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Submissions Wanted

Emerging and established playwrights based in Scotland are invited to submit original 10-minute plays. Three plays will be shortlisted and performed (semi-staged) on Thursday 15th February, using professional actors under the direction of PFT’s Associate Director, Gemma Fairlie.

The winning play be performed during PFT’s 2018 Summer Season. The winning playwright will receive dramaturgical support and development of this piece for a subsequent performance.

The 3 shortlisted plays will be selected by a panel of industry experts: Peter Arnott: author of over 40 produced plays including The Monarch Of The Glen, The Silver Darlings and Janis Joplin: Full Tilt. Julie Ellen: Artistic Director of Macrobert Arts Centre and previously Creative Director at the Playwrights’ studio. Rebecca Gould: Head of Arts for the British Council Wales and freelance Director, producer and arts practitioner.

Previously Creative Producer at the Soho Theatre, London, specialising in developing new plays, education and outreach projects. Gemma Fairlie: PFT Associate Director. Previous directing credits include: the Royal Court, Royal Shakespeare Company and New Vic Theatre.

Closing Date: January 31st, 5pm Shortlisted Plays Announced: Friday 9th February Shortlisted Plays Performed: Thursday 15th February, 7.30pm The Winning Play Announced: Thursday 1st March

“As a venue for a book Festival, few are more inviting than Pitlochry Theatre, with it’s buzzing café and exquisite views.” The Herald

Pitlochry Festival Theatre is a Company Limited by Guarantee Registered in Scotland Number SC029243 at the below address. Scottish Charity Number SC013055 Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Port-na-craig, Pitlochry, PH16 5DR | Administration: 01796 484600 | Box Office: 01796 484626 | Email: boxoffice@ PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com | Website: www.PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

Winter Words is the perfect way to enjoy the last days of winter (and celebrate the first signs of Spring) amidst the spectacular landscape of Highland Perthshire, in the company of some of the finest writers and minds in the UK. As always, there’s an engaging range of genres and themes in this festival celebration of the written and spoken word: expect tales of adventure and travel, together with plenty of Scottish history, culture and a sprinkling of memoirs along the way. This year make sure you take your chance to get together with The Flying Scotsman, cyclist Graeme Obree, legendary man of the hills Cameron McNeish, crimewriter supreme Val McDermid, popular broadcaster and author Sally Magnusson, the marvellous chef Mary Contini and broadcaster Paul Murton, amongst many, many others. And after last year’s sell-out, Banff Mountain Film Festival returns with two different adrenaline-packed film programmes. There are two new writing competitions to get involved in: PFT’s Short Play Award and Fear 500, as well as the return of the ever-popular Fearie Tales writing competition. For aspiring actors (over 18s), there’s an Improvisation & Dialogue Workshop with PFT Associate Director Gemma Fairlie and for little ones, a We’re Going On A Bear Hunt Movement Workshop. Not to mention Storytelling Sessions, a Comic Book Art Workshop, a Playwriting Workshop, Literary Lunches, plus a host of FREE events to enjoy… Now in its fourteenth year, Winter Words remains the place “where Scotlands Literary year gets into gear” (The Scotsman). We hope to welcome you to the Festival in 2018.

Full details and how to enter can be found at PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

Scotland’s Most Welcoming Theatre, 2015, 2016 & 2017

01796 484626 • PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

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Friday 2nd

Phone: 01796 484626 Online: www.PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com In Person: at the Theatre Box Office Email: [email protected]

10.15am - 11.30am | £1.00

Living And Filming In Antarctica

Movement Workshops with Alex Sanders

Saturday 3rd

£15.00 (concessions available) £25.00 for both screenings

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour

Blue Screening | 2.00pm - 5.00pm Red Screening | 7.00pm - 10.00pm

Book Fair!

From 10.00am - 6.00pm Thursday to Sunday

Wednesday 14th

The Festival bookstall is organised by Yeadon’s Booksellers, who will be selling signed books by guest authors throughout the Festival. Yeadon’s have two shops in Elgin and Banchory, both of which are beautifully decorated and stocked with carefully chosen, eclectic selections of books. Well worth a visit (or three!), their staff are all professional booksellers, dedicated, enthusiastic and knowledgeable, who will also be around throughout the day to help and advise. Order (or reserve) a book today! You can now order or reserve any book by a Winter Words author in advance of their event. Simply go to www.yeadons. co.uk and complete an order/reservation form. You can also make a dedication! Books will be charged at full retail price plus postage and packing (10% of retail price UK) and you won’t be charged until dispatch. You can also save on postage by picking up your book at our Bookstall which is open throughout the Festival.

Pitlochry Station Bookshop The unique Pitlochry Station Bookshop will be running a second-hand and new bookstall in the theatre foyer throughout the Festival. The Station Bookshop sells a wide range of donated books to raise money for many different charities. Bestsellers, children’s classics and interesting antiquary gems are waiting to be enjoyed - and not just by train travellers! 02

7.00pm - 8.00pm | £12.50

Kirk Watson

Ways to Book!

Concessions:

• Friends/Supporters Cardholders | Groups (8+) : 10% off tickets • Disabled Badge Holders: 20% off tickets • Students | U18s | Registered Unemployed : 50% off tickets

Only Friends/Supporter Cardholders concessions apply to Literary Lunches. All ticket prices and concessions are subject to availability.

Please note: Event and ticketing information is correct at time of going to print. The programme of events may alter, so please do check online or at the Box Office. We reserve the right to make changes to the programme, ticket prices and seating plans. Transaction Fees: No booking fees apply for phone or face-toface sales. A handling fee of £1.75 applies to all online purchases.


