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‘The Scariest Actor in Scotland' with Tam Dean Burn
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Perception Podcast with me your host Caroline Partridge. Today I'm joined by acclaimed actor, musician and activist Tam Dean Burn. Once dubbed 'The scariest actor in Scotland', Tam talks about how he saw acting as an escape route to possibility and how that vision evolved into a prolific career spanning nearly 50 years. From working with the likes of Steven Berkoff and Irving Welsh to his more recent work raising climate awareness with children Tam has always searched for meaning. He also talks openly about the life changing event that led him to re-valuate his perceptions around mental illness and how that has since informed his work. Please join me as we look a life through a different lens.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Tam initially saw acting as an escape from a troubled home life and difficult relationship with his mother, opening up a whole new world of possibilities.
- Punk music became an outlet for Tam's anger but he realised acting allowed him to channel his energy in a more constructive way through the discipline of performance.
- Working with directors like Steven Berkoff who celebrated working-class stories helped Tam find meaning and belief in more alternative, physical styles of theatre.
- Being stabbed by a mentally ill man led Tam to completely re-evaluate his perceptions around mental illness.
- The experience inspired Tam to create work aimed at understanding voices in people's heads, reducing stigma and supporting mental health.
- Tam uses daily meditation, yoga and tai chi to find calm, control his anger and recover from difficult situations.
- Performing climate crisis awareness shows for kids is now a major focus for Tam - helping shift perceptions on protecting the planet.
BEST MOMENTS
"I was the first person in my whole extended family that moved away from home without being married."
"If I'd carried on doing Agatha Christie I would have dropped out, who knows where I would have ended up."
"When you've got children, I don't know, then you just think, God, what is it going to be like for my daughter?"
"He's been told by the voices that there was a paedophile ring of Scottish actors and I was the only one he recognised."
"I felt immediately calm. I didn't freak out at all...it must have been a really sharp knife."
"Forgiveness is the key to the kingdom of heaven."
"Maybe I could make a series of podcasts with the interviews - podcasts are all about listening."
"If life was based on forgiveness, we'd all be in an entirely different place."
ABOUT THE GUEST
Tam Dean Burn is a Leith-born actor, musician and political activist who was the mainstay of agit-prop street theatre group Workers Theatre Movement and Artists Against the War from the 1980s on. He was lead singer of the Edinburgh punk band Dirty Reds as featured in the recent award-winning documentary on the Scottish post-punk scene Big Gold Dream. He currently sings in The Bum-Clocks with post-punk legends Malcolm Ross (Josef K) and Russell Burn (FIre Engines) and performs with Tommy Smith’s Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. He has had an acclaimed career in theatre, working extensively with Steven Berkoff and at the Donmar, Almeida, National Theatre, Soho Theatre, Glasgow Citizens' and the National Theatre of Scotland. He toured nationally and internationally with his one man show adaptations of Irvine Welsh's Filth and Venus As A Boy by Luke Sutherland.
Socials & Contact
insta, Linktree, FB are @tamdeanburn
ABOUT THE HOST
Bio
Caroline Partridge is a unique and creative individual. She is an actress, puppeteer, educator, and artist with funny bones. She loves a story and is an expert at conveying wit and wisdom with warmth, understanding, and empathy.
CONTACT METHOD
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/caropartridge
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-partridge-03131520
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/partridge_caroline
View all episodes
By Caroline PartridgeHello and welcome to another episode of the Perception Podcast with me your host Caroline Partridge. Today I'm joined by acclaimed actor, musician and activist Tam Dean Burn. Once dubbed 'The scariest actor in Scotland', Tam talks about how he saw acting as an escape route to possibility and how that vision evolved into a prolific career spanning nearly 50 years. From working with the likes of Steven Berkoff and Irving Welsh to his more recent work raising climate awareness with children Tam has always searched for meaning. He also talks openly about the life changing event that led him to re-valuate his perceptions around mental illness and how that has since informed his work. Please join me as we look a life through a different lens.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Tam initially saw acting as an escape from a troubled home life and difficult relationship with his mother, opening up a whole new world of possibilities.
- Punk music became an outlet for Tam's anger but he realised acting allowed him to channel his energy in a more constructive way through the discipline of performance.
- Working with directors like Steven Berkoff who celebrated working-class stories helped Tam find meaning and belief in more alternative, physical styles of theatre.
- Being stabbed by a mentally ill man led Tam to completely re-evaluate his perceptions around mental illness.
- The experience inspired Tam to create work aimed at understanding voices in people's heads, reducing stigma and supporting mental health.
- Tam uses daily meditation, yoga and tai chi to find calm, control his anger and recover from difficult situations.
- Performing climate crisis awareness shows for kids is now a major focus for Tam - helping shift perceptions on protecting the planet.
BEST MOMENTS
"I was the first person in my whole extended family that moved away from home without being married."
"If I'd carried on doing Agatha Christie I would have dropped out, who knows where I would have ended up."
"When you've got children, I don't know, then you just think, God, what is it going to be like for my daughter?"
"He's been told by the voices that there was a paedophile ring of Scottish actors and I was the only one he recognised."
"I felt immediately calm. I didn't freak out at all...it must have been a really sharp knife."
"Forgiveness is the key to the kingdom of heaven."
"Maybe I could make a series of podcasts with the interviews - podcasts are all about listening."
"If life was based on forgiveness, we'd all be in an entirely different place."
ABOUT THE GUEST
Tam Dean Burn is a Leith-born actor, musician and political activist who was the mainstay of agit-prop street theatre group Workers Theatre Movement and Artists Against the War from the 1980s on. He was lead singer of the Edinburgh punk band Dirty Reds as featured in the recent award-winning documentary on the Scottish post-punk scene Big Gold Dream. He currently sings in The Bum-Clocks with post-punk legends Malcolm Ross (Josef K) and Russell Burn (FIre Engines) and performs with Tommy Smith’s Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. He has had an acclaimed career in theatre, working extensively with Steven Berkoff and at the Donmar, Almeida, National Theatre, Soho Theatre, Glasgow Citizens' and the National Theatre of Scotland. He toured nationally and internationally with his one man show adaptations of Irvine Welsh's Filth and Venus As A Boy by Luke Sutherland.
Socials & Contact
insta, Linktree, FB are @tamdeanburn
ABOUT THE HOST
Bio
Caroline Partridge is a unique and creative individual. She is an actress, puppeteer, educator, and artist with funny bones. She loves a story and is an expert at conveying wit and wisdom with warmth, understanding, and empathy.
CONTACT METHOD
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/caropartridge
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-partridge-03131520
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/partridge_caroline