Alan is an Edinburgh based playwright who strives to make theatre which is accessible to a wide audience. After graduating from Queen Margaret University in 2009, Alan has produced 4 plays for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and has worked with Strange Town since 2011. His plays for Strange Town include Teach Me, which was shortlisted for the Scottish Arts Club Edinburgh Guide Scottish Theatre Award in the 2012 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Alan is also one of the Traverse 50 and has been through the Playwrights Studio Scotland Mentoring Scheme.
0131 629 0292
info@strangetown.org.uk
Meet more of the Team
Lori Cook
Lori graduated from Performing Arts Studio Scotland in 2023 with a BA Hons degree in Dance and Drama with Kingston University.
She has been involved in theatre her whole life from performing to assistant-directing and choreographing for amateur theatre groups. She wants to encourage children get into drama and to make it a fun enjoyable way for them to express themselves.
Daniel Orejon
Daniel Orejon is a theatremaker and performer. He has been commissioned by the Edinburgh Multilingual Stories Festival and collaborated with Scottish Youth Theatre and the Edinburgh International Science Festival. He is the artistic director of the Crested Fools, with whom he has created award-nominated show The Rotting Hart. He specialises in projects that focus on multiculturalism, queerness and mental health, with a special fondness for all things Hispanic.
Grace Marshall
Assistant Director - Wednesday 11-14s
Grace is an actor and director based in Edinburgh, who graduated with a First Class BA (Hons) in Dance and Drama with Kingston University and Performing Arts Studio Scotland in 2025.
She has performed in theatres all across Edinburgh, including at the Royal Lyceum and the Traverse Theatre, and recently wrote and directed her own show ‘In My Own Hands’ which was performed at the Biscuit Factory.
She is passionate about creating theatre that sparks conversation, and using it as a unique tool to educate, and hopes to inspire young people to do the same!
Cara Watson
Cara Watson is a Scottish actor and emerging playwright. She holds a 1st (BA) Hons in Acting and has recently completed an MSc in Playwriting at The University of Edinburgh.
Recently, Cara was a co-writer and performer in a series of biopic films about the Scottish Suffragettes, which is now exhibited in Perth Museum.
She is also co-founder of New Writing collective Untie My Tongue Theatre. With her experience and passion within both theatre and filmmaking in Scotland, Cara is very excited to be working with Strange Town.
Sophia Irvine-Fortescue
Sophia is the Workshop Assistant for the Friday 5-7s Intro to Drama and Friday 8-12s Theatre Skills classes.
Pollyanna Esse
Pollyanna has worked with Strange Town for 2 years assisting various workshops. She graduated from Edinburgh University in 2022 with a Fine Art degree and is now training to be an Art Physiotherapist.
She has worked in theatre throughout her life and found her love for directing and producing in her final year of her undergraduate degree. In 2022, she wrote and directed her own Fringe show, going on to work for a New York based Theatre company. There she produced a programme for young and emerging playwrights as well as taking their show to Fringe in 2023. Some of the playwrights she mentored have now been commission to write for multiple theatres in New York. She has always had a love for arts education and giving people the space and opportunity to express themselves.
She has worked for Edinburgh International Festival for the past 2 years as their Digital Content Officer. So she has an strong organisation head too as well as being a creative at heart!
She recently set up Ophelia Hare Arts, where she aims to develop creative experiences that challenge the barriers of pay for early career creatives. She believes that no matter who you are, you should have access to the arts and experience the freedom of expression.
