There was an undoubted frisson to bringing M’Connachie & JMB to The Theatre Royal in Dumfries. Did our line about schoolboy dramatics in Dumfries cause a stir in the other place JMB was so fond of? It certainly caused a nervous laugh among the audience.

The theatre is small and intimate with a very good acoustic. The audience welcomed us and the evening went well.

I made a tiny pilgrimage to Moat Brae House on Saturday morning where an Arts Festival bus obscured the frontage a bit. Sadly, it was still possible to see the depredations time has brought to a magnificent building. Dumfries has many lovely buildings – but doesn’t anyone know a gutter clearing operator? I can’t remember seeing so many unplanned roof gardens.

Enjoyed the local museums and found the grave of my husband’s paternal great grandparents. Ate good food and, Fanfare here, stayed in the Glenalder House B&B which is next door to Barrie’s brother’s house in Victoria Terrace. Scotland’s small world syndrome in overdrive.

One final performance of this tour in Livingston on Tuesday 5th June at 7.30

Howden Park Centre tickets 01506 777 666

Come again to learn about the two hander that’s going out for consideration. And if you want to hear Vicky Featherstone in conversation before she leaves the National theatre of Scotland find an event here:

http://www.nms.ac.uk/our_museums/national_museum/whats_on/adults/talks.aspx

East Kilbride Arts Centre is the next venue for Theatre Broad with Peter Pan Man and – of course – my JMB & M’Connachie.

Friday 25th May at 7.30pm

Tickets from:  01355 261000

I was on welcoming duty at my church yesterday and very struck, as I often am, by the theatre of worship. There are never-changing scenes with familiar words and music. Yet, when a christening, wedding or funeral is taking place, there can be truly heart stopping ‘and then’ moments.

The tale of a lost python, the young mum so pre-occupied by the christening lunch, she began to leave and had to be called back by the Minister’s gentle, “I haven’t finished yet” or the baby yelling, while a shy bride tells her vows.

The Passion Plays and the Morality plays brought religious thought to the non educated masses for centuries, but it’s difficult to know whether the church’s sense of the theatrical led or follows.

The Church of Scotland congregation doesn’t use colourful robes, but colour floods into many of its buildings through their stained glass. A stage dressed for sober hued Ministers to engage their followers by the quality of their sermons is a challenging proposition.

Despite having written the words, Robert and Alan were able to bring a tear to my eye at some moments during last night’s opening of JMB & M’Connachie in Stirling. Wonderfully assured and accomplished performances from all the cast held the audience.

JM Barrie was a giant of Scottish literature, but how did his genius operate?

Your chance to delve into the secrets of how the writer’s mind works is tonight – if you’re within travelling distance of Cottiers Theatre,  Glasgow.

The programme is called PETER PAN MAN

7.30 pm Tickets 0141 357 4000

Theatre Broad open in The Tolbooth, Stirling with Peter Pan Man at 7.30 pm. It’s a nervous few hours for me until the lights go down and Mark Harvey’s wonderful music creates the Barrie atmosphere. Like the man, the music plays with our sense of reality.

I hope the play does too. M’Connachie & JMB Who is M’Connachie? Come along and find out. Come up and say hello.