Traverse Theatre

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Emma Callander, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Emma speaks to Ross MacKay. Ross is a director, puppeteer, magician and sometimes a blend of all three. He has previously worked alongside Joe Douglas as puppetry director on 'The Last Polar Bears' (National Theatre of Scotland). Ross is currently artistic director of Tortoise in a Nutshell where he most recently directed Scotsman Fringe First winning 'Feral' (co-produced by Cumbernauld Theatre). Other directorial credits for the company include 'Grit' and 'The Last Miner' which have previously received Total Theatre Award, Grunshnabel Award and Arches Brick Award nominations. The productions have toured nationally and in to Europe. Other credits include Puppetry Director on 'The BFG' (Dundee Rep) Assistant Director on 'Christmas Carol' (National Theatre of Scotland) an

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Hamish Pirie, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this very special episode, Hamish speaks to Emma Callander, the newly appointed Associate Director of the Traverse. Emma is a freelance director and Co-Artistic Director of Theatre Uncut. She was resident at the National Theatre of Scotland 2009/10 through the Regional Theatre Young Directors Scheme. She has developed and directed a number of plays for A Play, A Pie and A Pint in Glasgow including Dalgety by David Greig, Supply by Cathy Forde and most recently, The Queen of Lucky People by Iain Heggie, which was performed at the Traverse Theatre in April 2014. She has regularly directed new plays for the Bristol Old Vic and Tobacco Factory Theatre. Following its sell out run at the Edinburgh Festival 2013, her most recent production Banksy: The Room In the Elephant by Tom Wainwright played a

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Emma Callander, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, we bring you a Class Act 2014 special. Class Act is the Traverse Theatre’s flagship education project which introduces pupils from five schools across Edinburgh to playwriting. Aged between 15 and 17, Class Act participants have tried their hand at writing a short play, with the help of five professional playwrights. At all stages of the project, the young writers have been treated in the same way as a Traverse commissioned playwright would be. This year Class Act has engaged with 70 pupils, whose hard work and imaginations have produced 49 fantastic plays – which were performed at the Traverse at the end of January. The five schools who have been part of Class Act 2014 are Broughton High School, Craigmount High School, James Gillespie’s High School, Trinity Academy and

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Hamish Pirie, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Hamish Speaks to Eilidh MacAskill and Fiona Mason. Eilidih MacAskill is a Glasgow-based performer and theatre-maker, and artistic director of Fish & Game. She is an associate artist with Imaginate and National Theatre Studio. Recent projects include: Songs of Scotland (Arches Live), Everyone's a Winner Baby! (Merchant City Festival and Glasgow Life), Wonder Rooms (Peter Potter Gallery), What's My Sound? and Swap Shop (National theatre of Scotland, Learn), Near & Far (Tramway). Fiona Mason's most recent project's have included The Red Shoes (Tranway), Swap Shop and What's my Sound? (National theatre of Scotland), Tick Tock Machine (Royal Scottish National Orchestra). Her performances for young audiences with Fish & Game have taken her to to both Imaginate and Take Off theatre fest

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Hamish Pirie, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Hamish Speaks to Oliver Emanuel. Oliver has written over 30 productions for radio and theatre including The Little Boy that Santa Claus Forgot (Macrobert), Dragon (Vox Motus/National Theatre of Scotland/Tianjin People’s Arts Theatre, China), The Day I swapped My Dad For a Goldfish (National Theatre of Scotland), Titus (Macrobert/Playwright’s Studio Scotland/Imaginate/Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2013), End of The World (Red Note Ensemble), Random Objects Flying Through The Air (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland/Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland), Spirit of Adventure (Dundee Rep/Oran Mor), The Spare Room (BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play), Thirteen Minutes in Cairo (BBC Radio 4, From Fact to Fiction) and The Other One (BBC Radio 4, 15 Minute Drama). He is continuing work on The Dragon (Vox M

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Hamish Pirie, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Hamish Speaks to three playwrights whose work features in the Write Here 2013 – Triple Bill Performances running from the 25th and 26th of October 2013. John McCann is based in Dundee. Previous plays include The Clean Room (Tinderbox Theatre Company), The Next of It (Steller Quines Rehersal Room) and Is Feidir Linn (Tinderbox Theatre Company). He was previously on attachment with the National Theatre Studioand the National Theatre of Scotland. His play Spoiling, directed by Orla O’Loughlin, features in the Triple Bill. Lachlan Philpott is based in Sydney. His previous plays include Bustown (shortlisted for the 2009 Australian Writers Guild Best Play Award) and Silent Witness (Griffin Theatre Company, Australian Theatre for Young People and HotHouse Theatre). He is currently deve

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Hamish Pirie, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Hamish Speaks to Robert Softley. Robert is an established figure in the Scottish arts scene, with over ten years of experience in diverse and varied roles - including disability rights activist, actor and performer, writer, artistic director and supporter and advocate of equality of access to the arts for disabled people whether as artists or audiences. Robert's professional acting debut was with Theatre Workshop (Edinburgh) in ‘Nothing Ever Burns Down By Itself’ in 2002 and since then has appeared in many productions and has developed his own artistic practice - most recently instigating, co-writing and performing in ‘Girl X’ for the National Theatre of Scotland, directed by Pol Heyvaert of Belgium’s Campo. In 2011 he was awarded and undertook a Creative Scotland residency whi

