The household names of Andy Gray, Grant Stott and Allan Stewart will forever be indelibly linked with pantomime in Edinburgh audiences’ hearts. But now they are rehearsing a new show and are about to hit the road next week with it, along with the newest member of their cast, Gabriel Quigley.
When we met them at rehearsal last week it looked like they were enjoying themselves immensely. The new play comes hot on the heels of their two month run of Snow White at The King’s Theatre Edinburgh, so they must enjoy each other’s company! (And they are already booked for Jack and the Beanstalk at the end of this year)
But Canned Laughter is a little more serious than their normal Christmas offering. The play is set in the 1970s and the three are one of Scotland’s funniest acts. Then the drama comes bang up to date when they are together again after what could have been a rift, it might have been something they cannot put behind them. Or is it?
We have no idea where this play will take audiences, but you can be sure that it will be a very good evening out. The script is the work of Allan Stewart who co-wrote it with director Ed Curtis. Curtis won directing plaudits for the Susan Boyle musical I Dreamed a Dream, so even the production crew is of the highest standard. Stewart is very much at home as he added in the comedy parts to the script.
We tried (in vain) to get the trio to be a little serious when we were filming them, but this was an uphill task. They are to be joined on stage by Gabriel Quigley, and we think she may find it hard not to simply laugh her way through the month or so of the nationwide tour. Quigley herself has an impressive past in drama like Glasgow Kiss, and comedy like Rab C Nesbitt and Still Game. She plays the agent and the sister, and clearly has already established an off-stage rapport with the trio.
Here they are trying to tell us about the play:
Book now for Canned Laughter when it comes to The King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, Tuesday 29 March – Saturday 2 April 2016
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