Birds of Paradise Theatre Company

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

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A man is leant against a piano. He is wearing a pale yellow striped suit with a large rose pinned to the lapel. His dark hair is slicked back and he has a pointy moustache. He appears to have powder on his face to make him look paler.

Productions â–º  

The Man Who Lived Twice

A meeting between in demand actor John Gielgud and the playwright Edward Sheldon that would change both their lives forever

On the 27th December 1936 in a penthouse suite high above the streets of New York a meeting took place between a young, beautiful and very much in demand actor, John Gielgud, and the playwright Edward Sheldon. It was to change both their lives forever.

Gielgud wrote, ‘I had an extraordinary time this afternoon. Edward Sheldon who wrote ‘Romance’ and other successful plays has been stricken with some appalling petrifying paralysis for fourteen years and is blind too. All the well known stage people go to see him, talk to him and act scenes from their plays and ask his advice…. he talks with consummate ease and charm, as if he had known you all his life….

The Man Who Lived Twice is a dramatised account of what took place between these two men, the ‘crippled muse’ and the ‘fastidious actor’, who a few days later returned to give the performance of his life….

A play about love, longing and the unreliability of macaws.

All performances are surtitled and audio description support will be provided. BSL interpreted performance on Thursday 8 March at the Arches Theatre (Glasgow)

Written by Garry Robson

Directed by Alison Peebles

The Team

Paul Cunningham – Edward Sheldon
Alison Peebles – Director
Garry Robson – Writer

Tour Dates

Wed 7 – Sat 10 March 2012 @ 7.30pm
The Arches (Glasgow)

Previews: Wed & Thu / BSL interpreted: Thu

Tue 13 March 2012 @ 8pm
Dornie Village Hall

Nr Eilean Donan

Sat 17 March 2012 @ 7.30pm
Paisley Arts Centre
Wed 21 March 2012 @ 7.30pm
Eastgate Theatre

Peebles

Thu 22 March 2012 @ 7.30pm
Hamilton Town House
Fri 23 March 2012 @ 7.30pm
Brunton Theatre

Musselburgh

Sat 24 March 2012 @ 7.45pm
Cumbernauld Theatre
Wed 28 March – 2012 @ 7.30pm
Dundee Rep
Thu 29 March 2012 @ 7.30pm
Arts Guild Theatre

Greenock

Wed 4 April 2012 @ 8.00pm
Eden Court

Inverness

Thu 5 April 2012 @ 7.30pm
Byre Theatre

St Andrews

Photos & Videos

A man is leant against a piano. He is wearing a pale yellow striped suit with a large rose pinned to the lapel. His dark hair is slicked back and he has a pointy moustache. He appears to have powder on his face to make him look paler.
A closeup of a middle aged woman. She is wearing a high-necked sparkly black dress with a red paisley shawl over her shoulders. She has a long string of pearls around her neck that has been wrapped multiple times. She has on a black hat with a large feather in it and a net veil cast over her face.
A scene is a dark, gothic looking room. There are 3 men, all in dark thirties style suits and bowties. They all appear to have powdered white faces. In the foreground, one of the men is sat with his legs up on a sofa, he appears to be in the middle of talking. Behind him, the two other men are beside a piano, one sat at it, wearing a gold paper hat, and the other standing behind him.
A man dressed in all black, sits playing the piano. He has slicked back dark hair and a moustache. The top of the piano is covered in lights. We also see multiple bouquets of flowers as well as a telephone on top of the piano.
Another closeup of the elaborately dressed older woman. From this angle we can see a small amount of short red hair brushed to the side. We can also see that she is wearing a lot of dark eyeshadow.
A man in a black suit lies in a bed. Gathered around him are a man in a brown suit with a small moustache and a woman with short red hair dressed in a fancy black dress and a long pearl necklace.
Three people gather around the elaborately decorated piano. One man sits at the piano as if he was playing it, dressed in all black. At the other end of the piano, a man in a pale yellow suit is resting his hand against the piano and looking off into the distance. Next to him, sat down is a person wearing a black shirt and trousers with a brown waistcoat. They are also wearing red gloves and a red mask covered in bright feathers. They are leaning forward in their chair with their mouth wide open