Rapture, Scotland’s foremost contemporary touring theatre company, is to produce the first ever- professional tour, by a Scottish theatre company, of Broken Glass by Arthur Miller.

Broken Glass received its world premiere at the Long Wharf Theatre in America in March 1994 and was subsequently revived at the National Theatre in England in July 1994. 

Rapture’s production, in association with The Tolbooth Theatre in Stirling, starts previewing at The Tolbooth Theatre on Friday 27th April 2007 and  opens there on Friday 28th April. It will then tour Scotland and  is due to finish at the Byre Theatre, St.Andrews  running from Thursday 7th - Saturday 9th June. 

Although the show is performing at many high profile venues, Broken Glass will also visit many small Scottish community theatre venues during its run, including Eastfield, Craignish and Mull

About the Play

Brooklyn, New York .

The end of November 1938.

Sylvia Gellburg has mysteriously, become paralysed from the waist down !!!

As her family Doctor investigates, a tangled web of lies, deceit and fear emerges.

What is her husband’s involvement in her illness?

Is there any connection between her illness and  horrendous radio reports concerning persecution of the Jews in Germany ?

As the Doctor becomes more obsessed, the mystery deepens ,twists and turns until it reaches an exciting climax!!!

The Play in Performance

" Michael Emans has assembled a fine cast for this revival" --- The Herald

" You have to admire the ambition of Rapture" -- The Sunday Herald

" Stewart Porter is excellent"  --- The Stage

" Warmly received by its capacity audience" --- The Scotsman

" Broken Glass still cuts the mustard"  --- Edinburgh Evening News

Rapture will be liasing with major national organisations to facilitate workshops and talkbacks sessions on issues in a play . Visits to individual schools can also be organised. Contact the company for details

What the papers said about  Rapture's last production  Frozen:

 “ Superb production” –                     

The Stage

“ Evocative” –                                 

The List**** (Four Stars)

“Magnificent” –                              

 The Scotsman **** ( Four Stars)

“ Taut” –                                           

The Metro **** ( Four Stars)

“ Michael Emans’ superbly

 affecting production” –                     

Edinburgh Evening News **** ( Four Stars)

The Director

Rapture’s Founder and Artistic Director, Michael Emans, said:  “I have always been passionate about Miller's fantastic play and I hope to share that passion with the many audience members. I look forward to welcoming many members of local communities to our production.”

"Our last show “Frozen” was extremely popular with audience members coming to see it a second time.Theatres are already booking us for Spring 2008."

The company is popular with actors too, with performers turning down offers from bigger, more lucrative companies to work with Rapture. Emans beamed “We’re very proud of our ability to attract top class actors who respect the passion and intergrity and honesty of our work”.

The Cast

Once again Rapture has assembled a top-notch cast of Scottish actors and is proud to give Scottish talent a platform

 Stewart Porter and Fletcher Mathers who debuted with Rapture in the company's powerful, taut production of "The Collection" last year,return to star alongside Lewis Howden, whose Rapture debut was in feel good comedy "Frankie and Johnny". Newcomers to Rapture, Eric Barlow, Kirstin Murray and Rosalind Sydney make up the rest of this exciting cast of top Scottish actors.

Company Biographies

MICHAEL EMANS  (Director)

Trained:

Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama.

Previous Theatre Includes:

Over the Mountain

(Creek Road Studio Theatre), Tom Jones (Lillian Bayliss Theatre), The Finishing School (Nuffield Theatre, Southampton)

For Rapture Theatre, Michael has directed: Death and the Maiden, The Dumb Waiter, Some Kind of Love Story, Shadowlands, Taking Sides, Clara, An Evening with Gary Lineker,  Boys’ Life, Grace, , Death of a Salesman, A Kind of Alaska, Habeas Corpus, Rat in the Skull, Oleanna, Macbeth, Perfect Days, Bold Girls, Shang a lang, Assassins, Betrayal, Mr.Peters’ Connections, Insignificance, Speed the Plow, Simpatico, Boy Gets Girl, Your Turn to Clean the Stair, The Old Neighborhood, The Sailmaker, Richard III, Double Top, Boston Marriage, Twisted, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Iune, Proof, Misery, Blue/Orange ,Damages,  The Collection and Frozen

Michael recently assisted Mark Thomson at the Royal Lyceum Theatre on “Uncle Varick” and “Six Black Candles”.  and worked with acclaimed Scottish playwright Iain Heggie on his new one man show for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Michael has also directed at the Oran Mor the winner of the Orange Playwriting Award “Magnum Opus” and more recently the acclaimed “Burns on the Solway”

LYN MCANDREW (Designer)

Trained: Edinburgh University, Strathclyde University

Previous Theatre Includes:

The High School, The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil, A Night in the Ukraine, Teechers, The Steamie, Men Should Weep, The Cemetery Club, The London Vertigo, The Orchestra, Play it again Sam.

For Rapture Theatre as actress: Macbeth, Perfect Days, Shang a Lang, Assassins, Betrayal, Bold Girls, Speed the Plow, Simpatico, Boy Gets Girl, Richard III, Boston Marriage, Twisted, Proof

For Rapture Theatre as designer: Macbeth, Perfect Days, Assassins, Insignificance, Simpatico, Old Neighborhood, Richard III, Boston Marriage, Frankie and Johnny, Proof , Misery, Blue/Orange and Damages,  The Collection and Frozen

Kai Fischer

( Lighting Designer)

 Biography to follow 

The Cast

ERIC BARLOW ( Stanton Case)

Previous Theatre Includes:

Motto of All Quarrels ( Oran Mor), Merchant of Venice, Waiting for Godot, Macbeth ( Royal Lyceum) Wiping My Mothers Arse , Heritage, Trestle at Pope Lick Creek,  The Speculator ( Traverse Theatre), 8000M ( Suspect Culture)

Previous Television Includes

Monarch of the Glen, Manhunters- The Wolves of Gyseng, Doctors, Casualty, River City,  Two Thousand Acres of Sky,  Barmy Aunt Bommerang ( BBC Television)

The Bill ( Thames Television), Rebus, Taggart ( Scottish Television),Young Person's Guide to Becoming a Rock Star ( Channel Four)

LEWIS HOWDEN ( Doctor Harry Hyman)

Trained: RSAMD

 Previous Rapture : Frankie and Johnny

Previous Theatre Includes:

 Lewis has appeared in most Scottish theatres in both old and new plays. These include:  No Mean City, Nightingale and Chase ( Citizens Theatre) The Beauty Queen of Leenane, The Trick is to Keep Breathing (The Tron), Tartuffe, Mother Courage

 (The Lyceum), 27 Wagons of Full of  Cotton, The Crucible, The Big Funk (The Arches),Petrol Jesus Nightmare, The Nest, Knives in Hens, Olga (The Traverse), Macbeth, Medea (Theatre Babel), Riddance (Paines Plough), Word for Word ( Magnetic North).

TV and Film includes:  The Conegathers, Taggart, Rebus, Dr.Findlay, Strathblair, Monarch of the Glen, The Chief, The Blue Boy, Turning World.

He has also performed in various radio plays.

FLETCHER MATHERS ( Sylvia Gellburg)

Previous Rapture : The Collection