The serene setting of Pitlochry Festival Theatre was transformed into a vibrant hub of queer celebration over the weekend, as the venue launched its groundbreaking first LGBTQ+ festival, Out in the Hills. The event, a bold initiative from new artistic director Alan Cumming, saw legendary actors and beloved television personalities converge on the Scottish Highlands for three days of talks, performances, and community spirit.
A Stage for Free Spirits and Fiery Monologues
The festival's programme, curated by Lewis Hetherington, offered a rich compendium of events. The atmosphere was one of palpable exuberance, with audiences buzzing from a lively Queer As Folk! ceilidh and anticipating talks from figures like trans playwright Jo Clifford. Among the unique offerings was Finlay Wilson's Kilted Yoga, though finding a participant proved elusive for one reporter.
The theatrical heart of the weekend beat strongly with a rehearsed reading by Sir Ian McKellen, aged 86. He performed Equinox, a new monologue by playwright and psychotherapist Laurie Slade. Directed by Sean Mathias, McKellen portrayed Ed, an elderly gay man grappling with regret, family abandonment, and a humiliating relationship. In a striking opening, McKellen demonstrated impressive lung capacity by blowing up and releasing a red balloon, a metaphor for freeing the spirit that echoed throughout the festival.
Celebrity Conversations and Community Joy
McKellen received a second round of applause simply for taking a seat in the audience for the next event: a sparkling conversation between Alan Cumming and Graham Norton. Cumming, sporting a shirt with the cheeky legend "Ae fond pish" and boots from the set of The Traitors US, guided a talk that was frivolous and funny yet touched on serious themes of homophobia and LGBTQ+ rights.
Norton, delighted in a zebra-striped fleece from New York, charmed the audience with his signature blend of wit and gossip about celebrity guests. He spoke with genuine affection and earned enthusiastic applause both for his condemnation of conversion therapy and his humorous anecdotes. "I love that there's this big gay thing in the middle of Scotland," Norton remarked, encapsulating the joyful surprise of the event.
A New Chapter for Highland Arts
The success of Out in the Hills signals a dynamic new direction for Pitlochry Festival Theatre under Alan Cumming's leadership. Moving beyond a traditional repertoire, the festival actively turned the theatre into a essential social hive for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies in Scotland.
The weekend proved that rural venues can be powerful platforms for diverse and contemporary cultural conversations, blending high-profile talent with local engagement through workshops, scratch performances, and ceilidhs. It was a definitive statement that the theatre is committed to being a space for all, fostering connection and celebration amidst the picturesque hills of Perthshire.
