New Wolsey travels 500 miles to Pitlochry with Footloose

Pitlochry Festival Theatre in Scotland and The New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich are co-producing a new production of the stage musical Footloose, based on the ‘80s film of the same name that starred Kevin Bacon.

BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to New Wolsey Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul, who will direct the production, and Pitlochry’s Artistic Director, Elizabeth Newman, about the production, other musicals that both their theatres are producting this year (Little Shop of Horrors, Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, The Sound of Music).

They also spoke about the advantages of co-productions—and when they may not be appropriate—as well as programming and casting a rep season and panto.

Little Shop of Horrors closes at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton on 18 May and then moves to Hull Truck Theatre from 22 May to 8 June 2024.

Footloose will run at various times and dates in Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s season between 31 May and 26 September before transferring to The New Wolsey Theatre from 3 to 26 October.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical will run at Pitlochry between 7 June and 28 September, and The Sound of Music will be there between 15 November and 22 December.

Sleeping Beauty, the New Wolsey panto written by Vikki Stone, will run from 22 November 2024 to 18 January 2025.