Friday 16th

10.00am - 4.30pm | £35.00

Act 1, Scene 1 Introduction to Playwriting A workshop with Lesley Wilson

Thursday 15th

10.00am - 11.00am | £8.50

Kenneth Steven Winter Tales

We’re Going On A Bear Hunt 10.00am - 11.00am | £8.50

Robbie Nicol

Canoeing Around The Cairngorms

11.30am - 12.30am | £8.50

Brian Johnstone Double Exposure

12.45pm - 2.15pm | £24.50

2.30pm - 4.30pm | £2.00

The Art of Comic Books 2.30pm - 3.30pm | £8.50

Stuart Kelly

The Minister And The Murderer

4.00pm - 5.00pm | £8.50

The Hidden Ways

4.30pm - 5.30pm | £8.50

Adapting Novels For The Theatre with Peter Arnott

7.30pm - 8.30pm | FREE

PFT Short Play Award Performances

7.30pm - 9.00pm | £12.50

Paul Murton The Hebrides

3.00pm - 5.00pm | £1.00

Fear 500: A creative writing workshop for young people

3.00pm - 4.00pm | £8.50

Val McDermid Insidious Intent

Sally Magnusson 6.00pm | FREE

Fear 500: Winning Entries 7.30pm - 9.15pm | £10.00

Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers

Sunday 18th 10.00am - 11.00am | £8.50

6.30pm - 8.00pm | £10.00

The Nature Of Winter

In The Shadow Of Ben Nevis

Struan Stevenson

Alistair Moffat

Frankenstein Poetry Please

Ian Sykes

The Obree Way

3.00pm - 4.00pm | £8.50

1.15pm - 2.00pm | Free

The Sealwoman’s Gift

6.30pm - 7.30pm | £10.00

The Course Of History: Ten Meals That Changed The World

A Personal View Of Muriel Spark

The Great Horizon: 50 Tales Of Exploration

12.45pm - 2.15pm | £24.50 LITERARY LUNCH

Alan Taylor

4.30pm - 5.30pm | £8.50

Jo Woolf

Mona McLeod

A Land Girl’s Tale

LITERARY LUNCH

LITERARY LUNCH

Improvisation and Dialogue Workshop

11.30am - 12.30pm | £8.50

12.45pm - 2.15pm | £24.50

with Gemma Fairlie

Graeme Obree

8.00pm - 9.15pm | £14.50

Cameron McNeish

There’s Always The Hills

8.30pm - 9.30pm | Free

Fearie Tales

Saturday 17th

10.00am - 11.00am | £8.50

Sandy Allan

In Some Lost Place

10.15am - 12 noon | £1.00

Storytelling for Children and Families with Lindsey Gibb 11.30am - 12.30am | £8.50

Zoe Strachan and Rosemary Goring | chaired by Louise Welsh

The Work Of Muriel Spark


Jim Crumley

10.15am - 12 noon | £1.00

Storytelling for Children and Families with Lindsey Gibb 11.30am - 12.30pm | £8.50

Angus Roxburgh Moscow Calling

12.45am - 2.15pm | £24.50 LITERARY LUNCH

Mary Contini Dear Alfonso

3.00pm - 4.00pm | £8.50

Who Built Scotland? James Robertson and Jamie Crawford

4.30pm - 5.30pm | £8.50

Janet Morgan Agatha Christie

7.30pm - 9.00pm | £14.50

Michael Marra: Arrest This Moment

with Alice Marra, Christopher Marra and James Robertson

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Friday 2nd

Saturday 3rd

Larry Shiu, Cascade Mountain, Banff National Park © John Price

7.00pm - 8.00pm

2.00pm - 5.00pm (Blue Screening) | 7.00pm - 10.00pm (Red Screening)

Kirk Watson

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour

Living And Filming In Antarctica

£15.00, concessions available | £25.00, for both film programmes £30.00, for both programmes and Kirk Watson’s talk.

£12.50

Kirk Watson is a versatile and accomplished filmmaker based in Aviemore, whose TV credits include programmes for channels such as the BBC, Sky News, ITV, Discovery Channel, BBC Alba, Channel 4 and National Geographic. He is also a CCA approved Drone Pilot with many years’ experience of aerial filming. A qualified mountain instructor, Kirk lived and worked in Antarctica for 6 years as a Field Assistant, guiding scientists safely across ice, glaciers and mountains. During this time he honed his skills as a film-maker, recording exciting and challenging experiences at the coldest end of the globe. This fascinating, illustrated talk will reveal the secrets of Kirk’s filming success as well as throwing light on what it’s really like to live, survive and socialise in such an incredibly cold continent. 04

The spectacular Banff Mountain Film Festival returns for a fourth successive year with a brand new selection of extraordinary short films from the world’s leading adventure filmmakers.

Adventure Ticket Offer:

Why not make it a weekend of adventure? Book for Kirk’s talk and both screenings of Banff Mountain Film Festival on Sat 3rd February for only £30.00 - save £12.50! 01796 484626 • PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

The Festival incorporates two different screenings, with each one showing a different programme of short films featuring incredible adventurers, amazing adrenaline-packed action sports, stunning scenery and thoughtprovoking pieces shot in the far-flung reaches of the globe. For double the adventure, come along to both the Blue Film Programme (2pm) and Red Film Programme (7pm) screenings!