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Hamish Pirie, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Hamish Speaks to Alexander Devriendt. Alexander is the artistic director and founder of the Belgian theatre performance group, Ontroerend Goed. His past work includes the creation of the individual theatre trilogy (‘The Smile Off Your Face’, ‘Internal’ & 'A Game of You'), the direction of the three celebrated teenage plays ‘Once, and for all we’re gonna tell you who we are so shut up and listen’, 'Teenage Riot' & 'All that is wrong', and his two latest creations ‘A History of Everything’ and 'Fight Night'. His plays have won several awards around the world, and is performed all over Europe, Australia and America, recently visiting the Middle East and Singapore. Original music by James Iremonger www.jamesiremonger.co.uk Produced and engineered by Cian O Siochain

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Hamish Pirie, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Hamish Speaks to Omphile Molousi. Omphile was born in the village of Bodibe in 1981, where he was raised by his Grandmother. He is a freelance writer/actor/director. He graduated at the Market Theatre Laboratory. He’s been doing theatre since 2001. His theatre acting credits include: Cadre, Itsoseng, Shakespeare dreaming at the zoo, Sizwe Bansi is dead, Animal farm, Robben Island Bible, Romeo and Juliet, The mirror, Caucasian chalk circle, Much ado about nothing, Echoes, Blurring Shine, Julius Caesar, Sharpeville 1&2 and others. His writing credits for Theatre: Cadre (Published by Junkets publishers and Oberon books UK, World premiere at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, SA premiere at the Market Theatre, Grahamstown National arts Festival Main program, Currently performing at

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Hamish Pirie, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Hamish Speaks to David Leddy. David has been described as a ‘theatrical maverick’ with ‘propensity for fearless experiment’ by the Financial Times a ‘site-specific genius’ by The Scotsman and an Edinburgh Fringe Festival ‘institution’ by The Independent. His most recent show Long Live The Little Knife is part of the festival programme at the Traverse in 2013. Previous work includes Sub Rosa, Susurrus, White Tea, Untitled Love Story, Home Hindrance, Pater Noster, Reekie, Tympanic, In The Shade, Through The Night, On The Edge, I.D., Flowers, People’s Parties and Remember Me. He is the founder and Artistic Director of Fire Exit Theatre Company based in Glasgow. He was also the first person in Scotland to complete a practice-based PhD in theatre and is much sought-after as a mentor

*Warning, this episode contains strong language and is not suitable for children* TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Hamish Pirie, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Hamish Speaks to John Byrne. One of Scotland’s great polymaths, Byrne was born in Paisley in 1940. He was destined to work in the carpet factories that form the setting of his debut trilogy before being accepted as a Fine Art student at The Glasgow School of Art. In a career spanning almost 40 years he has written for the stage, radio and TV with highlights including The Slab Boys, Tutti Frutti and Your Cheatin’ Heart, and versions of Russian classics The Government Inspector, Uncle Vanya and The Cherry Orchard. Premiering in Edinburgh in 1978, The Slab Boys went on to be staged in New York with a cast that included Kevin Bacon, Val Kilmer and Sean Penn. Byrne is also an acclaimed artist. In the ea

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Hamish Pirie, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Hamish Speaks to Jenna Watt. Jenna is an award winning live artist, director and theatre maker. Her other works include Little Vikings are Never Lost (The Arches, National Review of Live Art) and It's OK, It's Only Temporary; the apple smashing piece (The Arches, Forest Fringe, Edinburgh Peer Group, The Basement). Jenna has directed and created work for The National Theatre of Scotland, Traverse Theatre, Lung Ha's Theatre Company, Forest Fringe, The Arches, Edinburgh Science Festival, The Basement and the National Review of Live Art. Original music by James Iremonger www.jamesiremonger.co.uk Produced and engineered by Cian O Siochain

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Hamish Pirie, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Hamish speaks to Iain Finlay MacLeod. Iain Finlay MacLeod is a playwright, screenwriter and novelist based on the Isle of Lewis. Alongside his work as a writer he also works as a director on both single and multi-camera projects. Iain’s original stage plays include Somersaults (NTS), The Bends (Playwrights Studio/RSAMD), The Pearlfisher, I was a Beautiful Day, Homers and Alexander Salamander or The Story of a Teenage Pyromaniac, all for the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. He also adapted David Lescot’s play Une Homme en Faillte as Broke for the Traverse. I addition, Iain Finlay has written Atman and Salvage for Tosg Theatre and the libretto for The Silver Bough which was produced by Youth Music Theatre UK. Iain also collaborated on the multimedia opera St Kilda which was performe

