Laura Walker, theatre producer and Eden Court Connect member, reflects on the joys and lessons of her theatre company Vivid Roots Collective's first production.

The Wound, the Rag, and the In-Between, an original play by Annie MacDonald, is Vivid Roots Collective's first production as a company, and an important step towards our vision of a thriving culture of professional performing arts in the Highlands.

The production also marks an important moment in Highland theatre as it is entirely developed and produced in the region, with almost all team members based in, or hailing from, the north of Scotland.

When we were developing the brief for this play commission back in late 2021, none of us imagined that it would be on the Eden Court stage just over two years later. The original brief for this project was for a full-length play which explored the issue of contemporary gender inequality in medicine through the lens of hysteria.

The first stage of this work was through research and development at Lyth Arts Centre in 2022 with a team made entirely of women and marginalised genders, all of whom were also emerging and early-career theatre-makers. Ensuring that the team felt safe in the rural location, that they had the ability to take risks and enhance their professional development, and that their wellbeing was considered through challenging research material and anecdotal experiences, was crucial to the work, and has had a lasting impact on all of the projects we have delivered since. The project's themes, combined with the fact that Vivid Roots Collective was born from the absence of theatre opportunities for graduates during the pandemic, have led to a growing care-based approach to making work – both as a company and as individuals.

One of the greatest joys of producing this work has been facilitating the professional and creative development of the artists involved (we’ll be introducing you to our full team on our socials over the next few weeks) and hearing artists talk about being inspired and empowered to create work in the Highlands.

Alongside the development of the artists has been the growth of our company – from an unincorporated collective to a registered charity, from a dream to an established change-making organisation – and the development of a gorgeous play by Annie MacDonald.

The Wound, the Rag, and the In-Between follows a Highland journalist as she unravels a Victorian death and exposes secrets that have been buried for generations.

Central to the play's story and staging is a clootie tree, a place where people have tied rags for generations to ask for healing. The play draws inspiration from Highland history to explore ideas of mortality, trust, health and folklore. The production follows five different characters from the Victorian times to the present day, as they come to terms with their relationship with a bog body. Who lies buried, and why did they come to rest in this place?

We can’t wait to share this with you in a month’s time!

The Wound, the Rag, and the In-Between premieres at Eden Court on Sat 4 May 2024.

Laura is a freelance theatre-maker, and CEO and Creative Producer for Vivid Roots Collective.