Amongst the films due to be screened will be the captivating, The Frozen Road which features adventurer Ben Page who embarked on a solo bike-packing journey into the Canadian artic, Into Twin Galaxies which follows the incredible and extreme 1,000km journey made by a trio of top adventures across the remote wilderness of Greenland using white-water kayaks and kite skis as well as Dreamwalkers, a film about the attempts of four Dutch friends to highline amongst the towering sea cliffs of the Faroe Islands. Full programme details will be unveiled in early January. Visit our website for updates or go to Banff-uk.com. Age Guidance: 12 (Under 12’s can attend if accompanied by an adult.) 05

Thursday 15th

Wednesday 14th 10.00am - 4.30pm

10.00am - 11.00am

Act 1, Scene 1

Introduction to Playwriting

Kenneth Steven

£35.00

£8.50

A workshop with Lesley Wilson

Winter Tales

Do you have an idea for a play? A few lines, or a whole manuscript, tucked away that needs to be dusted off and given a second chance? Or just a healthy curiosity about what it takes to get ideas from your head, to the page, to the stage?

This workshop is suitable for both beginners and those with some experience of writing, in any genre.

Lesley Wilson

Studio Scotland and has been shortlisted for The Kenneth Branagh Windsor Fringe New Writing Award, Scotland’s Short Play Award and longlisted for Theatre 503’s Playwriting Award. She is the writer in residence at Rivendell Care Home and produced In Her Own Words, Rivendell Stories, a verbatim theatre piece at Birnam Arts in Oct 2017.

Mona McLeod A LAND GIRL’S TALE Concentrating on Winning the War

A Land Girl’s Tale £8.50

Mona McLeod worked in Kirkcudbright during the Second World War, providing the skilled labour needed on farms before mechanisation. Mona McLeod

This one-day interactive workshop will give you the opportunity to begin to play with and develop those ideas in a safe space. Participants will explore setting, character and dramatic action through dialogue, and focus specifically on those first crucial minutes of a play when the curtains open and the audience waits eagerly to be drawn in.

Lesley Wilson is an awardwinning playwright who has had several short plays read and performed at The Traverse and The Tron Theatre. In 2017 she was awarded a place on the Luminate and Magnetic North Emerging Older Artists Lab and her play, WIRED, received 5-star reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe. Lesley was mentored by Playwrights’

11.30am - 12.30pm

With his soft, lyrical voice, Kenneth Steven takes us on a journey across the globe, visiting Finland, Italy and Russia, before bringing us back to the main stage of Pitlochry. Kenneth will be examining the human spirit – the dark and the light – through his latest short story collection, Winter Tales.

She will be talking about her illustrated memoir, A Land Girl’s Tale which, as she celebrates her 94th birthday, provides a valuable record of a time when women faced the rigorous physical challenges involved in winning the war at home. Born in England, Mona never went back after her five years in the Land Army in Scotland. A history graduate, she taught in Edinburgh schools before becoming a freelance lecturer on aspects of Scottish culture.

Kenneth grew up and lived near Pitlochry for many years and his work is infused with the land and the people. The perfect event for anybody who is a fan of Kenneth’s novels and poetry, or for those who love the short story form.


12.45pm - 2.15pm LITERARY LUNCH

Struan Stevenson

The Course of History: Ten Meals That Changed the

World

£24.50 | includes a two course lunch and a glass of wine

We’re not promising that today’s literary lunch will change the world, but Struan Stevenson’s book shows how many decisions which have had enormous historical consequences, have been made over the dinner table, and have been accompanied (and perhaps influenced) by copious amounts of food and wine. Using ten examples from the eve of the Battle of Culloden to Hitler’s Berghof in the Bavarian Alps, he explores the personalities, the issues and, of course, the food which helped shape the course of history. Struan is a local politician and the author of four other books.

Mona McLeod 06

Struan Stevenson

Turn to page 22 now to discover full mouth-watering menu details!


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Thursday 15th

4.30pm - 5.30pm

Adapting Novels For The Theatre with Peter Arnott £8.50

Having just adapted The Monarch Of The Glen for PFT to huge, critical acclaim, Peter will reveal just how he ‘filleted’ this classic novel for the stage.

3.00pm - 4.00pm

Peter is a well-known expert in adapting complicated novels for the stage and in this session, he will discuss some of his methods, the pitfalls and the joys of working with a wellknown text, and balancing comedy with politics.

The Hidden Ways

This event will be a question and answer session with playwright Peter Arnott, hosted by PFT Associate Director Gemma Fairlie.

Alistair Moffat £8.50

In The Hidden Ways, Alistair Moffat traverses the lost paths of Scotland. Down Roman roads tramped by armies, warpaths and pilgrim routes, drove roads and rail roads, turnpikes and sea roads, he traces the arteries through which our nation’s lifeblood has flowed in a bid to understand how our history has left its mark upon our landscape. Alistair’s travels along the hidden ways reveal not only the searing beauty and magic of the Scottish landscape, but open up a different sort of history, a new way of understanding our past by walking in the footsteps of our ancestors. In retracing the forgotten paths, he charts a powerful, surprising and moving history of Scotland through the unremembered lives of those who moved through it. 08

