Following on from acclaimed performances in Edinburgh, The Rhinestone Cowboy is a brand-new play written and performed by Leith-based poet Hjarta and co-produced with musician Harry Bongo. This darkly humorous, raw and emotive one-woman show charts the life of a young man’s tumultuous journey from Scotland to Iceland.

Featuring a pulsating electronic score with music from contemporary Scottish and Icelandic artists, diverse original sound design, and bold visual projections, the production delivers a visceral, high-octane backdrop to capture a chameleon-like life with a sharp focus.

“An unflinching portrait […] a moving experience”

★★★★ – The Herald

Produced by a real-life mother and son duo, The Rhinestone Cowboy is based on a true story, told through a blistering trip from one emotional landscape to another, and written as a tribute to its lead character, Dan The Man. The work celebrates a bright young man with a glittering start to a new life in a bold new country, whose humour and charm masked the demons that lived in his head.

“A magnificent piece of theatre”

“Tugged at the heartstrings”

“Absolutely beautiful”

“Perfect mix of funny and poignant”

“Had me fully immersed from the start”

“The comedy and heart of it all really shone through”