the defining experiences of my theatre-going life."
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