WORLD PREMIERE
Frantic Assembly and National Theatre of Scotland present
BEAUTIFUL BURNOUT
by Bryony Lavery
Directed by Steven Hoggett and Scott Graham
Designed by Laura Hopkins
Lighting Designed by Andy Purves and Sound Designed by Carolyn Downing
Video Design by Ian William Galloway
Featuring the music of Underworld
The full cast is Ryan Fletcher, Eddie Kay, Vicki Manderson, Lorraine McIntosh, Taqi Nazeer, Henry Pettigrew
and Ewan Stewart.
The National Theatre of Scotland joins forces with leading young British theatre company Frantic Assembly
to create a new production about Scottish boxers. Beautiful Burnout will premiere at the Edinburgh
Festival Fringe, in a new venue, the Pleasance Forth, as part of the Pleasance’s festival programme and will
then tour to Tramway, Glasgow, York Hall, London, in association with the Barbican, Rothes Hall,
Glenrothes, The Crucible, Sheffield and Minerva Theatre, Chichester (from 4 August to 29 November 2010).
Four young men and a battling lassie are training in a Glasgow gym. They want to be champions and win
fistfuls of money. They want to be like Calzaghe and land 950 punches out of 1000.
Beautiful Burnout is about the soul sapping three minute bursts where men become gods and gods
become mere men. It is the second when the guard drops, the eyes blink and miss the incoming hammer
blow. Beautiful Burnout is the reverberating punch that bruises the hearts of all connected to this moment.
Beautiful Burnout tells a bruising and lyrical tale of aspirations and counterpunches, delivered in a visceral,
hearts-in-your-mouth production about one of the most controversial sports of our time.
Frantic Assembly is celebrated in the UK and internationally for creating high octane, physical,
contemporary theatre, attracting new and young audiences. Frantic Assembly's unique physical style
combines movement, design, music and text. Recent production highlights include Stockholm by Bryony
Lavery (revived in Spring 2010 for Australian performances in association with Sydney Theatre Company),
Othello (TMA Award – Best Director 2009), pool (no water) by Mark Ravenhill and the site-responsive Dirty
Wonderland for Brighton Festival. In addition to its productions, Frantic Assembly operates an extensive
Creative Learning and Training Programme introducing 5,000 participants a year to the company’s process
of creating theatre in a wide variety of settings. Frantic Assembly is supported by Arts Council England.
Frantic Assembly was co-founded by existing co-Artistic Directors Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett.
Bryony Lavery’s plays include Her Aching Heart, Ophelia and A Wedding Story (2000). Her play Frozen,
commissioned by Birmingham Rep, won the TMA Best Play Award and was produced on Broadway where it
was nominated for four Tony awards. Stockholm for Frantic Assembly won the Wolff-Whiting award for
Best Play of 2008. Bryony’s recent work includes Kursk with Sound and Fury (The Young Vic) and The
Wicked Lady (the New Vic, Stoke), A Christmas Carol at Birmingham Rep and The Snow Queen at Chichester
Festival Theatre. Future works include the opera 57 Hours in The House Of Culture, with John Keane, Peter
Wyer and Phyllida Lloyd.
Ryan Fletcher’s theatre work includes Nobody will Ever Forgive Us, 365, Black Watch, and The Wolves in the
Walls, all for The National Theatre of Scotland.
He has also appeared in The Last Witch a Traverse and Edinburgh International Festival co-production, An
Advert for the Army and Ae Fond Kiss (Òran Mór) and is known to television audiences for his role as Vader
in River City (BBC Scotland).
Henry Pettigrew was in the National Theatre of Scotland’s production of Black Watch and most recently
appeared in the Donmar West End production of Hamlet. His other theatre work includes The Bevellers
(Citizens’ Theatre) and Troilus and Cressida (Edinburgh International Festival/Royal Shakespeare Company).
On television he has appeared in Midsomer Murders (ITV).
Taqi Nazeer is currently studying at the RSAMD. His previous professional stage work includes Heer Ranjha
and Detainee A, both for Ankur Productions.
Eddie Kay worked with Frantic Assembly on Hymns and Dirty Wonderland. His other theatre work includes:
Tracker (Broken Talkers), Shadowmouth (Sheffield Crucible) and Tranny-Boy (Legs on the Wall). For
television he has worked on the Eurovison Song Contest (Dustin the Turkey – Ireland). Eddie also
choreographed Round 10 (4 Dance) and directed Crash Test Human (Freshmess); Paper Dogs and Dirty
Priests (big man wee man).
Vicki Manderson previously worked with the National Theatre of Scotland on Home Inverness. Her other
credits include: In(visible) Dancin and Dear Body (Protein Dance) and One up one down (Gilmore
Productions).
Ewan Stewart is best known for his appearances in films such as Titanic, Young Adam, The Cook The Thief
His Wife And Her Lover and Rob Roy. His recent theatre work includes Sergeant Musgrave's Dance, Major
Barbara and The Murderer for the Royal National Theatre.
Lorraine McIntosh is the lead singer in Deacon Blue and is also known for her television roles in River City,
Taggart and Hope Springs. Her theatre work has included Sixteen (The Arches) and Mum’s The Word (Kelly
Limited).
Production Support: Frantic Assembly and National Theatre of Scotland’s full range of accompanying
creative learning activities including workshops, resource packs, and post-show discussions will be available
soon.
Premiering at the Pleasance Forth, as part of the Pleasance Programme, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
2010 (4 to 29 August 2010).
Touring to Tramway, Glasgow (2 to 11 September 2010), York Hall, London, in association with the
Barbican (16 September to 2 October 2010), Rothes Hall, Glenrothes (13 to 16 October) The Crucible,
Sheffield (3 to 13 November 2010) and Minerva Theatre, Chichester (16 to 27 November).
Press Performances:
Saturday 7 August at 7.30pm at Pleasance Forth, Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Thursday 16 September at 8pm at York Hall, London (in association with the Barbican)
Press Office Contacts:
Emma Schad – Press Manager – 0141 227 9016 – emma.schad@nationaltheatrescotland.com
Andrew Neilson – Press Officer – 0141 227 9497 – andrew.neilson@nationaltheatrescotland.com
Press Images:
There is a selection of images for current productions available for download from
www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/press - please contact the press office for a password
Notes to Editors
The National Theatre of Scotland is supported by the Scottish Government.
Since its launch in February 2006, the National Theatre of Scotland has been involved in creating 124
productions in 115 different locations. With no building of its own, the Company takes theatre all over
Scotland and beyond, working with existing and new venues and companies to create and tour theatre of
the highest quality. It takes place in the great buildings of Scotland, but also in site-specific locations,
airports and tower blocks, community halls and drill halls, ferries and forests. The company has performed
to over 482,000 people, across three continents.
Previous National Theatre of Scotland shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival include Black Watch in 2006,
Venus as a Boy in 2007 and Architecting in 2008. Frantic Assembly last appeared at the Fringe in 2001 with
Tiny Dynamite.
Venue, date and time: Pleasance Forth, Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh from 4 to 29 August 2010 at
7.30pm, Matinee performances at 2.30pm 14, 21 and 28 August
Ticket Prices:
£5 (previews), Tue – Thu £11.50 (£10), Fri – Sun £14 (£12.50)
Booking number:
0131 556 6550 (Tickets on sale in June)
Online booking:
http://www.pleasance.co.uk/edinburgh/
Accessible Perfs:
Captioned performances 19th and 26th August, Audio Described and Signed
15th and 22nd August
Venue, date and time: Tramway, Glasgow from 2 to 11 September 2010 at 8pm
Matinee performances at 2.30pm on 4, 9, 11 September
Ticket Prices:
£15/8
Booking number:
0845 330 3501
Online booking:
http://www.tramway.org/
Accessible Perfs:
Captioned performance 8 September, Audio Described and Signed 9 September
2010
Venue, date and time: York Hall Leisure Centre, London from 16 September to 2 October at 8pm
Matinee performances at 2pm on 18,22,25,29 September
Ticket Prices:
£18/10
Booking number:
020 7638 8891
Online booking:
http://www.barbican.org.uk/
Accessible Perfs:
Captioned performance 23 September, Audio Described and Signed 26 September
2010
Venue, date and time: Rothes Hall, Glenrothes from 13 to 16 October at 7.30pm
Matinee performances at 2.30pm 14 October
Ticket Prices:
£10/8
Booking number:
01592 611101
Online booking:
www.attfife.org.uk
Accessible Perfs:
TBC
Venue, date and time: The Crucible, Sheffield from 3 to 13 November 2010 at 7.30pm
Matinee performances at 2pm on 6, 10, 13 November
Ticket Prices:
Tue – Thu £19, Fri-Sat £22, Matinee £15
Booking number:
0114 249 6000
Online booking:
http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/index.cfm?hometype=flash
Accessible Perfs:
Captioned performance 11 November, Audio Described 10 November and Signed 9
November 2010
Venue, date and time: Minerva Theatre, Chichester from 16 to 27 November at 7.45pm
Matinee performances at 2.15pm on 18,20,25,27 November
Ticket Prices:
£18/16
Booking number:
01243 781 312
Online booking:
http://www.cft.org.uk/index.asp
Accessible Perfs:
Audio described performances on 19 & 27 November at 2.15pm