Fife drama students meet The Rig star Martin Compston in studio tour

Pupils from Lochgelly High School were invited to meet Line of Duty and The Rig star Martin Compston on a visit to FirstStage Studios, in Leith, for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour.

The pupils, who are studying drama and media, were invited to the set by Amazon, which broadcasts The Rig on its Prime Video platform. During the visit, students watched the studio in action and gleaned insights from The Rig’s experienced script writers and production crew, including executive poducer, John Strickland, and writer, David Macpherson, who hails from Scotland, who shared tips and advice from their own career journeys.

Olivia Porteous, English and Media Studies teacher, said: “Our students absolutely loved visiting the production of The Rig in Leith and we were blown away by the kindness and generosity of the cast and crew. It was an amazing experience that will stick with our pupils and has given them a great taste of what a career in acting, script writing, or production might look like. I’m hopeful that it will provide huge inspiration for their future careers.”

The meeting revealed a further link, with The Rig producer Suzanne Reid hailing from Fife. She said she knows first hand how impactful opportunities can be to young people from Fife.

She said: “It was a pleasure to host the students from Lochgelly in our studio. The cast and crew, who are largely Scottish locals, loved speaking with the students, hearing about their goals, sharing advice from their own careers, and encouraging them to consider a career in Scotland’s screen sector.

“Being from Fife, I am passionate about encouraging homegrown talent to join our industry. I was lucky enough to attend a weekend performing arts club in Lochgelly when I was at school, which was a huge inspiration to me, so I know how valuable it is to raise young people’s aspirations and give them first-hand insight into the future careers available to them in Scotland.”