Getting out of Edinburgh – Lammermuir Festival – 1000 Airplanes on the Roof

The Lammermuir Festival is delighted to announce that David McKay will play the mysterious ‘M’ in Phillip Glass’s  highly anticipated science fiction music drama, ‘1000 Airplanes on the Roof’ at Concorde Hangar on Sunday 18^th September.

Glasgow born actor and director David McKay has just finished a successful run at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe in David Greig’s award winning ‘The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart’ with the National Theatre of Scotland. He has work with some of the most challenging international film directors including Mel Gibson in ‘Braveheart’, Ken Loach in ‘My Name Is Joe’ and ‘Ae Fond Kiss’, Bille August in ‘Les Miserables’, John Mackenzie in ‘Looking After JoJo’, Peter Mullan in ‘NEDS’ and Shane Meadows in ‘Once Upon A Time In The Midlands’.

‘1000 Airplanes on the Roof’ will be performed by  contemporary music ensembles Red Note, with James Brining directing and Jessica Cottis conducting. The one act melodrama, which is supported by the National Theatre of Scotland, features text by David Henry Hwang and first premiered in 1988 in Vienna Airport’s Hangar No 3. Set in New York, the 90 minute piece charts the tale of a man’s psychological collapse following an alien abduction.

David will play the mysterious ‘M’ who recalls his encounters with extraterrestrial life-forms and their message to him: “It is better to forget, it is pointless to remember. No-one will believe you”.  Did he really meet them?  Was it a drug-induced nightmare – or the beginning of a mental breakdown?

David said: “Playing ‘M’ is the most challenging, exciting, terrifying project I’ve done to date. As the only actor surrounded by some of the best talent in the country, I have to learn the script and get my head around such a fantastic character. I will be working with so many people I respect who are playing, singing and conducting such incredible music.”

The Lammermuir Festival, from 16 – 25 September 2011, brings ten days of beautiful music in beautiful places performed in the most stunning venues across East Lothian, Scotland. The venues are as diverse as the programming and include the aircraft hangar housing Concorde, a medieval church and Lennoxlove House, the 14^th Century home of the Duke of Hamilton.

The Festival features the highest calibre of artists, conductors and orchestras including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Dunedin Consort and showcases a selection of today’s finest young talent, including the Navarra Quartet who return for another Musical Journey.

Artistic Directors Hugh Macdonald and James Waters say: “We are thrilled to welcome David McKay to Lammermuir 2011 and are delighted to be working with Red Note Ensemble. To have a star from NTS’s smash hit of the Edinburgh Festival ‘The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart’ is more than we could have hoped for. What was always a really exciting show has just become unmissable!”

The Lammermuir Festival is produced by The Lamp of Lothian Trust, supported by East Lothian Council, Creative Scotland, EventScotland, The Lamp of Lothian Trust, The Stevenson Trust, The Bacher Trust, The Artemis Trust, The Binks Trust, Artifax Software Ltd, McInroy & Wood Ltd and generous individuals.

Photos – John Wood

Tickets available here