THE music of the award-winning band Runrig is to feature in a new stage show set in a Scottish island community.
The rockers - who first formed a band on the Isle of Skye - will see their hits feature in a new show called The Stamping Ground.
The stage musical takes its name from Runrig’s 2001 album, and is being put together by playwright Morna Young and composer John Kielty.
It will feature the story of two Scots who return to their island home to find it filled with more tourists than residents - a storyline which will resonate with many across Scotland’s islands.
The band’s founding members and songwriters - brothers Rory and Calum MacDonald - have given the show their blessing.
READ MORE: Runrig documentary There Must Be A Place offers insight into legendary band
The new production will premiere at Eden Court in July 2022 then tour nationally in 2023, supported by Creative Scotland with £292,000 in funding.
Susannah Armitage, Eden Court’s senior producer, said: “The Stamping Ground is a story of home and community. It is a story rooted in contemporary Highland experience and is underpinned by Runrig’s beautiful, evocative and well-loved songs which provide the rhythmic and lyrical backbone to the musical.
“It is fitting that we are creating this production in the Highlands and that this ambitious, exciting and warm-hearted new musical marks Eden Court’s renewed commitment to creating more producing opportunities for Highland artists and Highland audiences. We are delighted to be working with Raw Material Arts to bring The Stamping Ground to audiences in Inverness next summer.”
Margaret-Anne O’Donnell and Gillian Garrity of Raw Material said: “We are thrilled to be working in a co-producing partnership with Eden Court on this new large-scale musical, The Stamping Ground, featuring the songs of seminal Scottish band Runrig.
"It is a privilege to work with the rich creative legacy of writers Calum MacDonald and Rory MacDonald and to empower some of our best theatre artists to create work at scale with a story and musical production that we are sure will delight and entertain audiences across Scotland.
“As independent producers we are acutely aware of the need for high quality Scottish productions that can perform on some of our largest stages and reach audiences that love live theatre.”
The Stamping Ground is at Eden Court in Inverness from July 18-30 2022.
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