News archive

  • HOMELESS, Gerda Stevenson's two-part radio drama, directed by David Ian Neville, will be broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland, Monday 9th December, 13:32, and Monday 16th December, 13:32, 2013. 
    The cast includes: Juliet Stevenson, Richard Conlon, Jordon Young, Joanna Kaczynska, Ben Winger, and Ian Grieve. 
    BBC Radio Scotland has also made a documentary about the making of this drama, directed by Caitlin Smith, which will be broadcast this Sunday morning, 8th December, 10:30 on BBC Radio Scotland, prior to the drama.
    Recorded over ten months, the documentary THE MAKING OF HOMELESS follows Gerda as she immerses herself in the issues, meeting people living on the street and those who are trying to help them. 
    With ongoing economic hardship touching the lives of most Scots, coupled with the controversial introduction of a so-called bedroom tax, homelessness is at the front of the news agenda.
    This documentary charts the writer's journey from blank sheet to the dramatic studio production.
    **If you can't catch it on radio, you can hear each programme for up to seven days after broadcast on the BBC iPlayer.**
  • Gerda’s first poetry collection, IF THIS WERE REAL, was published 21st June, 2013, by Smokestack Books, launched at Word Power Books, 43-45 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh. The book is available through Smokestack Books:   www.smokestack-books.co.uk    and in bookshops.
  • Gerda will be appearing at the Stanza Poetry Festival, St. Andrews, on Sunday 9th March, 2.15pm, reading poetry from her collection IF THIS WERE REAL.
  • In June 2013, Gerda performed in Ane Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis, by Sir David Lyndsay, at Linlithgow Palace, playing the character of Gude Counsell:   www.stagingthescottishcourt.org/
  • Gerda’s highly acclaimed stage play FEDERER VERSUS MURRAY toured to New York, in Spring 2012, as part of NYC’s SCOTLAND WEEK celebrations.
    A Communicado production, it played at:
    59e59 Theaters,
    April 4th – 22nd  
    www.59e59.org  
    performed by Gerda Stevenson and Dave Anderson with saxophonist Ben Bryden, designed by Jessica Brettle, lighting by Simon Wilkinson.
  • The script of Federer Versus Murraywas published in March, 2012, by the prestigious New York based literary magazine SALMAGUNDI. http://salmagundimag.wordpress.com/tag/federer-versus-murray/
  • Gerda will be taking part in the  Edinburgh International Book Festival, 16th August, 2pm, 2013, on a panel: GAVIN WALLACE: REWRITING SCOTLAND'S LITERATURE with Regi Claire, Kirsty Gunn, Jackie Kay, and James Robertson. Gerda will also be reading from her poetry collection IF THIS WERE REAL, on the Edinburgh Fringe, Tuesday 20th August, 1pm, at WORD POWER BOOKS, 43-45 West Nicolson Street, with Alan Spence and Anita John.
  • In January 2013, Gerda was heard on BBC Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime, reading Muriel Spark’s novel THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE.
  • In February, 2013, Gerda sang in Paris, at the Turbulences! Burns’ Night: http://www.turbulences.eu/
  • Listen out on the wireless, summer 2013, for Gerda as Steve, in another of the PAUL TEMPLE MYSTERIES series, this time The Gregory Affair, every Wednesday, from 3rd July, onwards, 11.30am, BBC Radio 4.
  • Gerda will be the narrator again in the hugely popular story-telling children's performance with live music, THE BOY & THE BUNNET - story by James Robertson, music by James Ross. The fabulous musicians taking part are: Corrina Hewat (harp/vocal), Patsy Reid (fiddle), Neil Johnstone (cello), Angus Lyon (accordion), Fraser Fifield (pipes) and Signy Jakobsdottir (percussion), led by the wonderful composer/pianist himself, James Ross. Performances are 12th - 18th August, 2.30pm, at the Acoustic Music Centre @ St. Brides, Orwell Terrace, which is just off Dalry Road, close to Haymarket Station, Edinburgh. Note: Estrid Barton will be the narrator on Friday 16th August, when gerda will be at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
    edinburghfestival.list.co.uk/event/239887-the-boy-and-the-bunnet/‎
  • Gerda will be singing with the trio she's one third of - MADGE WILDFIRE (Patsy Seddon and Kathy Stewart are the other two!), at the Peebles Arts Festival, Sunday 1st September, 2pm, the Park Hotel, Peebles. 
    info@peeblesartsfestival.org
  • Gerda will be at Atkinson-Pryce Books in Biggar, on Thursday 5th September, reading from "If This Were Real" in the sitting room at the bookshop, 7.30 pm.  Ticket £5 includes a glass of wine.
    Atkinson-Pryce Books
    27 High Street, Biggar, ML12 6DA
    Tel: 01899 221225
    www.atkinson-pryce.co.uk
  • Gerda will be appearing at the Stanza Poetry Festival, St. Andrews, on Sunday 10th March, 2.15pm, reading a version of Sir Walter Scott’s Marmion, edited by Judy Steel.
  • On Friday 22nd March, 8pm, Gerda will be singing in Carlops Village Hall with Madge Wildfire trio, who are:  Patsy Seddon, Gerda Stevenson & Kathy Stewart - a madgical mix of eclectic songs from 3 madgestic, multi-insrumentalist ladies (harp, piano, djembe, fiddle and more) to entertain, move and amuse you!  
  • Gerda will be appearing at the Orkney Book Festival – April 11th – 14th, 2103, speaking about working with Orcadian writer and film maker, Margaret Tait, and will also be reading from her own poetry.
  • Gerda will be performing in Gerry Mulgrew's Communicado production of Tam O Shanter, at Assembly @ Assembly Hall, top of the Mound, from 2nd - 26th August, 12 noon daily (not Mondays 13th and 20th); www.communicadotheatre.co.uk
  • Gerda will also be narrating The Boy and the Bunnet, by James Robertson and James Ross, a story for children, told with live music, in the Spiegeltent, George Street, 6th - 19th August, 3.30pm (not Monday 13th) www.theboyandthebunnet.com
madge
  • Gerda will be singing with Patsy Seddon and Kathy Stewart in their trio Madge Wildfire, at the Acoustic Music Centre @ St. Bride's, 22nd August, 8.30pm; www.madgewildfire.com and acousticmusiccentre.co.uk
  • And she is one of ten Scottish playwrights whose work will feature in the Traverse Dream Plays, 23rd August, 9am - so be up bright and early for that one! (Ticket includes a breakfast snack.) http://www.traverse.co.uk/whats-on/dream-plays-%28scenes-from-a-play-ill-never-write%29/
  • FEDERER VERSUS MURRAY toured to New York, in April 2012, as part of NYC’s SCOTLAND WEEK celebrations. A Communicado production, performed and directed by Gerda, it played at 59e59 Theaters, www.59e59.orgwith Dave Anderson and saxophonist Ben Bryden, designed by Jessica Brettle, lighting by Simon Wilkinson.
  • The script of Federer Versus Murray was published in March, 2012, by the prestigious New York based literary magazine SALMAGUNDI. http://salmagundimag.wordpress.com/tag/federer-versus-murray/
  • Gerda was nominated by the international Committee of the League of Professional Theatre Women (New York) for the 2011 Rosamond Gilder/Martha Coigney International Award.
  • Gerda was delighted to be the Narrator in performances of The Boy & The Bunnet, by James Robertson and James Ross, at this year's Celtic Connections festival. See photo below, and watch out for more performances!