Peter is the author of over 40 produced plays, both original works and adaptations, beginning with White Rose for the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh in 1985 and continuing through Muir and Losing Alec for The Tron, stage versions of Neil Gunn’s The Silver Darlings and Robin Jenkins’ The Cone Gatherers, a Fringe First Award for Why Do You Stand There In The Rain? in 2012 and in 2013 the wildly popular musical Janis Joplin: Full Tilt. Peter has written for film and TV as well as song lyrics and published his first novel Moon Country in 2015. Gemma has directed throughout the UK including the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Court, the New Vic Theatre and the National Theatre. If you enjoyed The Monarch Of The Glen, or have an interest in writing for stage, we think you’ll find this event fascinating. Why not enjoy a preshow dinner, served from 6.00pm in the Festival Restaurant? Call Box Office to reserve your seats on 01796 484626 or book online: PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

7.30pm - 8.30pm

PFT Short Play Award Performances A Free Event in the Café Bar

Join us for semi-staged performances of the three shortlisted plays in the inaugural PFT Short Play Award, directed by PFT’s Associate Director Gemma Fairlie. The winning play will be announced 1 March and performed during the Summer Season 2018. Further details and how to enter can be found on PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

7.30pm - 9.00pm

Paul Murton The Hebrides £12.50

Paul Murton has spent half-a lifetime exploring some of the most beautiful islands in the world - the Hebrides. In this event, Paul will take us on a journey around this beautiful part of the world, visiting each of the islands in turn, introducing their myths and legends, history, culture and extraordinary natural beauty. He’ll tell us about the people he has met and the stories they have told him - crofters, fishermen, tweed weavers, Gaelic singers, clan chiefs, artists, postmen and bus drivers. Join us for a truly vivid account of the Hebrides and Paul’s unique guide to the less well known aspects of life among the islands. Paul grew up in Argyll, where he developed a passion for exploring, hitchhiking to Glen Coe and Skye to climb the peaks there. At the age of fourteen, he even managed to hitch a ride on the end of a climbing rope for an ascent of the Cuillin’s famous Cioch. He was initially inspired to take to the hills by a book his father gave him: W.H. Murray’s classic Mountaineering In Scotland. One of the best known TV presenters in Scotland, Paul’s popular primetimes series include Scotland’s Clans, Grand Tours Of Scotland, Grand Tours Of The Scottish Islands and Grand Tours Of Scotland’s Lochs.


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Friday 16th

11.30am - 12.30am

Brian Johnstone

We’re Going On A Bear Hunt

Session 1: 10.15am - 10.45am, for

children aged 3-5 years.

Little adventurers can enjoy half an hour of creative movement and play based on the wonderfully descriptive adventure We’re Going On A Bear Hunt, by Michael Rosen. It’s a half hour of story-themed activities with music and action songs, led by freelance dance artist Alex Saunders from LIVEforDance. Please note - scary bears are not included!

10.00am - 11.00am

Robbie Nicol Canoeing Around The Cairngorms £8.50

Come and hear about Robbie Nicol’s 700 kilometre, thirty-day solo journey by canoe and sea kayak around the Cairngorm mountains. Incredible scenery provides the backdrop for what becomes a mental, as well as physical, adventure through storm-tossed seas and fierce whitewater rapids. He digs deep into his own experiences and finds a growing feeling of respect, curiosity, wonder and awe for the planet that sustains us. Dr Robbie Nicol is a senior lecturer in outdoor environmental education at Moray House School of Education, the University of Edinburgh, and holds a wide range of national governing body awards in canoeing/ kayaking, mountaineering and skiing.

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The Minister And The Murderer £8.50

£8.50

£1.00 - whatever your age!

Session 2: 11am - 11.30am, for

Stuart Kelly

Creating Memories Double Exposure

Movement Workshops with Alex Sanders

children aged 18 months - 3 years

2.30pm - 3.30pm

Brian Johnstone grew up in a nuclear family - or so he thought until two revelations rocked his world. He’ll discuss the background to his new memoir, Double Exposure, and the circumstances around his writing of the book. Brian will also read poems to illustrate his story. This is a touching tale of family secrets and longlost relatives from one of Scotland’s favourite writers and poets. Brian Johnstone was born in Edinburgh in 1950 and has lived in Fife since 1972. A wellkent figure on the Scottish poetry scene with many publications to his name, Brian is also a well-seasoned literary event organiser, a frequent collaborator with visual artists and a live performer of his poems, both as a solo reader and with various musical collaborators.

Jo Woolf 12.45pm - 2.15pm LITERARY LUNCH

2.30pm - 4.30pm


£2.00 | for 11 - 18 year olds

Jo Woolf


Jo Woolf has always had a lively fascination for history and the natural world. In 2014 she began digging into the archives of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, in a mission to bring to light some half-forgotten figures in the field of exploration. Join Jo for an illustrated talk detailing stories of adventure and exploration from the past two hundred years - from those who set out to conquer new territories to those who claimed world records.

The Art of Comic Books A practical workshop for young illustrators, cartoonists and artists who want to learn more about drawing characters and understanding the creative process and development of a cartoon from brainstorming to final draft. In this workshop, participants will work towards creating specific characters and sketches that will be used to illustrate the winning stories of both Fearie Tales and Fear 500 competitions, in a specially published e-book.

In 1969, James Nelson confessed to murder, served a prison sentence, then applied to be ordained as a minster in the Scottish Church (The Kirk). The case split the church in two as the bible has a lot to say about murder, but not about this particular variety of murder! Literary critic and author Stuart Kelly has used the case of Nelson to write a particularly compelling history of the church in Scotland. It’s a book of soul-searching and speculation, deep thinking, riveting writing and a mindexpanding investigation of truth and faith. Stuart is one of the best known literary voices in Scotland, reviewing and writing about books for the Scotland On Sunday and The Guardian newspapers amongst many other publications.

