James Robertson’s 2006 best-selling novel will be brought to life this month with a stage adaptation of The Testament of Gideon Mack from Dogstar Theatre Company. The play, adapted by Dogstar Theatre Artistic Director Matthew Zajac, will perform at Theatre Royal, Dumfries on 22 February as part of a 17-date tour around Scotland, closing at Dundee Rep on 14 March 2025.
Published in 2006 and long-listed for that year’s Booker Prize, The Testament of Gideon Mack became an instant Scottish classic. This is a story about grief and the crisis of faith in Scottish society, told through the life of the Reverend Gideon Mack of Monimaskit. A story of late 20th century post-war Scotland, of the manse and the permissive age, a story of a Church of Scotland minister who doesn’t believe in God. Then he meets the Devil.
Dogstar’s vibrant new stage version of this acclaimed novel will have Dumfries & Galloway actor Kevin Lennon in the role of the titular minister. Born in Dumfries and Galloway, Kevin was a pupil at St Joseph’s College before going on to train at the Samuel Beckett Centre, Trinity College, Dublin. He has worked extensively in theatres throughout the UK and Ireland, including with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, Citizens Theatre and National Theatre of Scotland. He is also a musician and composer and has appeared on television in Outlander, Still Game, and Armchair Detectives.
Talking about returning to Dumfries with this production, Kevin said: “It’s always so resonant for me touring to the Theatre Royal in Dumfries for many reasons, one of which being I used to attend an amateur dramatic after-school group at the theatre for a while back in 1993/1994. I also used to walk from the bus to St Jo’s through the car park just down from the theatre with my pals and buy a roll and butter (heated in the microwave so the butter was all melty!) from the local bakery in the morning.
“I love Dumfries and have deeply fond memories of my time at school, which had a superb drama department (run by the brilliant Mr Bruce Hart) which was absolutely fundamental in my journey towards becoming an actor. Mr Hart made me realise it was actually something you could do as a job! I was really lucky to attend St. Jo’s, it was and is a fantastic school. Dumfries will always be a big part of me and every time I’m here I just love wandering all my old haunts, from Dock Park to the Whitesands. I used to work in the M&S food hall in 1996 as well so I’ll enjoy buying my lunch from there and having a good old reminisce! Time surely flies!”
Commissioned by Eden Court and supported by Creative Scotland’s Touring Fund for Theatre and Dance, The Testament of Gideon Mack will be presented by an ensemble of eight actors and an outstanding creative team of Scotland-based theatre makers.
At the forefront of the project is Dogstar’s Artistic Director Matthew Zajac, who first discussed the adaptation with author James Robertson 19 years ago. “James is among Scotland’s greatest living novelists. It was a pleasure and privilege to be permitted by James to adapt this marvellous story. It says so much about Scotland and is perhaps the most theatrical of all James’ novels.”
Author James Robertson adds: “I am so delighted that at long last Matthew Zajac’s adaptation of my novel is to be staged. I have huge respect for Matthew’s work as an actor and writer, and I can’t think of a better team than Dogstar, one of Scotland’s most innovative and dynamic touring companies, to bring this new play to venues across the country.”
The stage adaptation of The Testament of Gideon Mack will open on Thursday 13 February 2025 at Eden Court before coming to the Theatre Royal in Dumfries on Saturday 22 February.
The Testament of Gideon Mack is presented by Dogstar Theatre Company with thanks to support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland’s Touring Fund for Theatre and Dance.
Further information, tour schedule and individual ticket links are available via www.dogstartheatre.co.uk.
