The Traverse is delighted to be working with writer Ciara Elizabeth Smyth on a new play, supported via the Playwrights '73 Scheme, in association with the Peggy Ramsay Foundation and the Maria Bjornson Memorial Fund.
This award began back in 1973, making it one of the longest running schemes of its kind and it has supported a huge number of playwrights over the years who have gone on to write extraordinary plays.
Ciara’s distinctive talent and voice brings innovative ways of communicating heavy subject matter to audiences in a more digestible manner through her sharp humour. Her style aligns seamlessly with our artistic priorities, offering original narratives that not only engage but also unsettle, sparking meaningful reflection and conversation.
Ciara had the following to say on being granted this bursary;
"I am beyond thrilled to be selected for Playwrights '73, I was elated to even be nominated. Time, support and money are hard to come by, so to receive all three on attachment to the Traverse Theatre, the theatre that launched my career, is surreal. I'm honoured to be included in the list of writers who have been awarded previously and I can't wait to start working with the wonderful creatives at the Traverse. I promise to arrive ready to work with a charged laptop and a sharpened tongue."
Gareth Nicholls, Traverse Artistic Director, had the following to say about Ciara coming on board;
"We’re delighted to be working with Ciara Elizabeth Smyth as one of the winners of the Playwright 73 Award 2025. Since bringing her play ‘Lie Low’ to Trav Fest in 2023 Ciara has shown herself to be one of the most bold and unique new voices in Scottish and Irish theatre. Her plays show a fearlessness in tackling difficult subjects in entertaining ways and we can’t wait to see what she develops over the next 18 months."
About Ciara Elizabeth Smyth
Ciara Elizabeth Smyth is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. Her work has won praise for using comedy, surrealism and absurdism to explore tragedy. Her plays have been presented by the Royal Court Theatre, the Abbey Theatre, Dublin Fringe Festival, the Lyric Theatre, Belfast, and the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
Her most recent play, LIE LOW, (Winner Best Theatre Script 2023 Writers Guild of Ireland, Winner First Finalist BBC Writers Room Popcorn Award 2023) was presented in the Peacock Theatre in July 2023 and in the Traverse Theatre as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023. The show began a UK tour starting with a three week run at The Royal Court, London in May 2024. LIE LOW has been translated into Italian, Mandarin and Turkish and is currently being adapted as an opera, composed by Alex Dowling with award-winning director Tom Creed.
Ciara’s debut short film, SLAY + PREPARE, premiered at the Glasgow Short Film Festival 2024 and her debut feature film development is supported by Short Circuit.
Ciara is under commission with several television production companies and theatre companies across the UK and Ireland and is represented by Curtis Brown.
