Succession star Brian Cox unveiled for 2025 Festival of Ideas in Kirkcaldy

The Emmy award winning actor is returning to the Scottish stage for the first time in a decade for the role which centres on the banking crash of 2008.

It is set for a sold out run at Dundee Rep followed by shows at the Edinburgh International Festival, but Fife audiences will have a one-off chance to hear about it as Cox is joined for an In Conversation event with Arabella Weir at the Adam Smith Theatre on June 7. They will also be introduced by Gordon Brown, who was Prime Minister, and MP for Kirkcaldy, at the time of the crash.

Cox is the first big name unveiled for the Adam Smith Global Foundation’s 2025 Festival Of Ideas which brings a mix of academic discussion and live entertainment to the town to celebrate and promote the work of globally renowned philosopher and economist. Previous big names have included Eddie Izzard, Joanna Lumley, Fife born Dougray Scott, and David Tennant.

They will chat about his Scottish heritage, his career, and his rise to fame as well as his hotly anticipated role as Smith.

Cox said "I am delighted to be coming to Kirkcaldy - it's a wonderful thing to be talking to Gordon Brown about Adam Smith on their home turf.”

The play, called ‘Make It Happen;’ was written by James Graham and centres on the excesses of the chief executive, Fred ‘The Shred’ Goodwin of the Royal Bank of Scotland during the financial crash which led to a £45 billion bailout.

Born in Dundee, Cox has enjoyed a stellar career on stage and screen. His numerous accolades including two Laurence Olivier Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award.

He started out as a young teenager with Dundee Repertory Theatre in 1961, was one of the founding members of the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, and has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre, where he gained recognition for his portrayal of King Lear.

In 2018, Cox starred as Logan Roy in the HBO series Succession, for which he won the Golden Globe Award for ‘Best Actor in a Drama Series’ and was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards.

His film credits include The Bourne Identity, The Rookie, The Ring, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. He also played the title role in the historical war drama Churchill, portraying Winston Churchill.

> Tickets for ‘In Conversation with Brian Cox’ - which also forms part of Kirkcaldy’s new month-long Langtoun Fest - are available from the theatre box office online at www.onfife.com/event/in-conversation-with-brian-cox-ak68/