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WORLD PREMIERE
A National Theatre of Scotland, Edinburgh International Festival and Dundee Rep Theatre co-production
In association with Playful Productions and Neal Street Productions
Written by James Graham
Directed by Andrew Panton
Full cast: Sandy Batchelor, Andy Clark, Brian Cox, Maya Bassi Curtis, Callum Cuthbertson, Charlotte Delima, Hannah Donaldson, Kirsty Findlay, Lorraine Graham, Sandy Grierson, Graham Mackay-Bruce, David Mara, Ann Louise Ross, Lawrence Smith, Declan Spaine and Gavin Jon Wright
Opening performance of the 2025 Edinburgh International Festival on Friday 1 August 2025, then running until Saturday 9 August.
Previewing at Dundee Rep Theatre from Friday 18 July until Saturday 26 July and at the International Festival on Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 July.
Make It Happen is an epic new satirical play by acclaimed playwright James Graham, directed by Andrew Panton, Artistic Director of Dundee Rep Theatre. This unique co-production between National Theatre of Scotland, Edinburgh International Festival and Dundee Rep Theatre marks the return of Brian Cox to Scottish stages for the first time in a decade.
The world premiere of Make It Happen opens the Edinburgh International Festival’s 2025 programme of theatre, music, opera, and dance. It runs for a week at the Festival Theatre from 1 – 9 August, with previews at the International Festival on 30 and 31 July and at Dundee Rep Theatre from the 18 – 26 July.
‘There is no such thing - as too big.’
Behold the rise, fall and fail of the biggest bank in the world – The Royal Bank of Scotland.
Helmed by Fred ”The Shred” Goodwin, with his fervent belief in the wisdom of the ‘founder of modern capitalism’, Adam Smith, the once prudent RBS soon plummets, placing Scotland at the heart of the global financial crash of 2008.
Set in Edinburgh, Make It Happen sees legendary actor Brian Cox return to the Scottish stage for the first time in a decade as Adam Smith, the ghost of fiscal past. Written by James Graham (Sherwood, Dear England), hailed as one of the most influential and finger-on-the-pulse writers of our time, and directed by the award-winning Andrew Panton, this bitingly funny new satire delves into the unchecked growth, spiralling greed and nail-biting hubris that brought the world’s economy to its knees.
This fictionalised satire features a mixture of characters and incidents inspired by real-life events, with others entirely imagined.
Brian Cox, as Adam Smith and Sandy Grierson as Fred Goodwin, the former RBS CEO are joined in this world premiere production by a large ensemble cast including Sandy Batchelor, Andy Clark, Maya Bassi Curtis, Callum Cuthbertson, Charlotte Delima, Hannah Donaldson, Kirsty Findlay, Lorraine Graham, Graham Mackay-Bruce, David Mara, Ann Louise Ross, Lawrence Smith, Declan Spaine and Gavin Jon Wright. The ensemble will play a range of other characters including Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister and Chancellor, Alistair Darling, former Chancellor, Maggie Darling, Alistair’s wife, Shriti Vadera, Laura Kuenssberg and key players at the Royal Bank of Scotland. They will be joined on stage by live musicians.
Andrew Panton, director, said
“It’s an honour to collaborate with such a brilliantly talented cast and creative team to tell this important story. We’re all excited to be creating this show at Dundee Rep Theatre, where our local audiences will have the first chance to see Brian Cox, returning to where he started his career. To then bring the show to the world’s largest arts festival, in the city where our story begins, is a hugely exciting opportunity.”
Paisley born Fred Goodwin was the Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group between 2001 and 2009, presiding over RBS’s rapid rise to become the world’s largest company (by assets) and the fifth-largest bank (by stock market value), and their even more rapid fall in 2008, which coincided with the worldwide economic crisis. Make It Happen is the first major artwork exploring RBS’s role in this tumultuous period in recent history.
'James Graham is fast becoming the pre-eminent playwright of his generation.' The Guardian
James Graham is an award-winning screenwriter and playwright, whose recent work includes Dear England (National Theatre of GB and West End) which won the Olivier award for Best Play in 2024 and is currently being adapted into a BBC miniseries. Other theatre work includes: This House (National Theatre of GB, West End and UK tour), which was chosen by popular vote as the best play of the 2010’s for the major theatre publisher Methuen; Punch (Nottingham Playhouse, Young Vic and then transferring to the West End and Broadway later in 2025); Best of Enemies (Young Vic, 2022), winner of the Critics’ Circle Theatre Award; Tammy Faye (The Almeida), and Ink (The Almeida), which transferred to Broadway and was nominated for six Tony Awards; Labour of Love (Noel Coward Theatre, 2018) which won the Olivier award for Best Comedy.
