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Brian Ferguson
@brianjaffa.bsky.social
2K followers 2.4K following 200 posts
Edinburgh-based journalist, arts-follower, traveller-around-Scotland. Any views expressed are mine alone. https://www.heraldscotland.com
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Brian Ferguson @brianjaffa.bsky.social · Oct 11
🎬 That’s a wrap! The Herald has now published 23 exclusive features, stories & opinion columns during our week-long exploration of the Scottish screen industry. 🎬
Read them all here & let me know what I should be following up! www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
brianjaffa.bsky.social
🔥 Exclusive: The filming of nine series of The Traitors at a 19th century castle in the Highlands has delivered a multi-million pound boost for the local economy and supported more than 750 jobs since filming began in 2022. 🔥
Full details & reaction: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2560788...
November 10, 2025 at 12:18 AM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
It is 44 years since a group of jeans factory workers staged a sudden protest against its planned closure - which turned into a 7-month “sit in.” Now the women who barricaded themselves inside their own workplace are to inspire a new Scottish stage show.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2558527...
November 6, 2025 at 12:24 PM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
🎟️ Broadway & Hollywood star Gayle Rankin, who left Scotland for New York when she was 17, is to return to lead the cast of a new National Theatre of Scotland production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
My @heraldscotland.bsky.social interview: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2558937... 🎟️
Broadway and Hollywood star returns to Scotland to play iconic female character
Gayle Rankin will lead the cast of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - her last major stage show in Scotland as a teenager,
www.heraldscotland.com
November 6, 2025 at 12:15 PM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
🎶 More big news for Edinburgh’s culture scene: National Centre for Music secures £5m lottery windfall, revamped Calton Hill building to open at end of 2027, Scottish Government & Edinburgh City Council to be asked to meet final costs of £70m project.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2558660...
October 31, 2025 at 12:51 PM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
Definitely didn’t see this one coming…
Mhairi Black: “I’m excited to be joining Counsels and look forward to getting stuck in to playing Detective Inspector Bridges.”
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2558073...
Ex-SNP MP Mhairi Black to make acting debut in new BBC drama
The ex-politician has swapped the debating chamber for A TV set
www.heraldscotland.com
October 29, 2025 at 1:03 PM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
🎟️ Just announced: Alan Cumming is to bring Sir Ian McKellen, Armistead Maupin, Graham Norton, Evelyn Glennie, Zander Murray, Jackie Kay and Mhairi Black to Pitlochry Festival Theatre for a new mid-winter queer festival. 🎟️
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2557296...
Out in the Hills: Alan Cumming to bring stars to Pitlochry for 'queer festival'
Evelyn Glennie, Val McDermid, Zander Murray, Mhairi Black to appear in inaugural edition of new annual event.
www.heraldscotland.com
October 27, 2025 at 10:10 AM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
OMG: Santa has been kicked out of St Andrew Square. The spirit of Scrooge is alive and well in Edinburgh! Will he (and his elves!) find a new home for Christmas? You won’t find this festive miserabalism on Netflix! www.heraldscotland.com/news/2556972... @turvill.bsky.social
🎅 🧝 🎄 ❄️ 🎅 🧝 🎄 ❄️ 🎅 🧝 🎄 ❄️
October 25, 2025 at 10:24 AM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
NEW: The Scottish Government has agreed to triple its spending on Edinburgh’s new 1000-capacity concert hall to allow work to begin within weeks - despite the cost soaring to £162m. John Swinney has signed off an additional £20m for the project.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2556757...
October 23, 2025 at 11:29 PM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
“With jobs, livelihoods and an entire town’s cultural life at stake here, all involved need to decide if they want Cumbernauld Theatre to have a future or not. If they do, as they should, they need to act now lest they lose a vital part of Scotland’s artistic ecology for good.”
brianjaffa.bsky.social Brian Ferguson @brianjaffa.bsky.social · 21d
Essential reading from The Herald’s theatre critic Neil Cooper on the escalating crisis at Cumbernauld Theatre & why its disappearance from the cultural landscape would be “devastating” given its “rich artistic history.” @cnauldtheatre.bsky.social
brianjaffa.bsky.social Brian Ferguson @brianjaffa.bsky.social · 22d
Exclusive: Elaine C Smith, Alan Cumming, Forbes Masson, Blythe Duff & Colin McCredie back campaign to save Cumbernauld Theatre from closure as more than 40 jobs hang in the balance.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2555233...
October 20, 2025 at 6:47 PM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
Essential reading from The Herald’s theatre critic Neil Cooper on the escalating crisis at Cumbernauld Theatre & why its disappearance from the cultural landscape would be “devastating” given its “rich artistic history.” @cnauldtheatre.bsky.social
brianjaffa.bsky.social Brian Ferguson @brianjaffa.bsky.social · 22d
Exclusive: Elaine C Smith, Alan Cumming, Forbes Masson, Blythe Duff & Colin McCredie back campaign to save Cumbernauld Theatre from closure as more than 40 jobs hang in the balance.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2555233...
October 20, 2025 at 6:41 PM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
Exclusive: Elaine C Smith, Alan Cumming, Forbes Masson, Blythe Duff & Colin McCredie back campaign to save Cumbernauld Theatre from closure as more than 40 jobs hang in the balance.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2555233...
October 20, 2025 at 8:10 AM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
Would you be more likely to go to a gig if alcohol is unavailable?
Should festival & event organisers be doing more to accommodate people who do not drink for religious, cultural or health reasons?
Are younger generations looking for alcohol-free events?
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2555274...
October 19, 2025 at 9:44 AM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
Random Saturday night thought.
Have only just realised there are quite a lot of really good Scottish country-sounding songs out there - some pretty old songs and some really good new stuff.
Any recommendations?
October 18, 2025 at 8:58 PM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
🍂 Hello there! I’m suddenly in planning mode for the busy autumn & winter period.
What should I really know about, Scottish culture chums? What should I be investigating? What shows & events should I be going to? Anything big planned for 2026? DM on here or drop me an email. 🍂
October 16, 2025 at 6:31 AM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
🎬 That’s a wrap! The Herald has now published 23 exclusive features, stories & opinion columns during our week-long exploration of the Scottish screen industry. 🎬
Read them all here & let me know what I should be following up! www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
October 11, 2025 at 9:06 PM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
📚 Gid review for my old mucker Kevan Christie’s debut novel!
“Hits all the right beats but can’t take itself entirely seriously, and is all the better for it…Christie has come galloping out of the starting gate with a consistently entertaining debut.”
www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...
A figurehead for the politically incorrect whose only defence is a pair of Crocs
With memorable characters, engaging humour and a cosy Portobello setting, newcomer Kevan Christie has come galloping out of the starting gate with a…
www.heraldscotland.com
October 11, 2025 at 8:22 AM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
We’ve now published 12 exclusive reads since Monday morning and we’re not done yet!

