A group of French youngsters will take to the stage of Perth Theatre this week as part of an exchange visit.
The group, aged 15 to 18, from theatre company Theatre du Sycomore from Tournon-sur-Rhone will perform a Macbeth-themed double bill with Perth Youth Theatre senior company.
Short, sharp and dynamic, the two new productions inspired by Shakespeare’s “Scottish play” take place tonight and tomorrow.
The performances form the highlight of the French group’s seven-day visit to the Fair City as part of the theatre exchange project Bard Without Boundaries.
Funded by the Lefevre Trust, with support from Perth and Kinross Council’s common good fund, PYT seniors took their production of True, based on Shakespeare’s Othello, to Tournon’s Shakespeare Festival on the first leg of the project last summer.
The 14 young people from Theatre du Sycomore will spend the week with 20 members of PYT and will participate in workshops and rehearsals with them.
During their stay, the visitors will have the chance to sample Scottish hospitality and local cuisine including fish suppers and haggis.
On the Bard Without Boundaries exchange project, Jennie McGregor, associate director of Perth Youth Theatre at Horsecross Arts, said, “Our group had a fantastic welcome on our trip to France last year… when one of the highlights was performing in a courtyard to 100, to a standing ovation.
“We are looking forward to the people of Perth extending the same hospitality to our French visitors and we expect it to be an amazing week.
“The performances are a highlight, but the real aim of the project is to break down barriers between the two groups of young people, to share info about each other’s culture and theatre-making.”