Pitlochry Festival Theatre is delighted to open the 75th anniversary season and Alan Cumming’s inaugural as Artistic Director with a new production of Once!
The Scottish première of the Grammy, Olivier, Oscar and Tony award-winning Once will reunite the original creative team behind the smash-hit Broadway and West End musical. Directed by John Tiffany (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Black Watch and Wild Rose), the uplifting and moving new production will run at Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 23 May – 27 June.
The musical, written by Enda Walsh with music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, is based on John Carney’s 2007 film, which featured the Oscar-winning song ‘Falling Slowly’.
‘Falling Slowly’ won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 80th Academy Awards in 2008. The win was widely acknowledged as a underdog triumph, as the indie film from Sundance took on studio features – Enchanted, August Rush – to swoop in and win the prize!
Once director John Tiffany on Glen and Markéta winning the Oscar:
I remember Glen and Markéta talking about it, they knew they were performing [at the Oscars], but they didn’t think for a second that they were going to win! So that obviously had a big effect. It’s interesting, it seems like the film made even more of an impression stateside than it did here [in the UK].
Maybe that was the ‘Oscars effect’ because a lot of people knew it and they had no idea how we were going to do it on stage.
I remember Glenn telling me that his mom knitted a little beanie for his Oscar so the Oscar wouldn’t get cold when he took it back to Ireland.
Premiering on Broadway in 2012, Once went on to win eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical and subsequently ran in the West End from 2013 – 2015 where it won two Olivier awards for Best Actress in a Musical and Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound. Once is the only musical to have received an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Olivier Award, and a Tony Award!
Markéta Irglová and Glen Hansard perform "Falling Slowly" at the 2008 Oscars.
Once at Pitlochry Festival Theatre
Set in Dublin, the story follows Guy, a disillusioned street musician ready to leave his songs behind, and Girl, a spirited Czech immigrant who challenges him to believe in his talent. With the support of an unconventional group of friends and fellow musicians, they embark on creating an album together.
Joining director John Tiffany from the original Tony award winning creative team is designer Bob Crowley (Mary Poppins), choreographer Steven Hoggett (Hamlet), lighting designer Natasha Katz (Aladdin), music and orchestration director Martin Lowe (Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour), sound designer Clive Goodwin (The Glass Menagerie).
Playing the lead roles of Guy and Girl will be Dylan Wood and Lydia White. Dylan Wood recently played Orpheus in the West End production of the musical Hadestown. Lydia White most recently starred as Katherine Draper in The Girl from the North Country at Old Vic Theatre.
Experience a taste of what’s to come in the official 2013 Once Broadway trailer below!
Don’t miss your chance to see the Scottish première of Once during its limited four week run (23 May – 27 June 2026).