Latest news with #FourthMonkey
Daily Record
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Outlander's Lauren Lyle returns as Karen Pirie for series two of ITV drama
Outlander star Lauren Lyle returns to her role as Karen Pirie in the hit ITV drama for season two - here's an insight into her life off screen. Lauren Lyle first won over audiences as Marsali MacKimmie Fraser in the popular time-travel drama Outlander. Since then, her career has continued to grow from strength to strength. Most recently, she secured a leading role in ITV's crime drama Karen Pirie, with the second season premiering tonight. It was one of the surprise TV hits of 2022, and now Karen Pirie is making its comeback on Sunday evening. Outlander star Lauren returns as the lead detective, once again diving into decades-old cold cases in the highly anticipated second season. Based on Val McDermid's novels, Karen Pirie won over viewers with its gripping storytelling and unique take on the detective genre. Lauren's portrayal of the lead character was widely praised, earning her two BAFTA Scotland awards. Unlike many typical detectives on TV, Pirie is portrayed as approachable, witty and fun-loving with a touch of sarcasm. Lauren has admitted that carrying the weight of leading her own show was "overwhelming" at times, but she's keen to see how audiences respond to the new season. Much different to the character she portrays on-screen, off-screen Lauren likes to keep a low profile. Only occasionally keeping her fans up to date on her life via her Instagram account - which has over 225,000 followers - showing behind the scenes photos from her career and travels. Let's take a closer look into the life of Lauren Lyle, as she returns to her role as Karen Pirie. Early life Lauren was born on July 12, 1993, in the south side of Glasgow, where her family still lives today. Though she keeps her personal life mostly under wraps, fans know that acting wasn't always the career she expected to take. Initially involved with the Scottish Young Conservatives, Lauren made a bold decision to switch paths and pursue acting. Her early performances included an impress performance the Edinburgh Fringe for Fourth Monkey and a role in The Crucible on the London stage. Her talent earned her a spot in the highly competitive National Youth Theatre's rep programme in 2015 - a programme that selects only around 15 actors under the age of 25 to perform a season of plays in London's West End. During this time, Lyle starred in productions such as Wuthering Heights, Consensual, and The Merchant of Venice. Outlander Lyle was cast as Marsali MacKimmie Fraser in Outlander, the TV series based on the best-selling books by Diana Gabaldon, back in 2017. Her character appeared in the show in the third season. Speaking to Glasgow Times about her role, she said: "Outlander changed my life. I don't think I realised going into Outlander how big a deal it was. How big a show, how popular it is and how dedicated the fanbase are." It has now been confirmed that Lauren will be back for the 8th and final season of Outlander, reprising her role as Marsali, alongside her on-screen husband Fergus Fraser, played by Cesar Domboy. Dating life As with many rising stars, Lauren's personal life has sparked curiosity among fans, particularly since her breakout role in Outlander in 2017. Rumours of a romantic relationship between Lyle and her on-screen husband Cesar Domboy (Fergus Fraser) have been speculated by fans for years due to their on-screen chemistry. Additionally, the pair are close off screen as they spend a lot of time together outside of work. During a previous Starz interview, both actors shared that they enjoy exploring Glasgow together on their days off. However neither Lauren or Cesar have confirmed anything publicly, with Lauren often keeping that side of her life extremely private.
Gulf Weekly
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Weekly
The art of improv
YOUNG British improv artist James Scarr is bringing his popular interactive one-man show, A Man Akin to Mannequin, to Bahrain tonight. The Manama Theatre Club will stage the act at the British Club in Adliya. The play is designed to engage the audience, who help the creative bring a mannequin alive by deciding its personality traits and looks, resulting in a unique show each time. The play features music for which the 22-year-old London actor collaborates with local talents in the countries that he performs in. For the event tonight, James has joined hands with Bahrain-based pianist Natalia Kashyrtseva. 'I like having a mannequin at the show because it feels like a blank canvas, and we decide together how we want to paint it,' James told GulfWeekly. 'Through the show, I aim to give the audience a chance to be creative, as I believe we all are natural storytellers and artists, and I hope to, maybe, inspire them to discover their skills and perhaps even consider pursuing a creative field,' the trained performer, who got his Bachelor's degree in acting from London-based Fourth Monkey last year, said. A Man Akin to Mannequin premiered last year in Liechtenstein and since then has travelled across Europe. James decided to bring it to the Gulf region last month, starting with Dubai, and now Bahrain. 'Having lived in Dubai for a while, I do have a special connection to this region and I am always happy to bring my shows to the audiences here. The next stop is Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE,' James revealed. The talented actor grew up in Dubai where he worked at a local improv theatre, directing, performing and teaching improvisation for eight years before moving back to London. James said the idea for the show came together prior to him joining acting school, during a conversation with Canadian improv artist and fellow actor Shawn Kinley. 'He asked me, 'What's your one-man show?' From there I started brainstorming, and I loved the idea of having a mannequin onstage as a visual canvas for a character, and thus the show was born,' he said. According to the entertainer, a major challenge with improv is 'being a critic of your own work'. 'My advice to those who want to try it is not to be overly critical of yourself, after all, we improvise in our daily lives, so in a way we are all improvisers,' James said. 'At times, the audience try to throw me off by adding something unexpected - like one time, someone wanted the character to have a pink wig - which I find nice because it's like they give me a challenge and see if I am up for it,' he added. For James, embarking on the acting career has been a 'dream come true', a field he has been passionate about since the age of 12. 'It's the best job in the world,' he said. 'I get to go up on stage and be a different person and play and imagine, just like what we used to do as children. 'Going to drama school was a gift and a blessing,' he noted, reflecting on his time at Fourth Monkey. The actor has more projects lined up ahead and hopes to bring more shows to the Middle East. So watch out for this space! For more details, follow @ on Instagram.
