Birds of Paradise Theatre Company

Scotland's touring theatre company promoting disabled artists and supporting the arts sector

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Green lights cast down on the stage. There are seven actors on stage. In the middle there is a man stood on a small table with his hands up in the air, next to him there is a woman stood on a chair posed in a similar fashion. There is a man looking up at them sat in a chair nearby. One actor is sat at a piano and the others appear to be running around the stage with their arms out wide.

Productions ►  

My Left/Right Foot – The Musical

Perfectly pitched, gloriously irreverent and fantastically funny

The local am-dram society is under pressure to comply with the equalities agenda. They come up with a cunning plan to create a gripping show starring ‘the disabled’. What could be better than the Oscar-winning ‘My Left Foot’? The only snag is they’re having real trouble finding any disabled actors – but that never stopped Daniel Day-Lewis!

In the world of amateur theatre, winning the one-act festival isn’t a matter of life and death – it’s much more important. Throw in a few love triangles and throw out political correctness, all the drama happens behind the curtains.

“a riotously funny, often potty-mouthed take-down of actorly pretensions and the daft assumptions able-bodied folk make about those with disabilities”
Evening Standard

Written and directed by Robert Softley Gale

Music and lyrics by award-winning partnership Scott Gilmour & Claire McKenzie (The Snow Queen) and Richard Thomas (Jerry Springer – The Opera)

Awards:

🏆 Scotsman Fringe First 2018
🏆 Herald Angel 2018
🏆 Broadway World – Best New Musical 2018
🏆 CATS Awards 2019 – Best Music & Sound

A poster for the show. It features seven cast members, they are all gathered around a large piano, with one woman sat on top of it. They are all in modern clothes and smiling at the camera
Jack and his sister Bec. Jack's arm is round his sisters shoulder, he stoops slightly to be more at her height as she sits in her wheelchair. They look very alike, in almost matching black rimmed glasses and similar dark brown hair, though Bec has a blond streak and her hair is shoulder length. They are both smiling widely.
Blog 21 May 2019

You’ve Got to Be Ballsy

Stories from the Front Line of Cerebral Palsy You’ve Got to Be Ballsy: Stories from the Front Line of Cerebral Palsy is a film […]

Blog 1 Jun 2018

My Left/Right Foot: development week

With the hustle of crowded Edinburgh pavements, thick with underpaid comics making witty comments about your favourite jacket in the hope of attracting you […]

The Team

Richard Conlon – Ian
Matthew Duckett – Chris
Natalie MacDonald – Nat
Louise McCarthy – Amy
John McLarnon – Grant
Dawn Sievewright – Gillian
Gail Watson – Sheena
Gavin Whitworth – Gav
Richard Conlon – Ian
Christopher Imbrosciano – Chris
Natalie MacDonald – Nat
Katie Barnett – Amy
Neil Thomas – Grant
Shannon Swan – Gillian
Gail Watson – Sheena
Alex Parker – Alex
Robert Softley Gale – Writer & Director
Emily Reutlinger – Associate Director
Mairi Taylor – Creative Producer (Dramaturg 2019)
Claire McKenzie & Scott Gilmour – Music & Lyrics
Douglas Maxwell – Dramaturg
Richard Thomas – Additional Music & Lyrics
Gavin Whitworth – Musical Director
Rachel Drazek – Choreographer
Natalie MacDonald – Performance Interpreter
Rebecca Hamilton – Set & Costume Designer
Grant Anderson – Lighting Designer
Lewis den Hertog – Animation Designer
Robert Softley Gale – Writer & Director
Richard Thomas – Music & Lyrics
Claire McKenzie & Scott Gilmour – Additional Music & Lyrics
Rachel Drazek – Choreographer
Mairi Taylor – Dramaturg & Creative Producer
Alex Parker – Musical Director
Natalie MacDonald – Performance Interpreter / BSL Translation
Rebecca Hamilton – Set & Costume Designer
Grant Anderson – Lighting Designer
Lewis den Hertog – Animation Designer
Laurence Owen – Music Arrangement & Production
Richard Price – Sound Designer
Judith Drake – Academic Theatre Consultant
Michelle Rolfe – Producer
Niall Black – Production Manager
Emma Skaer – Stage Manager
Nic Reilly – Assistant Stage Manager
Andy Stuart – Sound Operator
Andy Reid – AV Operator
Katy Lonsdale – Costume Supervisor
Guy Coletta – Production Sound Engineer
Michelle Rolfe – Producer
Niall Black – Production Manager
Lee Davis – Company Stage Manager
David Hill – Technical Stage Manager
Emma Skaer – Deputy Stage Manager
Paul Froy – Lighting Supervisor
Andy Reid – Video Supervisor
Andy Stuart – Sound Supervisor
Katy Lonsdale – Costume Supervisor
Lesley McNamara – Wardrobe Technician

Access

All performances are made accessible through integrated BSL, verbal description and captions.

