Scots Game of Thrones star Kate Dickie plays transsexual

Kate Dickie played Lysa Arryn in Game of Thrones. Picture: Jon Savage

Kate Dickie is best-known for her appearances in TV fantasy Game of Thrones - in which she played Lysa Arryn - and films like Filth, Prometheus and Red Road.

But now the East Kilbride-born star is preparing to play Natalie - in a film of the same name - who sparks turmoil when she returns to the village of her childhood.

The character, described as a “sophisticated and determined woman”, chooses the funeral of her father as the time to confront her family about their past prejudices towards her.

Dickie’s involvement in the short film - which is due to be shot in Scotland in the spring of next year - was confirmed ahead of the release of two new films she stars in which have just won major industry plaudits.

Couple in a Hole, in which she and fellow Scot Paul Higgins play a couple who start living in a cave in the woods after suffering a tragedy, won a hat-trick of awards at the recent Dinard Film Festival in France.

Dickie is also one of the main characters in The Witch, a horror about a 17th century American family torn apart when their daughter is suspected of witchcraft.

Dickie says she has spent years in talks over Natalie, which is being written and directed by the Carnoustie-born filmmaker Mikey Murray, who has cast River City star Robin Laing as her on-screen husband, Joe.

Commenting on her transsexual debut, Dickie said: “I was drawn to the script of Natalie because I love Mikey’s writing.

“It is really honest and raw and truthful and I really loved the story and the subject matter of the film.

“Natalie is someone who grew up as a little boy and is now a confident woman. She lives with her husband and they are really happy.

“She is really accepting and happy with who she is. But she has got a few wee niggles from her past with her family so she goes home to get some closure on these and she really makes sure that she gets it.”

Murray said: “It’s a film that I’ve been developing for some time.

“It focuses on a dramatic moment in Natalie’s life, first and foremost, but I kind of wrote it because I wanted to say something about the casual prejudices people face when they have a different view of the world.

Laing said: “I’m doing the film because the first time I read Mikey’s script I was fascinated and intrigued by it.

“It wasn’t just the plot and the story, it was also the characters themselves.”