Stories From The Grey Hill

Crystal Galbraith, the playwright of Pride's Riot, discusses her inspiration for the play and the themes it explores. Pride's Riot follows two queer young people, Ryan and Andy, as they react to the news of Marsha P. Johnson's death and the impact it has on the queer community. Crystal emphasizes the importance of taking action against hate crimes and the need for justice. She also shares her writing process and the challenges she faced in capturing the tone and mood of the 90s setting. Crystal hopes that listeners will resonate with the characters' reactions and be inspired to speak up about their own experiences.

About The Play:

"Pride's A Riot" is a story set in 1992 that follows the journey of young Andy and Ryan as they navigate widespread discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. After activist Marsha P. Johnson is found dead, likely murdered, Andy and Ryan organise a protest demanding justice. When violence erupts, injuring many, they realise more drastic action is needed. Undaunted, the friends press on, determined to force society to confront the violence and indifference that queer people face daily. Their struggle speaks to the power of marginalised voices rising in righteous anger against injustice, refusing to be silent or invisible any longer.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠About Stories From The Grey Hill Podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Is a podcast supporting and showcasing new Audio Theatre writing. Showcasing 12 playwrights and 14 actors, season 1 will last for one year! By subscribing, you support The Grey Hill in producing more new writing here in Scotland.

Season 1 Dates:

Plays available in full:

Episodes 2-4 are available as part of our podcast subscription or purchased as an audiobook via ⁠⁠⁠Ayr Gaiety⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Theatre Royal Dumfries⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠About Stories From The Grey Hill Podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Is a podcast supporting and showcasing new Audio Theatre writing. Showcasing 12 playwrights and 14 actors, season 1 will last for one year! By subscribing, you support The Grey Hill in producing more new writing here in Scotland.

Season 1 Dates:

Plays available in full:

Join us as we speak to Alyssa Osieki, playwright of Essential Work Only, the audio play, we talk about the audio play and more in this interview.

About the play:

After years of estrangement, sisters Amy and Kate reconnect amidst the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though their video calls are initially awkward, necessity and loneliness draw them together to work through long-held resentments. Flashbacks reveal their fraught family history - a charismatic mother who struggled with alcoholism and postpartum depression, a stoic father left picking up the pieces, and two sisters who grew up in entirely different emotional worlds.

As the pandemic rages on, Amy and Kate continue to rebuild their relationship. They laugh, cry, and squabble, slowly bridging the gulf between them. When travel restrictions finally lift, they embark on a cathartic journey to honour their late father by scattering his ashes. The trip proves revelatory and recasts old memories in a new light. In the end, planting a tree on a windswept island beach doesn't just memorialize their dad - it roots this fragmented family back together.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠About Stories From The Grey Hill Podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Is a podcast supporting and showcasing new Audio Theatre writing. Showcasing 12 playwrights and 14 actors, season 1 will last for one year! By subscribing, you support The Grey Hill in producing more new writing here in Scotland.

Season 1 Dates:

Plays available in full:

After years of estrangement, sisters Amy and Kate reconnect amidst the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though their video calls are initially awkward, necessity and loneliness draw them together to work through long-held resentments. Flashbacks reveal their fraught family history - a charismatic mother who struggled with alcoholism and postpartum depression, a stoic father left picking up the pieces, and two sisters who grew up in entirely different emotional worlds.

As the pandemic rages on, Amy and Kate continue to rebuild their relationship. They laugh, cry, and squabble, slowly bridging the gulf between them. When travel restrictions finally lift, they embark on a cathartic journey to honour their late father by scattering his ashes. The trip proves revelatory and recasts old memories in a new light. In the end, planting a tree on a windswept island beach doesn't just memorialize their dad - it roots this fragmented family back together.

