Can Alan's show character Misty make bacon out of Peppa Pig?
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A young Inverness theatre producer is counting down to his biggest project so far – a six-date Scottish tour of a new children’s show, opening in his hometown.
Alan Mackintosh has spent the last few years planning the project that has become Misty’s Magical Adventure.
But on Wednesday (October 18) the curtain will rise on the first two performances of it – in Eden Court’s OneTouch, starring the theatre’s panto favourite Ross Allan and well-known Scottish comedy actress Jane McCarry.
The idea for a touring family show began to become real for Alan saw actor and theatre writer Alan McHugh in action in panto in Aberdeen.
“I knew then I wanted to do a children’s show and when I saw Alan in panto in Aberdeen, I knew I wanted him to write it.
“So I left a note for him at the panto’s stage door – I think in 2018 – to ask him if he would meet me for a coffee to chat through stuff.
“From there, over the next year and a bit, we developed the script. Then Covid came about and everything went on pause, but in April 2022 we did a workshop in Glasgow to see what state the script was in. I knew I wanted Ross for one of the main parts having grown up watching him in panto in Inverness! And Jane McCarry seemed the perfect fit for the sort of warm ‘Auntie-type’ dragon part.”
Previously Alan had staged a production of The Little Shop Of Horrors and he has been musical director for Inverness Musical Theatre on productions of Legally Blonde and Hello Dolly. In July over in North Kessock Village Hall, with his own company Almack Productions, he presented comedy musical Nunsensations, a sequel to the original Dan Goggins play Nunsense.
Th Misty show will tour to Glasgow, Greenock, Aberdeen, Dumfries and Dundee and is the next level for Alan’s theatre ambitions.
“It’s my first production as a solo producer, I’ve done them before with other producers, but this is the first time on my own – and it’s scary, I think! But it’s also exciting!” he laughed.
Alan also sees the potential for the show’s future.
“I always wanted to tour the show and it suits small venues.
“It has a real long-term feel to it and hopefully it can come out time and time again. The characters are so franchisable that we could build other shows around them – Misty’s Christmas Adventure, things like that. The characters just jump off the page so there’s so much extra we can do with them in the future.”
Q&A: Actor Ross an important ingredient – as the chef
Asked whether it could be the next Singing Kettle, Alan laughs: “I hope so! We always compare it to Peppa Pig – and we always say we are going to make bacon out of Peppa Pig!
“It’s definitely got legs – we’ve had a lot of interest in the show.
“This week alone, I’ve had four theatres come to me out of the blue to ask if they could have it next year! We’ve got interest too from Gilded Balloon at the festival in Edinburgh, so it does feel like it is starting to take off. The puppets are massive and beautiful, we have a fantastic director in Ken Alexander, the songs are catchy and the script is very funny. It has a real family panto feel to it,” said Alan going into promo mode!
“The ultimate aim would be for Misty The Dragon to become as much of a household name as possible and extend from the theatre into soft toys, a cartoon series, they are all things we are interested in exploring and seeing how we can take Misty’s Magical Adventure further.”
It’s an early return to Eden Court for Ross Allan as Shuggy The Chef, as he will be back here in panto Sleeping Beauty from December.
“I’m most looking forward to getting up north!
“Eden Court is one of the best theatres in the world, and seeing all of the little children’s faces when they see the puppets for the first time, will be great – and just generally getting them all wound up!
“The show is a lot of fun and little kids are going to absolutely love it!”
Misty’s Magical Adventure is at Eden Court on Wednesday (Oct 18) for two shows (11am and 2.30pm). More:
