Burns the musical makes national debut

A MUSICAL written by a Lossiemouth playwright will premier at Scotland’s biggest theatre this weekend.

Tish Tindall’s musical Burns, which reimagines the life of Scotland’s poet Robert Burns will debut at the Edinburgh Playhouse on January 20.

The show features an all-female cast – with the exception of Robert Burns – and tells the story of the life of Scotland’s most famous poet, if he was alive and and living in the modern world.

The musical evolved from a Burns project which began in Hollywood in 1992 as the Michael Jackson and David Gest collaboration Red Red Rose.

The show was put on hold in 1996 before Gest returned to the project just before his death in 2016, with Lossie Entertainment Academy owners Tish Tindall and Diane Aspinall joining him at the helm.

They created a brand new version which premiered in Scotland as Robert Burns The Musical in 2015. In November 2021 after a handful of touring performances and two Fringe runs, the show was workshopped and totally reimagined, creating a fresh take on the life of Scotland’s national bard.

Now restaged for a live, full-scale production Burns will premiere at the Edinburgh Playhouse on January 20, just in time for Burns Night.

Tish shared her excitement of the Burns musical journey and commented on the “edu-tainment” comparisons that have been made between Burns and other musicals like Hamilton and Six.

She said: “Much like Burns’ life, this 21st century story about an 18th century genius is about daring to dream, following your dreams and never giving up.

“Scotland is going to be known as a country that produces musical theatre hits like Hamilton if we keep following that dream.”

Burns will feature lots of young Scottish talent, with many of the cast coming from Lossie Entertainment Academy.

The show will play at the Edinburgh Playhouse on Friday January 20 at 7.30pm and on Saturday January 21 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Tickets are available online at: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/burns/edinburgh-playhouse/ and start at £30 plus booking fee.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.