Blood and Roses features witchcraft, fairytales and a modern-day love story drawn together in an audio play that tells a tale of loyalty, sacrifice and love spanning 400 years. Using the hidden beauty of the City's dark corners, Poorboy takes its audience on a journey that unravels family mysteries from war-torn Russia to modern-day Scotland.

"As vividly written as it is beautifully recorded… It is a love story well worth crossing Europe for" Mark Fisher, Guardian

 ‘Make the journey if you can...’ Herald 

'Beautifully life-affirming…an exquisite piece of writing.’ OnStage Scotland

Poorboy’s metier is to transform ordinary, sometimes forgotten spaces and stories into intimate and epic tales that linger in the soul. Winning huge critical and audience acclaim, Poorboy have once again mixed fact with fiction and fairytale in their daring and innovative trademark style. Each audience member is guided by a personal mp3 player through places and spaces that help to tell the storyof ‘Blood and Roses’ filled with wedding bells, hurricanes and iron teeth...

‘Since those we love are only with us for a short time, then we should cherish them in the moment. This is as true of our artists as it is of our kith and kin.’ Mary Brennan

Originally showcased for the International Network for Contemporary Arts in 2010, Blood and Roses was chosen from hundreds of other performances to feature as part of the event performing to sold-out audiences, both based and supported by the Tron Theatre, Glasgow. Blood and Roses was then selected to feature in the international Made in Scotland Showcase, once again to packed audiences and being fantastically received. Blood and Roses is currently touring Scotland and has since been adapted for international touring, with a tour of international proportions kicking off in the near future – tour dates to be announced.

Written and Directed by Sandy Thomson

Composition & Sound Design: Alex Attwood

Cast: Eilidh McCormick, Ashley Smith, Pauline Lynch, Robin Laing, Katya Kamotskaia, Matt McVarish, Sam Watson, Jen Lowrie, Eileen McCallum 

Lead Artist: Jen Robson

Artists: Tom, Lewis Den Hertog 

Grafiti: Simon Conlon

Ushers: A host of some of the most wonderful people you will ever meet.

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Made in Scotland is a curated showcase of high quality performance from Scotland at the world’s biggest arts festival, made possible by support from the Scottish Government’s Edin­burgh Festivals Expo Fund. It is a partnership between the Festival Fringe Society, the Federation of Scottish Theatre (FST) and Creative Scotland.

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