For television, James is the writer and creator of Sherwood which first aired on BBC One in 2022 to five star reviews, winning the Royal Television Society Award for Best Drama and two BAFTAS. Other TV includes Brexit: An Uncivil War, broadcast on Channel 4 and HBO, and was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie. His Channel 4 drama, Coalition won the RTS Award for Best Single Drama (2019), and Quiz (ITV and AMC), adapted from his stage play and directed by Stephen Frears, was one of the most watched UK TV dramas of 2020.
Andrew Panton is an award-winning theatre director and currently Artistic Director and Joint CEO of Dundee Rep Theatre. For Dundee Rep, his directorial credits include August: Osage County, The Children, A Christmas Carol, Oor Wullie, Passing Places and Spring Awakening. He has previously worked with National Theatre of Scotland as director on digital lockdown short Out of the Woods with Alan Cumming and A Sheep Called Skye, and as staff director on the original UK & International tours of Black Watch. He has also directed productions for the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Citizens Theatre Glasgow, Royal & Derngate, Perth Theatre and The Stephen Joseph Theatre. His recent work includes A History of Paper, which won a Scotsman Fringe First, an immersive production of Peter Greenaway’s The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, and the gig-theatre musical No Love Songs. Andrew’s work for television includes: Children in Need, The Naked Choir and The Voice (BBC) and he was a creative director for the opening ceremony of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Meet the Cast
Sandy Grierson (Fred Goodwin) is a celebrated Scottish actor of stage and screen. He recently appeared as the talking Shinagawa Monkey in acclaimed new international production, Confessions of a Shinagawa Monkey (Vanishing Point/Kanagawa Arts Theatre). Best known on screen for Lockerbie, Shetland and Outlander, Grierson’s extensive stage credits include Lanark (Citizens Theatre/Edinburgh International Festival), As You Like It, Measure for Measure (RSC) and The Beautiful Cosmos of Ivor Cutler (Vanishing Point/National Theatre of Scotland).
Brian Cox (Adam Smith) is an award-winning Scottish actor, known for his work on stage and screen. Born in Dundee, he trained at Dundee Rep Theatre before going on to work at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company where he first gained recognition for his portrayal of King Lear.
His numerous accolades include two Olivier Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Recent entries on his extensive list of theatre credits include Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Wyndham’s Theatre) and The Score (Theatre Royal Bath and Theatre Royal Haymarket). His screen work includes Succession (HBO), Braveheart (Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox) and Nuremberg (TNT).
Brian returns to Scottish stages for the first time in a decade, last appearing on Scottish stages in 2015 in Waiting For Godot at the Royal Lyceum Theatre. He previously worked with National Theatre of Scotland in 2020 when he played Inspector Rebus in a special digital short, John Rebus: The Lockdown Blues written by Ian Rankin for their lockdown Scenes for Survival series, created in partnership with BBC Scotland.
Andy Clark is one of Scotland’s most prolific stage actors, recently seen in the world premiere production of Wild Rose (Royal Lyceum/Caledonia Productions) and the award-winning So Young (Traverse Theatre/Raw Material/Citizens Theatre). He performed in over 20 productions as a former member of Dundee Rep’s Ensemble and is known on screen for appearances in The Da Vinci Code, The Control Room, and BAFTA Scotland award-winning productions Float (Black Camel Pictures) and Guilt (BBC).
Sandy Batchelor will shortly be appearing in Danny Boyle’s highly anticipated 28 Years Later (Columbia/Sony). Sandy recently appeared in the sophomore season of SAS: Rogue Heroes (Kudos) and is also known for The Capture (BBC) and Ordeal by Innocence. On stage Sandy has featured in Red Ellen (Royal Lyceum Theatre), Leave to Remain (Lyric, Hammersmith) and Othello (National Theatre).
Lorraine Graham has performed on stages across the UK and worldwide with appearances including Glasgow Kiss at Glasgow’s Pavilion, The Steamie (SSE Hydro), Sunshine on Leith, Leeds Playhouse/ UK tour; Alice in Wonderland at Cairo Opera House and Les Miserables in the West End. Lorraine appears in the musical-comedy feature Disenchanted (Walt Disney Pictures).
Charlotte Delima is a British Indian actress and writer. She trained at RADA and was the winner of the Lilian Baylis Award and The John Gielgud Charitable Trust Award. She recently made her professional stage debut playing Indira in Make Good: The Post Office Scandal (Pentabus/New Perspectives).
Callum Cuthbertson is known for roles in Not Another Happy Ending (Synchronicity Films) and Breaking the Waves (Zentropa Films). He is a regular on TV with appearances in Scot Squad, Still Game and as Gary’s dad in Gary:Tank Commander (Series I, II & III). His prolific stage career includes Glasgow Girls (National Theatre of Scotland/Stratford East) and Mother Courage, The Graduate and Dumbstruck (Dundee Rep).
