Dogstar Theatre bring The Testament of Gideon Mack to An Lanntair’s stage. After their public performance on the evening of Tuesday 18th February 2025, they offer a matinee performance for Secondary schools on Wednesday 19th February.
The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson, adapted by Matthew Zajac: Dogstar’s vibrant new stage version of James Robertson’s acclaimed novel tells a story of grief and the crisis of faith in our society, channelled through the story of one generous, energetic, perceptive, ashamed and very Presbyterian individual, the Reverend Gideon Mack of Monimaskit. A story of late 20th century Scotland, a story of a minister who doesn’t believe in God. Then he meets the Devil.
The Testament of Gideon Mack is full of humour, provocation and the supernatural, presenting a microcosm of small-town Scotland with a cast of vividly-drawn characters. An ensemble cast of eight actors will evoke Monimaskit’s community as it grapples with Gideon’s revelation that he spent three days with the Devil. Is Gideon a prophet or a man sent mad by grief?
Schools Matinee performance
Date: Wednesday 19th February 2025
Time: 10.55am – 1.10pm (with 15 min interval)
Suitable for: Nat 5 and Higher pupils
Location: An Lanntair
Cost to schools: Free
Dogstar Theatre offer a school’s matinee performance for Secondary school pupils at Nat 5 level and above. This is an excellent opportunity for Senior English pupils to experience live theatre, regardless of whether they are studying The Testament of Gideon Mack as one of the set Scottish texts for Nat 5. The matinee performance is free to Lewis and Harris Secondary school pupils and the teachers or other school staff accompanying them.
Inspiring workshops are also available for pupils studying English or Drama at Nat 5.
The Testament of Gideon Mack – Writing workshop
Duration: 1.5hrs
Location: your school (or An Lanntair if required)
Suitable for: Nat 5 and Higher pupils age 15 – 17
Cost to schools: Free
Capacity: 30 pupils
A creative writing workshop that explores place, memory, and unreliable narratives as used in The Testament of Gideon Mack. Throughout this session, participants will create personal and imaginative landscapes, as well as using literary devices from the novel/play; connecting personal memories to cultural events as Gideon does in his narrative. This workshop will be playful and imaginative in its integration of tech; creating ambitious writing exercises that cross continents and cultures, fusing personal experience with fiction. Through tasks of interpretation and adaptation, we intend to use this workshop to fully explore the threads between truth and belief.
The Testament of Gideon Mack – Performance workshop
Duration: 1.5hrs
Location: your school (or An Lanntair if required)
Suitable for: Nat 5 and Higher pupils age 15 – 17
Cost to schools: Free
Capacity: 30 pupils
A performance workshop that explores the role of choice, significance of landscape and the idea of ‘performing belief’ as used in ‘The Testament of Gideon Mack’. This session will focus on building character and community through chorus work, allowing participants to experiment with these themes and develop their own adaptations. Using a physical and collaborative approach to the literary and theatrical devices employed in the original novel and the stage adaptation, we will empower participants to transform stories for the stage with a focus on devising, character and story.
Contact moira@anlanntair.com to book tickets for the performance, or the workshops.