'The Rhum Plants': the cast Image courtesy of P. Baarda. |
"In the 1940s, the botanical world was rocked by the
discovery of many rare plants on the island of Rum by Professor John Heslop-Harrison. The trouble was, this
ambitious working class academic had been making far too many similar
discoveries over the previous decade to be credible.
"The botanical elite despatched John Raven – classical scholar and botanist of note – to Rum to investigate. They suspected the Prof had been planting out rare plants and passing them off as genuine discoveries.
"The botanical elite despatched John Raven – classical scholar and botanist of note – to Rum to investigate. They suspected the Prof had been planting out rare plants and passing them off as genuine discoveries.
"These historical facts are the starting point of a new comedy, 'The Rhum Plants', written by Inverness-based Phil Baarda,
which is going to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe festival, and also on tour in
September around the Highlands – including to the island of Rum itself, and to
the Ardtornish estate - home of Hugh Raven, the son of the play’s hero John.
"The play has been heavily inspired by John
Raven’s own report of the investigation – which was considered to be so
controversial that it wasn’t released until after the death of not only
Professor Heslop-Harrison, but following the death of his son.
'The Rhum Plants': John Raven Image courtesy of P. Baarda |
"The report was eventually published in 2004
and can be found in Preston, C. D., Watsonia, 25: 17-44
"The play features four excellent up-and-coming Inverness actors
and is being directed by Dave Smith (co-writer of many top notch plays
including 'Whisky Kisses' - on last summer at the Pitlochry Festival theatre - 'Who
Bares Wins', and 'Accidental Death of an Accordionist', to name only a few).
'The Rhum Plants' is a tale about deception, greed, class, ambition and arrogance with some gratuitous lust and cross-dressing thrown in – featuring false woolly knitted beards and long-john onesies.
'The Rhum Plants' is a tale about deception, greed, class, ambition and arrogance with some gratuitous lust and cross-dressing thrown in – featuring false woolly knitted beards and long-john onesies.
"The Rhum Plants is on at Sweet Venues on the Grassmarket 6th-30th
August at 15:30 each day (except Wed 19th and 26th August). For more information please click here".
You can follow the play’s journey and tour dates/venues through
Facebook (www.facebook.com/MangonelTheatre)
or via Twitter @MangonelTheatre
#TheRhumPlants
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