BSL trailer

Audio Flyer

Set Description

Set for My Left/Right Foot – The Musical. The document is accessible to screen-readers.

Visual Guides

These Visual Guides are for any audience members who would like information including: what the different parts of the venue will look like (box office, toilets, foyer); what to expect from the production (pictures of each character, an explanation of key moments from the script)

Visual Guide – Brighton Festival

Visual Guide – Dundee Rep Theatre

Character Descriptions

Tour Dates

1 – 27 August 2018
Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh

FIVE STAR Sell-out of Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018

25th – 26th April 2019
Alhambra, Dunfermline
2nd – 3rd May 2019
Shizuoka Arts Theatre, Japan
14th – 18th May 2019
Brighton Festival
21st – 25th May 2019
Dundee Rep Theatre

Previews & Reviews

“…hilarious; the gags are close to the bone”
The List
“…perfectly pitched, gloriously irreverent and fantastically funny”
Fest
“…a riotously funny, often potty-mouthed take-down of actorly pretensions”
Evening Standard
“It’s smart work, beady-eyed and deliberately outrageous.”
The Independent
“…clever, heartfelt, funny, often refreshingly filthy and brilliantly performed”
The Scotsman
“…a scurrilous but schmaltzy affair that kicks received notions of disability well into touch.”
The Herald

Feature Review The Guardian
★★★★★ Sunday Post
★★★★★ Musical Theatre Review
★★★★★ British Theatre Guide
★★★★★ Broadway Baby
★★★★★ Broadway World
★★★★★ Fringe Guru
★★★★★ Musical Theatre Musings
★★★★★ Mind the Blog
★★★★★ Young Perspective
★★★★★ UK Theatre Network

★★★★★ Across the Arts
★★★★★ Mind the Blog
★★★★★ My Theatre Mates
★★★★★ Daily Mail (print only)
★★★★ The Times
★★★★ The Skinny
★★★★ WhatsOnStage
★★★★ The Wee Review
★★★★ The Stage
★★★★ Deadline News
★★★★ The Student Newspaper

INTERVIEWS
Interview with Robert Gale: The Scotsman
Interview with Robert Gale: The Herald
Interview with Robert Gale: The Stage
Interview with Robert Gale: Broadway World
Interview with Robert Gale and Mairi Taylor: The Skinny
An interview with Christopher Imbrosciano in The Herald

Photos & Videos

Five actors line up behind each other centre stage. They have their arms outstretched and the faces that we can see have their mouths open wide as if they are singing.
A group of five actors gathered around a wheelbarrow with a man lying inside it. They all look towards a woman on the right, she is leaning forwards with her mouth open as if in the middle of speech. This woman has on a floral pink apron and a scarf around her head. The rest of the cast is dressed in modern everyday clothes.
Two women; one young and one older, sit on opposite sides of a small table, around them there are various chairs. Both have their mouths open as if in the middle of singing. The older woman is wearing navy blue trousers and a white patterned blouse. The young woman is wearing a blue hoodie, shorts and white socks.
Green lights cast down on the stage. There are seven actors on stage. In the middle there is a man stood on a small table with his hands up in the air, next to him there is a woman stood on a chair posed in a similar fashion. There is a man looking up at them sat in a chair nearby. One actor is sat at a piano and the others appear to be running around the stage with their arms out wide.
A man lies barefoot in a wheelbarrow. He is wearing grey trousers, a black T shirt and a plaid shirt over that. He has facial hair around his chin. We can partially see a woman leaning over him.
A close up of three people on stage. Two woman and a man, one of the women is knelt down and the other two are standing. The man appears to be talking with the two women listening intently. The man is wearing a grey hoodie, grey trousers and a grey hat. One woman is wearing a blue jumpsuit, a multicoloured scarf, glasses with her hair tied up in a bun. The other woman is wearing a green tracksuit and has some of her long red hair tied up.
A close up of a woman singing. She looks in her early thirties and has her hair tied up. She is wearing a yellow sleeveless top with buttons. Her mouth is wide open as if in the middle of a big note.
A woman stands on a mans wheelchair. She has one foot on the chair and the other is up in the air. Her hands are on the man's shoulders for support. She has long blonde hair, and is wearing blue shorts and a plaid shirt. The man, whose face is slightly obstructed, is wearing blue jeans, a black T shirt and a plaid shirt.
Six actors are on stage, one sits at the piano while the others are all on stage gathered around a bald man in the middle. All of them, other than the bald man, are wearing some kind of hat. They all appear to be in mid dance. We can see a caption above their heads that reads : 'He's rich, he's funny, he finally gets his wheelchair'
Two people stand on stage, one man and one woman. They are under a white spotlight, behind them we can see a few scattered chairs. The man is wearing baggy blue jeans and a baggy blue hoodie. The woman next to him is wearing blue jeans and a purple top. She appears to be signing, while he appears to be speaking. Above their heads we can see a caption that reads: ' I guess it must be hmmm... complex'

