Robin Mitchell

This article is about the writer. For the Fijian sports official and IOC member, see Robin E. Mitchell.

Robin Mitchell (born 27 May 1963) is a Scottish writer and producer.

Education

Mitchell born on 27 May 1963 in the village of Letham, Fife, Scotland. He attended Parkhill Primary School in Leven and Buckhaven High School. At Edinburgh Napier University, he studied a Higher Diploma in Hotel Catering and Institutional Management (1980–1983). In 1986, Robin passed the Scottish Tourist Guides Association (STGA) course at the University of Edinburgh.

Career

Mitchell co-founded Edinburgh's Cadies & Witchery Tours (with Colin Macphail) in 1984 and the film production company Cadies Productions Ltd in 2004. The name 'Cadies' was taken from the 18th Century Edinburgh 'Caddies'. The Scottish actor Kevin McKidd (Grey's Anatomy, Trainspotting) worked at The Cadies and Witchery Tours in Edinburgh while studying drama at Queen Margaret University.

In May 1985, Mitchell and Macphail were Lothian Region winners of the Shell LiveWIRE Young Business Competition. He featured in the LiveWIRE magazine in 2012.

In August 1988, Mitchell bought at auction a calling card case made out of skin taken from the back of the left hand of the infamous bodysnatcher William Burke (of Burke and Hare fame). In 1997 The calling card case featured as part of the Wellcome Trust's exhibition Dr Death: Medicine at the End of Life. The calling card case for many years was loaned to the Police Information Centre in Edinburgh's Royal Mile. It is now displayed in The Cadies & Witchery Tours shop in Edinburgh's West Bow. The calling card case featured on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow in May 2007 with Michael Aspel and on the Channel 4 show Four Rooms on Wednesday 25 April 2012.

Calling Card Case made out of the skin of ‘bodysnatcher’ William Burke

Presented with commendation by Bill Heron Trophy 1990 for outstanding contribution to Scottish Tourism – Highly Commended.

In 1992 The Cadies & Witchery Tours were awarded runner up in Small Business Marketing category of the Scottish Tourist Board’s Scottish Thistle Awards for Tourism.

A Ghoulish Delight was the title of a case study written by Dr. Keith Halcro in 1995 about The Cadies & Witchery Tours. It was compiled while Dr Halcro was a Lecturer at Queen Margaret University, prior to his present role as Senior Lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University. The case study was joint winner of the 1995 Scottish Enterprise New Case Writing Competition.

Mitchell founded Adam Lyal's Witchery Tour Party in 1999.[1] He stood for the Scottish Parliament in 1999 in Lothian in the guise of highway robber Adam Lyal,[2][3] gaining 1184 votes.[4]

In August 2009, Mitchell was selected to appear on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square London as part of Antony Gormley's One and Other art project.

In February 2014, The Cadies & Witchery Tours celebrated their 30-year anniversary.

Writer and Publisher

Adam Lyal's Witchery Tales (co-written with Colin Macphail) contains many authentic stories from Edinburgh's long and gory past. There are dark accounts of violence and crime, vivid descriptions of hangings and executions, the trial of the infamous body-snatchers Burke & Hare, information on plagues and disasters, and haunting tales of witchcraft and the supernatural.

Grave Robbers,[5] Set in present-day Edinburgh, the book features the revival of the ancient trade of grave robbing, nearly 170 years after the trial of Burke & Hare. The author weaves features of the original case and trial into the narrative in this gritty and rude debut novel. Ian Rankin describes the book as 'good, unclean macabre fun from Robin Mitchell'.

What's Under the Kilt?.[6] is a guidebook dealing with ten topics stereotypically associated with the Scots: being mean, ancestral research, the weather, kilts and tartan, bagpipes, language, whisky, football (and pubs), haggis and the Loch Ness monster.