Episode 2-4 are available as part of our podcast subscription or purchased as an audiobook via ⁠Ayr Gaiety⁠ or ⁠Theatre Royal Dumfries⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠About Stories From The Grey Hill Podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Is a podcast supporting and showcasing new Audio Theatre writing. Showcasing 12 playwrights and 14 actors, season 1 will last for one year! By subscribing, you support The Grey Hill in producing more new writing here in Scotland.

Season 1 Dates:

Plays available in full:

Join us as we speak to Susan Chaney, playwright of Beyond the Ash Lagoon, The Preceptory and First Love. Join us in this episode as we learn what encouraged Susan to write these three plays.

About Beyond the Ash Lagoon:

When grieving widow Cat reluctantly joins her sister on a trip back to their childhood town in rural Scotland, long-buried memories begin to surface. As the sisters explore the haunting ruins of the old coal mines and windswept coastal lagoons, the raw beauty of the landscape contrasts sharply with revelations from their troubled past. Flashbacks reveal their tense relationship with their emotionally unstable mother as well as a closer bond with a kindly neighbour. Cat struggles to come to terms with her all-consuming grief in the wake of her partner's sudden death. Meanwhile, Milly harbours darker childhood secrets that still torment her. Though the journey is painful, the sisters slowly reconnect, unearthing truths about each other and finding solace in the enduring cycle of nature and community. This poignant and lyrical audio play grapples with themes of death, sexual trauma, mental illness and the complex bond between siblings.

About The Preceptory:

The Preceptory" is a dramatic audio play set in 1395 Scotland. It follows 17-year-old Margery, who has lost her parents to disease and been taken in by Canon Daumont, the abusive priest who runs the religious order. When Margery's sailor brother Robert returns home and learns of her mistreatment, he confronts the corrupt Canon, seeking revenge. Margery is nearly assaulted before the spirit of her deceased mother intervenes and helps her escape. The play explores provocative themes of corruption, vengeance, faith and redemption through flawed yet sympathetic characters.

About First Love:

Despite her parent's disapproval, Hilary forms a close friendship with a free-spirited neighbour, Margot Rose. As the teenagers grow older, their relationship grows more complex before ending abruptly when Margot betrays Hilary's trust; their adolescent bond unravels when Margot Rose kisses Billy Maguire under their crab apple tree.

When grieving widow Cat reluctantly joins her sister on a trip back to their childhood town in rural Scotland, long-buried memories begin to surface. As the sisters explore the haunting ruins of the old coal mines and windswept coastal lagoons, the raw beauty of the landscape contrasts sharply with revelations from their troubled past. Flashbacks reveal their tense relationship with their emotionally unstable mother as well as a closer bond with a kindly neighbour. Cat struggles to come to terms with her all-consuming grief in the wake of her partner's sudden death. Meanwhile, Milly harbours darker childhood secrets that still torment her. Though the journey is painful, the sisters slowly reconnect, unearthing truths about each other and finding solace in the enduring cycle of nature and community. This poignant and lyrical audio play grapples with themes of death, sexual trauma, mental illness and the complex bond between siblings.

Part 2 is available as part of our podcast subscription or purchased as an audiobook via Ayr Gaiety or Theatre Royal Dumfries

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠About Stories From The Grey Hill Podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Is a podcast supporting and showcasing new Audio Theatre writing. Showcasing 12 playwrights and 14 actors, season 1 will last for one year! By subscribing, you support The Grey Hill in producing more new writing here in Scotland.

Season 1 Dates:

Plays available in full:

Join us as we speak to Benjamin Harris, playwright of Wolfe of Bannoch, the audio play, as we learn what encouraged him to write the play, the history based on the characters and more!

About the play:

Join Alexander Stuart, the roguish Wolfe of Badenoch, on his reckless pursuit of power in medieval Scotland. Despite being the illegitimate son of the king., Alexander is determined to regain his lost titles and lands after being exiled from the realm.

One day, a mysterious stranger visits Alexander's stronghold with a proposition to help him reclaim his former glory. Alexander takes this opportunity to recount his scandalous life story, starting from his early days of rebellion against the king alongside his father. Despite earning the permanent scorn of the crown prince, Alexander's father eventually claims the throne and rewards him with riches and responsibilities far beyond his station.

