Raindog is a Glasgow-based theatre company founded in 1990 by

Robert Carlyle Robert Carlyle (born 14 April 1961) is a Scottish actor. His film work includes '' Trainspotting'' (1996), ''The Full Monty'' (1997), ''The World Is Not Enough'' (1999), ''Angela's Ashes'' (1999), '' The Beach'' (2000), ''28 Weeks Later'' (20 ...

and

Alexander Morton Alexander Morton (born 24 March 1945) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for his roles as Andy Semple in '' Take The High Road'', Golly MacKenzie in '' Monarch of the Glen'' and Billy Kennedy in ''River City''. Acting career Glasgow-born Mo ...

Foundation

Raindog's first production, '' One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'', starring

as R.P McMurphy was received with great acclaim in 1991. Robert Carlyle won best

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

award. The stageplay was so popular that the theatre company produced another version two years later. Their second production, Macbeth, also starring Alexander Morton was equally successful. Robert Carlyle again won Best Director for his adaptation of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's most famous play.

Established era

Raindog was responsible for bringing

Tommy Flanagan Thomas Lee Flanagan (March 16, 1930 – November 16, 2001) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He grew up in Detroit, initially influenced by such pianists as Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, and Nat King Cole, and then by bebop musicians. ...

('' Gladiator'', '' Braveheart'', ''

Face/Off ''Face/Off'' is a 1997 American science fiction action thriller film directed by John Woo, written by Mike Werb and Michael Colleary, and starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage. The first Hollywood film in which Woo was given major creativ ...

'', '' Aliens vs. Predator'') into public acclaim. Other actors such as Gary Lewis (''

Gangs of New York ''Gangs of New York'' is a 2002 American epic historical drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian and Kenneth Lonergan, based on Herbert Asbury's 1927 book '' The Gangs of New York''. The film stars Le ...

'', ''

Billy Elliot ''Billy Elliot'' is a 2000 British coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Lee Hall. Set in County Durham in North East England during the 1984–1985 miners' strike, the film is about a working-class boy w ...

''),

Barbara Rafferty Barbara Rafferty (born 15 January 1950 in Clydebank), is a Scottish actress. Credited as Barbara Ann Brown in her early acting career. She is known for her roles as Ella Cotter in the long-running BBC Two sitcom '' Rab C Nesbitt'', then firs ...

(''

The Last King of Scotland ''The Last King of Scotland'' is a novel by journalist Giles Foden, published by Faber and Faber in 1998. Focusing on the rise of Ugandan President Idi Amin and his reign as dictator from 1971 to 1979, the novel, which interweaves fiction an ...

''),

Peter Mullan Peter Mullan (; born 2 November 1959) is a Scottish actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his role in Ken Loach's ''My Name Is Joe'' (1998), for which he won Best Actor Award at 1998 Cannes Film Festival, 2000's '' The Claim'' and all th ...

('' Shallow Grave'', '' Braveheart''), Gavin Mitchell ('' Still Game''),

Kevin McKidd Kevin McKidd (born 9 August 1973) is a Scottish actor and television director. Before playing the role of Dr. Owen Hunt in '' Grey's Anatomy'', for which he is widely known, McKidd appeared as Tommy Mackenzie in Danny Boyle's '' Trainspotting' ...

('' Trainspotting''),

Caroline Paterson Caroline Paterson (born 1965) is a Scottish actress and director who has appeared in many Scottish television shows such as one-off STV drama, '' The Steamie'' and the BBC's '' Rab C. Nesbitt''. However, she is most recognised for her role in ' ...

('' EastEnders'', ''

King Ralph ''King Ralph'' is a 1991 American comedy film written and directed by David S. Ward and starring John Goodman, Peter O'Toole, and John Hurt. The film is about an American who becomes the unlikely King of the United Kingdom after an electrical ac ...

''), A.J. Morton ('' Silent Scream'') and Stuart Davids (''

Hamish Macbeth Hamish Macbeth is the lackadaisical police constable of the fictional Scottish Highland town of Lochdubh, in a series of murder mystery novels created by M. C. Beaton (Marion Chesney). Considered by many to be a useless, lazy moocher, Macbeth ...

'') were active members of the company.

Television

Early productions

*'' One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (starring Alexander Morton) *'' Macbeth'' (starring Alexander Morton) *'' Conquest of the South Pole'' (starring Robert Carlyle) *''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (2nd version, starring Alexander Morton) *''Wasted'' (starring Robert Carlyle, Tommy Flanagan & Alexander Morton) *'' Slab Boys'' Trilogy (starring Robert Carlyle & Alexander Morton) *''Ecstasy'' (starring Robert Carlyle & Barbara Rafferty) *''Wasted 2'' (starring Tommy Flanagan, Robert Carlyle & Alexander Morton)

References

External links

Raindog fanpage

Closure

In February 2002, it was reported in

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its pare ...

that Raindog was closing due to lack of funds. Raindog had been receiving an SAC advancement grant, usually awarded to help improve the quality of output. However, a failure to win fixed-term funding of meant that the theater was unable to stay open due to monetary problems. {{authority control Theatre companies in Scotland