Princess Pumpalot (The Farting Princess) is a children's book published on 16 July 2012. Synopsis: On the occasion of her 13th birthday, Princess Pumpalot (The Farting Princess) is presented with the key to the cabinet. This is no ordinary key and this is no ordinary cabinet. The cabinet contains 32,141 tins of magic beans . . . beans that make you fart. Competing to take Princess Pumpalot to the Royal Birthday Ball are twin brothers Prince Niceavia and Prince Nastavia. Who will win this battle and what the heck is a low-flying gnome? All (and more) will be revealed in this cheeky little book. Written in the style of a screenplay, Princess Pumpalot (The Farting Princess) is a funny wee story which farts along at a great pace. A stage show based on the book premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2013. The 2013 show was staged daily at The Assembly Rooms. The 2014 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show took place at the New Town Theatre, George Street, a venue run by Tomasz Borkowy of Universal Arts - an international agency and production company for performing arts.

Published books include About a Mile: Alternative Guide to Edinburgh's Historic Way (Duncan Priddle), The Secret Life of Edinburgh Castle: Facts, Funnies and Fables (Gavin Wallace) and What Time Does Edinburgh's One O'clock Gun Fire? (Tam McKay MBE). He has also written comedy sketches for BBC Radio Scotland.

Stage Shows

2013 Stage Show of Princess Pumpalot: The Farting Princess at Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Princess Pumpalot (The Farting Princess): She's a Princess and she farts. What more do you need to know? Can Princess Pumpalot protect Wiffyville Castle from the invasion of Low-Flying Gnomes? Will she win her battle with the nasty Prince? Who will take her to the Royal Birthday Ball? Based on the top-selling book, this is a fast-paced, fun-packed show for all the family. Warning: Farting will take place during this performance and audience participation is compulsory. This family show was performed at The Assembly Rooms and premièred at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2013. The 2013 stage show was a co-production between The Cadies & Witchery Tours and LRStageworks. Written and Produced by Robin Mitchell and Co-Produced and Directed by Liam Rudden. The 2013 stage show cast featured Edward Cory as The King. Donna Hazelton as The Queen. Arron Usher as Guffy. Niloo-Far Khan as Princess Pumpalot. Matt Robertson as Prince Niceavia and FAQ. Brett Herriot as Prince Nastavia and Andrew Thomas Henderson as The Low-Flying Gnome. Theatre reviews of the 2013 show appeared in The Edinburgh Evening News, Broadway Baby, Black Diamond FM, The Edinburgh Guide and One4Review.

The 2014 Edinburgh Festival Fringe production took place between 31 July and 24 August 2014 at the New Town Theatre, George Street, a venue run by Tomasz Borkowy of Universal Arts - an international agency and production company for performing arts. The show was written and Produced by Robin Mitchell and Directed by Liam Rudden. The 2014 stage show cast featured Edward Cory as The King. Donna Hazelton as The Queen. Philip Kingscott as Guffy. Lindsey Lee Wilson as Princess Pumpalot. Eric Murdoch as Prince Niceavia. Cameron Pirie as FAQ. Blair Grandison as Prince Nastavia and Scott Postlethwaite as The Low-Flying Gnome and the voice of Geoffrey. Theatre reviews of the 2014 show appeared in The Edinburgh Reporter, The Edinburgh Guide and The Primary Times.

The 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe production of Princess Pumpalot: The Farting Princess took place between 6 August and 30 August (not 24 to 28 August 2015) at Sweet Venues, Apex International Hotel, Grassmarket, Edinburgh. The show was written and co-produced by Robin Mitchell and co-produced and Directed by Liam Rudden. The 2015 stage show cast featured Edward Cory as The King. Donna Hazelton as The Queen. Arron Usher as Guffy. Lindsey Lee Wilson as Princess Pumpalot. David Mairs as Prince Niceavia. Cameron Pirie as FAQ and Brett Herriot as Prince Nastavia.

The Princess Pumpalot Radio Show: Princess Pumpalot made her Leith Festival (2015) debut in a brand new show packed full of laughs and joining in. She's a princess and she farts. What more do you need to know? Can Princess Pumpalot and her best pal Guffy solve the mystery of the super-bean and so save Wiffyville Castle from the nasty Low-Flying Gnomes? Based on characters from the top-selling book by Robin Mitchell, this is a fast-paced, fun-packed show for all the family. The Princess Pumpalot Radio Show starred Lindsey Lee Wilson as Princess Pumpalot, marked the return of Arron Usher as Guffy, and introduced Stephen Humpage to the world of Wiffyville.

