Ruth is an Edinburgh based director, arts manager and writer who has been working with young people in a theatre setting for 25 years, primarily in Scotland. She co-founded Strange Town and manages it with Steve Small and also runs the Strange Town Young Actors’ agency. She worked in the marketing department at Edinburgh Festival Theatre in 1995, where she established the theatre’s education programme. From 1996-2000 she lived in Tokyo, setting up a children’s theatre company and working in television and the voiceover industry. As a freelancer she has previously worked with Lyceum Youth Theatre, macRobert, North Edinburgh Arts Centre, Scottish Youth Theatre, Perth Theatre, Stirling Youth Theatre, Borderline Youth Theatre, and Dundee Rep.
0131 629 0292
info@strangetown.org.uk
Meet more of the Team
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.
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.
Sophia Irvine-Fortescue
Sophia is the Workshop Assistant for the Friday 5-7s Intro to Drama and Friday 8-12s Theatre Skills classes.
Adam Butler
Originally from Edinburgh, Adam has recently moved back from Glasgow where he spent four years training and developing his craft.
Adam holds a BA Acting degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Since graduating, Adam has worked as an actor, director, producer, and tutor.
His current and previous tutoring work includes the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Rose Bruford College, Edinburgh Acting School, and Edinburgh Council’s Adult Education Course. His latest directing credit was A Midsummer Night’s Dream, performed in June 2024 at the Church Hill Theatre.
Adam is a supportive and approachable tutor, and looks to help students discover their full potential.
Jenny Anderson
Jenny has worked in Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders as a drama practitioner since 2017. Through this work, she helps young people to develop their confidence and perfect their drama skills whilst having fun and making new friends.
She also runs Zoom workshops for young people across the UK with the same rare syndrome (Kabuki) as herself. They gain so much by connecting through drama. She loves all aspects of my work both face to face and in the virtual world and is very much looking forward to this new chapter working regularly with Strange Town.
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!
