Local hero Dolly the Sheep to be celebrated at Festival Fringe 2022

The cast has been announced for Hiya Dolly! ahead of its Fringe 22 run at the Space @ Surgeons Hall. 

The true story of how a cute, attention-seeking lamb became the most famous sheep in history, the world’s first cloned mammal. Lab created and born at the Roslin Institute outside Edinburgh, Dolly lived the good life.

A worldwide celebrity who never left her farm. Mother to six lovely lambs. She changed biology forever – and irrevocably changed the lives of all her human parents. Who were they? How did they do it? Where are they now? Come find out how to clone a sheep in this new play by Vince LiCata, laced with Dollified Scottish tunes and plenty of woolly humour.

Hiya Dolly! is a play with live music that explores the science, human relationships, and public reaction surrounding the remarkable cloning of Dolly the sheep at the Roslin Institute outside Edinburgh. At the time many high profile scientists had declared that cloning a mammal was impossible. 

It’s a whirlwind excursion through the creation of the world’s most famous sheep and the story of the people who made it happen. Itmixes science, human drama, music, humour and a talking sheep. Its songs are set to traditional Scottish folk tunes arranged by Edinburgh based musician Ciaran McGhee.

Writer Vince LiCata says, “The explosion of publicity about the cloning of Dolly the sheep was outrageous:  scientific advances just don’t get that type of public hype. 

“And yet all that mania included little about the actual cloning. So Hiya Dolly! is an attempt to tell the story of the cloning itself, but in a way that retains the atmosphere of the runaway circus that surrounded it.”

Director Andy Jordan comments: “I am delighted to be directing Hiya Dolly!, a highly unusual play about a truly remarkable animal. Dolly is an Edinburgh icon who was created, lived and died just outside the city, so I feel honoured to be involved in telling her truly astonishing story.

“This play brings a talking Dolly to the stage with chutzpah, wit and charm, in a way that can only happen in theatre. I can’t wait to meet her.”

Hiya Dolly!

Written by Vince LiCata,

Directed & Produced by Andy Jordan

Music Direction by Ciaran McGhee

Designed by Robbie McDonnell  

Listings info

Venue:  theSpaceUK @ Surgeons Hall (Grand Theatre)

Dates: Friday 5 to Saturday 27 August   No performance 14 Aug

Time: 20.00  Running time 70min 

Previews Aug 5-6 £5.00

Aug 7 £10.00 

Aug 8-13,15-27 £12.00 (£10.00) 

Family ticket all perfs £32

2for1 on Mon 8

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davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer