Bringing Worlds to Life by Jamie Mein Writing a play can be very arduous and quite lonely. By the time the final draft is written I’m usually sick of my own words having read them over again and again, agonising over whether “that line is funny enough?” and wondering “does that line convey the message I’m trying to put across?” Eventually I can’t even begin to look at it. But all that changes at the first readthrough when actors give voice to my characters and the words leap off the page, afresh and anew. Their deliveries and interp

DunsPlayfest is fast approaching. Here is an insightful blog by our youngest Trustee about the joy of seeing your play brought to life through performance.

#Dunsplayfest #newWriting #theatre #ScriptToStage #EmergingArtists

www.dunsplayfest.org.uk/post/bringing-worlds-to-...

DunsPlayfest is fast approaching (first week in May) a nine day festival of new theatrical drama, here in Duns in the Scottish Borders.
#NewWriting #Theatre #communityTheatre #ArtsForAll #DunsPlayfest #ScottishBorders

Online Flipbook Created with the Heyzine flipbook maker

And here is the full programme for #DunsPlayFest 2026

#newWriting #Theatre #LiveMusic #CommunityTheatre #EmergingTalent #Comedy

https://heyzine.com/flip-book/4fd882545f.html

Duns PlayFest's Director (John McEwen) and Producer (Sara Best) talk about the packed programme for this year's festival (first week in May).
#DunsPlayFest #NewWriting #Theatre #CommunityTheatre #Duns #ScottishBorders

https://youtube.com/shorts/O3KdUip9Xz0

Original post on mastodon.scot

So I wrote a Blog post for DunsPlayFest about the transformation of a drill hall into a magical space for new theatre.

#DunsPlayFest #CommunityTheatre #Theatre #Live_music #Duns #ScottishBorders #MentalHealth #NewWriting […]

Richard Demarco, Scottish European of the year Press release: Cabinet Secretary Angus Robertson presents Richard Demarco with 2025 Scottish European of the Year award at Holyrood ceremony

DunsPlayFest's patron and theatre impresario, Richard Demarco, has been named Scottish European of the year!

#ScotlandInEurope #DunsPlayFest #Theatre #EuropeanMovement

bylines.scot/politics/europe-politics...

Here is DunsPlayFest's youngest playwright and trustee in conversation with this year's winner of the Hugo Burge Award.

#DunsPlayFest #theatre #emergingArtists #NewWriting

https://youtu.be/WspWq7xlP0o

Original post on mastodon.scot

And on top of this news, just heard that DunsPlayFest's Festival Director, John McEwen and Producer, Sara Best, are off to the Thistle Awards this evening being in the final four of this prestigious award in the Outstanding Festivals Category.

#AccessibleTheatre #theatreFestival […]

Poster showing a misty Scottish mountain. Text: Firebrand UNGETATABLE by Janet Coulson & Ellie Zeegen A performed reading of a radio play inspired by George Orwell’s 1984 Heart of Hawick Friday 21° November, 19.30 Standard £12.50 / Concession £10 / Wheelchair accessible £10 Age recommendation 12+

Firebrand premièred this new radio play at this year's DunsPlayFest. Presented on stage as a radio play it was remarkably spell binding. Great to see them touring it.

#newWriting #DunsPlayFest #Hawick #Theatre #RadioPlay #Firebrand

Lass in slinky dress exclaiming "oh my..." whilst holding a steering wheel whilst hard-man young bloke looks on. Dark background, dramatic lighting...

Shot from one of the new plays that premiered at this year's DunsPlayFest.

Ollipops a dark comedy written & directed by Eilidh Macdonald, which went on to a successful run at the Fringe.

#ScottishTheatre #emergingArtists #newWriting #theatre
#DunsPlayFest

Richard, shoulders stooped by his 90+ years cutting a ribbon alongside a girl of about 9 years, both with scissors.

“I might be the only person who has been to every Edinburgh Festival since it began in 1947 but I think the true spirit of the festival now resides… in Duns...

DunsPlayFest is all about love.”

Said by Richard Demarco,, patron of DunsPlayFest in 2024. Photo is […]

[Original post on mastodon.scot]

Black and white photo of young woman with Mona Lisa smile. Older man (the writer, playing Doom) to right in profile. 20 something lad (Dread) about to undermine her confidence to the left.

This was one of the home-grown new plays at this year's DunsPlayFest 'Doom and Dread'. A young woman's battle with negative male-expressed thoughts of doom & dread. Amusingly written and brilliantly acted.

#DunsPlayFest #NewWriting #Theatre #ScottishBorders

Are you a writer that would like to present work at DunsPlayFest?

Do you have an idea you would like to submit?

