Just when you thought the news from Pitlochry Festival Theatre was about to halt; here they go rolling out another big hitter for Alan Cumming’s inaugural season — and this time it’s Beckett. The Theatre has announced that Siobhán Redmond (currently starring alongside Cumming, Forbes Masson in The National Theatre of Scotland’s The High Life at The Dundee Rep) will take on one of the most quietly ferocious roles in 20th‑century drama: Winnie in Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days, running 18th September – 10th October.
If Cumming’s first season is about staking a claim — bold programming, Scottish talent, and a bit of theatrical mischief — then Happy Days is a statement piece. It’s Beckett at his most deceptively simple: a woman buried in the earth, chattering into the void, clinging to routine as the world closes in. And yet, in the right hands, it’s devastating.
Enter Roxana Silbert, directing the revival. Fresh from the exceptional Critic’s Award for Theatre in Scotland winner Girls of Slender Means at the Lyceum and Adults at the Traverse, Silbert’s a director who knows how to balance emotional precision with a sly sense of humour — exactly what Beckett demands. Because Happy Days isn’t just bleak; it’s funny in that way only Beckett can be, where the laughter catches in your throat.
At the centre of it all is Winnie: waist‑deep in the ground, then neck‑deep, armed only with a handbag of everyday tat and a determination to stay cheerful. Is it resilience? Delusion? A coping mechanism polished to a shine? Beckett never answers, and that’s the point. Winnie’s optimism is both her armour and her tragedy.
Redmond is an inspired choice. One of Scotland’s most versatile performers, she’s moved effortlessly between screen favourites (Two Doors Down, Unforgotten, Death in Paradise) and heavyweight stage work across the National Theatre, Donmar, Almeida, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. She has the wit, the steel, and the emotional dexterity to make Winnie’s endless monologue feel alive – and to make the silences around her sting.
And for those who enjoy a bit of theatrical lineage, Happy Days comes with a storied history. Since its 1961 New York premiere, the role of Winnie has been tackled by the greats: Billie Whitelaw, Fiona Shaw, Maxine Peake, Juliet Stevenson, Lisa Dwan – a roll call of actors who relish a challenge. Redmond now joins that formidable club.
The production slots neatly into Pitlochry’s 75th anniversary season, which opens in May with the Scottish première of Once. If that’s the warm, melodic welcome, Happy Days is the season’s existential gut‑punch – the kind of programming that says Pitlochry isn’t playing safe.
Happy Days runs 18th September – 10th October at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. Tickets go on sale to members Tuesday 31 March, with general booking from 14th April at pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com.
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Review by Dominic Corr – contact@corrblimey.uk
Editor for Corr Blimey, and a freelance critic for Scottish publications, Dominic has been writing freelance for several established and respected publications such as BBC Radio Scotland, The List, The Scotsman, Edinburgh Festival Magazine, The Reviews Hub, In Their Own League, The Wee Review and Edinburgh Guide. As of 2023, he is a member of the Critic’s Award for Theatre Scotland (CATS) and a member of the UK Film Critics.
