The National Theatre of Scotland and Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre is
to present Traverse Debuts, a season of four brand new plays
by first time playwrights, which run from 23rd October until 29th November.
The season's plays are Cockroach (23rd Oct to 1st Nov at 8pm),
the double bill of The Dogstone and Nasty, Brutish and Short
(7th to 15th Nov at 8pm) and Nobody Will Ever Forgive Us (21st
to 29th Nov at 8pm).
Cockroach
Written by Sam Holcroft; Directed by Vicky Featherstone
Designed by Naomi Wilkinson; Lighting Design by Lizzie Powell
Full cast: Ryan Fletcher, Meg Fraser, Laura McMonagle, Helen Mallon,
Owen Whitelaw, Frances Ashman
A seemingly normal detention in a seemingly normal modern day comprehensive.
A teacher valiantly battles on with biology revision. She believes
only education will set her pupils free. For outside, the world is
in the middle of a long and bloody war.
Despite all her best efforts, all too soon the tide of conflict is
lapping at the school gates and one by one pupils and teacher are
pulled under, as their hopes and dreams float away from them.
Sam Holcroft was in Traverse Theatre's Young Writers Group while
she lived and studied in Edinburgh. She went on to be nominated by
the Traverse for the Royal Court's The Fifty Playwrights project
last year. Since then, her short play Ned & Sharon has
been staged at the High Tide Festival and her other play London
Street Sauna received a rehearsed reading as a part of the Traverse's
First Glimpse Readings of new work
The Dogstone
Written by Kenny Lindsay; Directed by Dominic Hill
Designed by Naomi Wilkinson; Lighting Design by Lizzie Powell
Cast includes Scott Fletcher
A father and son aren't seeing eye-to-eye in Oban. Teenager Lorn
is trying to get his life started as his Dad is throwing his away
with last night's empties. He's a "heroic drinker" who loves
to tell Lorn the local legends and stories of warriors, kings and
the fabled Dogstone. Just how far can his fantasies take him?
Kenny Lindsay has worked extensively as a writer and actor throughout
Scotland. Sandstone Review previously published his Gaelic poetry.
He is currently working as co-ordinator of a Gaelic oral history project
- 'S Math Mo Chuimhne - for the national Gaelic learners' organisation,
Clì Gàidhlig.
Nasty, Brutish and Short
Written by Andy Duffy; Directed by Dominic Hill;
Designed by Naomi Wilkinson; Lighting Design by Lizzie Powell
Full cast is Martin Docherty, Ashley Smith and James Young
Two brothers, Jim and Luke, are holed up in a Glasgow flat. No job,
no money and it looks like the only things on offer are all bad. As
the options start to run out, Jim takes what isn't his and sets the
two brothers on a collision course.
Andy Duffy is thirty six years old, lives in Glasgow, and currently
works in IT for the NHS. He was recently introduced to the theatre
through an Open University Literature degree.
Nobody Will Ever Forgive Us
Written by Paul Higgins; Directed by John Tiffany
Designed by Naomi Wilkinson; Lighting Design by Lizzie Powell
Cast includes Gary Lewis, Carmen Pieraccini, Susan Vidler and John
Wark
Patrick comes home unexpectedly from the seminary and older brother
Johnny's not slow to tap him for money. Mum is suspicious, Dad seems
indifferent, and pissed, and little sister Cath is distracted and
medicated.
Living on their wits, stalked by violence and death, defending themselves
with the blackest humour, Nobody Will Ever Forgive Us is the
story of a family under siege.
Paul Higgins has previously worked with the National Theatre of Scotland
playing the original role of the sergeant/writer in Black Watch
and at the Traverse in the original role of Paul in Damascus.
He is known to television audiences as the character of Jamie, a press
officer, in the BBC television programme The Thick of It, and
will appear in the spin off feature length film, In The Loop.
He is due to appear in the new BBC drama Hope Springs in 2009.
