PRESS RELEASE   

A Beer, A Bap and A Boffin

Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Amphitheatre to host exciting series of fascinating talks presented in collaboration with The Royal Society of Edinburgh.

This week Pitlochry Festival Theatre, in collaboration with the Royal Society of Edinburgh, is set to host A Beer, A Bap and A Boffin, a brand-new series of fascinating talks featuring leading Scottish experts from the sciences, arts and business communities.

A Beer, A Bap and A Boffin will open on Saturday 14 June, in Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s picturesque outdoor Amphitheatre, with the novelist and poet James Robertson FRSE who will host What’s next for Libraries, Literature and Creativity?, a discussion on the historical and present role of libraries in our society, which asks how that role might change in the years ahead. He will look at how culture, and literature in particular, both shape and are shaped by the state of the library sector, what impact Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have on library services and content, on literary creativity, and on protecting authors’ copyright. The talk will also include short readings from James’ own work.

Further talks will take place later in the summer on Saturday 2 August when David Field FRSE, the Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Zoological Society Scotland, will present How to train your wildcat, which will uncover the techniques used to prepare zoo-bred wildcats for life in the wild, and how similar techniques are helping bring back other species, from pine hoverflies to lynx. He will also talk about what it takes to bring back Scotland’s lost species.

This will be followed three weeks later, on Saturday 23 August, when Professor Niamh Nic Daeid, FRSE will present What is forensic science and why does it matter? a discussion on how science can be used to support criminal investigations and the importance of really understanding the questions that a scientific knowledge can answer. The talk will also discuss how the importance of having robust and transparent scientific underpinning of evidence presented in the Courts is critical, as well as the evaluation of that evidence in the context of a criminal case.

The idea of A Beer, A Bap and A Boffin came from Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Artistic Director Alan Cumming, who is a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and was inspired by the widely celebrated A Play, A Pie and A Pint.

Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Artistic Director, Alan Cumming said:

“One of the many surprises at Pitlochry Festival Theatre is our Explorers Garden and I want to find as many reasons as possible for it to be enjoyed. That’s why I thought of A Beer, A Bap and A Boffin! As a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, I have watched many academics mesmerise with their knowledge and rediscovered how fascinating it can be to learn about topics you’d otherwise never encounter. So, I invited some of these Boffins to do lectures in our Explorers Garden amphitheatre, and with the addition of a wee drink and a bite to eat as they extrapolate, I don’t think there could be a better way to spend a summer’s day! Also, full disclosure this is both a steal and a homage to Oran Mor’s brilliant A Play, A Pie and A Pint!”

The RSE Fellowship comprises around 1,800 leading experts in the sciences, arts, business, professions and the third and public sectors, with links to Scotland. This range of expertise within the Fellowship places Pitlochry Festival Theatre in a unique position to provide an informed, interdisciplinary response to issues facing Scotland and internationally.

All tickets for A Beer, A Bap and A Boffin will include a beer and a bap (vegetarian/vegan options and non-alcoholic options available). For tickets and further information visit online at pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com or call the Box Office on 01796 484626.

-Ends –

For further press queries please contact Duncan Clarke PR:

T 07880893750 or E duncanclarkepr@gmail.com 

Notes to editors:

Listings

Saturday 14 June at 5pm

Amphitheatre, Pitlochry Festival Theatre

What’s next for libraries, literature and creativity?

A discussion with James Robertson FRSE

Running time: 1hr

Saturday 2 August at 12pm

Amphitheatre, Pitlochry Festival Theatre

How to train your wildcat

A discussion with David Field FRSE

Running time: 1hr

Saturday 23 August at 12pm

Amphitheatre, Pitlochry Festival Theatre

What is forensic science and why does it matter?

A discussion with Professor Niamh Nic Daeid FRSE

Running time: 1hr

Ticket prices: £12 and will include a beer and a bap (vegetarian/vegan options and non-alcoholic options available)

Box Office and group bookings: 01796 484626  email boxoffice@pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com

Website: pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com

Address: Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Port-Na-Craig, Pitlochry, Perthshire PH16 5DR

Dr James Robertson FRSE

Author James Robertson is a novelist, short story writer, poet, editor and publisher. He studied History at the University of Edinburgh and worked in bookselling for several years, before becoming a full-time writer. His novels include Joseph Knight, The Testament of Gideon Mack, And the Land Lay Still, and News of the Dead. He co-founded and is general editor of Itchy Coo, an imprint specialising in books in Scots for young readers.

David Field FRSE

David Field FRSE, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Zoological Society Scotland David has been RZSS CEO since 2020. Previous roles include Zoological Director of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), and Assistant Director of Dublin Zoo. David is the Vice President of the World Association of Zoos and Aquaria (WAZA) and the Co-Chair of Reverse the Red – a coalition of conservation NGO’s supporting the implementation of Target 4 of the Global Biodiversity Framework. David seeks to maximise the conservation impact of zoos and drives improved welfare of zoo animals at a global level. In Scotland, RZSS is leading the reintroduction of wildcats and several invertebrate species.

Professor Niamh Nic Daeid, FRSE

Professor Niamh Nic Daeid, FRSE is a professor of forensic science at the University of Dundee. She is the Director of the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science and is regularly involved in public engagement events relating to science and justice.

Pitlochry Festival Theatre. A Theatre for Everyone. A Theatre for a Lifetime.

Since 1951, Pitlochry Festival Theatre has been the artistic heart and soul of Highland Perthshire. Attracting over 100,000 visitors every year, we’re more than simply a place to come and see a show – we’re Scotland’s leading producer of musical theatre, a champion of ensemble practice and the country’s only rurally-located, major arts organisation. Our purpose is to improve lives by sharing Pitlochry with the world and the world with Pitlochry. Our aim is to create life-enhancing experiences in our Theatre and its glorious eleven-acre campus that encompasses the magical Explorers Garden. In everything we do, we are committed to nurturing an exciting creative and cultural future for Scotland.

Pitlochry Festival Theatre is a charity supported by funding from Creative Scotland and Perth & Kinross Council. It is also grateful to the many individual donors, and trusts and foundations who support us; without their generosity we could not continue to produce exceptional theatre.

Pitlochry Festival Theatre is a registered Scottish Charity. No SC013055

Pitlochry Festival Theatre is supported by the following organisations: