Summer Season 2022 - Sunshine on Leith Cast

Alyson Orr

Alyson is a singer, songwriter, actor and producer based in Scotland. She is one-third of the jazz vocal harmony group The Swingcats which tours internationally and performs with the likes of the BBC Big Band and the Glenn Miller Orchestra, also appearing on Friday Night is Music Night and Big Band Special on BBC Radio 2. Alyson composed the music for the musical comedy, The Wedding Planners and is currently writing a new musical called The Coven. She recently released an album of her instrumental compositions entitled Coming Home.

Credits: Sunshine on Leith, Noises Off (Pitlochry Festival Theatre); Bend It Like Bertie (Westgate Theatre, Las Vegas), as well as appearing in numerous productions across many theatre companies including Scottish Opera, Borderline, Byre Theatre, Theatre Workshop, Wildcat, Jersey Opera House and Glasgow Pavilion Theatre.

Film/TV credits: Rikki and Me; River City; High Road; and BAFTA award-winning film, One Life Stand.

Anna Fordham

Anna trained in Actor Musicianship at Rose Bruford.

Theatre: The Brothers Grimm Present Cinderella (Barn Theatre), NewsRevue, I’m Eric Get Me Out of Here (New Vic Stoke), Women in Power (NST/Oxford Playhouse), The Borrowers (Watermill), Fantastic Mr Fox (Lyric Hammersmith/UK Tour)

TV: The Athena(Sky)

Other credits include: The Wild Party (Workshop), A Penny Dreadful (Workshop), We Progress (Short), Flood of Light (Rolo Tomassi), Blink (Midas Fall)

Anna is Non Binary and uses They, She, and He pronouns.

Blythe Jandoo

Blythe trained at The Dance School of Scotland and subsequently The Arts Educational Schools, London.

Blythe’s theatre credits include, Jean in A Mother’s Song: A New Folk Musical (Macrobert Arts Centre) Belle in Beauty and the Beast (King’s Theatre Glasgow), Liz in Sunshine on Leith, Jean Passepartout in Around the World in 80 Days and Maggie in The Maggie Wall (Pitlochry Festival Theatre 2022), Princess Jasmine in Aladdin (SEC Armadillo), Ensemble in Rumi: The Musical in Concert (The London Coliseum), Ensemble in Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (The London Palladium 2021), Pinky in Bend It Like Beckham (North American premiere), Ensemble/Cover Princess Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin (The Prince Edward Theatre, London), Ensemble in The Wizard of Oz (Sheffield Crucible), Cover Buffy/Ashley in Starlight Express (The Starlight Express Theatre, Bochum), Follies (The Royal Albert Hall), The Olivier Awards 2015 (Royal Opera House), and Tinker Bell in Peter Pan(Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow).

Her television, film and audio include, Return (GMAC Film), Be Like Elsie (Lothian Films), Aladdin (Walt Disney Pictures), Gold (Eros International), Beauty and the Beast (Walt Disney Pictures), The Great (Hulu), The Terrific Treevils (Watford Palace and Woodland Trust production), Rumi (original cast recording), The Shadow of Tay (The Scotsman Sessions), and Letter To… (Stellar Quines and Pitlochry Festival Theatre). Blythe also released her first EP with electro-pop band Arroh.

Connor Going

Connor trained at the University of Glasgow and Royal Academy of Music, London.

Theatre credits include: Chuck/Cover Ren in FOOTLOOSE (UK & International Tour), Piano Man in THE CHOIR OF MAN (USA Tour & Australia Tour), Otter in THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS and Donald in DONALD & BENOIT (Pitlochry Festival Theatre), Musical Director/The Busker in INDECENT PROPOSAL (Southwark Playhouse) & Band Leader/Ensemble in A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Barn Theatre Cirencester).

Concert Credits include: Soloist for THE BEATLES ORCHESTRATED (Abbey Road Studios), Backing Vocalist for U2 AT THE BBC (Abbey Road Studios) & Soloist for AN EVENING OF THE GREATEST MUSICALS (Pitlochry Festival Theatre).

Connor is delighted to be returning to Pitlochry Festival Theatre again this summer, after making his PFT debut in 2021. He is excited to play his part in continuing to embrace and celebrate the return of live theatre and performance in Scotland.

James Hudson

Training: Performance Preparation Academy (PPA).

Credits whilst training: Nick Hurley in Flashdance – The Musical, Clifford Bradshaw in Cabaret and Danny in Baby.

Theatre credits include: Maurice Gibb in Saturday Night Fever (West End), Drummer in The Choir of Man (West End), Joker in The Choir of Man (Sydney Opera House, European, Australian & USA Tours) Alan-a-dale in Twang! (Union Theatre) Alternate Ray Davies/Understudy Dave & Pete in Sunny Afternoon (UK Tour) and Prince Charming in Cinderella (Stratford Arts House).

