Alan Cumming brought his wit, charm and brand new show Burn to Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s Theatre… or should it be Their Majesty’s?
The P&J entertainment team caught up with Alan just before the Aberdeen premiere of Burn – a one-man dance theatre show that aims to challenge the tartan box image of Scotland’s National Bard.
“I found out he had a much tougher life – he was much less robust than our image of him would suggest,” said Alan who’ll also bring the show to Eden Court in Inverness.
“I wanted to show that behind these iconic men, there’s a lot more going on and there’s a lot more fragility there.”
The award-winning actor told us more about the unique piece of theatre – including the sneaky way he made sure he got choreographer Steven Hoggett on board with the project.
Alan Cumming talks Burn, post-show ritual and magic
Featuring an emotional score by talented Scottish composer Anna Meredith, stripped-back set design and attention-grabbing video, Alan says theatre fans may be surprised to see a bit of magic in the production, too.
“I always describe (the music) as a mixture of classical and techno. It also has the most insane time signatures and there are times I hate her with all my heart (because) I have to count these crazy things – but that’s showbiz,” said Alan, before quickly adding that he loved the composer with all his heart.
Watch our video chat with Alan to find out about him misgendering the Aberdeen theatre and why he and the wardrobe supervisor “chuck one down for Scotland” after each performance.
The National Theatre Of Scotland invited us to see Burn – you can read our review below:
REVIEW: Dance theatre meets art installation in Alan Cumming’s Burn
If you wish to find out even more about Burn, you can read our in-depth interview with Alan Cumming here where he told us all the reasons why it’s important to talk about “the real man behind the legend” and why he wanted to do “one more dance thing”.
Burn is at Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s Theatre until Saturday, August 27. Tickets can be purchased here. There will be a special post-show Q&A with Alan after tonight’s show – open to all Thursday ticket holders.
Those in Inverness can see the show at Eden Court from Thursday, September 8 to Saturday, September 10. Click here if you wish to purchase tickets.
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