We are saddened to hear of the passing of a dear friend of the Traverse Theatre and staple of theatre in Scotland, the playwright Alan Wilkins.
After a public reading of his first play, Childish Things,the Traverse commissioned Alan to write The Nest - which premiered in 2004 and was one many works Wilkins would go on to present at the Traverse during his career.
In 2007, Wilkins returned to the Traverse with Carthage Must Be Destroyed, which won the Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS) for Best New Play.
This was followed by the production Can We Live With You? in 2008, with Lung Ha theatre company, working with people with learning disabilities.
Alongside his activities as a writer, Alan was a brilliant teacher and mentor, and contributed to Traverse's flagship school project Class Act, connecting pupils to the arts through creative writing and storytelling.
Our thoughts are with his family, loved ones, and the very many people whose lives he influenced and enriched - he will be missed by many.
Photography: Douglas Robertson
Listen to an interview with Alan Wilkins by previous Literary Officer, Jennifer Williams, talking about his experience working on Carthage Must Be Destroyed (2007) and as a playwriting tutor for the Traverse Young Writers Group.
Original music by James Iremonger.
Produced and engineered by Cian O'Siochain.
(Photos from The Nest's Highlands & Islands tour 2004 - Andy Catlin)