Her talk will include unique images and insights from the RSGS archives, along with never-before seen material.

Brian Johnstone


Turn to page 22 now to discover full mouth-watering menu details! 01796 484626 • PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

Stuart Kelly 11

Friday 16th

6.30pm - 7.30pm

Graeme Obree

4.00pm - 5.00pm

Ian Sykes

In The Shadow Of Ben Nevis £8.50

In The Shadow Of Ben Nevis tells Ian ‘Spike’ Sykes’s story from growing up in Leeds in the aftermath of the Second World War, through his time with the RAF during the cold war and beyond as he became an active member of the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, as well as going on to open the first Nevisport shop, a retail entity that revolutionised outdoor outlets in the UK. In his extraordinary life-to-date, Ian has also played a key role in the development of the Nevis Range ski area. This book reveals his many, lively tales of adventures and mishaps, laced with Ian’s distinctive immediacy and charm.

6.30pm - 8.00pm

Improvisation and Dialogue Workshop with Gemma Fairlie £10.00

A practical workshop that explores how the games and rules of improvisation can be 12

The Obree Way £10.00 Gemma Fairlie

used to generate dialogue, create character, build worlds and inspire stories. The emphasis will be on teamwork, imagination and playfulness. You do not need any prior experience, and this is not just about being funny. The techniques are used to find imaginative ways into structuring story, creating ‘jumping off’ points for narrative, and exploring how ‘stakes’ can affect scenes. If you are a budding writer, actor, director or you just fancy learning the basics of improvisation then this is the workshop for you. Based on the techniques of improvisation legend Keith Johnstone, this workshop is led by PFT Associate Director Gemma Fairlie. Gemma has directed the highly successful Improverts in Edinburgh, and has used improvisation techniques throughout her career, working at the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Court, the New Vic Theatre and the National Theatre.

Graeme Obree

Graeme Obree also known as ‘The Flying Scotsman’, broke convention and records during his incredible career. He not only built his own bike on which he won many races and awards, he also challenged the thinking of the time. His career was entirely selffunded and he competed both as a professional and as an amateur. Join us for a fascinating insight and discussion as Graeme celebrates 25 years since he broke the Hour Record on Old Faithful with the publication of a new, updated edition of The Obree Way.

In his book, Graeme reveals his own story, which includes battling with poverty and depression, however this event will be of special interest to cyclists, as Graeme will get to the heart of the ‘problem’ of how to improve as a racing cyclist and how to revolutionise your cycling training. Invaluable insights and advice applicable to all cyclists, from the weekend warrior to the serious competitor. This event swerves conventional wisdom and promises to strip cycling - and life - back to its essential elements. Thoughtprovoking and utterly unmissable.

8.00pm - 9.15pm

Cameron McNeish

There’s Always The Hills £14.50

From his home in the Cairngorms of Scotland, Cameron McNeish reflects on a life dedicated to the outdoors. Following his career as an international long jump athlete, he has for almost forty years, written and talked about walking and climbing in Scotland, meeting some of the sport’s great characters such as Chris Brasher, Sir Chris Bonington, Tom Weir, Julie Tullis and many more, along the way.

Cameron McNeish A prolific author, Cameron has led treks in the Himalayas and Syria, edited The Great Outdoors magazine, helping to establish it as Britain’s premier walking publication. He’s also created new longdistance walks and made many television series, contributed a monthly column in The Scots magazine, campaigned for Scottish independence and raised a family with his wife, Gina! In this book, he candidly recalls the ups and downs of a life lived to the full. Don’t miss this opportunity to be in the company of this legendary writer, broadcaster and walker for what promises to be a memorable evening’s entertainment. There will be a Q&A session as part of this event and of course, a book signing afterwards.

8.30pm - 9.30pm

Fearie Tales Free Event

in the River Room

Come in from the winter gloom and nestle down to enjoy tales of supernatural spooks, shape shifting demons, eerie sounds and unexplained apparitions in lonely lochs, gloomy glens and even, perhaps, theatre spaces! Talented writers from far and wide have taken up the challenge to pen a Fearie Tale: Original, spinetingling and ever so slightly unnerving… Read by well-kent PFT actors, in the cosy atmosphere of PFT’s River Room. 13

Saturday 17th

12.45pm - 2.15pm LITERARY LUNCH

Alan Taylor

10.00am - 11.00am

Sandy Allan


In Some Lost Place £8.50

In the summer of 2012, a team of six climbers set out to attempt the first ascent of one of the great unclimbed lines of the Himalaya - the giant Mazeno Ridge on Nanga Parbat. Eleven days later two of the team, Sandy Allan and Rick Allen, both in their late fifties, reached the summit. Far from celebrating, they had run out of food and water and were hallucinating wildly from the effects of altitude and exhaustion… In Some Lost Place is Sandy Allan’s epic account of an incredible feat of endurance and commitment at the very limits of survival and the first ascent of one of the last challenges in the Himalaya.

10.15am - 12 noon

Storytelling for Children and Families with Lindsey Gibb

£1.00 - whatever your age! A chance to hear stories of local myths and monsters from Enchanted Forest storyteller Lindsey Gibb.

Lindsey is a Storyteller living in Highland Perthshire, with over 10 years’ experience. A member of the Directory

14

Sandy Allan of Storytellers since 2012, she loves finding and telling stories from her home area. She recently co-authored a book on Perthshire Folktales which will be published in early 2018. Her background is in the environmental sector having worked as a Countryside Ranger and in Environmental Education and Wildlife and Species Protection. Her love of history, nature and the environment is reflected in her storytelling. Storytelling sessions will last for 45 minutes and begin at 10.15am and 11.15am. All ages are welcome!

