Who We Are

Elspeth Turner, Artistic Director / Writer, Stoirm Òg.

Elspeth Turner is an actor and writer. Theatre credits include The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart (Eastern Angles), Granite (National Theatre of Scotland), Mischief (Oran Mòr / Traverse), The Idiot at the Wall and SpectreTown (Stoirm Òg), Extremities (Veritas), Dial M for Murder (dir. Peter Flynn) and The Odd Couple (dir. BT McNicholl, both Engeman Theatre, New York), The Pillowman (MRA, Theatre Row NYC), Titus Andronicus and Macbeth (The Secret Theatre, NYC). Film/TV credits include Armchair Detectives (Tiger Aspect for BBC1), Riptide (Lyre Productions) Real Life Mallory (NYFA), The Man in the Attic (Casa de Luz) and The Box (Little City Pictures). Elspeth is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Having studied and worked in London and New York for several years, Elspeth then returned to Scotland and began writing plays. Her first play, The Idiot at the Wall made its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe, followed by an extensive tour of Scotland. Elspeth’s second full length play, SpectreTown was directed by Matthew Lenton (Vanishing Point), and produced in partnership with Cumbernauld Theatre, where Stoirm Òg was Company in Residence 2014-15. Elspeth has also written for the Village Pub Theatre, and for Buffalo Trace UK. She is the recipient of a Tom McGrath Award, and an award for Playwriting from the Peggy Ramsay Foundation. Elspeth is also currently developing her first feature film script, The Last Munro.

Her new piece, Trouble the Water, explores the legacy of the first Gaelic-speaking settlers in America’s deep South. In 2016 it was produced in development by Glasgow Life / NTS at Tramway in Glasgow. Elspeth went on to be selected as one of the National Theatre of Scotland’s Starter For Ten programme, and further developed the piece during her residency there.

Elspeth is currently based at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on the Isle of Skye where she is studying Gaelic and developing her writing.

www.elspethturner.com

Photography by Christopher Bowen.

Aiyana D'Arcangelo, Producer, Stoirm Òg.

Since moving to Scotland in 2011, Aiyana has worked with Stoirm Òg (The Idiot at the Wall; Spectretown), Dundee Rep (Blood Wedding), Scottish Dance Theatre (SCALE - Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme), Poorboy Theatre, and David Leddy / Fire Exit. Previous production work includes: New York University (Tisch School of the Arts, New York and Villa La Pietra, Florence, Italy), Robert Wilson (Watermill Center for the Arts/Byrd Hoffman Foundation), Lincoln Center Festival, ‘Inside the Actors Studio’- TV (Pace University), Cynthia Hopkins (Must Don't Whip 'Um - National U.S. Tour), and St. Ann's Warehouse. Aiyana studied Theatre at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles (B.A., 2004) and Managing in the Creative Industries at the University of St Andrews (MLitt, 2012).

www.i-m.co/adarcangelo/adarcangelo/




Susan Martin, Production Manager

Susan Martin is a freelance Stage & Production manager who moved to Scotland to study at the Edinburgh Lighting and Sound School. She is now based in Edinburgh and is very much enjoying working across Scotland. As a former teacher and lecturer in English, she is fascinated by drama and theatre from all eras, but admits to a long-standing attachment to the world of the eighteenth-century!

In addition to Stoirm Òg’s first tour of ‘The Idiot at the Wall’, Susan’s recent credits include tours of ‘Shangalang’ and ‘Uncle Varick’ for Rapture Theatre, Ulysses for The Tron, and Flâneurs by live artist Jenna Watt.

SPECTRETOWN

Written by Elspeth Turner
Directed by Matthew Lenton
Cast - Elspeth Turner, Bridget McCann and Mark Wood

Music and Sound Design - Matt Regan

Design - Richard Evans

Lighting Design - Kai Fischer

Assistant Director - Rob Jones

Producer - Aiyana D'Arcangelo

Production Manager - Susan Martin

Stage Manager - Simon Cottrell

Matthew Lenton, Director, SPECTRETOWN

Matthew is a freelance director and the artistic director of Vanishing Point, the company he founded in 1999. He works from Scotland, across the UK and internationally. His shows have been performed in over 20 countries.

Recent work for Vanishing Point includes TOMORROW, a co-production with Cena Contemporanea Festival (Brasilia), Brighton Festival, Stanislavsky Festival (Moscow) and Tramway (Glasgow); THE BEAUTIFUL COSMOS OF IVOR CUTLER, a co-production with The National Theatre of Scotland; WONDERLAND, a co-production with Edinburgh International Festival, Napoli Teatro Festival Italia and Tramway; SATURDAY NIGHT, a co-production with Teatro Nacional Sao Joao (Porto), Teatro Sao Luis (Lisbon), Centro Cultural Vila Flor (Guimaraes) and Tramway (Glasgow); THE BEGGAR'S OPERA, a co-production with the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh and the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry; INTERIORS, a co-production with Napoli Teatro Festival Italia, Traverse Theatre and Lyric Hammersmith; LITTLE OTIK (a co-production with the National Theatre of Scotland); SUBWAY, commissioned by The Lyric Hammersmith and MANCUB, a co-production with Soho Theatre.

Other recent work includes MISTER HOLGADO for the Unicorn Theatre, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM for the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh and HOME for The National Theatre of Scotland.

Matthew works regularly at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, developing work with acting students and most recently directing DRACULA by Liz Lochhead. He recently directed his first film, BOY, for Touchpaper Television and Channel 4. In 2010, Matthew was chosen to be the first British director of the Ecole des Maitres, a European theatre laboratory previously associated with Jerzy Grotowsky, Peter Stein, Emuntas Nekrosias and Jan Fabre.

Current work includes a number of projects with Vanishing Point, BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE with Scottish Opera and a new project for the Stanislavsky Festival in Moscow and the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing.

 

Bridget McCann, Actor, SPECTRETOWN

With over 40 years professional experience, Bridget has worked in many theatres in Scotland and England, appearing in ‘3 Sisters’, ‘Hay Fever’ ‘The Crucible’ ‘Travesties’, ‘The Importance of Being Ernest,’ ‘White Bird Passes’ ‘84 Charing Cross Road’ and ‘Trumpet’.

Her television appearances include ‘Plays for Today’, ‘High Road’, ‘Taggart’, ‘Rab C Nesbitt’, ‘Still Game’ and ‘The Last Laugh.’  She is currently appearing in ‘River City’.

Recent radio appearances include ‘With Great Pleasure’,  ‘Sunset Song’ and ‘The Mountain’ by Nan Shephard. Brought up in Aberdeen she is passionate about the rich but

untapped seam of writing of the area. She has recorded the bible in Doric with Robbie Shepherd, appeared in plays by Jessie Kesson and has recorded and showcased for radio

Scotland much Aberdeen writing. She has just finished filming ‘Sunset Song’ with director Terence Davies.Bridget also teaches presentation skills using her TV, broadcasting and theatre skills. Her book aimed at helping young lawyers in court, ‘The Advocacy Skills Book’ was released in January 2015.

Mark Wood, Actor, SPECTRETOWN

Mark has appeared in VICTORIA at Dundee Rep, directed by Philip Howard and THE GINGE, THE GEORDIE & THE GEEK for Shed Media Scotland as well as the TV pilot WALKABOUT, a new comedy drama directed by Vito Millazzo. Other credits include the feature MY BROTHERS KEEPER directed by Lee Hutcheon; regular Angus Fergus in TRINITY for ITV; THE MEN OF PIPER ALPHA for Clan Films; HOW NOT TO LIVE YOUR LIFE for the BBC; SEA OF SOULS for the BBC; THE VERDICT for the BBC and TAGGART - DO OR DIE for SMG. At the Citizen's Theatre his credits include Laertes in HAMLET directed by Guy Hollands and BLOOD WEDDING, directed by Jeremy Raison.

