A host of Scottish theatrical talent has joined forces with award-winning Edinburgh film maker, Hope Dickson Leach to make the film Ghost Light, shot over 48 hours at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh in Covid-compliant conditions.

Conceived and created in collaboration with the National Theatre of Scotland’s Artistic Director Jackie Wylie and Dramaturg Philip Howard, Ghost Light is the National Theatre of Scotland’s personal love letter to Scottish theatre, commissioned by EIF to form part of their My Light Shines On digital programme, bringing light and life to Edinburgh venues and audiences world-wide this August.

Jackie Wylie, Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Scotland, said:

“Ghost Light has been created to honour the labour and art of theatre making, harnessing the special energy that continues to exist within theatres despite their closure due to the COVID-19 crisis. The film also celebrates all that is joyous and brilliant about Scottish theatre-makers and the rich array of talent that exists off stage as well as on it.

Making Ghost Light gifted me the opportunity to collaborate with award-winning Edinburgh film-maker Hope Dickson Leach and acclaimed dramaturg Philip Howard to craft something uniquely filmic and theatrical, which yearns for the National Theatre of Scotland’s return to stages across Scotland and beyond”

Performers appearing in the film include Afton Moran, Thierry Mabonga, James Mcardle, Anna Russell-Martin, Louise Charity, Kiruna Stamell, Mark Pringle, Hannah Donaldson, Taqi Nazeer, Emilie Patry, Adam Kashmiry, Hannah Lavery, Gail Watson, Natalie Macdonald, Richard Conlon, Matthew Duckett, Siobhán Redmond and Dylan Read.

The film also features written contributions from J.M Barrie, David Greig, Hannah Lavery, Vlad Butucea, Jackie Kay, Frances Poet, Ellie Stewart, Rona Munro, Jenni Fagan, Kieran Hurley, Pamela Carter, Robert Softley Gale with Gail Watson and Richard Conlon, John McGrath, May Sumbwanyambe and Vanishing Point, Franz Kafka and Matthew Lenton.

Other theatre and film creatives involved in the film include Dramaturg: Philip Howard; Director & Screenwriter: Hope Dickson Leach; Producer: Wendy Griffin; Director of Photography: Kate Reid; Designer Becky Minto; Editor: Simon Starling; Music Director & Composer: Patricia Panther and Sound Designer Ania Przygoda

Ghost Light is produced by the National Theatre of Scotland in association with Selkie Productions

Ghost Light will premiere online at 9.35pm on Saturday 08 August 2020 and can be watched here