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Actors Alan Cumming and Shirley Henderson share a longstanding friendship that spans four decades, originating when they first met as young performers on the STV drama *Shadow of the Stone*. At that time, Henderson had just finished drama school at age 20 and was beginning to build her career, later gaining recognition for roles in the *Harry Potter* and *Bridget Jones* franchises. Cumming, who was 21, had already accumulated some acting experience. Reflecting on those early days, he remarked, “I thought I was such a sophisticated older man. I had a mortgage. I was married. And yet when I look back now, I see I was just a child.”
This early connection has been rekindled recently through their joint stage appearance at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre, where Cumming serves as the artistic director. They are starring together in *The History of Paper*, which originated as a radio play in 2017 by Oliver Emanuel, with music composed by Gareth Williams. The play later evolved into a musical that received acclaim at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The production tells the heartfelt story of a couple who recount their lives through the various scraps of paper they accumulate over time—a narrative that gained added poignancy following Oliver Emanuel’s death in 2023. Cumming encountered the show during a break from filming *Glenrothan*, the directorial debut of Brian Cox, which also brought him back into collaboration with Henderson.
During their work on *Glenrothan*, Cumming shared with Henderson his admiration for *The History of Paper*. As he put it, “I went back to work on the film and I said to Shirley, ‘I’ve seen this incredible show. It was just so moving’.” Around this time, Cumming had applied for the role of artistic director at Pitlochry Festival Theatre, and although the appointment was not yet public, he was already planning his first season. Rather than follow the original concept of casting younger actors to play the pair’s younger selves, Cumming suggested to director Andrew Panton of Dundee Rep that older actors portray younger versions instead. He and Henderson, then 61 and 60 respectively, were perfect for these parts. Cumming said, “We both have a sort of a child like quality to us. And we’re both prepared to be vulnerable as actors.”
Their deep familiarity with each other translates into an effortless and convincing portrayal of a couple sharing their life story through conversation and song. Henderson observed, “It’s just easy to be with Alan. We have a good chemistry. We don’t over analyse it.” Cumming added, “I come to see you before the show, each night, and I say, ‘let’s have fun’. If we can, because it’s terrifying. Because you’ve got this incredible roller coaster of emotions. Even in the happy bits, I want to cry.” Henderson described the emotional tone as, “like when the first snows come. It’s a tenderness, but there’s a rawness to it as well.”
When asked about the most treasured pieces of paper in their own lives, Henderson revealed that she holds onto letters from her late father, sent during her time living in London as a teenager. She recalled, “I’ve still got letters from when I was a teenager and living in a bedsit. Occasionally he would send me a bit of money too.” Cumming shared that his favorite mementos are drawings created by his husband, Grant, an illustrator. “I have thousands of them, on letters and hotel notepads. He’ll leave them by the bed or I’ll find them in my luggage when I go somewhere.” *The History of Paper* runs at Pitlochry Festival Theatre until 12 September, before moving to Dundee Rep Theatre from 16 to 19 September
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