11.30am - 12.30am

Zoe Strachan & Rosemary Goring chaired by Louise Welsh

The Work Of Muriel Spark £8.50

2018 marks the centenary of the birth of the iconic writer Muriel Spark. Best-known as the author of The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie, Dame Muriel was a poet, writer

of fiction, criticism and literary biography, and was at the top of her profession, internationally, for more than half a century. As part of a year of celebrations, Scottish publishing house Birlinn are reprinting her works with forewords by some of Scotland’s best known writers. Zoe Strachan and Rosemary Goring have both contributed to the project and will discuss their contributions with Scottish author Louise Welsh, and reveal why they think Spark’s work continues to inspire.


Alan Taylor, writer-at-large of the Sunday Herald, was a close friend of Muriel Spark. Over many years, he charted their friendship in notebooks and through the many, many letters that they exchanged. Now he’ll share the real story of the woman who is recognised as one of the most important writers that Scotland ever produced, discussing the person behind

the legend, in a funny, intimate and revealing event. Turn to page 22 to discover full mouth-watering menu details!

1.15pm - 2.00pm

Frankenstein Poetry Please Free Event in the Café Bar

In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, enjoy an esoteric selection of verse, recited with verve and vigour by two actors in the cosy atmosphere of the Theatre Foyer.

3.00pm - 5.00pm

A creative writing workshop for young people £1.00 - whatever your age! For 9 - 12 year olds.

If you’ve ever watched a scary film or heard a ghost story and thought – I’d love to write something like that, then this is the workshop for you! Using Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein novel as a starting point, this workshop will help you write your own monster story. Learn how to start a story, how to write character and situation, and how to create suspense. Then enter it (last minute!) into Fear 500 Writing Competition. See page 21 for full details of how to enter.

Author Zoe Strachan is a Creative Writing Tutor at the University of Glasgow. She is also on the Board of Directors of Glasgow Women’s Library, a Patron of the Imprint Festival in East Ayrshire, and a supporter of Scottish PEN.

6.00pm

Presenting the winning entries

Free Event in the Foyer

For many years Rosemary Goring was the Literary Editor of The Herald and Sunday Herald. She’s also the author of Scotland: The Autobiography, After Flodden and Dacre’s War.

Alan Taylor 01796 484626 • PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

The winning entries in the scary short story competition for 9 to 16 year olds will be read out by familiar faces from the PFT stage in this free event. Sit back and relax with a drink or light snack, if you dare… 15

Saturday 17th

4.30pm - 5.30pm

3.00pm - 4.00pm

Sally Magnusson

Insidious Intent

£8.50

Val McDermid £8.50

Scotland’s Queen of crime fiction grew up in a mining community in Fife before going on to read English at Oxford and a career in journalism. She has just celebrated thirty years as a published novelist and alongside her many bestsellers she is also known for her feisty appearances on Question Time. She will be in conversation with her fellow crime-writer, Doug Johnstone about her latest novel, Insidious Intent, the tenth novel to feature Tony Hill and Carol Jordan in which a burning car on a deserted country road kicks off their latest investigation, as Hill and Jordan are drawn into a dark and twisted web of fear and revenge that forces them to question their own ideas of justice. Val also has taken to the stage recently (Edinburgh International Book Festival, Bloody Scotland) as part of the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers. This merry band of crime writers (including Christopher Brookmyre, Mark Billingham and Doug Johnstone amongst others) murder their favourite tunes. For full details see the opposite page. 16

The Sealwoman’s Gift

In 1627 Barbary pirates raided the coast of Iceland and abducted some 400 of its people, including 250 from a tiny island off the mainland. Among the captives sold into slavery in Algiers were the island pastor, his wife and their three children. Although the raid itself is well documented, little is known about what happened to the women and children afterwards. In this brilliant reimagining, popular author and broadcaster Sally Magnusson gives a voice to Ásta, the pastor’s wife. Steeped in the sagas and folk tales of her northern homeland, the novel is about the eternal power of storytelling to help us survive.

Mark Billingham

Chris Brookmyre

Stuart Neville

Val McDermid

Luca Veste

Doug Johnstone

Sally is a Scottish broadcaster and writer. She presents Reporting Scotland for BBC Scotland, as well as Radio 4’s Tracing Your Roots and Songs Of Praise. As a writer, Sally has been widely published, including The Life Of Pee, Dreaming Of Iceland and Horace The Haggis Hunter!

7.30pm - 9.15pm

Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers £10.00

It started at The House of Blues in New Orleans, where Mark Billingham, Stuart Neville and Doug Johnstone (fuelled with liquid inspiration) had a great idea…

You’re in for a real treat as songs by The Beatles, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, The Clash and Scotland’s own The Proclaimers are given the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers’ treatment.

Fast forward a year and they have teamed up with crime-writing pals Val McDermid, Luca Veste and Chris Brookmyre to form a band - Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers - a full-on rock ‘n’ roll experience, featuring a set list of carefully chosen cover versions that have a distinctly criminal flavour.

This merry band of best-selling crime writers from the four corners of the UK have combined to create a first class evening’s entertainment which will bring our Winter Words Saturday to a satisfying conclusion!

