Leslie dramatist’s second homecoming show
Leslie dramatist Michael Johnson is looking forward to November the 8th when his latest play, Derby Day, is being performed by his theatre company, Without Compromise Theatre, at the Leslie Town Hall. The second time his work has been showcased in his home town.
Michael (28) lives in Leslie, attended Glenwood High School and then Fife College before completing a BA Honours Degree in Acting and Performance at Queen Margaret University in 2022. Since then he has concentrated on his writing and in 2024 received the Creative Edinburgh Development Award for his work with the Without Compromise Theatre.
He co-founded the group which is a collective of five creatives in 2024. His first major work, Wish You Were Here, premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2024 to huge acclaim, receiving a variety of 4 and 5 star reviews. It also made the final of the 2024 Scottish Emerging Theatre Awards - Production of the Year.
He has followed this up this year with Derby Day which has also received rave 4 and 5 star reviews at this year's Festival Fringe with the Scotsman stating that it "keeps the audience on tenterhooks."
"I'm so looking forward to our work being performed once again in my home town" said Michael as he reflected on the whirlwind success of the group in such a short timescale.
"We aim to tell honest, working class stories for working class audiences and beyond. Theatre is not renowned for reflecting a working class ethos so we aim for inclusivity and accessibility by telling stories that are unapologetic to everyday life in Scotland."
"When Wish You Were Here played at the Leslie Town Hall last year we created the record for the quickest sold out show of all the performances there. Being a local boy I have been so chuffed by the support given to us by the local community".
Derby Day addresses issues of sexual abuse and the cycle of unbroken violence in communities in Scotland. As these issues can potentially act as triggers as well as being potentially distressing, the show carries an advisory age of 16+.
Tickets for the show are available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/leslietownhall or from the Leslie Town Hall box office.
Michael informed Fife Today that he is currently redrafting and workshopping two new pieces which he hopes will be ready for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2026 and hopefully also a third homecoming performance in Leslie - a young man who is clearly working hard and without compromise!