This audio performance details Alexander’s complicated relationships with his mistress Mary, the mother of his children, and his devious political dealings that won him the hand of the Countess of Ross and nearly half a kingdom. But eventually, his unquenchable ambition and lack of restraint catch up with him, and he loses everything.

The question remains: Will the stranger’s proposition be Alexander’s salvation or his undoing? Follow this gripping and gritty historical drama as Alexander dances with destiny to seize power in 14th-century Scotland.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠About Stories From The Grey Hill Podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Is a podcast supporting and showcasing new Audio Theatre writing. Showcasing 12 playwrights and 14 actors, season 1 will last for one year! By subscribing, you support The Grey Hill in producing more new writing here in Scotland.

Season 1 Dates:

Plays available in full:

This month, our playwright is Benjamin Harris, who has written The Wolfe of Baddnock.

About the play:

Join Alexander Stuart, the roguish Wolfe of Badenoch, on his reckless pursuit of power in medieval Scotland. Despite being the illegitimate son of the king., Alexander is determined to regain his lost titles and lands after being exiled from the realm.

One day, a mysterious stranger visits Alexander's stronghold with a proposition to help him reclaim his former glory. Alexander takes this opportunity to recount his scandalous life story, starting from his early days of rebellion against the king alongside his father. Despite earning the permanent scorn of the crown prince, Alexander's father eventually claims the throne and rewards him with riches and responsibilities far beyond his station.

This audio performance details Alexander’s complicated relationships with his mistress Mary, the mother of his children, and his devious political dealings that won him the hand of the Countess of Ross and nearly half a kingdom. But eventually, his unquenchable ambition and lack of restraint catch up with him, and he loses everything.

The question remains: Will the stranger’s proposition be Alexander’s salvation or his undoing? Follow this gripping and gritty historical drama as Alexander dances with destiny to seize power in 14th-century Scotland.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠About Stories From The Grey Hill Podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Is a podcast supporting and showcasing new Audio Theatre writing. Showcasing 12 playwrights and 14 actors, season 1 will last for one year! By subscribing, you support The Grey Hill in producing more new writing here in Scotland.

Season 1 Dates:

Plays available in full:

Pure Baltic, What it is we keep talking about and Time of Our Lives. We speak to Birgit Itse on all these plays and more in this 45-minute interview.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠About Stories From The Grey Hill Podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Is a podcast supporting and showcasing new Audio Theatre writing. Showcasing 12 playwrights and 14 actors season 1 will last for one year! By subscribing, you support The Grey Hill to produce more new writing here in Scotland.

Season 1 Dates:

Plays available in full:

This month our playwright is Birgit Itse who has three audio plays for us; Pure Baltic, What it is we keep talking about and Time of Our Lives.

About the play:

In this concise immigrant tale, a woman reflects on the frigid Estonian winters compared to her new home in Scotland. Although she fondly recalls the bitter temperatures that would drop down to -35°C, she admits that Scotland isn't truly "pure Baltic". Despite her love for Scotland's fairy tales and unicorns, she still feels perpetually cold and misses the crisply cold blue days and ski trips from her past. Through intertwining hardship with transcendent winter beauty, she remembers the glimmer of ice-crusted trees and waking up to diamond-dust air. As she and her son plan more winters in Scotland, she bridges cultures across generations. This tightened tapestry renders the global yet intimate dilemma of immigrants who persevere through chill adversity, illuminating both human resilience and winter's splendour with its elegant emotion and evocative, spare language.

⁠⁠⁠⁠About Stories From The Grey Hill Podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠

Is a podcast supporting and showcasing new Audio Theatre writing. Showcasing 12 playwrights and 14 actors season 1 will last for one year! By subscribing, you support The Grey Hill to produce more new writing here in Scotland.

Season 1 Dates:

Plays available in full: