Musical version of Bill Forsyth’s much loved Local Hero to be staged in 2019

This year’s Spring has yet to appear in Edinburgh, but The Royal Lyceum Theatre and London’s Old Vic are already looking ahead to 2019 with a joint re-envisioning as a musical of the hit 1983 film from pioneering Scottish filmmaker Bill Forsyth, Local Hero.

This World Première is based on the screenplay of the original film, that was written and directed by Bill Forsyth, and with music and lyrics by founder of internationally celebrated band Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler, who wrote the film’s original score, and who has previously composed music for films including Forsyth’s other well- loved film Comfort and Joy .

Full of delicious humour, Local Hero tells the tale of a Texan oil company with its sights on a Scottish Island, that doesn’t bargain on the reaction of the locals.

Lyceum Artistic Director David Greig says, “Local Hero is one of those great Scottish stories that has captured the imaginations of people across the world, it has been one of my favourite films since I first saw it as a teenager.

To have the chance to revisit these wonderful characters to help create a musical is an absolute delight, but to be working alongside Bill Forsyth and Mark Knopfler to bring this to The Lyceum and Old Vic stages is a dream come true –it really feels like the stars have aligned!”

This co-production of Local Hero with the Old Vic, supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland and presented by special arrangement with Neal Street Productions and Patrick Daly of Caledonia Productions, will add to the many that the Lyceum has been part of over recent years.

Local Hero is due to open at the Lyceum in Spring 2019 before transferring to the Old Vic.