We are excited to announce the cast and tour for Nat McCleary’s Thrown which takes to the North and North West of Scotland, touring locations on the Highland Games circuit and communities this summer, before arriving at the Edinburgh International Festival in August 2023.

Thrown is a punchy and playful new production inspired by Scottish Backhold Wrestling, by fresh new writer Nat McCleary. Featuring a diverse inter-generational all-female cast, Thrown celebrates a uniquely Scottish cultural sporting phenomenon, telling the story of Glasgow’s most unlikely backhold wrestling team. The play gets to grips with identity and belonging in Scotland, challenging contemporary notions of Scottishness.

The full cast are Efè Agwele, Maureen Carr, Lesley Hart,Chloe-Ann Tylor and Adiza Shardow.

The full creative team is Director, Johnny McKnight; Set Design, Karen Tennent; Lighting Design, Lizzie Powell; Costume Design, Sabrina Henry; Composer, Luke Sutherland; Sound Design, Tom Penny; Movement Director, Lucy Glassbrook; Assistant Director, Niloo Far Khan; Casting Director, Carolyn McLeod, CGD, CSA.

Thrown will be touring Scotland, playing in community arts spaces in association with a variety of Highland Games and Gatherings from 03 July 2023.

• Victoria Hall, Dunblane in association with Bridge of Allan Games
• Queen's Hall, Dunoon, in association with Cowal Gathering
• Victoria Halls, Helensburgh, in association with Helensburgh & Lomond Games
• Mull Theatre, Tobermory, in association with Mull Highland Games

The production is also touring to Glenlivet Public Hall; Victoria & Albert Halls, Ballater; Rockfield Centre, Oban; Birnam Arts, Dunkeld, and Gathering Hall, Portree, Skye, before landing at the Edinburgh International Festival.

The presentations of Thrown in Ballater and Glenlivet are in association with the North East Touring Network and in Portree, in association with SEALL.

Maureen Carr, is a popular Scottish actor of stage and screen whose credits include the films Wild Rose and Afterlife and was recently seen on TV in the documentary series Growing Up Scottish and on stage in Fibres (Citizens Theatre) and Chic Murray - A Funny Place for a Window (Traverse Theatre).

Lesley Hart is an actor and writer. Most known to TV audiences for her longstanding role as Lou Caplan in River City. Her version of Anna Karenina is being presented to Edinburgh audiences at the Lyceum Theatre in Spring 2023.

Efè Agwele, Adiza Shardow and Chloe-Ann Tylor make their National Theatre of Scotland debuts with Efè and Adiza making their Scottish stage debuts.

Efè Agwele has recently appeared in the National Theatre’s Hamlet – for younger audiences and in Tell Me Everything for ITV2. Adiza Shardow is most known for her TV roles which include series regular characters on BBC's Waterloo Road, River City and BAFTA-winning CBBC's show Last Commanders.

Chloe-Ann Tylor, stage roles include the one woman show Svengali (Pitlochry Theatre/Pleasance) which won her the Filipa Braganca award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, I am Tiger (Perth Theatre/Imaginate) and Trainspotting (Citizens Theatre).

Writer Nat McCleary said:

“At its heart, Thrown explores belonging and identity through questioning what it is to be Scottish now.

As someone who wrestles with identity, Backhold Wrestling seemed to be the perfect conduit for exploring a sense of self, belonging, notions of Scottishness and their place on a personal and national level at this moment in time.

Audiences can expect a show that is honest, funny, and unapologetic.”

Full tour and creative information here.