PRESS RELEASE
Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Edinburgh International Book Festival to stage special play reading of Val McDermid’s play And Midnight Never Come
This August, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, in partnership with Edinburgh International Book Festival, will present a special script-in-hand reading of Val McDermid’s new play And Midnight Never Come, which explores the notoriously controversial circumstances of the death of the playwright Christopher Marlowe.
Queen of Crime, the iconic Val McDermid, is bringing her forensic gaze to bear on one of the theatre’s most enduring mysteries — the death of Christopher Marlowe in Deptford in 1593. A forbidden love story, a double-crossing spy story, or Shakespeare’s inspiration?
Performed on Monday 18 August in Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Studio, this special reading of McDermid’s playscript is directed by the Traverse Theatre’s former Artistic Director Philip Howard and is presented in partnership with the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
Val McDermid has always been fascinated by Christopher Marlowe as a character and a writer. She is particularly drawn to his death in mysterious circumstances in an alehouse in Deptford. The three men with him at the time were all closely connected to the Walsingham family and the English secret service.
One of crime fiction’s most formidable voices, Val McDermid, has been crafting masterful thrillers for over thirty years, selling over 19 million copies worldwide. Her unflinching examination of human nature and evil has earned her numerous awards, including the CWA Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement and The Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award. Her novels have been translated into more than 40 languages and adapted for television, most recently Karen Pirie.
From her groundbreaking Lindsay Gordon series to the beloved Tony Hill and Carol Jordan books, McDermid has consistently pushed the boundaries of crime fiction.
Val McDermid said:
“I’ve been fascinated by Christopher Marlowe since I first encountered his dynamic and ground-breaking work as a student, more years ago than I care to admit. He was only 29 when he died in circumstances that are often misrepresented and this is my attempt to provide an explanation that fits the known facts and makes sense, I’m delighted to be working with such talented teams across Pitlochry Festival Theatre and the Edinburgh International Book Festival and I hope audiences will be as thrilled by the life and death of one of our most startling playwrights.”
Director Philip Howard added:
“Val McDermid applies a lifetime of experience and forensic observation to the story of Christopher Marlowe and the last day of his life, and — as a playwright — she does it with vibrant theatricality. I’m excited that Pitlochry Festival Theatre and the Edinburgh International Book Festival have combined forces to give Val’s play its first public reading.”
And Midnight Never Come will take place in the Studio at Pitlochry Festival Theatre on Monday 18 August at 2.30pm and at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on Tuesday 19 August at 8pm at Spiegeltent.
For further information and to book tickets visit online at pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com or call the Box Office on 01796 484626.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Listings
Monday 18 August at 2.30pm
Venue: Studio, Pitlochry Festival Theatre
And Midnight Never Come
Running time: 2hrs 20
Ticket prices: £20
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
Tuesday 19 August at 8pm
Venue: Spiegeltent, Edinburgh International Book Festival
And Midnight Never Come
Running time: 2hrs
Tickets: £15.50 [£14.50/£10.50/£5.00
Booking: www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on
BIOG
Val McDermid
One of the UK’s most accomplished and respected novelists, Val McDermid has sold over 19 million books to date across the globe and her work has been translated into more than 40 languages. She has written five series: cold case detective Karen Pirie was introduced to us in The Distant Echo and the 8th book in the series will be published in 2025, with Karen now starring in a major ITV series; clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan lead a gripping eleven book series adapted for television as Wire in the Blood, starring Robson Green and Hermione Norris; the Kate Brannigan novels showcase a private detective; journalist Lindsay Gordon is at the heart of another series; and most recently, Val has launched a new series featuring young journalist Allie Burns whose life and experiences we witness at ten year intervals, debuting with 1979 1989. Val has also published several award-winning standalone novels, books of non-fiction, short story collections and a children’s picture book, My Granny is a Pirate. Val returned to Karen Pirie with her 2023 hardback, Past Lying, which was published in October of that year. 2024 saw the publication of Queen Macbeth, her reimagining of the story of Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth, in May. Her new Karen Pirie novel, Silent Bones, publishes in October 2025.
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:
Edinburgh International Book Festival
The Edinburgh International Book Festival believes in the power of writers, their ideas, and the words they craft to illuminate, challenge, and inspire.
We are a charity rooted in the rich literary heritage of Edinburgh, and since our founding in 1983 the Festival has grown into a global gathering point for creativity, connection, and critical thought. But we’re more than simply an event — we offer a shared experience that bridges divides, celebrates diversity, and provides opportunities for individuals and communities to reimagine our world.
We’re a creative hub, a catalyst for change, and in constant conversation with the world around us. Committed to innovation, inclusivity, and accessibility, we platform voices who are often overlooked, and aim to break down barriers to access for those who might not typically see themselves as a book festival audience.
Over the last four decades, we’ve welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors to engage with the world’s greatest and emerging writers, thinkers, artists, and performers. Iconic figures such as Margaret Atwood, Alain de Botton, Oliver Burkeman, Noam Chomsky, Seamus Heaney, Kazuo Ishiguro, Toni Morrison, Arundhati Roy, Salman Rushdie, and Benjamin Zephaniah have appeared on our stages over the years, alongside a wide range of debut and early career authors.
Each year, we programme hundreds of events that capture the hearts and expand the minds of audiences, both in Edinburgh and online. Whether they take the form of on-stage conversations, workshops, creative masterclasses, thought exercises, and more, they are all informed by a culture of open dialogue. Our programme is designed not just to spark new conversations amongst audiences, but to broaden them too: existing as a space where nuanced discussion happens, and ideas can be fully explored in all their rich complexity.
More than just a summer festival, we work year-round with partners in the local community – including schools, libraries, prisons, hospitals, and other community hubs – to foster a lifelong love of reading and develop engaged, knowledgeable audiences of all backgrounds and ages. We also stream hundreds of events online via a Pay What You Can model, offering audiences who cannot attend in-person the opportunity to take part and experience the excitement of the Festival wherever and whenever suits them best.
From words new worlds can grow, and we want everyone to feel their transformative potential – writers, readers, and those who aren’t yet either.
However you choose to enjoy our events, we hope to welcome you soon!
The Book Festival is a registered charity and not-for-profit organisation, meaning we rely greatly on the support of individuals and sponsors to continue delivering world-class events.
We are a founding member of Festivals Edinburgh.