Princess Pumpalot: The Radio Show - Live On Stage! was performed at Sweet Grassmarket as part of the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The show was written by Robin Mitchell and Directed by Liam Rudden. The 2016 show featured Julie Heatherill as Princess Pumpalot, David Mairs as Guffy and Robin Mitchell as Cookie Crumble. A new show for 2016. She’s a Princess who farts. What more do you need to know? Can Princess Pumpalot and her best friend Guffy solve the mystery of the missing super-farting bean and save Wiffyville from the nasty Low-Flying Gnomes? Performed in the style of a radio play and based on characters from the top-selling book by Robin Mitchell, this fast paced, fun packed show is for all the family. Fringe 2013, 2014 and 2015 *****. Warning: Audience participation is compulsory. Sponsored by Mandragora Productions and Arcus Animation Studios.

May I Have The Bill, Please? is a quirky comedy set in a busy Italian restaurant. WE'VE all been there. The meal is over and it's time to settle up. But who had what? In May I Have The Bill Please?, the hilarious new comedy from Robin Mitchell, two couples agree to split the bill leading to confusion and laughs galore as their true personalities are revealed. In future, you'll choose to go Dutch. The Leith Festival production starred Paul Murray, Edward Cory, Donna Hazelton and Gwendoline North. The play premièred at Malmaison Edinburgh as part of the Leith Festival in June 2015. The first review of the show appeared in the Edinburgh Evening News. May I Have The Bill Please? was also performed at The Boards (Edinburgh Playhouse) as part of the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The cast for the Edinburgh Fringe production was Edward Cory, Donna Hazelton, John McColl and Lindsey Lee Wilson. The Director was Liam Rudden of LRStageworks. The first Edinburgh Fringe review of the show appeared in Broadway Baby.

Film Producer

Adam Lyal's Royal Mile: (1994, 55mins, Dir: Laurence Wareing). The distinctive character of Edinburgh's most historic thoroughfare is vivdly brought to life in this exciting and unusual film. Our guide through the closes and wynds of the mile is Adam Lyal (deceased), hanged in the Grassmarket in 1811. Adam is now the city's most (in)famous and charismatic ghost. He introduces us to the grandeur of the Royal Mile architecture, regales us with tales of execution, witchcraft, plague and torture. We meet intriguing characters from Edinburgh's colourful and eventful past - from John Knox to the Foule Clenger.

Georgian Edinburgh: Tales of the New Town: (1995, 55mins, Dir: Laurence Wareing). Edinburgh - world-renowned for its stunning beauty: the Athens of the North. Adam Lyal (deceased) continues his exploration of Edinburgh’s rich past. Guiding us through Edinburgh's Georgian New Town, he brings to life all the splendour, elegance and sophistication of a world of wonderful architecture, famous characters and intriguing stories.

St. Andrews: Ghost, Gowns & Golfers: (1996, 51mins, Dir: Ted Brocklebank). This amusing 50-minute film explores the rich heritage and diverse history of St Andrews - the home of golf. There are ghostly encounters with Old Tom Morris, a legend in the town and four times winner of the British Open, and Paul Craw, a very bitter 15th-century martyr who has returned to re-write the history books. Adam Lyal (deceased) also has time to visit the University of St Andrews and The Byre Theatre. Watch out, too, for an over exuberant tourist played by the broadcaster Scottie McClue.

The Ghosts of Scotland: (1997, 55mins, Dir: Pete Wolsey). A collection of ghostly tales from all over Scotland. Ghosts, ghouls, tombs and graves, and things that go bump in the night. From the Gothic ambience of the Inner Sanctum, Mr Lyal regales, expounds and embroiders a selection of supernatural tales. Many sinister happenings are uncovered in the never-ending library of Scottish legend, including the Grey Man of Ben Macdhui, A Pharaoh's Curse in Scotland, The Phantoms of Hoolet Ha, The Green Lady of Huntingtower, and a Lost City buried underground.

