Theatre
11-14s: Wednesdays

James Beagon

Director (Monday 8-18s & Wednesday 11-14s) / Youth Theatre Manager

James is a director, playwright and creative learning facilitator who has lived and worked in Edinburgh for over a decade.

He has worked with Strange Town since 2015 and has written a number of Strange Town productions including Stolen Futures (Traverse Theatre, June 2019), Heart of the Storm and Something Special (Scottish Storytelling Centre, Dec 2021) both of which he also directed. In addition to his role as Youth Theatre Manager, he leads the Monday and Wednesday youth theatre groups.

Previous credits with his own group Aulos Productions include the award-winning Fringe productions First Class (2014) and Gobland for the Goblins (2017) and the award-nominated Women of the Mourning Fields (2015) and Antigone na hEireann (2018).

James has worked extensively as a freelance drama practitioner with companies including East Lothian Youth Theatre, Lyceum Youth Theatre, Youth Theatre Arts Scotland, Theatre Sans Accents and Acting Out Drama School.

He holds an MFA in Directing from Edinburgh Napier and an M.A. (Hons) in Ancient and Medieval History from Edinburgh University and has run workshops and guest-lectured at both institutions.

Debi Pirie

Assistant Director: Wednesday 11-14s

Debi is a queer, disabled identifying actor, director and theatre-maker from rural Aberdeenshire with a keen interest in imaginative new writing. Based in Leith, they are one half of arts collective Theatre Fakers – a space seeking to address imposter syndrome within the industry. In 2021 Debi gained 5 star reviews and a sold out venue for their MFA Directorial showcase at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. As well as theatre, Debi has a love of art, illustration, comedy and Scots folk music.