Twitter/Instagram: @JamesLeeHudson

Jessica Brydges

Training: Guildford School of Acting.

Theatre includes: The Pantomime Life of Joseph Grimaldi (World premiere, Kenneth More Theatre), Peter Pan (Roman Theatre Open Air Festival), Robin Hood (Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch), Me and the Girls (Regional Tour), The Merchant of Venice (Konstantin Velichkov, Bulgaria) and Europe’s largest Christmas show, the Thursford Christmas Spectacular.

Other work includes: Assistant Musical Director for a filmed stage production of the musical, Ordinary Days.

Keith Jack

Keith Jack is best-known for BBC 1’s Any Dream Will Do where he came second.

Theatre credits include: The Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (UK Tour); Charlie in Only The Brave (Edinburgh Festival); Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (UK Tour); Alistair in Sincerely, Mr Toad (Edinburgh/Greenwich); Ralph Rackstraw in HMS Pinafore (UK Tour) and Sparky in Forever Plaid (St James Theatre, London) and Nick Piazza in Fame (West End/UK Tour)

Keith’s pantomime credits include: The title role in Dick Whittington (Maidstone); The Prince in Sleeping Beauty (Ipswich Regent, Glasgow Kings); the title role in Peter Pan (His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen); Prince Charming in Cinderella (Whitley Bay/Horsham/Newark); the title role in Aladdin (King’s Theatre, Glasgow) and The Prince in Snow White (Stag Theatre, Sevenoaks and Gatehouse Theatre Stafford).

Concert appearances include: Performing for HM The Queen at the Parliament Picnic; performing for the Spanish Royal Family. The Great Scot Awards; Choices for Life 2008 & 2009; Lauder Live (Thirlestane Castle); BBC 2’s Friday Night is Music Night; Music, Music.

Music – John Barrowman’s album tour (Hammersmith Apollo); Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Birthday Concert (Hyde Park); BBC Songs of Praise. Keith also headlined Aberdeen’s Hogmanay Street Party in 2009 with Sandi Thom and Amy MacDonald. An Evening of Movies and Musicals with John Owen Jones and Ruthie Henshall (Cardiff/Edinburgh). He also performed alongside Ruthie Henshall during her solo tour. Keith appeared alongside Joe McElderry in Saturday Night at the Movies (UK Tour).

TV credits include: When Joseph Met Maria (BBC Christmas Special) and I’d Do Anything (guest appearance).

Recording credits: Keith can be heard on the soundtrack for the award- winning film, The Dreams of Kings and the radio play Unholiest Order. Keith’s first studio album, This Time, went straight into the Top 20. His second album, An Evening at the Musicals, and third album, A Little Bit More of Me, also hit the Top 30. He completed three sell-out UK Tours of these albums. Keith can also be heard on John Barrowman’s album, Music, Music, Music. He also features on the cast recordings of two new musicals, Sincerely, Mr Toad and Only The Brave.

Keith’s newly-released fourth album, Movie Nights, features classic songs from iconic movies.

For more information and to keep up to date with future projects, check out Officialkeithjack.co.uk or @keithjack on Twitter @keithjackofficial on Instagram.

Keith Macpherson

Keith was born in Edinburgh and trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and L’École Jacques Lecoq.

Credits: Sunshine on Leith, Noises Off, and Under Another Sky (Pitlochry Festival Theatre); Il Trittico (Scottish Opera); The Yellow Door (Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh/Edinburgh International Book Festival); Selkie (A Play, a Pie and a Pint); Rapunzel, Bauble Trouble, Museum of Dreams, Waiting for Godot, Desire Under the Elms, Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz (Citizens Theatre); Yellow Moon, The Monster in the Hall (Citizens Theatre/
National Theatre of Scotland); Light Boxes (Grid Iron); Decky Does a Bronco (Grid Iron/Almeida Theatre); James and the Giant Peach (Dundee Rep); The Yes/No Plays (Traverse); Horizontal Collaboration (David Leddy/Fire Exit); Henry V (Bard in the Botanics); Rogue Herries (Theatre by the Lake); Mother Courage, Clutter Keeps Company (Birds of Paradise); A Christmas Carol (Cumbernauld Theatre); Hamlet (MYT Theatre), and many more productions.

Film/TV/Radio/Audio credits: Stan and Ollie; Taggart; Silent Witness; Donald and Benoit (Pitlochry Festival Theatre); The Chronycle (BBC Radio Scotland).

Kit Orton

Training: Kit trained in opera at The Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester and in musical theatre at The Royal Academy of Music, London.

Theatre credits include: El Tejon in Zorro (Manchester 2020), Tom Jones in Tom (UK Tour 2016), Bill Sykes in Oliver (Watermill Theatre); Tom Jones in Tom (UK Tour 2014); Lancelot in Spamalot (West End & UK Tour); Jackson in The Hired Man (Mercury Theatre/Leicester Curve); Dickens Abridged (Arts Theatre, West End), Twelfth Night (Perth Rep); Hot Mikado (UK Tour); Spend Spend Spend (Watermill Newbury); Martin Guerre (Watermill Newbury).