Check them out and feel free to spread the word to anyone you know working in Scottish film and TV, or thinking about a career in the industry.
heraldscotland.bsky.social The Herald @heraldscotland.bsky.social · Oct 8
Catch up with every article from the first three days of our in-depth series on the future of Scotland's film and television industry

www.heraldscotland.com/busi...

@brianjaffa.bsky.social
October 8, 2025 at 2:41 PM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
🎥 Catch up here with everything we’ve published so far during The Herald’s week-long in-depth series on the future of the Scottish screen industry. 🎥
www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
October 7, 2025 at 5:47 AM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
🎥 Launching today and running all week in The Herald: a deep dive into the future of the Scottish screen industry. 🎥
Here’s why we are doing it:
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2551323... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
October 6, 2025 at 9:06 AM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
If new Scottish Government funding can be found to secure the future of all those below, plus the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow and the Edinburgh book festival, it can certainly be found to secure the future of Cumbernauld Theatre.
brianjaffa.bsky.social Brian Ferguson @brianjaffa.bsky.social · Sep 30
The treatment of Cumbernauld Theatre by Creative Scotland & the Scottish Government is truly shameful & would simply not have happened to a venue in Edinburgh.
Contrast with recent lifelines for King’s Theatre, Filmhouse, Summerhall, Traverse, poetry library. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2550562...
September 30, 2025 at 3:24 PM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
The treatment of Cumbernauld Theatre by Creative Scotland & the Scottish Government is truly shameful & would simply not have happened to a venue in Edinburgh.
Contrast with recent lifelines for King’s Theatre, Filmhouse, Summerhall, Traverse, poetry library. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2550562...
September 30, 2025 at 1:54 PM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
"I am so fed up with this circular firing squad and I fear for the future of our creative scene."

Some essential reading in this opinion column from Marissa on Scottish cultural organisations and the growing pressure they are coming under from activists and campaigns.
September 12, 2025 at 10:54 AM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
You will hear a lot more from me on the unacceptable secrecy surrounding the cost of bringing the Tour de France to Edinburgh. All we know is that city taxpayers are already facing a £1.7m bill. Scottish Government just shutting down questions. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2543828...
Scottish Government promises Edinburgh it will 'underwrite' Tour de France costs
Scottish capital's contribution will be 'capped' at £1.7m under proposed host agreement.
www.heraldscotland.com
September 4, 2025 at 8:09 AM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
Musicals are filling seats in Scotland’s theatres like never before - but very few of them are actually made in Scotland.
Now one of Scotland’s most acclaimed new musicals is finally getting an extended run - in London.
www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...
The new Scottish musical 'too ambitious' for Scotland's theatres goes to London
Transatlantic stage show spanning several centuries has been eight years in the making.
www.heraldscotland.com
September 2, 2025 at 8:20 AM
brianjaffa.bsky.social
Musicals are filling seats in Scotland’s theatres like never before - but very few of them are actually made in Scotland.
Now one of Scotland’s most acclaimed new musicals is finally getting an extended run - in London.
www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...
The new Scottish musical 'too ambitious' for Scotland's theatres goes to London
Transatlantic stage show spanning several centuries has been eight years in the making.
www.heraldscotland.com
September 2, 2025 at 8:03 AM