REHEARSAL IMAGES

Three actors lie on the floor, one women and two men. The camera is focussed on a bald man in a purple T shirt who is holding one hand in the air.
Three women in the middle of dancing, we can see their hair flowing behind them as if they have just turned quickly. They all appear to be holding paint brushes in an outstretched hand.
A man and a woman stand next to each other. The woman has her hand on the man's shoulder as if trying to comfort him. They are both holding scripts and looking at each other. The man is wearing a blue T shirt and joggers. The woman is wearing a white T shirt and green overalls.
A middle aged man sits in a chair and looks frightened as a woman leans in beside him with her hands held up. We can see a bald man stood behind them, watching them. The man in the chair is wearing a white T shirt and jeans. The woman next to him is wearing a white T shirt and green dungarees.
A middle aged woman lies stomach down on a yellow floor. She has her arms and legs lifted off the floor, as if pretending to fly. She is wearing blue jeans and a blue top and has medium length blonde hair.
A bald man wearing a purple T shirt holds a script. He has one hand held up and his mouth open as if reading lines.
A group of seven people gather, three men and four women. They are standing around looking forwards as if listening to someone out of the camera shot.
A middle aged man stands with outstretched arms, He has dark hair and is wearing a black hoodie and glasses. He has a green folder in one of his hands.
Five people, two men and three women gather around a keyboard that a man wearing a yellow shirt is sat behind it.
A man in a yellow T shirt and glasses sits at a keyboard and turns the page on his sheet music. Next to him a tall woman, wearing a green T shirt looks down at what he's doing. In front of them a woman sits on a chair. She has long dark hair tied in a ponytail and is holding a paintbrush
A close up of a woman dancing. She appears to have just jumped in the air because her long curly ponytail is suspended in the air above her. She has one arm stretched out high and holds a paintbrush in that hand. She is wearing a stripey cream coloured top.
A photo of a man playing a keyboard. He has brown hair and is wearing a yellow T shirt and glasses.
A man leans forward in his wheelchair and smiles. He is wearing a green top and glasses, he has short brown hair.
Five actors practicing a dance number. They are all putting one foot forwards and lifting their heads up. They are all holding paint brushes as if they were microphones.
Six actors are in the rehearsal space. Between them all they are carrying a bald man. Four of them are wearing hats of varying styles. We can see the back of a man leaning forwards and watching the scene.
A bald man wearing a purple T shirt lies in a wheelbarrow. He holds his hands close to this chest and is pulling a funny face. Five actors are gathered around him. A woman wearing a pink floral apron leans forward facing away from the man in the wheelchair. The other actors are looking at her.
A woman with short blonde hair, some of which is pulled into a bun, stands holding a notebook and pen. She is pointing with the pen, as if explaining something. A bald man in a purple T shirt stands behind her, listening.
Three actors, two women and a man are practicing a dance. They are standing with their hands placed on either side of the hats that they are wearing. The man is wearing a sombrero type hat, one of the women is wearing a brown rounded hat and the other woman is wearing a lilac, floral, wedding type hat.
A woman stands with her arms out wide and a surprised expression on her face, which is partly obscured by her blonde hair that is falling over her face. She is wearing blue jeans, a blue 'National Theatre of Scotland' T shirt and a black bowler hat.
A woman sits on the floor and looks up at another woman who is only partially seen. She is wearing a black top and has a plastic crown falling off of her head.
Six actors gathered in a formation are all lifting various hats off of their heads. There is a bald man in the middle without a hat and with his mouth wide open as if in the middle of singing.
A man sits by a desk and laughs. He has short brown hair, is wearing glasses and a green top. On the desk beside him we can see various pieces of paper and soft drinks.
A close up of a woman holding one hand to her chest in a 'C' shape. She is wearing a long sleeved black top and has a plastic crown around her head. In the background there are other performers but they are slightly blurred.
Three young women kneel in a line, in front of a bald man. They are facing away from him. The woman on the furthest right appears to be signing. The woman in the middle crosses her arms and sticks her tongue out at the woman on the left who is looking at her surprised.
A woman in a rainbow crochet T shirt and a large floral purple hat leans on a chair and looks down at a woman sat down near her. This woman appears in her late thirties and is wearing a blue top and has medium length blonde hair.
A young man sits on the floor with his legs outstretched and his hands on the floor behind him. He has dark hair and glasses. He is wearing a blue T shirt and navy tracksuit trousers.
A middle aged man in a white T shirt and blue jeans is mid squat with his arms out in front of him.
A man and a woman sit on a brown leather sofa. The woman is wearing a yellow jumper and appears to be talking. The man beside her is wearing a red plaid shirt and is laughing. Beside them there is a man in a wheelchair, wearing a green T shirt and glasses, he is also laughing.

