UK NEWS

ACTOR SWAPS LONDON THEATRE FOR VILLAGE HALL

David Rintoul will be performing in front of less than 100 people in Arbuthnott

Wednesday July 11,2007

By Julia White for express.co.uk

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A LEADING actor is swapping his starring role in a smash hit West End musical for a one off appearance in front of a tiny audience in a village hall.

David Rintoul, remembered by millions as television’s Dr Finlay, is to give up a rare day off to return to his native North-east to pay tribute to one of Scotland’s foremost authors.

Rintoul is currently starring in Dirty Dancing at the Aldwych Theatre London appearing nightly in front of 1200 people.
But on August 19 an audience of less than 100 are expected to fill the Lewis Grassic Gibbon Centre in Arbuthnott, near Stonehaven, in a new play about the author written by former Scottish Daily Express journalist Jack Webster.

The actor will be joined on stage by his partner actress Vivien Heilbron who played the starring role of Chris Guthrie in the 1970 BBCtelevision version of Sunset Song widely regarded as Grassic Gibbon’s finest work.

Vivien will be the narrator while Rintoul will play Grassic Gibbon who died in l935 just days before his 34th birthday.

Rintoul, who joined the cast of Dirty Dancing in September and is contracted until autumn 2008, said:”This is very much a home coming for me because I’m from Aberdeen and my grandfather farmed in the same area where I will be appearing.

“It’s very much a case of seeing if the play takes legs because it’s a wonderful work and I’d love to see it go on to play in front of bigger audiences."

Vivien will again play the narrator when the play will be staged at His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, in March.

Dirty Dancing, in which Rintoul plays Dr Jake Houseman the disapproving father of dirty dancer Frances “Baby” Houseman, took in £12m (as copy) of advance ticket sales for the first year.

Lewis Grassic Gibbon was the pen name of James Leslie Mitchell whose book Sunset Song was recently voted the best Scottish book of all time.

His daughter Rhea who now lives in Hertfordshire,will be among the audience at the Grassic Gibbon Centre which was the village hall while her father was growing up in the area.