Nicola McCartney

Writer

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Biography

Nicola McCartney is a playwright, director and dramaturg. She trained as a director with Citizen Theatre/ G&J Productions and Charabanc Theatre Company Belfast. Nicola was Artistic Director of lookout Theatre Company, Glasgow from 1992-2002, and has twice been an Associate Playwright of Playwrights Studio Scotland. She has worked for a host of organisations as a dramaturg including Vanishing Point and Stellar Quines/ Edinburgh International Festival. Her plays include: EASY, HERITAGE, HOME, STANDING WAVE: DELIA DERBYSHIRE IN THE 60S, RACHEL’S HOUSE, CAVE DWELLERS and LIFEBOAT. She is also a social theatre practitioner and has worked with all sorts of groups including people within the criminal justice system in UK and USA, asylum seekers and refugees, drug users, survivors of domestic violence and childhood abuse.  Nicola has worked with Traverse’s flagship outreach programme, Class Act, since 1997, taking it to Russia, Ukraine and India. In 2018 she was a recipient of a Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Olwen Wymark award for encouraging theatre in the UK. Nicola is currently Reader in Writing for Performance at University of Edinburgh where she leads the Masters programme in Playwriting.

Credits

Theatre

Production Company Notes
WOLF ROAD Dundee Repertory Company/ Pearlfisher

Current Commission
WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE Traverse Theatre

Current Commission
HOW NOT TO DROWN Thick Skin

Current Commission
With Dritan Kastrati
NORTH National Theatre of Scotland
CRAZY JANE
2015 		Birds of Paradise Theatre Company
ROUGH ISLAND
2014 		Mull Theatre Company
MELMOTH THE WANDERER (Adapted from the novel by Charles Maturin)
2012 		Big Telly Theatre Co, Northern Ireland
1 IN 5
2011 		Kabosh, Belfast
MIRACLE
2011 		Oran Mor, Glasgow
RESURRECTION (Adapted from novel by Leo Tolstoy)
2008 		Oran Mor, Glasgow
STORM BIRDS
2008 		Dundee Rep/York Theatre Royal
BOG PEOPLE: Threshold
2007 		Big Telly Theatre Co, Northern Ireland
A SHEEP CALLED SKYE (Adapted from novel by SR Harris)
2007 		National Theatre of Scotland

Nominated for Best Children’s Show, CATS Awards 2008
RE: UNION
2007 		7:84 Theatre Co, Scotland
THE LION OF KABUL
2007 		Catherine Wheels
BEYOND
2006 		EGYTS & Vesilioy Goroshnik (Children's Home), Togliatti Russia/National Theatre of Scotland
STANDING WAVE: DELIA DERBYSHIRE IN THE 60s
2004 		Tron Theatre / Reeling & Writhing

Nominated Best New Play, CATS Awards 2005
THE HERO SHOW
2004 		East Glasgow Youth Theatre
THE MILLIES
2003 		Replay Productions, Belfast. Irish tour with international tour 2006
LIFEBOAT
2002 		Catherine Wheels Theatre Co, Edinburgh. National and International Tours 2004-present

Best Children’s Play TMA Theatre Awards 2002
CAVE DWELLERS
2002 		7:84 Theatre Company, Scotland, Scottish Tour

Published in Staging Intercultural Ireland, 2014, Cork University Press
HERITAGE
2001 		Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Scottish Tour

Published 2001 by Faber & Faber;
Published 2002 by Hodder & Stoughton Education
UNDERWORLD
2001 		Frantic Assembly, London
CONVICTIONS
2000 		Tinderbox Theatre Co, Belfast (site specific Crumlin Road Courthouse)

Best New Play Irish Theatre Awards 2000; Published by Tinderbox Publishing
HOME
1999 – 2000 		lookOUT Theatre Company

Published by Transverse Publishing
FOR WHAT WE ARE ABOUT TO RECEIVE
2000 		Brunton Theatre Company
TRANSATLANTIC
1998 		lookOUT Theatre Company
THE HANGING TREE
1997 		lookOUT Theatre Company
ENTERTAINING ANGELS
1996 		lookOUT Theatre Company National Tour

Time Out Critic’s Choice Award
EASY
1995 		lookOUT Theatre Company, National Tour
LAUNDRY
1994 		lookOUT Theatre Company
WONDERLAND
2012 		Vanishing Point, Edinburgh International Festival & Naples International Festival

As Dramaturge
SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT FOR NEW WRITERS
2009 		National Theatre of Scotland

As Director
DEVISED PIECES
2009 		Cumbernauld Theatre

As Dramaturge
THE BEGGAR'S OPERA
2009 		Vanishing Point/ Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh

As Dramaturge
SUBWAY
2007 		Vanishing Point/ Lyric Hammersmith

As Dramaturge
(Edinburgh Festival Fringe)
BENEATH YOU
2007 		Birds of Paradise/Tron Theatre, Glasgow

As Dramaturge
Written by Kathy McKean
YELLOW MOON
2006 		TAG, Glasgow

As Dramaturge
Written by David Greig
TERRORISM
2006 		RSAMD

As Director.
Written by Presnyakov Brothers
NEW PLAY BY DANIEL DANIS
2005 – 2006 		Theatre Cryptic

As Dramaturge & Translator
CALLANISH STONED
2005 		Theatre Highland

As Playwrights Studio Scotland Dramaturge
Written by Kevin Macneill
AMID THE CLOUDS
2005 		Tron Theatre/ RSAMD

As Director
THREE THOUSAND TROUBLE THREADS
2004 – 2005 		Edinburgh International Festival/ Stellar Quines

As Dramaturge
Written by Chiew Sah-Tei
LOST ONES
2004 – 2005 		Vanishing Point

As Dramaturge
CAPE MOON
2004 		Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. Japanese/ Scotland International Project

As Director
Written by Matsuda Masataka

1994 – 2002 		lookOUT Theatre Company, Glasgow

Artistic Director of lookOUT Theatre Company, Glasgow – A touring company specialising in the development of new Scottish writing, funding by Scottish Arts Council and Glasgow City Council.

TRAINSPOTTING
1995 – 1997 		G & J Productions

As Associate Director on West End;
As Director on 1996 UK Tour

1994 – 1995 		Charabanc Theatre Company, Belfast

Trainee Director – supported by professional training bursary from ACNI

Radio

Production Company Notes
SULLUM VOE
2012 – 2013 		BBC Radio 4
BEYOND THE THUNDERCLOUD
2007 		BBC Radio 4
ROUTE NUMBER 12
2002 		BBC Radio 4

Co-written with Cynthia Hamilton

Television

Production Company Notes
RIVER CITY
2007 – 2018 		BBC Scotland
NO EVIL
2003 		SMG TV

Two-part drama
PLAYING THE FIELD
2002 		Tiger Aspect/ BBC
CAMPUS
1999 		Tiger Aspect/ Channel 4
THE BILL
1995 		Thames/ Carlton

Film

Production Company Notes
HERITAGE
2018 		Brockenspectre Films/Scottish Screen
THE VISION
2002 		Ideal World Films/Film 4 Lab
EASY
1998 		Freeway Films
LIFER
1996 		BBC Films
Nicola McCartney
Nicola McCartney
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