boy and the bunnet
www.theboyandthebunnet.com

  • Federer Versus Murray, which Gerda directed at Oran Mor, in Glasgow last May, ran again this year on the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe, produced by Assembly, and directed by the playwright herself, who also performed in it this time, with Dave Anderson. Federer Versus Murray was runner up for the Scottish Arts Club & EdinburghGuide.com BEST SCOTTISH CONTRIBUTION TO DRAMA ON THE EDINBURGH FRINGE, 2011.
  • Gerda’s new play, for stage, Federer Versus Murray, which she directed at Oran Mor, in Glasgow last May, ran again this year on the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe, to great acclaim, produced by Assembly, and directed by the playwright herself, who also performed in it this time, with Dave Anderson. Federer Versus Murray was runner up for the Scottish Arts Club & EdinburghGuide.com BEST SCOTTISH CONTRIBUTION TO DRAMA ON THE EDINBURGH FRINGE, 2011.
  • The script of Federer Versus Murraywill be published in March, 2012, by the prestigious New York based literary magazine SALMAGUNDI.
  • Gerda has been nominated by the international Committee of the League of Professional Theatre Women (New York) for the 2011 Rosamond Gilder/Martha Coigney International Award.
  • Watch out for a rare screening of Margaret Tait’s feature film BLUE BLACK PERMANENT: Glasgow Women’s Library is presenting at the CCA the above film in which Gerda gave her Bafta Award-winning performance.  Friday 14th October, 2011, at 3.30pm.
  • Look out for Gerda's new short story, published in the February issue of Dumfries and Galloway’s fine literary magazine Southlight.  This story is called SKELETON WUMMAN, and is a contemporary Scots retelling of an old Inuit folk tale.
  • And look out for a new anthology of poetry and song, entitled A Rose Loupt Oot commemorating the 40th anniversary of the famous Upper Clyde Shipbuilders work-in of the early ‘70s. Gerda is one of the contributors, along with work by Jackie Kay, Edwin Morgan, Aonghas MacNeacail, Donna Franceschild, Dick Gaughan and many others. This anthology, edited by David Betteridge, is published in May 2011 by Smokestack Books, based in Middlesbrough.
  • CURRENTLY BEING BROADCAST!!! Another series of the hugely popular PAUL TEMPLE MYSTERIES – A Case for Paul Temple, starring Crawford Logan as Paul, and Gerda as his wife Steve. Weekly, BBC Radio 4, Wednesdays at 11.30am: http://www.bbc.co.uk/search/?q=A%20Case%20for%20Paul%20Temple
  • Gerda’s new radio play The Apple Tree will be broadcast on Thursday 9th June, @ 2.15 - 3pm, (Afternoon Play), BBC Radio 4, starring Juliet Stevenson and Iain MacRae. 
    directed by Bruce Young
    More information can be found on the following link (scroll down when you get to the page)
    The Apple Tree has also been selected as BBC Radio's PLAY OF THE WEEK PODCAST, which means you will be able to download it and keep it! 
  • Gerda and Patsy Seddon will join Scotland’s Makar, Liz Lochhead at the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival, Theatre Royal Dumfries, on Saturday 21st May, 7.30pm. Gerda and Patsy will be singing a range of songs, including some of Gerda’s own.
  • Gerda will be heard reading with her old friend the late great Tom Fleming, on BBC Radio Scotland's Book Cafe, 14th February, St. Valentine's Day, 1.15pm.
    The readings are from Alexander Carmichael's translations of the exquisitely beautiful Pagan/Christian poetry, Carmina Gadelica, which he collected in the Western Isles.
    This reading will take up the last 15 minutes of the Book Cafe, which is presented by Clare English.
  • Gerda’s two-part drama on the theme of prostitution will be broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland this Spring. The overall title is SECRETS. Part 1, The Punter's Tale, will be broadcast on Monday 28th February, @ 2.05pm. Part 2, The Escort's Tale, will be broadcast on Monday 7th March, also @ 2.05pm. Gerda will be acting in Part 1, playing the part of Cara. The director/producer is Bruce Young, Head of Radio Drama, BBC Scotland.
  • Gerda is currently writing an Afternoon Play called The Apple Tree for BBC Radio 4. This will be broadcast in June – details to follow.
  • Gerda’s new play, for stage, Federer Versus Murray, which she directed at Oran Mor, in Glasgow last May, was shortlisted for the London Festival Fringe Theatre Writing Award, 2010.
  • Look out for Gerda's new short story to be published this February in Dumfries and Galloway’s fine literary magazine Southlight.  This story is called SKELETON WUMMAN, and is a contemporary Scots retelling of an old Inuit folk tale.
  • Also, look out this Spring for a new anthology of poetry and song, which will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the famous Upper Clyde Shipbuilders work-in. Gerda is one of the  contributors. This anthology will be published by Smokestack Books, based in Middlesbrough.
  • Communicado News: our production of The Government Inspector, directed by Artistic Director, Gerry Mugrew, will be on again at Perth Theatre in March. Gerda will be reprising her performance as the Government Inspector’s wife. This production was nominated for the 2010 CATS awards in 4 categories - Best Production, Best Ensemble, Best Actor (John Bett), and Best Music (Aly MacRae), and the fabulously talented Aly MacRae won the Best Music category for his score: www.communicadotheatre.co.uk
  • Gerda is currently writing her own songs, and will be singing some of them at an evening with the Pentlands Writers’ Group, who will be launching the latest anthology of their writing in Carlops Village Hall on Friday 4th February, 7.30pm.

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Staging the Satire of the Three Estates - a film for Historic Scotland from Staging the Scottish Court on Vimeo.

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