Long before Taylor Swift made country music mainstream, a character named Rose-Lynn Harlan took shape in the imagination of writer Nicole Taylor.
“I was just obsessed with this girl who was constantly chatting away in my mind,” Taylor recalls.
“I wanted to bring her to life, but back in 2009, country music was considered cringeworthy—it was the love that daren’t speak its name.”
Sixteen years later, Taylor has not only brought Rose-Lynn to the big screen in the BAFTA-nominated film Wild Rose, but she has now adapted the story for the stage.
The musical is set to have its world premiere at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh.
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A Story Rooted in Glasgow’s Country Scene
The tale remains the same: Rose-Lynn, a former prisoner and single mother from Glasgow, dreams of country music stardom while working as a cleaner.
By night, she fronts a country band, but her aspirations are constantly at odds with the responsibilities of raising two young children.
Inspired by Glasgow’s real-life country music scene—home to the UK’s largest country club, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Celtic Connections’ Transatlantic Sessions—the story feels deeply authentic.
When the 2019 film adaptation premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival, it struck a chord with audiences.
Starring Jessie Buckley as Rose-Lynn and Julie Walters as her disapproving mother Marion, the film earned accolades, including Best Actress and Best Feature Film at the Scottish BAFTAs.
Bringing Wild Rose to the Stage
Even before the film’s success, Taylor envisioned a theatrical future for Rose-Lynn. Despite having no prior experience writing for the stage, she secured the rights for a musical adaptation.
“I just knew it was naturally theatrical,” she explains. “The way she expresses herself through country music—what is that, if not a musical?”
During the pandemic, Taylor reached out to director John Tiffany, known for his work on Black Watch and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Tiffany, who had moved to London, had already fallen in love with Wild Rose when he saw it in cinemas.
“I absolutely adored the film,” he says.
“That final scene—Jessie Buckley singing Glasgow (No Place Like Home) in the Fruitmarket, where Black Watch was first staged—had me and my partner in tears.
I was so homesick for Scotland. I told my partner that if I were still working in Scottish theatre, I’d be all over it.”
Now, his wish has come true. The musical is in its final rehearsals, set for its world premiere in March.
A Stellar Cast and a Powerful Soundtrack
Leading the production is Olivier-nominated actress and singer Dawn Sievewright, known for Legally Blonde in London’s West End and Twelfth Night at the Lyceum.
She was captivated by the film and thrilled to step into Rose-Lynn’s boots.
“I love slipping into her skin,” Sievewright says. “She’s the most exciting, unpredictable, emotional character I’ve ever played.
The singing, the dancing, the way the set moves—it’s all a whirlwind, and I love being part of it.”
Joining her as Rose-Lynn’s mother is veteran actress Blythe Duff, best known for her long-running role in Taggart.
Duff sees the project as a full-circle moment in her career, having started out in Edinburgh with the musical-infused Wildcat Theatre Company.
The production features an eight-piece band playing 14 different instruments, as well as plenty of line dancing.
The soundtrack includes classics from country music legends like Wynonna Judd, The Chicks, Patty Griffin, and Dolly Parton—alongside the heart-wrenching original song Glasgow (No Place Like Home), which moved Tiffany to tears.
Scotland’s Longstanding Love Affair with Country Music
For Duff, the show is a testament to Scotland’s deep connection with country music.
“I think we’ve always had a strong link to it,” she says. “The Grand Ole Opry in Glasgow, Celtic Connections, and the Transatlantic Sessions have brought incredible country singers here. The audience for it has been here for years—this show is just tapping into that.”
Sievewright agrees: “We Scots love big emotions. We love to laugh hard, cry hard, shout hard. Country music captures that—there’s no shame in it. I got dumped, I’m broke, I’ve got nowhere to live? There’s a song for that!”
With its powerful story, infectious music, and deep Scottish roots, Wild Rose is set to take the stage by storm—bringing Rose-Lynn’s dreams, and her song, to life once more.
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