Production Story

My Left Right Foot – The Musical (2018) – Information below is about the 2018 run of the show

Assembly Roxy: 1 – 27 August, part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018

From Robert Softley Gale, co-director of Wendy Hoose and creator of If These Spasms Could Speak and Blanche & Butch. Original music by award-winning partnership Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie (Atlantic) with additional songs by Richard Thomas (Jerry Springer – The Opera). Birds of Paradise and National Theatre of Scotland present this hilarious new musical, celebrating BOP’s 25th anniversary.

Age guide: 16+ – contains strong language and strong humour!

Part of the Made in Scotland Showcase

5 actors are sat around a desk on stage. They all look to an actor on the right who appears to be explaining something.
5 actors are sat round a desk. They have all turned to a man in the middle who appears to be telling them about something.
2 actors are on stage. One of them is looking through a box of things, and the other is looking at something outside of the photo with a shocked expression on her face
6 actors huddle at the front of the stage which is lit blue. One of the actors lies in a wheelbarrow which the others are pushing.
A woman in a stripy jacket and an orange jumper points accusingly at something outside of the picture.
A man with short grey hair, wearing a brown jacket, gesticulates to something outside of the photo.
3 actors kneel at the front of the stage, with their hands together as if they are praying. A man stands behind them and points up to the air above him.
A man wearing a hoodie and a cap stands at the front of the stage with his arms in the air. Two actors behind him look on.
A close up of four actors singing on stage. The stage is lit with a blue light with white dots.
A group of 5 actors gathered around a desk. One of them is sitting on the desk and appears to be explaining something while the other look on.
An actor on stage on the phone. She looks shocked at what she is hearing.
An actor in a brown jumper sits hunched over on stage. He appears upset.
Two actors appear at the front of the stage. One of them appears to be crying, he has his hand reached out onto the other actors arm.
An actors is singing at the front of the stage his mouth and his arms are open wide.
An actor with a cap on sits in a wheelchair. A woman is crouching in his lap. They both appear to be singing.
7 actors are on stage dancing and singing. 2 of them are standing on chairs with their arms in the air and two of them are toasting over a drink.
A close up of an actress in a yellow top on stage. She appears to be singing and signing.
A close up of 5 actors at the front of the stage. They appear to be singing, they all look very serious.
3 actors on stage, They appear to be having a conversation, one of them is signing and one of them sits at a piano

Photos by Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

Access Information

Audio Description, British Sign Language and Captions are integrated into every performance, and the venue has a loop system. The performance on Sunday 19th August will be Relaxed.

For further information about the Relaxed performance, please read THIS DOCUMENT.

Pre-show accessibility information:

Booking information

  • Age guide: 16+
  • Contains strong language and strong humour!
  • Seating rake is steep
  • Hearing Loop best in rows 3,4,5 – see venue signage and ask staff if you need access to these rows
  • View of captions obstructed by cast in rows 1,2,3,4
  • If using BSL sit centre and from about row 6 to take in whole image of stage – interpreter is integrated and moves around stage.
  • Wheelchair spaces limited by venue to four per show – additional options to transfer
  • Wheelchair spaces cannot be booked online. 

How to get there

The below video shows the most accessible route to Assembly Roxy, starting from Festival Theatre. For information on how to get to Festival Theatre please visit this page.

WATCH THE BSL TRAILER

DEVELOPMENT

Click the link below for the transcript of a discussion with Bobath and BOP after watching a sharing of scenes and songs worked on during the MLRF development week in May. Development Discussion Transcript