Stromness Plays is part of The Scottish Society of Playwrights fellowship award and is a collaboration between professional playwright Rachael McGill and Stromness Drama Club.

Rachael said:

‘Stromness Drama Club is really dynamic and great at giving opportunities to budding actors and directors. I think there are people in Orkney, of all ages, who’d like to write theatre too. This is a competition, training opportunity and showcase for them.’

Playwriting workshops

Rachael will run two workshops to introduce playwriting techniques. Issy Grieve will run one for young people. Workshops are free: sign up on the websites or by email. If you want to attend but can’t make the dates, get in touch book an online session at a convenient time.

Event Details:
Playwriting workshop (adults): 24 March, 2pm-4.30pm – Stromness Library
Playwriting workshop (adults): 26 March, 7pm – 9.30pm – St Magnus Centre
Playwriting workshop (young people): 24 March, 11am -1pm, Stromness Library
Showcase event: 1 November, 7.30pm – Stromness Town Hall

For more information about the competition and events, please visit Rachael McGill’s website or the Stromness Drama Club website

The inspiration for the competition was Rachael’s fascination with the minutes of the Stromness Debating Society, which met for 6 decades, closing in 2012.

Rachael continued:

‘My granddad was a founder member and my dad was one of the last secretaries. I was looking through the minutes, which
Dad has now given to the Orkney Archives. They’re a funny, fascinating snapshot of Stromness people’s thoughts on issues since the 50s; everything from ‘Old Stromness is not worth preserving’ (1966), to ‘the experiment of democracy has failed’ (1995).

The competition is open to anyone with an Orkney connection. The challenge is to write a 5-25 minute play. It can have any style, theme, or setting but must use one of the debate topics as its title or a line of its dialogue. There’s a topic list is on the project’s websites and in the Stromness and Kirkwall libraries.

There will be up to three prizes of £300. These winners and other selected writers will have their play performed by Stromness Drama Club in a staged reading in Stromness Town Hall on 1 November. There will be opportunities for those interesting in acting or directing too.

Competition entry is free and is done through the websites, where you can also find the guidance and rules. The deadline to submit your play is 31 May. The competition judges will be announced in April and the winners at the end of June.