Pitlochry Festival Theatre to premiere spectacular new outdoor staging of AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS

Photo credit: Fraser Band

Hold onto your top hats and get ready for the original high-speed chase, Mark Powell’s new adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic escapade Around the World in 80 Days will play at Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 8 July-17 September, with the River Tummel and Ben-y-Vrackie mountain as its spectacular backdrop.

When up-tight Victorian gentleman Phileas Fogg agrees to take a globe-trotting gamble, he puts both his fortune and his life on the line. Grab your passport and join the fearless adventurer and his faithful servant as they encounter a kaleidoscope of colourful characters and exotic animals on their madcap adventure around the world on a race to beat the clock.

The production’s exciting cast will feature Richard Colvin (Sunshine on Leith, UK tour) as Phileas Fogg; Nalân Burgess (The Sandman, Warner Brothers and DC Comics) as Grandmother, Egyptian Officer, Mother Superior, Aouda;  Marc Small (Richard II, Almeida Theatre) as Brown, Kinnar, Butch Cassidy and Captain Cassidy; Rhiane Drummond (Dreamgirls and 9-5 The Musical, West End) as Queen Victoria; Connor Going (Footloose, UK tour) as Robert and Bertie; Blythe Jandoo (Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast, Walt Disney Pictures) as Jean; James Hudson (Saturday Night Fever, West End/UK) as Arthur and Jessica Brydges (Peter Pan, Maltings Theatre) as Calamity Jane.

Playwright Mark Powell said: “I had a wonderful time last year reviving Mr Toad and his companions for a modern audience. I am really excited to bring Phileas Fogg and friends to life in the coming months. There is a great freedom in Verne’s madcap mission and an equally great challenge to give any Victorian values a dramatic dust-down.

“It was a joy being part of audiences of all ages on Pitlochry’s lawn last summer. As a playwright, it is a treat seeing pictures and people you never thought of when creating a new world and when the work is outdoors you see so much more than your brain ever conceived. I’m looking forward to feeling the same surprising sense of creativity and communion on the riverbank in 2022.”

Co-directed by Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Artistic Director, Elizabeth Newman and Associate Director, Ben Occhipinti, Around the World in 80 Days promises to be a real treat for all the family this summer.

For more information and to book tickets, please click here.