And So Goodbye (2004, 24mins, Dir: Jim Hickey). Finding some hand-made film magazines at home, Robin Mitchell learns about a film that his father starred in and produced in 1943. His search leads him to the film and to its extraordinary director Robert Edwards. At an emotional screening, he eventually reunites the filmmakers after 60 years. And So Goodbye was chosen for Scottish Screen's successful This Scotland documentary strand, and shown on Scottish Television and Grampian Television on 24 August 2004. It was also the winner of the Saltire Society Grierson Award for Short Documentaries at the 2004 Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Bob Edwards from the documentary And So Goodbye

The Rest is Silence (2005, 11mins, Dir: Andrew T. Henderson). The Rest is Silence follows the course of an unidentified body through its progress from discovery to burial. This film focuses not on the body itself (i.e. not on the actual corpse, nor on the procedural aspects of autopsy, attempts at identification etc.), but on the people around it. The essential silence of the body, the former person for whom all this work is done, forms the core of the film and the characters of the people around it (police officers, morticians, mortuary attendants etc.) are explored in a silence mirroring that of the body, without unnecessary verbal commentary. The Rest Is Silence was Andrew Henderson's directorial debut. It was filmed as part of the Bridging The Gap scheme in June 2005. The film can be viewed on the Scottish Documentary Institute website.

Festivals and Awards

Finding Bob McArthur[7] (2007, 75mins, Dir: Jim Hickey, starring Bob Edwards, Alan Bell, Maureen Beattie and John Stahl). A mockumentary which traces the life of Scottish director Bob McArthur who worked in Hollywood until the early 1970s. His career as a director was effectively ended in 1974 when production of his South American film was halted by its producer. He returned to Scotland to research and develop a film project about Robert Louis Stevenson. Following in the author's footsteps, McArthur disappeared for years in the South Seas. Now McArthur is being honoured in Scotland with a lifetime achievement award. As the award ceremony approaches, his story is uncovered through archive material and the memories and opinions of those who have known him. The film was screened at the 2007 Glasgow Film Festival.

Breadmakers at Garvald Bakery

Breadmakers: (2007, 11mins, Dir. Yasmin Fedda).[8] Breadmakers is a documentary film about a unique Edinburgh bakery, where a community of workers with learning disabilities make a variety of organic breads for daily delivery to shops and cafes in the city. The Garvald Bakery is part of a centre inspired by the ideas of Rudolf Steiner where the workers realise their potential for self-discovery and creativity in a social environment. In 2008, the film won the Best Short Documentary award at the Middle East International Film Festival. In advance of World Mental Health Day (October 2015), Breadmakers was screened at The National Film Archive of India (NFAI).

Film Festivals

The Scottish Parliament: Following the Ghost Road: (2007, 35mins, Dir: Robin Mitchell). In an era when the electorate grows more apathetic and cynical towards politics and elections, this 35-minute film shot over 8 years during three Scottish Parliamentary elections is a unique insight into the practicalities of political campaigning. The film's candidate, a pale-faced ghost known as Adam Lyal, has stood in three consecutive Scottish Parliamentary Elections in 1999, 2003 and 2007. By following a candidate who is not a member of any major party, the film is able to strip away some of the mystique surrounding parliamentary elections. This documentary goes behind the scenes of the campaign and features unique historic footage of three election-night counts in Edinburgh. It also reveals the unfolding drama of 2007 when an automated count replaced the manual system with far-reaching consequences.

Portrait of William McLaren by Alan Alexander

William McLaren - An Artist Out of Time (2009, 51mins, Dir: Jim Hickey): A film about the Scottish artist and illustrator William McLaren. This film is the first to document the life and work of the Scottish painter, illustrator and decorative artist. From humble beginnings in the 1920s in Cardenden, a mining town in Fife, McLaren went on to produce work in some of the finest houses in the UK. His illustrations appeared regularly in the 1950s and 1960s in the BBC's Radio Times. He became a prolific book illustrator and designer of dust jackets for over 150 books. In 1966 a commission to create a series of paintings for Hopetoun House near Edinburgh was the breakthrough for McLaren, leading to decorative commissions in private houses and public buildings where he developed his trompe l'oeil style. The film was shown at the 2010 Glasgow Film Festival, as part of their strand 'Great Scots' before touring regional cinemas.