Writing Credits: My Land’s Shore, Then, Now & Next, Grace Notes, The Gory Story of Edward Polidori, Dracula, This Time Next Week, B.o.a.t.s, The Road To Port of Barry, Elephant Juice, as well as numerous compositions for cabarets, comedy shows and podcasts. My Land’s Shore was nominated for Best New Musical in The Offies, 2018.

Christopher has also created and manages vocal groups, The FlyBoys, The New York FlyBoys and Miami Voice who have, between them, supported Cliff Richard on his 60th Anniversary Tour, performed for Bvlgari in Russia, toured with The Glenn Miller Orchestra in the USA and sailed the high seas on the best cruise liners in the world.

As a Welshman who is now a permanent resident in beautiful Scotland, Kit is thrilled to be performing with Pitlochry Theatre for the first time.

You can find Kit, My Land’s Shore and The FlyBoys on Twitter: @kitorton @mylandsshore @TheFlyBoys1

Meg Chaplin

Meg is an actor-musician trained at East 15 Acting School (MA Acting). After graduating, she made her professional stage debut in the UK tour of David Walliams’ ‘The Midnight Gang’ (Heartbreak Productions). Since then, Meg has appeared at the Royal Albert Hall in ‘Father Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall’ (Goblin Theatre), as Assistant Musical Director/Ensemble in ‘Woman of Flowers’ (Kara Tyler/East 15), and most recently as part of multimedia site-specific production ‘Arrival’ (imPOSSIBLE producing).

Meg is an experienced multi-instrumentalist and when she isn’t on-stage, also runs an educational Youtube channel, ‘Music With Meg’, with over 10,000 subscribers worldwide.

As a Cornish native, Meg is excited for a summer season in Pitlochry -about as far from her hometown as you can get by road -and although she’s looking forward to exploring Scotland, she still hopes she can find a pasty or two…

Rachael McAllister

Rachael trained on the BA Musical Theatre Course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the Dance School of Scotland.

Credits: Gypsy, Brief Encounter, To The Bone, Sunshine on Leith, Little Women, Noises Off, Light Hope Joy, A Christmas Carol (Pitlochry Festival Theatre), Brilliance (Farnham Maltings), Son of a Preacher Man (No.1 UK Tour), The Little Mermaid (Macrobert Arts Centre).

Musician Credits: Trombonist – Oklahoma (GSA), Urinetown (Edinburgh Fringe), 9to5 (Chichester Festival Theatre).

Rhiane Drummond

Training: BA (Hons) in Professional Dance and Musical Theatre at Bird College.

Theatre includes: Cover Heather Duke in Heathers (Original UK Tour); Kathy, cover Judy Bernly in 9 to 5 the Musical (Savoy Theatre);Cover Deena Jones and Michelle Morris in Dreamgirls (Savoy Theatre); Lead Singer/Dionne in Hair (West End LIVE); Ortisha, cover Clara and Louise in Ghost -the Musical (Asian tour); understudy Gary Coleman, Second Arm, Mrs T and Yellow Bear in Avenue Q (UK tour); Michelle in Sister Act(Gordon Craig Theatre) and Dynamite in Hairspray (Cork Opera House and Irish Tour).

Workshops include: Testimony in Oliva Tweest (Barbican Centre) and Narrator in Olivia Tweest (The Other Palace).

Television includes: The One Show (BBC) and This Morning (ITV).

Recordings include: Kathy in Original London Cast Recording of 9 to 5 The Musical.

Instagram: rhishape_

Twitter: @RhianeTweets

Richard Colvin

Richard is overjoyed to be returning to Pitlochry Festival Theatre for a 5th time having been part of the Christmas company in 2019 and the rep company in 2021, 2019 and 2014. Richard was born in Fife, studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and then the Royal Academy of Music.

His Other theatre productions include: The Wizard Of Oz (Storyhouse, Chester); Sunshine On Leith (West Yorkshire Playhouse); A Christmas Carol, Threepenny Opera and Singing In The Rain (Octagon, Bolton); The Borrowers (New Vic Theatre); Hamlet and A Government Inspector (Northern Broadsides); The Hired Man (off-Broadway), and Assassins (Crucible, Sheffield).

Richard regularly tours with the internationally renowned cabaret “Opera Boys“, and has also worked as a principal soloist for the London Symphony and the National Symphony Orchestras.

Richie Spencer

Richie was born in Hampshire and has recently graduated from the MA in Musical Theatre course at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Previous training includes a BMus in music performance and production from The London Centre of Contemporary music. Performing at Pitlochry Festival Theatre marks his professional debut.