Alan Wilkins (playwright)
| Alan Wilkins | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1969[1] |
| Nationality | Scots |
| Information | |
| Debut works | The Nest |
| Notable work(s) | Carthage Must Be Destroyed |
| Awards | Best New Play Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland |
Alan Wilkins is a Edinburgh based Scots playwright. His first professionally produced play was The Nest, which opened at the Traverse Theatre in April 2004 and then toured the Highlands and islands of Scotland.[2] The play was set in a Highland bothy and features five hill walkers sheltering from a storm.[3] He received the Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland Best New Play Award in 2008 for Carthage Must Be Destroyed, and has since had two other plays produced.
[edit] Life
Wilkins was brought up in Edinburgh.[4] Before his professional debut as a playwright, he worked as an actor and taught English as a Foreign Language in Poland and Spain.[5] Whilst in Spain, he wrote his first play, Childish Things. He sent it to the Traverse and it received a public reading.[4] Encouraged, he wrote his second play, Cafeteria/Restaurant, which received a reading at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow. The Traverse commissioned him to write The Nest, which became his first produced play.[4]
At the time of his debut, Wilkins was working as a drama teacher at Inverkeithing High School, Edinburgh.[6] His next play Carthage Must Be Destroyed, set in a 2nd century Roman bathhouse,[7] opened at the Traverse in May 2007 and explored the themes of "power, politics, and decadence, set against the improbable background of the Third Punic War, in 149BC."[8] and won the Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS) Best New Play award for 2007-2008.[9] The citation said "'A mature, meaty, engrossing drama about power, politics and decadence, Alan Wilkins Carthage Must Be Destroyed was a gripping indictment of the corruptions of Empire."[10] It was also produced by the Theatre Royal in Bath.[11]
In 2008, Wilkins scripted Can We Live With You? for Lung Ha's theatre company, which works with people with learning disabilities. The play was performed at the Traverse in April 2008.[12] Offshore, produced by Birds of Paradise, was a play set against the background of the decline of the Scottish fishing industry and its effect on small communities. Wilkins used his own background, working as a barman in Wester Ross, as background material.[13] It played in Edinburgh and on tour in the autumn of 2008.[14] Wilkins has also taught on the Masters of Literature programme at the University of Glasgow and is a doctoral student at that institution.[10] In 2008, he led a play-writing course for inmates at Polmont young offenders' institution, the results of which were performed at the Traverse in December 2008.[15] Wilkins has also worked with Dundee Repertory Theatre, the Aldeburgh Festival[16] and was funded by the Scottish Arts Council to represent his country as a tutor / playwright at the 2006 Interplay Festival in Leichenstein.[17]
[edit] Works
Wilkins has had four plays produced.
| Title | First Produced | Year | First Publisher | Year | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Nest | Traverse Theatre | 2004 | Nick Hern Books | 2004 | ISBN 978-1-85459-817-2 |
| Carthage Must Be Destroyed | Traverse Theatre | 2007 | Nick Hern Books | 2007 | ISBN 978-1-85459-985-8 |
| Can We Live With You? | Traverse Theatre | 2008 | - | - | - |
| Offshore | Glasgow Citizens Theatre | 2008 | - | - | - |
[edit] References
- ^ "Wilkins, Alan 1969". University of Miami Libraries. http://ibisweb.miami.edu/search~S11?/aWilkins,+Alan,+1969-/awilkins+alan+1969/-3%2C-1%2C0%2CE/2exact&FF=awilkins+alan+1969&1%2C2%2C. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
- ^ "The Nest". Google Book Search. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ywGbBNGMopsC&pg=PT1&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=0_1. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
- ^ Jones, Sarah (29 April 2004). "The Nest, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/the-nest-traverse-theatre-edinburgh-561557.html. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
- ^ a b c Rudden, Liam (27 April 2007). "Wilkins takes the route from Carthage to Iraq". The Scotsman. http://living.scotsman.com/features/Wilkins-takes-the-route-from.3280607.jp. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
- ^ Mathieson, Kenny (May 2004). "May 2004 Interview: Alan Wilkins". Highlands and Islands Arts. http://www.hi-arts.co.uk/may04-interview-alan-wilkins.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
- ^ Fettes, Miranda (16 April 2004). "High drama as Scots writer hits new peak". The Scotsman. http://living.scotsman.com/features/High-drama-as-Scots-writer.2520599.jp. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
- ^ Cooper, Neil (1 May 2007). "Features: ARTS REVIEWS". The Herald. http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/featuresartsreview/display.var.1365758.0.0.php. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
- ^ Scott, Robert Dawson (2 May 2007). "Carthage Must Be Destroyed". London: The Times. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article1733614.ece. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
- ^ "Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland 2007-08 Winners". Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland. http://www.criticsawards.theatrescotland.com/Winners/07-08.html. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
- ^ a b "Theatre, Film & Television Studies :: News and Events". University of Glasgow. http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/theatrefilmtelevisionstudies/newsandevents/. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
- ^ Brien, Jeremy (2 December 2008). "Carthage Must Be Destroyed". The Stage. http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/22590/carthage-must-be-destroyed. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
- ^ Fisher, Mark (27 March 2008). "Can We Live With You? - Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh". The List. http://www.list.co.uk/article/7259-can-we-live-with-you/. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
- ^ Brodie, Caroline (16 October 2008). "Stormy times offshore - Press & Journal". Aberdeen: Press and Journal. http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/885182?UserKey=. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
- ^ Fisher, Mark (2 October 2008). "Offshore - Seen at Citizens’ Theatre, Glasgow". The List. http://www.list.co.uk/article/13369-offshore/. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
- ^ Fisher, Mark (2 November 2008). "Mark Fisher on the Scottish inmates who are writing plays". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2008/nov/06/theatre-inmates-scotland-prisons. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
- ^ "Traverse Theatre Spring 2007 Brochure" (pdf). Traverse Theatre. http://www.traverse.co.uk/documents/Trav-Spring07-Brochure.pdf.
- ^ "Interplay Europe". Interplay. http://www.worldinterplay.org/childsplay/cgi-bin/show_page.pl/5/148. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
