Playwrights’ Studio Scotland’s New Playwrights Awards provide an important professional development opportunity for five early career playwrights living in Scotland who have a genuine commitment to writing for the theatre.

Andrew Thompson trained and worked as an actor for ten years for companies including The National Theatre, Sheffield Theatres and ITV. He began writing short plays and moved to Edinburgh to focus upon writing.

Andrew’s work has been staged in Newcastle, Sheffield, London and Edinburgh. He was awarded a Jerwood/Arvon Fellowship in 2014 and has developed work with Live Theatre, Newcastle and Playwrights’ Studio Scotland. His play In Event of Moone Disaster won the Theatre503 International Playwriting Award 2016 and was staged at the theatre in October 2017. His comedy script Spear Carriers is currently under option at Hartswood Films.

Plays include: In the Event of Moone Disaster – following three generations of the same family from the night of the moon landing to the moment the first woman steps on Mars. A journey of identity, hope and missed opportunities, dealing with infertility, dementia, and a desire to be part of something bigger whatever the cost; Promises  – a Lib-Dem MP plots a coup for the leadership, but as she does so the student riots outside spill over into her offices and the stand off for control has dangerous consequences; The Allotment – runaway misfit Claire, 13, needs to learn to grow up. Instead she’s learning to grow things on her future step-brother’s allotment; Timebomb –  a collaborative project about technology created with Poleroid Theatre; Spear-Carriers – two bored actors sit backstage and put the world to right. A 30min dark comedy examining the grey area of sexual consent and how easily mistakes can be made; and The Merchant – a poignant but wickedly funny comedy/drama dealing with issues of grief, charity, perspective, porn and clowns.

Short plays include: Sheffield –  a short comedy about impotence and community spirit; The Forest –  performed as part of the Cultural Olympiad; Safety in Numbers – dealing with the concept of middle-class racism; Coco Beans to Tesco – looking at culture clashes as technology and tradition merge in developing nations; The Cherry Orchard – a modern re-working of the story set in a residential home; and Frank & Stein – the moment the student becomes the master in the world of Cabaret.