Tag: Restless Natives

Leith Theatre and Restless Natives hit the big time

The Clown and The Wolfman Ride into Leith Theatre 

Leith Theatre is proud to reveal it will be the Edinburgh home of Restless Natives: The Musical. 

The brand-new stage version of the classic Scottish film will kick off a three-month summer programme of theatre, music and film co-commissioned by Restless Natives’ producers, Andy Paterson and Wild Yak Productions, and the Leith Theatre Trust team. 

Welcoming audiences back into the venue is a significant milestone for Leith Theatre. This curated collaboration will offer a rare and exciting chance to enter the faded grandeur of a theatre that has remained largely the same since opening in 1932. This pop-up summer season will be a unique opportunity for audiences to glimpse at the theatre’s future while it continues on its journey towards restoration. 

Original Restless Natives screenwriter and now lyricist, Ninian Dunnett, director Michael Hoffman and composer Tim Sutton, inspired by Big Country songs and themes, will open the season by delivering a not-to-be-missed full stage musical designed to delight devotees of the original movie and capture the hearts of a new generation. 

A charming sense of national pride is built as intrepid underdogs Ronnie and Will become Highland Highwaymen, holding up buses and winning international renown, fleecing tourists with panache, with all the quirky idiosyncratic fun coming to Leith Theatre’s raked stage in June 2025. 

Although the Trust have operated on a pop-up basis in the past bringing a wide range of cultural activity, the creative focus has more recently been within the TV and film industry hosting a large number of shoots and productions. Excitingly, this will be the first theatre production to make Leith Theatre its home since 2018. 

Restless Natives: The Musical will commence a summer 2025 programme, providing audiences with a chance to enjoy live cultural experiences in this iconic heritage venue while supporting Leith Theatre’s preservation. 

Restless Natives producer Andy Paterson is thrilled to see the musical leading the summer programming for the venue: “We are so inspired by the Trust’s vision for this incredible building.

” Our memories of shooting key scenes from the film just a few hundred yards away on the Western Harbour make this new partnership all the more special.

“We can’t wait to bring the Clown and the Wolfman back to their actual and spiritual home in Edinburgh.”   

By partnering with Restless Natives, Leith Theatre Trust will shine a spotlight on the building’s history and restoration journey and bring an exciting cultural experience to the stage that fits with all of the film, music and theatre connections that already make up the venue’s heritage.  

Will this be the end of the story or the beginning of a legend? 

Lynn Morrison, Chief Executive from Leith Theatre Trust, said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce Leith Theatre as the Edinburgh venue and to work in partnership to deliver this incredible three-month summer season, starting with Restless Natives: The Musical.

“Despite the challenges posed by our building’s health, we remain committed to being at the heart of cultural life in Leith. This theatre adaptation blends theatre, film and music which is everything we love, and we couldn’t be prouder to welcome this exciting crossover and summer opportunity to our venue.” 

Andy Paterson, who was one of the producers of the film and lead producer on Restless Natives: The Musical, said: “The moment we walked into Leith Theatre we had a feeling that we’d come home.

“The unique atmosphere and personality of the venue chimed with Ninian’s story. Both embody the resilience, the spirit of Scottish community, a sense of perseverance and solidarity – and the belief that with the right values and serious ambition, you can make something great.”  


Young Scots benefit from £660,000 to break down barriers

Projects helping young Scots overcome barriers to employment and education during the pandemic today celebrate over half a million pounds in new funding.   

Intercultural Youth Scotland and Forth Valley Disability Sport are amongst nine youth-led groups that will help young Scots build confidence, develop new skills and realise their full potential, sharing in £659,935 from The National Lottery Community Fund’s Young Start Fund.

Thanks to £98,710 in funding the future of Intercultural Youth Scotland’s Restless Natives programme is assured for the next three years.

This work supports young Scots from minority ethnic backgrounds to overcome the challenges they face in accessing employment, education and volunteering.  

Restless Natives will help more young people like Nisha Singh, 17, from Edinburgh, who has found the programme was a vital source of support during lockdown.  

On leaving college this year Nisha had hoped to take on an apprenticeship as she left formal education. The COVID-19 crisis threw those plans into jeopardy leaving Nisha worried and stressed for her future.

Nisha said: “The help I’ve got from Restless Natives has made a huge difference to me. They stepped in and offered support with applications, online interviews, updating my CV, and from my mental health perspective it really helped as well.  

“The youth practitioners are young and have experiences of struggling to get support through their education and employment too – so they really listen to young people’s needs. I felt supported and I knew where to go when I had any questions.  

“It’s thanks to the help I’ve had from Restless Natives I have been accepted on to a graduate apprenticeship in my chosen field, software engineering, which starts this month.  

“I’m so thankful this service exists. It’s so different from schools and is more accessible and comfortable to young BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Colour) Scots like me.” 

Forth Valley Disability Sport (FVDS) also picks up £51,000 in funding today to expand its Step Out project supporting young people living with a physical, sensory or learning disability across the Forth Valley area.

The project uses sport and physical activity to help disabled young people make friends, develop life skills, and gain qualifications. 

Welcoming the award is FVDS youth volunteer, Caitlyn Ross, from Denny, who started taking part in disability sport when she was just ten years old: “Over the years disability sport has truly changed my life for the better. 

“I feel like I have found where I belong, and I am a part of something where I don’t feel judged and can just be me, so I’d like to say thank you to Young Start. 

“Coming to Forth Valley Disability Sport has helped develop my confidence and self-esteem and I have made so many friends. It also led to me volunteering both here and with several other local organisations. I have also gained qualifications and expanded my knowledge in so many different sports.  

“I’ve also had great opportunities to share my story around sports volunteering and I have my voice heard in the Forth Valley Disability Sports Youth Committee, the Scottish Disability Sports (SDS) Youth Panel and the SDS Young Start Programme.” 

Graham Harvey, FVDS Branch Coordinator, said: “This grant from Young Start will allow us to continue to develop a wide range of opportunities within the Forth Valley area. FVDS greatly appreciates the support of The National Lottery Community Fund’s Young Start Fund to help the charity to change lives through sport and physical activity.” 

Young Start awards dormant bank and building society cash to youth-led projects across Scotland and is delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund. 

Announcing today’s funding totalling £659,935, The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland Director, Neil Ritch, said:  “Young Start funding helps to support young people to build confidence, develop new skills and realise their own potential. Each project awarded today has made an incredible impact in the lives of the young people they support.  

“They are great examples of how the youth sector has stepped up during the current crisis offering support in new ways. At a time when young people are concerned about their futures, I’m delighted that Young Start is working with projects like Intercultural Youth Scotland, and all these projects, offering renewed support into employment and education.” 

Groups wanting to know more about Young Start, and how it can support them during these unprecedented times should visit 

https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/youngstart or contact 0141 846 0447.