Aberdeen is the next stop for the Scottish tour of award-winning, Runrig-inspired musical The Stamping Ground – but actor Jenny Hulse reckons the show will be travelling further than that. Much farther.
“Oh, it will definitely be going other places,” said River City star Jenny. “I think people in Canada would love it and I know Runrig have a huge following in Germany.
“It is just the joy for fans who, because Runrig have stopped touring, will have this new lease of life and be able to go and enjoy the songs again. I think it is really special for them.”
There is no doubt Jenny is loving being on the road with The Stamping Ground, introducing it to fans around Scotland after its blistering world premiere in inverness last July, where the show was co-created by Eden Court and Raw Material.
“It is magical,” said Jenny of the tour which kicked off, fittingly, in Eden Court last month and arrives at His Majesty’s from Wednesday June 7 to Saturday June 10.
People will be on their feet dancing at with The Stamping Ground at HMT
“I wasn’t part of the original cast and they were telling me that at the end of every show there would be such a great response and people would be up on their feet dancing.
“Sure enough, every night we did the show in Inverness they were. I think this show has that effect on people.”
Although she didn’t see the show before she won the role of mum Annie, Jenny was more than aware of the buzz surrounding the newly-commissioned work, after it premiered, featuring a slew of Runrig classics, such as The Old Boys, Pride Of The Summer, The Stamping Ground and, of course, Loch Lomond.
“It was very much spoken about in the theatre community that there was Runrig musical and that it was amazing.
“I got the audition for this when I was filming River City and my friend Lesley Hart, who plays my girlfriend (in the show) said: ‘Oh my god, you’ve got an audition for The Stamping Ground… you really need to work hard to get this, because it’s a great show and you’ll love it.”
The Stamping Ground follows Euan and Annie, who return home to their rural Highland village to find a place much changed.
Their old home has more tourists than locals and even the local pub, the heartbeat of the community, is up for sale. In the rising summer heat, tensions flare, relationships become tangled, and the sense of place and land comes to the fore as the villagers try to band together.
Runrig’s music in The Stamping Ground is amazing says Jenny Hulse
Jenny said: “It’s about the commercialisation of the Highlands, and the tensions that can bring with the needing tourism but also needing to keep an identity and relationship with the land.
“It has very recognisable characters, the writing is straight to the point and beautiful and the music is just amazing.”
She credits writer Morna Young and musical director John Kielty for reworking the sublime songs of Calum and Rory Macdonald, into a tour de force piece of musical theatre.
“They really sit well in the show without it being ‘okay, here’s another Runrig song’. They work with telling the story, which is really clever,” said Jenny.
“Runrig fans will be over the moon about it – they have been so far. People who like musicals will like it because it is exciting to have a new Scottish musical and general theatregoers will think it’s a really good night out.”
Jenny also said being part of The Stamping Ground had given her a chance to dive into the glorious songs of Runrig, discovering many of them for the first time.
‘Strap in and immerse yourself’ in The Stamping Ground in Aberdeen
“I’m a bit ashamed to say that I only really knew Loch Lomond, to be honest. I didn’t realise their story and their music and the use of Gaelic in the music and how long they have been about,” said Jenny, adding she had been daunted about taking on some of those iconic songs.
“I do sing, but hadn’t done any singing for work for years and there was only a two-week rehearsal process, so it was very much ‘okay, strap in and completely immerse yourself’.
“But because it makes sense for the characters to be singing them and saying these words, it became very easy to learn, actually. And I love singing, I love singing in a group and I love harmonising, and this has got all of that in spades. It is right up my street.”
Jenny, who will be back filming her role as Amber Murdoch in River City after the summer, is looking forward to some of Scotland’s most famed venues, such as Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre, the King’s in Glasgow and, of course, His Majesty’s.
How to get tickets to see The Stamping Ground at His Majesty’s
“I can’t wait to go to His Majesty’s as I have never played there before and it is such an iconic venue. I have been to the Lemon Tree in smaller scale things and I love Aberdeen, so I can’t wait to get there.”
And she has a simple bit of advice for audiences heading to see The Stamping Ground in His Majesty’s Theatre.
“Just strap in because it is a wild ride – but just go with it.”
The Stamping Ground is at His Majesty’s Theatre from Wednesday June 7 to Saturday June 10. For more information and tickets visit aberdeenperformingarts.com or call Aberdeen Box Office on 01224 641122.
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