Stuart Paterson
Stuart Paterson's current projects are: a screen adaptation of Hjalmar Soderberg’s DOCTOR GLAS, to be directed by Aisling Walsh; the book for IDENTICAL a new musical based on Erich Kästner’s LOTTIE & LISA (aka THE PARENT TRAP) with music by Stiles & Drewe which opens in July 2022 at Nottingham Playhouse ; and PRISONER C33, a one-man play ("written with skilful but harrowing intensity" The Times) about Oscar Wilde in prison directed by Trevor Nunn and starring Toby Stephens. The film was screened by BBC4 as part of its Lights Up strand in May 2022.
He has written KING OF THE FIELDS for the Traverse Theatre, and new versions of Chekhov’s THE CHERRY ORCHARD; UNCLE VANYA; THE SEAGULL and THREE SISTERS. For The Scottish Youth Theatre he has written IN TRACTION (later televised by BBC) and adapted Zola’s GERMINAL. He has also adapted Zola’s THÉRÈSE AQUIN for Communicado Theatre Company, which was later staged at Newcastle Playhouse who also staged his adaptation of William Trevor’s THE BALLROOM OF ROMANCE. His work for Tag Theatre Company includes an adaptation of Beowulf and James Hogg’s THE PRIVATE MEMOIRS and CONFESSIONS OF A JUSTIFIED SINNER. He has recently completed a version of Strindberg’s comedy COMRADES and new plays MOON STREET and CARS AND BOYS, as well as adaptations of Chekhov’s stories THE BLACK MONK and THE LETTER.
His work for television includes THE OLD COURSE and the film WORKHORSES, which won the BBC Pharic Mclaren Award for Best Script and Best Production. His version of THE SEAGULL was recently broadcast by BBC Radio 3.
His screenplay SOMEBODY'S WEE NOBODY won the Gold Award at the Chicago International Film Festival. Film projects include: original screenplays
THE PRETENDER; UNDER THE SAME MOON; BODY AND SOUL and MANTA RAY, and screen adaptations of THE KELPIE'S PEARLS by Mollie Hunter and FERGUS LAMONT by Robin Jenkins.
His family plays, first performed at The Citizens’ Theatre in Glasgow, Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum, Newcastle Playhouse and Birmingham Stage, have since been staged throughout the UK, and recently in the USA, Finland, Holland, Sweden, at the Den Nationale Scene in Norway, the theatre founded by Ibsen, and also the Theater Der Jugend in Vienna. They include: MERLIN THE MAGNIFICENT; THE SNOW QUEEN; BEAUTY AND THE BEAST; CINDERELLA; GRANNY AND THE GORILLA; HANSEL AND GRETEL; THE PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN; THE SLEEPING BEAUTY; PUSS IN BOOTS; a one-act play THE SECRET VOICE, and adaptations of J.M.Barrie’s PETER PAN; Kipling’s THE JUNGLE BOOK ('A dazzling experience that borders on world-class' Glasgow Herald); Michael Morpurgo’s KENSUKE'S KINGDOM and R. L. Stevenson’s TREASURE ISLAND.
He has written the stories for three orchestral pieces for children by the composer Savourna Stevenson: MISTERSTOURWORM; a version of HANSEL AND GRETEL which has been recorded by the Orchestra of Scottish Opera and a version of Hans Christian Andersen’s THE SNOW QUEEN performed by the RSNO.
Many of his plays are published by Nick Hern Books. THE PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN and GRANNY AND THE GORILLA are published in the USA by Samuel French/Baker Plays. He is currently working on the book and lyrics, along with co-lyricist Nicholas Gibbon, for a musical of Emile Zola’s GERMINAL.