Theatre pays homage to cinema cult classic

AS A teenage filmgoer, the story of the dark intentions of a seemingly genteel Scottish island community as told in The Wicker Man helped “open the window to another world,” sparking his creative ambitions.

Now Greg Hemphill, one of the nation’s leading comedians, is to stage an “all singing and dancing” version of iconic horror film as part of the National Theatre of Scotland’s new season.

Hemphill, best known for his roles in BBC Scotland series Chewin’ the Fat and Still Game, has co-written a “musical theatre” interpretation of the critically acclaimed 1973 feature, where he will assume the role of Lord Summerisle, made famous by Sir Christopher Lee.

Described as a “love letter” to the film, which also starred Edward Woodward, the production will go on tour across Scotland early next year.

It is one of the highlights of the new programme, revealed today, which includes a pioneering public dance project in Falkirk and international tours for lauded NTS shows.

Co-written by Hemphill and Donald McLeary, a comedy writer and actor, Appointment with The Wicker Man will offer an “affectionate” twist on the original film’s plot, which saw Woodward’s police sergeant called to the fictional Scottish island of Summerisle in search of a missing girl, only to become embroiled in the community’s curious rituals.

While also based on a distant and remote island, the new version will focus on the plight of a fictional Highlands dramatic troupe, the Loch Parry Theatre Players, whose lead actor goes missing in “mysterious circumstances” during rehearsals for a production of The Wicker Man, forcing them to call on the services of a “television cop from the mainland”.

Hemphill, who described the film as a “unique and timeless cult masterpiece,” told The Scotsman it was a “dream come true” to help create a companion piece to a film that “opened the window to another world” when he saw it for the first time aged 13.

“Donald and I have been fans of The Wicker Man for years. It’s a classic and people in Scotland have a great connection to it.

“We want to celebrate the film, not slavishly imitate it. We’re trying to make a horror comedy in the style and spirit of The Wicker Man.”

The production, directed by Vicky Featherstone, artistic director and chief executive of the NTS, is based on the film and Anthony Shaffer’s original screenplay, along with the novel, Ritual, by David Pinner.

Hemphill, a horror aficionado, stressed that he and Mr McLeary were determined not to sully the film’s legacy.

“I think that someone could be burned alive if it doesn’t go well, but as the Nicolas Cage adaptation shows, there has to be an understanding an appreciation of the film,” he said.

The show will run at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen from 21 February to 25 February before going on to Glasgow’s Theatre Royal, Eden Court in Inverness, and the Alhambra in Dunfermline.

Ms Featherstone said: “I wanted to find something for the programme which involved comedy and was a rousing experience for the audience. I’d wanted Greg to write something for ages, and when I approached him we realised this was the right project, it’s very exciting.”

It is the latest project between Hemphill and Mr McLeary, best known for writing and performing in BBC Radio 4 comedy series Fags, Mags and Bags. The pair are scheduled to begin shooting a BBC comedy next April, while they are developing two feature films, including The Sea Hag of the Western Isles, which has Robbie Coltrane and Peter Mullan attached to star.