Gavin Jon Wright recently toured the UK and Ireland in the epic production Death of a Salesman (Raw Material/Trafalgar). Gavin was seen recently in comedy sketch show, Stevens & McCarthy (BBC Scotland), Unfair ((Young Films, Channel 4) and River City (BBC Scotland). Theatre performances include the award-winning Square Go and VL (Francesca Moody Productions), Nae Expectations (Tron Theatre) and Black Watch (National Theatre of Scotland).
Ann Louise Ross is a multi-award-winning Dundee Rep Ensemble member. She is well known for her role as Grannie Island in Katie Morag (CBeebies). Extensive screen credits include Good Omens 2, Trainspotting and The Acid House Trilogy. Recent theatre performances include Doubt (Dundee Rep), Peter Gynt (National Theatre/ Edinburgh International Festival) and Cyprus Avenue (Tron Theatre).
Declan Spaine has just finished playing the titular role in Hamilton in the West End. Other theatre credits include Red Dust Road (National Theatre of Scotland) and Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical (Playful Productions). Film includes The Gossip (F-5 Films) and Wasteman (Agile Films).
Hannah Donaldson is best known for her role as Lara Bartlett in two series of Granite Harbour (LA Production/BBC). Hannah recently finished filming on the new Dr Who spin off series The War Between the Land and the Sea (BBC/Disney+) and will join feature film Miss Pirrie and Miss Woods (BFI/Screen Scotland). Theatre credits include The Enemy (National Theatre of Scotland) and The Cherry Orchard (Royal Lyceum Theatre).
Lawrence Smith is a musical theatre graduate who has appeared in Avenue Q (UK tour) and Brass (Union Theatre). Lawrence featured in the BAFTA award-winning comedy Dinosaur (BBC/Hulu). Other theatre credits include The Outrun (Royal Lyceum Theatre/Edinburgh International Festival) and The Divide (The Old Vic).
David Mara recently appeared in Zack Snyder's Justice League and comedy drama film Phantom of the Open. Stage appearances include Hamlet, The Merry Wives of Windsor and The School for Scandal (RSC); Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Sonia Friedman Productions), Let the Right One In (USA tour) and The James Plays (National Theatre of Scotland).
Kirsty Findlay was Olivier Award-nominated for “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” in 2017 together with the cast of Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour (National Theatre of Scotland/Live Theatre). Kirsty’s prolific music and theatre work includes The Sound of Music, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and Footloose (Pitlochry Festival Theatre) and Islander: The Musical (Helen Milne Productions, New York Off-Broadway, UK tour and London transfer).
Maya Bassi Curtis trained at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and with Stratford East Young Company. Maya recently appeared in Māyā: The Musical @sohoplace and We All Know How This Ends (Stratford East Theatre).
Graham Mackay-Bruce is currently filming an episode of Gifted for CBBC and can also be seen in Outlander. Graham’s stage credits include Othello (RSC), Hedda Gabler and Measure for Measure (Bard in the Botanics) and The Duchess of Malfi (Royal Lyceum Theatre, Citizens Theatre).
Creative Team: Set Designer: Anna Fleischle; Costume Co-Designers: Anna Fleischle and Angelica Rush; Movement Director: Emily Jane Boyle; Musical Supervisor and Arranger: Martin Lowe; Video Co-Designer and Animator: Lewis den Hertog; Sound Designer: Tingying Dong; Lighting Designer: Lizzie Powell; Associate Director: Emily Oulton; Video Co-Designer: Anna Fleischle; Associate Designer: Angelica Rush; Associate Movement Director: Mikah Smillie; Associate Sound Designer: Tom Penny; Casting Director: Stuart Burt CDG
Cast: Sandy Batchelor, Andy Clark, Brian Cox, Maya Bassi Curtis, Callum Cuthbertson, Charlotte Delima, Hannah Donaldson, Kirsty Findlay, Lorraine Graham, Sandy Grierson, Graham Mackay-Bruce, David Mara, Ann Louise Ross, Lawrence Smith, Declan Spaine and Gavin Jon Wright.
Supported by Sir Ewan and Lady Brown
Supported by the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund through Creative Scotland
Previewing at Dundee Rep Theatre (previews Fri 18 to Sat 26 July); opening at Edinburgh International Festival, at the Festival Theatre, (previews Wed 30 & Thurs 31 July) Fri 1 August – Sat 9 August.
Access info: There will be audio described, captioned and integrated BSL performances in Edinburgh.
More information here.
Full performance information and creative biogs here.