Matt Regan, Music / Sound Design, SPECTRETOWN

Matt Regan is a freelance musician/writer living in Glasgow. He creates his own music, makes music for performances and teaches. He facilitates drumming, singing and music workshops in communities, hospitals and prisons across Scotland. He was nominated for a CATs award for his work for Theology, awarded young innovators funding for Swim Team and was part of Enormous Yes’ Platform 18 award at the Arches. His own work is under the name ‘Little King’ which involves spoken word, poetry and song performed with a string quartet. More information found at www.reganmatt.com

 

Richard Evans, Design, SPECTRETOWN

Richard trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Recently Richard's scenic design for Addams Family was shortlisted for the 2014 Broadway World Awards and his set design of The Merchant Of Venice was nominated for the 2013 Off West End Award. National Touring credits include: Avenue Q (2015 and 2016), Jekyll and Hyde (2015), Kidnapped (2014), A Midsummer Nights Dream (2013), The Man Who Had All The Luck (2012) and Lord of the Flies (2011 and 2012).

Theatre credits includes: Urinetown (Assembly Hall), Seussical (West End and International Tour), 12:1 and Changing Stages (Chickenshed), Avenue Q (Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong), The Girl Who (Speigeltent), Addams Family (Assembly Hall),  St Finnigan's Elbow and Dial M (Eastern Angles), The Merchant Of Venice (Jack Studio), Little Shop Of Horrors (Polka Theatre), The History Boys and Hound of The Baskervilles (Greenwich Theatre), The Seagull (York Theatre Royal), Company (RCS), Spring Awakening (Pleasance Beyond), Oedipus (BAC).

Opera and Dance includes: Hansel and Gretel (Belgrade Theatre), 125 (Groundswell) and VITA (InBetween).

Film and TV includes: As Production Buyer;  Bill (Horrible Histories/Cowboy Films), Moving On (BBCOne), Justice (BBCOne), AMINA (African Film Tour) and More Than Words (BBC Learning/BBCOne).  As Art Director: Windscreen Wimps/1930s Car Design (Riverside Museum), Make A Musical (BBCTwo).

Kai Fischer, Lighting Design, SPECTRETOWN

Kai trained at Glasgow University and at HDM Stuttgart, from where he graduated with a degree in Audio-Visual Media Design. He is one of the Artistic Associates of the Scotland-based company, Vanishing Point. Kai’s most recent designs for the company include Interiors, The Beggar’s Opera, Subway, Little Otik and Lost Ones.

Kai recently created and directed his own show, 'Last Dream on Earth', in association with the National Theatre of Scotland and the Tron Theatre.

Design work for other companies includes the set and lighting designs for Wondrous Flittings (Royal Lyceum Edinburgh), Somersaults, Home Caithness, Mancup, Allotment 3 and Allotment 4 (The National Theatre of Scotland), Re:Union (7:84 Scotland), Fewer Emergencies (Ankur), Heer Ranjha (Ankur and Tramway Glasgow), as well as One Night Stand for Nick Underwood.

Kai’s Lighting Design credits include productions for the Citizens Theatre Glasgow, Dundee Rep, Dogstar, Lung Ha’s, MacRobert Stirling, Perth Theatre, RSAMD and York Theatre Royal, Richard B. Fisher Center in Annandale on Hudson NY, Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, SweetScar, TAG, Take Two Productions, Theatre Babel, Traverse Theatre Edinburgh, Tron Theatre Glasgow and Young Vic London.

 Emily Reutlinger, Director, The Idiot at the Wall

Originally from New York, Emily is a Glasgow-based director and graduate of the masters in Classic and Contemporary Text  from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Recent highlights include developing and directing The Idiot at the Wall by Elspeth Turner, which recently completed a successful Highlands and Islands tour; directing NYC premieres of Anders Lustgarten's The Break Out and Neil LaBute’s In the Beginning for Theatre Uncut, and assistant directing the award winning productions of both Quiz Show by Rob Drummond and Ciara by David Harrower for the Traverse Theatre, as well as bringing their double bill (Clean by Sabrina Mahfouz and A Respectable Widow Takes to Vulgarity) to NYC's Brits Off-Broadway festival.

Lucy Goldie, 'Sorcha Mackenzie' The Idiot at the Wall

Lucy trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and has an MA with merit in Acting. Theatre credits include: 'Flora' in Reminded of Beauty (Linda McLean, Tron/Traverse/Hampstead theatre); 'Lavinia' in Titus Andronicus (Bard in the Botanics); Tanya in Plasticine (Citizens Theatre); and 'Marianne' in Tartuffe (Liz Lochhead, A Play, a Pie and a Pint). Film & TV credits include 'Amelia' opposite comedian Ed Byrne in My Beast Friend a comedy short for the BBC; the lead role in BAFTA new talent award winning film Spring Forward, Fall Back; and all nine characters, including a troupe of bogeymen, an old man and his dog, in Dogged, winner of best experimental short at Aesthetica Film Festival. Lucy is excited to be working with Stoirm Òg on this first tour of The Idiot at the Wall. 

Tim Barrow, 'Henry Rathbone', The Idiot at the Wall

Born in Edinburgh, and brought up between Australia & Scotland, Tim trained as an actor at Drama Centre London, graduating with a BA Hons degree. Screen acting credits include Taggart; Waterloo Road; Children Of The Dead End (Glass Machine); The Queen’s Wedding (Mentorn); Richard Jobson’s New Town Killers; The Tony Miller Story (BBC Alba) and Narcopolis (T Squared Films).
Theatre work includes plays for Citizens Theatre, The Arches, Theatre 503, Bard In The Botanics, Prime Productions, First Bicycle, Theatre Enigma and Nonsenseroom.
Tim set up Lyre Productions as a platform for making challenging, contemporary feature films. He wrote, produced & starred in The Inheritance – the award-winning indie Scottish road movie directed by Charles-Henri Belleville.
Nominated Best UK Feature on its premiere at Raindance, The Inheritance won the Raindance Award at 2007 British Independent Film Awards and Tim was nominated Best Producer at 2008 BAFTA Scotland New Talent Awards. The Inheritance toured festivals & cinemas widely and was released on DVD together with a 60 minute documentary showing how to make a tiny-budget award-winning feature.
Tim wrote, produced and directed Lyre’s second feature film The Space Between – an Edinburgh love story and redemption tale – which premiered at Edinburgh’s Filmhouse in March 2011. The film toured Scotland and the UK until 2013.
Tim’s debut stage play Guy was produced at London’s Pleasance Theatre. His second play Union premiered at the Lyceum theatre, Edinburgh in March 2014, directed by Mark Thomson.
He has written for Shotgun – a London-based collective set up by Tom Hardy, Robert Delamere and Brett. C. Leonard of New York’s Labyrinth Theatre Company. Tim assistant directed & co-produced Shotgun’s inaugural production at Theatre 503 – the world premiere of Blue On Blue, directed by Tom Hardy.
  

Kenny Lindsay, 'John Mackenzie', The Idiot at the Wall

Kenny has worked as an actor with many theatre companies across Scotland, including seasons with Dundee Rep, Perth Theatre, The Brunton, Musselburgh and two seasons with Mull Theatre as well as work at the Tron, Pavilion, Cumbernauld, the Kings Theatre, Glasgow and Tosg Gaelic Theatre Company with whom he appeared in A' Chuirt. He worked, too, as actor/deviser with Theatre Hebrides on Roghainn nan Daoine:The People’s Choice. As a playwright he has worked with Mull Theatre, Grey Coast Theatre and Perth Youth Theatre. His play, The Dogstone, set in his hometown, Oban, was presented as a co-production by the Traverse Theatre and the National Theatre of Scotland in 2008.His short Gaelic play, Fon Choill – On the Run was seen at An Lanntair in 2009 and his most recent play The Wrapping in the Hide, was performed at Queen Margaret University. His bilingual book of Gaelic oral history interviews, Mas Math Mo Chuimhne – Reflection of the Gaels, was published recently by Clì Gàidhlig. Earlier this year he founded Theatar: Camus Beag, the Oban Gaelic drama group, with whom he has just directed two plays for local radio.

Annie Grace, Musician, The Idiot at the Wall

Annie is a musician, actor and composer. After graduating in Fine Art at Glasgow School of Art, she co-founded the band Iron Horse and toured worldwide, recording several albums over a 12-year period.
Theatre work includes The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, Peter Pan (National Theatre of Scotland), The Idiot at the Wall (Stoirm Òg), Pinocchio (Arches), Jacobite Country,The Heretic’s Tale (Dogstar), Cyrano de Bergerac, Poker Alice, Tir na Nog (Òran Mór), Tam O’Shanter (Perth/ Communicado), Story Nation (Dumfries and Galloway Arts), Miniatures (theatrecollective@highland), Mum’s the Word (Robert C Kelly Productions),Homers (Traverse, Edinburgh), TheCeltic Story (Wildcat), The Wedding,The Accidental Death of an Accordionist (Right Lines Productions). 
She currently performs in a harmony trio with Karine Polwart and Corrina Hewat, and with her own band. Her solo album, Take Me Out Drinking Tonight, is available to buy.

www.anniegracemusic.com

Murdo Turner, Music, The Idiot at the Wall

Murdo has played with Roddy & The Rockets, The Juice Tigers, Bongo Fury & The Loincloths, The Bicycle Thieves, and The Laimerig Singers. He composed music for the HATS production, Feet, and for Falling Cutlery's critically acclaimed 2010 production of Lazybed.


Tim du Feu, Music, The Idiot at the Wall

Previously collaborated with Murdo Turner for Falling Cutlery's production of Lazybed, and also performed alongside Murdo in The Bicycle Thieves. Prior to coming to Edinburgh, Tim was a founding member of the Falmouth Fish Sea Shanty collective, 'Azoy' klezmer music group, and has worked with Cornish theatre groups Rogue Theatre, and Bedam Theatre on various projects. Steeped in Celtic and World folk music from an early age, Tim currently performs as the lead violinist in 'Simone Caffari and the Badwills', an Italian folk group based in Edinburgh.

Jan Bee Brown, Production Designer, The Idiot at the Wall

Jan Bee Brown has worked in design for over 25 years.  Graduating from Central St Martins in 1987 Jan Bee’s career has taken her around the world, from the west end to remote village halls. Inspired by collaborating with new writers, artist and with historic collections Jan Bee crosses traditional boundaries in performance and exhibition; highlights have to include working with Johann Kresnik in Germany, John Martin and Pan Projects, Siobhan O Casey at the Abbey Theatre in Ireland, with Stella Quines in the Scottish highlands and my work with Sir Alan Ayckbourn at the Stephen Joseph Theatre and The Art Gallery here in Scarborough.

"As a theatre and exhibition designer  you are a essentially a visual storyteller.  Everything the audience see on stage, the visual environment and the way they interact with and interpret a collection of  historic objects or  art works  has been researched, considered, budgeted, decided on and fashioned by the designer.  A designer is only as good as their support team and it truly is a collaborative practice working across all the artistic and technical departments in a theatre or museum."

www.janbeebrown.co.uk

Board of Trustees

Jayne Sledmore (Chair)
Elspeth Turner
Angela Milton
Severine Wyper