Dundee Rep’s Sunshine On Leith has delighted audiences all over the country and the good news is that it’s coming back in the summer.
It has captured the imagination on both sides of the border, with well over 100,000 people seeing the musical featuring the songs of The Proclaimers during its two tours.
The show became a sell-out success, with lots of fans making repeat visits.
This third tour opens at the Rep on August 31 and runs for three weeks, before taking to the road.
Sunshine On Leith first opened at the Tay Square theatre in April 2007, playing to full houses before a hugely successful tour of Scotland.
Penned by playwright and TV writer Stephen Greenhorn and directed by Rep artistic director James Brining, it has a 15-strong cast and a nine-piece band.
Sunshine On Leith found favour with existing fans of the twins and a vast swathe of the population of all ages. Standing ovations became the order of the day as the show toured.
James Brining wanted to create a large-scale and popular new musical about and for Scotland and writer Stephen Greenhorn (River City) brought the concept.
It told the story of two soldiers returning home coping with the aftermath of conflict and renewing relationships.
Brining has been delighted with the response in the two tours.
“Audiences really took to it,” he said. “They liked it because it showed what it was like to live in Scotland, here and now.”
The second tour began in November 2008, selling out in Dundee before touring to Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre for the festive period. Despite stiff opposition, it doubled its audiences.
The Rep has confirmed that Sunshine on Leith will be at Dundee for three weeks before week-long stints in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen and for the first time, across to Belfast.
They hope to confirm other dates.