Sally Magnusson 01796 484626 • PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com


Buy tickets for this event and Val McDermid’s event (earlier in the day) and pay only £13.50 saving £5.00! 17

Moscow Calling: Memoirs Of A Foreign Correspondent

The Nature of Winter

Nature of Winter

Crumley tells the the wildlife of his Western Isles and the gentler, gracetirling. Along the s of the uplands, od, and his own ate – and deeply ajestic British

Angus Roxburgh

Jim Crumley The

most enchantingly for reflection, s the chill, dark

11.30am - 12.30pm

10.00am - 11.00am

Crumley

ancy, chill ive secrets

Sunday 18th £8.50

Gather round for a truly lovely event The Nature of with the wonderful Jim Crumley nature writer Jim Crumley, who will take you on a journey into the snow, to experience first-hand the chaos and the quiet solitude of nature’s rest period. He bears witness to the lives of remarkable animals such as golden eagles, red deer and even whales, as they battle intemperate weather and the turbulence of climate change. “A magical piglrimage.” Miriam Darlington, BBC Wildlife

Winter

Following in ancient footsteps, Jim will share the discoveries that lead him to reflect on the journey of his own nature-writing life - a journey that takes in mountain legends, dear departed friends and an enduring fascination and deep love for nature. Simply, he evokes winter in all its drama, in all its pathos, in all its glory. Always a popular event, we welcome Jim back to Winter Words once again.

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£8.50

10.15am - 12 noon

Storytelling

for Children & Families with Lindsey Gibb

£1.00 - whatever your age! A chance to hear stories of local myths and monsters from Enchanted Forest storyteller Lindsey Gibb.

Lindsey is a Scottish Storyteller living in Highland Perthshire, she has over 10 years’ experience and has been a member of the Directory of Storytellers since 2012. She loves finding and telling stories from her home area and in Scots. She has recently co-authored a book on Perthshire Folktales which will be published by History Press in early 2018. Her background is in the environmental sector having worked as a Countryside Ranger and in Environmental Education and Wildlife and Species Protection. Her love of history, nature and the environment is reflected in her storytelling. Storytelling sessions will last for 45 minutes and begin at 10.15am and 11.15am. All ages are welcome!

In the course of the past 45 years, Angus Roxburgh has met four successive Russian presidents, come under fire in war zones and been arrested by Chechen thugs! During the Cold War he was wooed by the KGB, who then decided he would make a lousy spy and expelled him from the country. In Moscow Calling he presents his Russia - not the Russia of news reports, but a quirky, crazy, exasperating, beautiful, tumultuous world that in four decades has changed completely, and yet more than ever, is of global political significance. Over the course of his remarkable career Angus has worked at the BBC Monitoring Service, the BBC Russian Service, The Guardian, Sunday Times and The Sunday Correspondent newspapers. He has presented and consulted on a number of TV and Radio programmes and now works as a freelance writer and broadcaster. Join us for a fascinating midmorning event.


12.45am - 2.15pm LITERARY LUNCH

Mary Contini Dear Alfonso


Inspired by a long forgotten document from the 1920s, Mary Contini relates in her inimitable style, the story of her Father-in-law’s life from wartime Pozzuoli, near Naples to Edinburgh, where he arrived in 1952. Here his life was to change forever when he met Olivia Crolla and married into her family business, the delicatessen Valvona & Crolla. Heartwarming, moving and filled with laughter and love, Dear Alfonso is a wonderful celebration of food, family and friendship. Mary is the bestselling author of numerous books about Italian life and cooking, as well as the acclaimed Easy Peasy children’s cookery books with Pru Irvine. Turn to page 22 to discover full mouth-watering menu details!

James Robertson

Jamie Crawford

3.00pm - 4.00pm

Who Built Scotland?

James Robertson and Jamie Crawford £8.50

Experience a new history of Scotland told through its places. James Robertson and James Crawford (along with Kathleen Jamie, Alexander McCall Smith and Alistair Moffat), picked twenty-five buildings to tell the story of the nation. Who Built Scotland is a landmark exploration of Scotland’s social, political and cultural history. From Neolithic families, exiled hermits and ambitious royal dynasties to highland shieling girls, peasant poets and iconoclastic artists, in this enthralling event you’ll discover the remarkable story how we have shaped our buildings and how our buildings, in turn, have shaped us. James Robertson is the author of the acclaimed novels: The Fanatic, Joseph Knight, The Testament Of Gideon Mack, And The Land Lay Still and To Be Continued.

Mary Contini

James Crawford is a former literary agent who has written a number of books such as Fallen Glory: The Lives And Deaths Of Twenty Lost Buildings From The Tower Of Babel To The Twin Towers, Above Scotland: The National Collection Of Aerial Photography’ and Scotland’s Landscapes. He has just finished filming for a new TV series called Scotland From The Sky.


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Sunday 18th 4.30pm - 5.30pm

Janet Morgan

Agatha Christie £8.50

Dr Janet Morgan was the first biographer of Agatha Christie to have had unrestricted access to her papers, photographs and relics and to whom her family, friends and advisers were encouraged to speak openly. Janet will be discussing the process both of writing and then revisiting the life of Agatha Christie, including the background to her work as a writer, archaeological exploration and travels in Syria, Iraq and Iran, and the challenges - personal and financial - which she overcame. Janet is a writer and speaker who has published widely on politics and broadcasting. Make sure you don’t miss this fascinating event.