Email: info@dunsplayfest.org.uk

#DunsPlayFest
#NewWriting #Theatre #live_music

There are some spaces that quietly transform you. Not by force, not with grand declarations, just by their sheer intention, warmth and the people who show up for them. Returning to DunsPlayFest this year wasn’t just a follow-up from the first edition of Unveiled. It was a return to something deeply rooted in my artistic spirit. A rediscovery of the many languages of performance, creativity and a witnessing of what happens when community is given a stage of its own. The performances, were electric, at times heart wrenchingly profound. Diverse, bold, intimate, hilarious. However what pulled at me most this year wasn’t just what happened under the lights. It was what was happening behind the scenes, in the hearts and stories of the volunteers. I began asking them: What difference has volunteering at DunsPlayFest made to your life? The answers were raw, powerful. “ _I moved here and felt invisible. Now I help run other things_ _too_.” “ _What volunteering has done for me these past few years has increased my confidence, self worth and improved my mental health_ ” “ _Given me a social life_.” “ _I’ve never really felt part of my community before, until now._ ” “ _A belonging_ , _It gets me out of bed_.” “ _Meeting lots of locals, I’m much more involved with the community now, great! Feel like I’m properly living_ ” “ _I wasn’t born here. I moved here and didn’t think I’d ever fit in. Now I help run things. Now I belong_.” “ _This festival gives me a reason to get out, to take part. It makes me feel seen._ ” “ _I had never volunteered before. Now I can’t imagine not doing it_.” “ _It’s given me the confidence to try new things, not just here but everywhere in my life_.” Confidence, self-esteem, purpose, gifts far beyond the spotlight. One person told me they’d begun organising other events in the area simply because this gave them the belief they could. **Young Blood, Big Heart: Jamie’s Journey from Spotlight to Stewardship** It’s not every day you meet someone like Jamie Mein. At just sixteen, Jamie is helping build the wider stage itself. A passionate performer from a young age, Jamie’s roots run deep in the Duns theatre scene. He grew up immersed in the vibrant world of the Duns and District Amateur Operatic Society (DDAOS), developing an early love for musicals and acting that has only grown stronger with time. But this year marked a turning point. Jamie is now not just a performer, but a playwright and a trustee for DunsPlayFest. An extraordinary role for someone so young and one he takes on with genuine passion and humility. “ _Being part of DunsPlayFest has made a huge difference to my life_ ” His enthusiasm is heart warming. Whether he’s writing, rehearsing, helping organise, or simply showing up to support others Jamie embodies the spirit of what community theatre can be: inclusive, empowering, and transformative. What makes this all the more beautiful is how DunsPlayFest recognises and uplifts young voices, not just as future artists, but as present-day leaders. **Also…** It’s not just the volunteers. Another quote is the from the audience that turned up for a performance by P5 children based on a murder mystery. One woman told me: “ _I was supposed to be at work, but my boss gave me the time off. That’s my niece up there_ ” **Spotlight: The Little Ones Who Stole the Stage** Directed Karen Anderson and musical assistant director the dedicated Katie Forbes, the show was full of laughter and unexpected twists. But it wasn’t just the story that kept the crowd hooked. It was the humour. The cheeky timing. The absolute commitment. There was something about seeing those P5 children step onto the stage, into a fully-fledged murder mystery extravaganza. Pride beaming from the their faces. The bravery it takes to stand up and pretend to be someone else. It was funny, bold, elusive, well played! Kids becoming. Becoming characters, becoming confident, becoming seen. In the audience? Grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, classmates, neighbours. It was heart, it was community. The joy in the air was contagious. **Overall** Sheer art. This festival doesn’t just entertain, it heals, uplifts, includes. From acting to dance to workshops. From background visionaries, volunteer team, tech crew to family-filled rows and theatre-lovers it’s proof of what happens when art becomes community. This isn’t just about theatre. It’s about life. It’s about remembering who you are when someone hands you the mic and believes you have something to say. And personally? I rediscovered that scriptwriting still lives in my bones. That improvisation still thrills me. That photographing theatre wakes something alive in my lens and soul. A well earned congratulations to the team pulling this together! Last year DunsPlayFest changed how I approach my personal artwork. This year, it has evolved again. www.dunsplayfest.org.uk ### Share this: * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp * Click to print (Opens in new window) Print * Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram * Like Loading...

And this review by someone who was so impressed by the positive spirit of the 2024 festival, they returned this year.
#DunsPlayFest #Theatre #Community staciereflects.com/2025/05/10/returning-to-...

Report: DunsPlayFest, Duns, 2-10.05.25 We venture out of HQ, up to Duns to take in an exhilirating week of challenging, dynamic and exciting new writing from some electric new playwrights.

If you think the blog post by the chair of DunsPlayFest linked in the previous toot is a bit too gushing, here is a review of this year's festival by an individual reviewer from London

#DunsPlayFest #Theatre #NewWriting

zine.theneverpress.com/report-dunsplayfest-duns...

DunsPlayFest - At The Heart of The Community by Karen Thomas The hows and whys of our festival

A blog post by the chair of Duns Playfest, a brilliant 9 day festival of new theatrical writing every May in Berwickshire.

#DunsPlayFest
#Duns
#NewWriting #Theatre #CommunityTheatre
#ScottishBorders

www.dunsplayfest.org.uk/post/dunsplayfest-at-the...

Short film here about one of the new pieces of writing performed at this year's DunsPlayFest, a homage to Dylan Thomas's Under milk Wood.

#DunsPlayFest #NewWriting #communityTheatre #Theatre #Duns

https://youtu.be/kGBmPylUviQ?s

Original post on mastodon.scot

#DunsPlayfest was brilliant this year. The website splash page now has links to a couple of reviews and a couple of short videos created by our team of young (paid) interns.

If you have a new play that you want to see staged, let us know.

Duns Play Fest | Theatre | Duns, UK […]

🎉We’re thrilled to support DunsPlayFest as an official sponsor!

Check out our latest blog! zurl.co/a3pOR

✉️Let’s make your event unforgettable. Get in touch today!

#DunsPlayFest #EventPrinting #FantasyPrints #FestivalSeason

We’re thrilled to have printed the stunning banners for DunsPlayFest and they’re looking absolutely fantastic! 💙🧡

Planning an event? Let’s make it stand out together! 📢

#FantasyPrints #DunsPlayFest #VibrantPrinting #EventBranding #PrintPerfection