Sylvian Productions Sylvian Productions -

Blinded by the Light has two parallel and intersecting stories, one set in 1982, based on a real incident in Bo’ness, West Lothian when twelve miners had a sit-in 2000 feet under the River Forth protesting against the mine closure. The other story is set in a future time in the same mine, where the descendants of survivors of extreme climate change have been living their lives.

At heart it’s a story of survival, of beliefs tested, of spirit and endurance, growing up and ultimately finding the light. 

This play is written by acclaimed playwright Sylvia Dow (Woman Walking, STUFF, Threads), who lives near Bo’ness, and is directed by Philip Howard, former Artistic Director of Traverse Theatre.

Supported by Creative Scotland Touring Fund

Recommended age: 12+
Running Time: TBC

Cast

Rhys Anderson

Rhys trained at Performing Arts Studio Scotland and The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Theatre credits include: Hamlet (TNT), I Love You Mum, I Promise I Won’t Die (Tie it up Theatre), Keepers of the Light (Flagstone Productions), Guilty of Love, Wallis (Bramwell Brand), Storm Lantern (Strange Town), Beg For Me (Underbelly – Fringe), Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter (American Drama Group), Romeo and Juliet (Cumbernauld Theatre), Dialektikon (Exnihilo), The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Engineer Theatre).

Short films include: The Hollow Men (Daniel Bingham).

Rhys has performed in numerous theatre productions worldwide, with a particular highlight being his portrayal of Hamlet in TNT’s critically acclaimed production, which toured Europe and Central America for six months in 2024.

In 2022, he received the prestigious Brightspark Award for his performance in Rosa Marie Alexander’s Beg for Me, recognising him as emerging Scottish talent. Additionally, his involvement in Storm Lantern (2022), in which he was part of the original cast, contributed to the production being nominated for a CATS award.

Rhys was also involved in the Research and Development week for Blinded by the Light in 2022. Born in Falkirk and proudly raised in Bo’ness, he carries a deep sense of gratitude for his roots, which profoundly influence his work and artistry particularly within this play.

Holly Howden Gilchrist

Holly is currently in her final year on the BA Acting course at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Recent credits include: A View From The Bridge (Tron Theatre), The Cosmonauts Last Message To The Woman He Once Loved In The Former Soviet Union (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), Murder Is Easy (BBC TV Series), I Swear (Tempo Productions, Feature film), Twelfth Night (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), Human Installation (Network Theatre Festival Romania), Forget-Me-Not (RCS Off Kilter Festival)

Holly is also an experienced singer-songwriter and musician, skilled in guitar, violin, piano and voice, and has a passion for physical theatre.

Barrie Hunter

Barrie has worked in theatre for over three decades for companies including Dundee Rep, Traverse Theatre, Citizens Theatre, the Tron, Royal Lyceum Theatre, National Theatre of Scotland, Borderline, Byre Theatre, Oran Mor Play/Pie/Pint, Communicado, Perth Theatre and Mull Theatre, to name a few!

Recent theatre work includes: Ceilidh! (Noisemaker) Grand Old Opera House Hotel (Traverse/Dundee Rep) and Smile, The Children, The Bookies, Tay Bridge, All My Sons, Death Of A Salesman (Dundee Rep). He also writes/directs Perth Theatre Panto, and has been Dame there since 2011.

TV includes: Scot Squad, Karen Pirie, Rab C Nesbitt, Dear Green Place and Still Game. He was never in Taggart, but did do the Take The High Road Hogmanay Special, as the ghostly voice of Jimmy Blair!

Reece Montague

Reece can most recently be seen in BBC One television-movie The Primrose Railway Children (d. Julian Kemp), prior to which he played the lead in short film Hot Young Geek Seeks Blood-Sucking Freak (d. Heath Virgoe).

A graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Reece has played lead roles in final year plays Glory on Earth (d. Becky Hope-Palmer) and short films Baobhan Sith (d. Hayley McGuire).

Reece is from and based in, Glasgow.

Andrew Rothney

Andrew trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama

Film work includes: Matrix Resurrections; Lost Girls and Love Hotels; Mary Queen of Scots; The Huntsman and Blackbird.

Television work includes: The Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103; The Undeclared War; Traces; McDonald and Dodds; The Spanish Princess; Catherine the Great; The Victim; Holby City; Shetland and Outlander.

Theatre work includes: Blinded by the Light (Scottish National Tour; Small Island (National Theatre); Still Alice (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Look Back in Anger (Cumbernauld Theatre, Scotland); Grain in the Blood (Traverse); The James Plays (National Theatre Scotland); Macbeth (Perth Theatre); Much Ado About Nothing (Bard in the Botanics); The Sea Between Us (Lyth Arts Centre); Tipping Point (Traverse Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Cumbernauld Theatre) and Beauty and the Beast (Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh).