Nicola McCartney
Writer
Film, TV & Theatre
Film, TV & Theatre
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.
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 |
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; |
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 |
BENEATH YOU 2007 | Birds of Paradise/Tron Theatre, Glasgow | As Dramaturge |
YELLOW MOON 2006 | TAG, Glasgow | As Dramaturge |
TERRORISM 2006 | RSAMD | As Director. |
NEW PLAY BY DANIEL DANIS 2005 - 2006 | Theatre Cryptic | As Dramaturge & Translator |
CALLANISH STONED 2005 | Theatre Highland | As Playwrights Studio Scotland Dramaturge |
AMID THE CLOUDS 2005 | Tron Theatre/ RSAMD | As Director |
THREE THOUSAND TROUBLE THREADS 2004 - 2005 | Edinburgh International Festival/ Stellar Quines | As Dramaturge |
LOST ONES 2004 - 2005 | Vanishing Point | As Dramaturge |
CAPE MOON 2004 | Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. Japanese/ Scotland International Project | As Director |
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; |
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 |
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 |
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 |
Awards:
- Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Olwen Wymark Theatre Encouragement Award 2018
- FST Unplugged Award 2010
- Recipient of a Scottish Arts Council Writers Bursary 2005
- Recipient of a Scottish Arts Council Creative Scotland Award 2003
- Best New Play Irish Theatre Awards for CONVICTIONS 2000
- Best Children’s Play TMA Theatre Awards 2002
- Time Out Critic’s Choice Award for ENTERTAINING ANGELS
Writer-in-Residence posts:
- Associate Playwright, Playwrights Studio Scotland 2009 - 2011
- Creative Writing Fellow, University of Edinburgh 2005 - 2008
- Associate Playwright, Playwrights Studio Scotland 2004 - 2005
- Writer in Residence, Shetland Arts Trust 2003 - 2004
- University of Ulster, Writer-in-Residence 1999 - 2002
- University of Bradford mini residency 2001
Leadership and Management Posts:
- Programme Director MSc Playwriting*
- English Literature Department Postgraduate teaching committee
- LLC Postgraduate Teaching committee
- Chair of Scottish Society of Playwrights
- Member of Creative Scotland Literature Sector Review 2014
- Member of Creative Scotland Theatre Sector Review 2013
- Member of Scottish Executive Sucommittee on Arts and Culture 2013-15
- Edited Edinburgh Review 137
- Member of Board of Directors of Vanishing Point Theatre Company
- Consultant for Voronezh State Academy of the Arts, Russia, 2013*
Academic appointments:
2011- Present: Lecturer in Writing for Performance at the University of Edinburgh, designing and leading new MSc Writing for Theatre and Performance and undergraduate courses
2009 – 2012: Visiting Professional teacher on MA in Classical and Contemporary Text at Royal Conservatoire Scotland
2005 - 2008: Creative Writing Fellow: Drama, University of Edinburgh, leading MSc Creative Writing Drama strand
2003 – 2005: External examiner, Dept of Theatre Studies, University of Glasgow
2000 - 2008: Royal Conservatoire Scotland, visiting professional teacher on undergraduate acting programmes, directing undergraduate productions, and leading MA Directing & Acting course option on new writing
1999 - 2000: Visiting Tutor on M.Lit Creative Writing, Strathclyde University
1995 – 2000: Visiting Professional Teacher, University of Glasgow on undergraduate, Theatre & Society, Playwriting and Directing courses