Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s new Studio to open with stage premiere of Cathy Forde’s Helping Hands

Pitlochry Festival Theatre will present the stage premiere of new play Helping Hands at the venue’s new Studio space.

Written by Cathy Forde and directed by Ben Occhipinti, Helping Hands will run from 23 June to 10 July 2022.

Helping Hands will feature Anne Kidd (Cora McLean in Shetland, BBC Scotland; Outlander, STARZ; and the film The Last Bus) as Hilda and Lesley Hart (Lou Caplan in River City, BBC Scotland) as Rose.

The new play is designed by Becky Minto with lighting by Kate Bonney and music by Niroshini Thambar.

Premiering late last year on the theatre’s audio-visual platform Sound Stage, Helping Hands tells the story of Rose, an agency support worker, who gives care to the elderly and vulnerable in her community. Hilda is one of those clients. One day, when both women find themselves in crisis, a relationship develops that neither of them expected but both desperately needed.

Whilst Rose battles to understand Hilda’s determination to stay at home no matter how physically frail she becomes, Hilda is determined not to allow Rose to take the same path in life as she has, stifled by expectation and compromise.

However, whilst the relationship is developing, Hilda needs to make a decision that will change everything.

Playwright Cathy Forde said: “I am honoured and delighted that my play; Helping Hands, will be the opening production in the new studio of Pitlochry Festival Theatre in spring 2022.

“The play is about an eventful shift in the life of agency care worker, Rose and her elderly client, Hilda. Although initially seeming to have little in common, the play explores how their lives intersect as a relationship develops and builds across the generations.”

For more information and tickets, visit pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com