THEATRE IMPRESARIO BACKS INVERNESSHIGHLAND2008 CAPITAL OF CULTURE BID

Sir Cameron Mackintosh, one of the world’s most successful producers of musicals, is supporting the bid being made by invernesshighland2008 to become the European Capital of Culture.

Sir Cameron, who has a home in the West Highlands, will be unveiled as the first patron of invernesshighland2008 at a news conference being held in London on Tuesday (26 March).

His support will come on the day that two members of the Highland Youth Voice -Chairman, Calum Duncan, Inverness Royal Academy, and Anna Bethune, Portree High School - join The Highland Council Convener David Green and bid co-ordinator Bryan Beattie, in delivering the bid to the Department of Culture Media and Sport.

Anna will have taken the bid from Portree, where Scottish First Minister Jack McConnell will endorse it while attending a meeting of the Highlands and Islands Convention.

Also backing the bid are Secretary of State at the Scotland Office, Helen Liddell MP, and the three Highland MPs, Charles Kennedy, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, (Ross Skye and Inverness West) David Stewart (Inverness East Nairn and Lochaber) and John Thurso (Caithness Sutherland and East Ross).

Sir Cameron has produced hundreds of productions around the world, including Les Miserables, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, The Witches of Eastwick and My Fair Lady. He returns at the weekend from presenting the Royal National Theatre’s production of Oklahoma in New York.

He owns seven West End theatres - the Prince Edward, Prince of Wales, Gielgud, Queens, Wyndhams, Albery and the Strand. In 1985 his company received The Queen's award for Export Achievement and he was knighted in the 1996 New Year's Honours for his services to British theatre.

He was invited to support the invernesshighland2008 bid by The Highland Council Convener David Green and Councillor Charlie King, who represents Mallaig and the Small Isles.

Councillor Green said: "We are delighted that someone of the stature of Sir Cameron is associating himself with our bid. This is a great boost. We are delighted to have him on board. He has so much to offer."

Sir Cameron, who is a patron of Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, spends much of his spare time at his remote home at Tarbet, on the shores of Loch Nevis, which is only accessible by boat or a very long walk.

He has helped fund many projects in Mallaig and District, including the community swimming pool and the residential home for older people, which is named in his honour.