7.30pm - 9.00pm

Michael Marra: Arrest This Moment

with Alice Marra, Christopher Marra and James Robertson £14.50

Michael Marra was one of the best-loved singer-songwriters in Scotland, as well as an artist and playwright. Singing songs from Michael’s extensive backlist will be his daughter Alice Marra - a stunning singer, accompanied by her uncle Christopher Marra and James Robertson, Michael’s recent biographer, will be telling stories from their close friendship and explaining how he came to write the recent acclaimed biography. Join his family and friends for this very special celebration of his life, his words and his talent.

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Why not begin your evening earlier by joining us for a delicious dinner, served at 6.00pm? 01796 484626 • PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

Writing Competition 2018

A Short Story Competition

This unique competition receives more and more submissions every year, both from would-be authors and more established writers. The format is simple. You write a Fearie Tale and send it to us. We then choose three or four entries to be read aloud in the cosy atmosphere of the River Room on Friday 16th evening during Winter Words.

Accept our writing challenge to scare our judges with your tales of terror using no more than 500 words. We’d like original stories, based on the idea of myths and monsters. Interpret this as wildly and frighteningly as possible!

Calling All Budding Writers!

Every Fearie Tale must be an entirely new story, written especially for Winter Words and not previously published in any form. Each entry should be a minimum of 2,250 words up to a maximum length of 3,250 words. Entries must be received at Pitlochry Festival Theatre by 12 noon on 31st January, 2018. Full competition details are available on our website.


for 9 - 16year olds

3 winners will be selected and their stories read out by actors in our River Room on Saturday 17th February, at 6.00pm. The winning stories will also be published in e-book format together with the winners of our Fearie Stories competition. Deadline for submission: Wednesday 14th February, unless you are attending the Fear 500: A creative writing workshop for young people on Saturday 17th February, in which case you’ll have up to 5.00pm on this day to get your entry in! For full details of how to enter please visit: PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com 21

Evening Dinners Daily Specials

Literary Lunch Menus

Tasty 2 course lunches served with a glass of wine or soft drink

Thursday 15th Feb

Struan Stevenson

The Course Of History: Ten Meals That Changed The World Slowly Braised Neck of Scottish Venison with carrot fondants, a cranberry potato mash and rich red wine sauce

Friday 16th Feb

Saturday 17th Feb

Sunday 18th Feb



Dear Alfonso

Jo Woolf

Alan Taylor

Mary Contini

Main Roasted Chicken Supreme with roasted potatoes, sautéed green beans and a chasseur sauce

Herb Crusted Loin of North Sea Cod with minted pea purée, new potatoes, grilled vine tomatoes, Martini and lime cream

Seafood Linguine with tomato sauce and Parmesan shavings

Coffee or Tea and Fudge

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Sticky Toffee Pudding with Stewart Tower vanilla ice-cream and butterscotch sauce


Fresh Vanilla Pod Cheesecake with spiced berry compÔte


Evening Dinners

Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd: 5.30pm. Thurday 15th: 6.00pm

Friday 16th: 5.00pm and 6.30pm

Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th: 6.00pm SAMPLE EVENING MENU

STARTERS

Desserts Chocolate and Orange Mousse with nutty crumbs

Spectacular views combined with fresh local produce and excellent service from our attentive staff ensures dining here will always be a special experience.

Classic Tiramisu with chocolate flakes

Stilton and Celery Soup

Chicken and Pistachio Terrine Panko Breaded Scottish Haddock Goujons

Flatcap Mushroom, Goat’s Cheese and Spinach Stack Coffee or Tea and Fudge


The Festival Restaurant and Café Bar is open all day, seven days a week and provides tasty, fresh and wholesome food and daily specials, all at reasonable prices.

MAINS

DESSERTS

Pan Fried Pork T-Bone Steak with Pork and Ale Sausage

Poached Pear

Roasted Supreme of Guinea Fowl

Grilled Loin of North Sea Cod Fragrant Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Curry

Mango and Vanilla Cheesecake Classic Cranachan

Trio of Cheeses and Kenmore Oatcakes

Two courses: £23.95 | Three courses: £26.95

A selection of apéritifs, digestifs and fine coffees/teas are available on purchase.


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SPRING

EVENT PROGRAMME at PITLOCHRY FESTIVAL THEATRE

CIRCUS OF HORRORS Fri 23 Feb

MAGICAL MOZART

OPERA HIGHLIGHTS

Sat 3 Mar

Thu 8 Mar

by Candlelight

RUMPELSTILTSKIN balletLORENT

Sat 24 Mar 24

Scottish Opera

SKERRYVORE Fri 30 Mar

NEW JERSEY BEAT

The Musical Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

Fri 9 Mar

THE SPIRIT OF BAD COMPANY & FREE Sat 31 Mar


SIMON AND GARFUNKEL:

SKIPINNISH

Through The Years Sat 24 Feb

BACK TO BACHARACH Sat 10 Mar

ONE MAN SHOE Sun 1 Apr

Fri 2 Mar

A TIGER’S TALE Sat 17 Mar

PASADENA ROOF ORCHESTRA

THE POLICE STING SHOW

CARMINA BURANA

Fri 6 April


Sat 17 Mar

Pitlochry & District Choral Society

Sat 7 Apr

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SUMMER SEASON 25 May - 13 October

CHICAGO

Book by Fred Ebb & Bob Fosse Music by John Kander • Lyrics by Fred Ebb

QUALITY STREET by J.M. Barrie

TRAVESTIES by Tom Stoppard

THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE by Jim Cartwright

BEFORE THE PARTY by Rodney Ackland from the short story by W. Somerset Maugham

THE LAST WITCH by Rona Munro