About A Band (2010, 46mins, Dir: Jim Hickey). The film features the Columcille Ceilidh Band, a band which includes musicians with learning disabilities. The film includes an interview with Ian McCalman of Scotland's folk band The McCalmans and a sequence where Scottish folk musician Phil Cunningham plays with the band at a rehearsal. The documentary was premiered at the 2011 Glasgow Film Festival and was screened at the Picture This International Disability Film Festival, Calgary, Canada in February 2011. The film won the Commendation Award in the longer film category at International Folk Music Film Festival, Kathmandu, Nepal (2011).

The Download Horror (2012, 70mins, Dir: Jim Hickey) is a comedy horror set in Edinburgh, produced by Keith Bradley and Robin Mitchell. The film was released on Distrify in November 2012. Synopsis: When it comes to movies Dougie and Robbo know what they like. And there is nothing they like more than a night in watching one of Big Al’s latest downloads - especially if it’s a horror film featuring five babes alone in a big house. Big Al is the neighbourhood bootlegger and they depend on him for a constant diet of blood, gore and nudity and whatever else he thinks will satisfy their craving. They always expect surprises. Will his latest offering, the horror film Sacrificed, live up to their expectations? The film screened at The Bootleg Film Festival in Edinburgh in March 2013.

A Tale Of Two Syrias (2012, 64mins, Dir: Yasmin Fedda). Synopsis: is a snapshot of life before Syria's uprising began, seen through the eyes of two people; Salem, an Iraqi refugee and fashion designer in Damascus and Botrus, a monk in the remote hillside monastery of Mar Musa. This film is about their dreams, discussions, and questions around freedom and choice in the year before Syria descended into serious conflict. The world premiere of A Tale of Two Syrias took place at the Glasgow Film Festival in February 2013. The London premiere took place at the Barbican Centre in April 2013 as part of the Birds Eye View Film Festival. The film has also been screened at the 19th Sguardi Altrove Film Festival in Milan and The Middle East Now Film Festival in Florence. The documentary was screened in Edinburgh as part of the 13th RAI International Festival of Ethnographic Film in June 2013. The Festival was jointly hosted by National Museums of Scotland and the Anthropology Departments of the Universities of Edinburgh, Aberdeen and St. Andrews. The film's first Mexican screening took place at the BorDocs Documentary Film Festival in Tijuana, Mexico. The festival took place between 6 and 14 September 2013. In November 2013, the film screened at the Arab Camera Film Festival in Rotterdam and at the Al Ard Doc Film Festival in Sardinia. Oxford Solidarity for Syria in association with The Global South Film Society screened the film at St Antony's College, University of Oxford in February 2014. Further screenings of the film took place in March 2014 at The Center for Visual Anthropology at the University of Southern California (USC), the Alwan For the Arts, New York and the Chester Beattie Library in Dublin. In January 2015, a further screening of the film took place within the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at SOAS, University of London. The film was screened in Edinburgh and St. Andrews in April 2015 as part of Stand For Syria Arts Festival in Scotland.

Relationships Scotland: Robin has also produced short films for Relationships Scotland with Jim Hickey. The films include Child Contact in Scotland: Supervised (2011), Child Contact in Scotland: Supported (2011), Family Mediation Explained (2011), Family Mediation In Action 2011), Couples in Counselling(2012), Couples in Counselling 2 (2012), Going to a Child Contact Centre (2012), Diploma in Relationship Counselling (2013) and Parenting Apart (2016).

Film Awards

Film Nominations

TV & Radio Appearances

References

  1. ↑ "That entrepreneurial spirit". The Glasgow Herald. 1999-09-21.
  2. ↑ "Adam Lyal Fan Club - Lyal In The Press". www.adamlyal.com. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
  3. ↑ "Parties and Issues - Other parties". BBC News. 1999-04-29. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
  4. ↑ "Aspect 1999: Witchery Tour Party - Electoral region results and literature". gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
  5. ↑ Grave Robbers is a novel written by Mitchell. Luath Press Ltd, 1999. ISBN 0-946487-72-3
  6. ↑ What's Under the Kilt? The Cadies & The Witchery Tours, United Kingdom, 2000. ISBN 0-9522927-2-6
  7. ↑ "Finding Bob McArthur". www.britfilms.com. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
  8. ↑ "Breadmakers". www.britfilms.com. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
  9. ↑ "Breadmakers". Short Film Central. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
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