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
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.
Katie Fraser
Katie is a playwright, teacher and workshop leader. Since finishing the MSc in Playwriting course at the University of Edinburgh she has been working with Framework Theatre Company to develop her script Play Pretend. She has extensive experience working with young people from 8-18 in schools and in youth theatre groups.
Victoria Giambalvo
Victoria Giambalvo (she/they) is a previously New York-based, currently Edinburgh-based actor and creator. They have a passion for developing and performing in immersive and interactive experiences, particularly in personal development for audiences of all ages. They hold a BFA in Musical Theatre from Long Island University and MSc in Film Studies from University of Edinburgh, and are one of the co-founders and producers of Play Full: A Scratch Night. Most recently they appeared in Hopscotch Theatre’s interactive children show ‘The Play, Play’ funded by University of Glasgow, and will have been seen touring Scotland in ‘Pinocchio’ during the 2024 Christmas months.
Anna Whealing
Anna is a highlands-born writer, theatre-maker and producer. She has worked with community groups, volunteers, children, artists and industry members. Anna has produced award-winning short films and documentries, run workshops for emerging writers, created several new-writing audio series, organised scratch nights for performance artists in Glasgow and dabbled in stage managment. Basically, she’ll say yes to everything and loves a challange! Anna is currently a creative trainee on textLAB, a writers programme run by Scottish Youth Theatre and Playwrights Studio Scotland. She has acted as Assistant Director for A Play, A Pie and A Pint and Mull Theatre.
Grace Marshall
Assistant Director - Wednesday 11-14s
Grace is an actor and theatre-maker based in Edinburgh. She is currently finishing an HND in Acting and Performance with Performing Arts Studio Scotland, and is about to begin a BA Honours degree in Dance and Drama.
She has performed in theatres all across Edinburgh, including at the Royal Lyceum and the Traverse Theatre.
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!
Dan Webb
Assistant Director - Friday 8-10s
Dan Webb is an Actor who recently graduated with a BA Honours Degree in Dance and Drama from Edinburgh College. He enjoys devising and creating pieces of work that put smiles on the faces of his audience, and is always looking for new avenues to bring happiness to people through Drama.