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Hamish Pirie, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Hamish Speaks to Sabrina Mahfouz. SABRINA MAHFOUZ began training as a civil servant after a Masters in International diplomacy but she then turned to writing poetry and prose and her first piece for theatre, That Boy, was performed at the Soho Theatre in 2010 and won a Westminster Prize for New Playwrights. Since then, she has won a UK Young Artists Award 2011 for poetry; an IdeasTap Innovator Award for theatre and one for poetry and she won a place on the Old Vic's TS Eliot Exchange 2011 to New York. She is currently Creative in Residence for Theatre & Poetry at The Hospital Club and will be the 2012 Leverhulme Trust Associate Playwright at the Bush Theatre. Her recent solo show about a young stripper, Dry Ice, won widespread critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe 2011 and

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Hamish Pirie, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Hamish Speaks to Lesley Hart. Lesley won Playwright Studio Scotland's New Playwright Award in 2011, and went on to write 3 Seconds through the PSS mentoring scheme. Her first play for radio, Personal Best, was broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland in June 2010. In 2009 she wrote MIX and Second Life, two short plays for the Traverse Theatre which received performed readings as part of the ‘Wildfire’ series. Lesley's play writing has its roots in the Traverse Young Writers group, to which she belonged 2001-2002. As a feature writer, Lesley has produced hundreds of articles for publications including 4 Talent, the Channel 4 website, Product Magazine and brochures for National Theatre of Scotland. Between 2003 and 2011 Lesley also wrote a weekly op-ed column in the Press & Journal newsp

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Hamish Pirie, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Hamish Speaks to Douglas Maxwell. Douglas has been one of the most popular and produced playwrights in Scotland for over a decade. His work in the last few years has included Promises Promises (which transferred to New York under the title The Promise in 2011, where it earned a Drama Desk Award Nomination for the actress Joanna Tope); a 10th Anniversary revival of the award winning Decky Does a Bronco; a version of Wedekind's Spring Awakening; The Miracle Man for the NTS, and Small Town, written with DC Jackson and Johnny McKnight. He has written two musicals: Watertight, with music by Richard Taylor and The Bookie with music by Aly Macrae. His work for young people includes Too Fast (which was performed by 25 Youth theatres as part of the NT New Connections Festival 2

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Hamish Pirie, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Hamish Speaks to John Nicholson and Steven Canny who have co-authored The Arthur Conan Doyle Appreciation Society which features in The Traverse Theatre's autumn programme. This episode also features interviews with director Orla O'Loughlin and performer Javier Marzan. It also features an extract of the performance in rehearsal starring John, Javier and Gabriel Quiqley. Steven Canny (co-writer) Steven is a four-time Sony Gold winning Writer, Executive Producer and Director. As writer and adaptor work includes: No Wise Men (Liverpool Playhouse); Origins (Pleasance and Theatre Severn); Foot/Mouth (Soho Theatre);Spyski (Lyric Hammersmith & National Tour); The Hound of the Baskervilles (West Yorkshire Playhouse, national tour, Duchess Theatre, West End and 30 international producti

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Hamish Pirie, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Hamish Speaks to Morna Pearson. Morna is from Elgin and currently lives in Edinburgh. Her first full professional production was Distracted at the Traverse Theatre in 2006, which won the Meyer-Whitworth Award 2007 and was nominated for a CATS Award. Morna was given the inaugural Rod Hall Memorial Award in 2006. Her other plays include: Elf Analysis (Òran Mór); The Company Will Overlook a Moment of Madness (National Theatre of Scotland and Òran Mór); Skin; or How To Disappear (Agent 160) and Ailie & The Alien (National Theatre Connections, 2013). Radio work includes: McBeth’s McPets (BBC Radio Scotland); Side Effects (BBC Radio 3/Bona Broadcasting). This episode also features interviews with: (In order of appearance) Garry Collins (Geoffrey Buncher) Anne Lacey (Edie Buncher) Orl

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Hamish Pirie, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Hamish Speaks to Pamela Carter. Pamela is a playwright, director and dramaturg. Pamela’s most recent plays are: Skåne (directed by Tim Carroll at the Hampstead Theatre Downstairs in October 2011; selected for Berliner Festspiele Stückemarkt 2012); Wildlife (produced and toured in Scotland by Magnetic North Theatre Company in Spring 2011); What We Know (directed by Pamela for ek in a co-production with Traverse Theatre in February); and An Argument About Sex after Marivaux’s La Dispute (a co-commission for the Traverse Theatre, Tramway and Untitled Projects and premiered in October 2009 directed by Stewart Laing). In 2011 she was commissioned by the RCS/Playwrights’ Studio Scotland to write a short play in conjunction with the RCS Masters Degree in Directing and Acting 2010/11

NB Please note, this episode contains very strong language and is not suitable for children. TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Associate Director, Hamish Pirie, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Hamish Speaks to Mark Thomas. Mark is a writer, performer, journalist and political campaigner who has been on stage, screen and radio for 27 years, when he started on London’s alternative comedy scene. He is the author of several books and his TV series, The Mark Thomas Comedy Product ran for six series. His radio show the Manifesto is on-going. His most recent live shows are Extreme Rambling and Bravo Figaro!, which will have a run at the Tricycle Theatre London before touring nationally. The show won both a Fringe First and a Herald Angel award during its run at the Traverse in Edinburgh. Original music by James Iremonger www.jamesiremonger.co.uk Produced and engineered by Cian O S