It is revered as one of the all-time classic Scottish movie comedies – but now key elements of Local Hero are being changed for its adaptation into a new stage musical to ensure it becomes less “Trumpian.

Dire Straits legend Mark Knopfler, who created the iconic soundtrack for Bill Forsyth’s much-loved movie, has revealed that part of the original storyline has been “discarded” due to its “parallel” with Donald Trump’s controversial bid to create a luxury golf resort in Aberdeenshire.

In the film, Hollywood legend Burt Lancaster played Felix Happer, a Texan oil tycoon trying to acquire an entire Highland village, only to be thwarted by a beach hermit, played by Fulton Mackay, and eventually agreeing to relocate his refinery offshore.

The show, which will get its world premiere at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh next month, has reunited Knopfler with Forsyth, the writer and director of the original 1983 film, who has worked on the script for the musical with playwright David Greig, artistic director at the theatre. The musical, which has been several years in the planning, will open at the Royal Lyceum on 23 March and run until 4 May after an extra two weeks were added to the run. It will be revived next year at the Old Vic, the London venue which is co-producing the show with the Edinburgh theatre [ . . . ]

Continue at: Local Hero set to become ‘less Trumpian’ when it is turned into new stage musical – The Scotsman