A FEMALE-LED theatre company is hoping to inspire others to pursue their creative dreams as it prepares to stage its most ambitious show to date in Glasgow.
Playwright Mhairi Quinn, 34, makes up one-third of the Tandem Writing Collective which was founded with creative partners Jennifer Adam and Amy Hawes when the trio met in Glasgow in 2016.
She said: “At the time we were three female writers who felt there was a real lack of opportunities for people who were trying to make a name for themselves in the industry but didn’t have any sort of platform.
“When you write scripts, you can often be sending them into competitions with thousands of other applicants.
“We wanted to find another way of being seen.”
The talented group shared a vision for a company that put female stories and grassroots talent at the heart of their work and, thanks in part to a local legend, were soon inspired to take matters into their own hands to make that dream a reality.
Mhairi said: “I went to see a talk with the actor David Hayman and I remember he told us ‘just go out and do something’.
“He suggested that we hired the back of a pub, get in there and put our work on show so that’s exactly what we did.
“We had no idea how to go about it but rented spaces at Dram in Glasgow and The Canons' Gait in Edinburgh.
“All of it was self-funded and we told people purely through word of mouth.
“We assumed that we would just get a couple of people but ended up having to turn some away because it was mobbed.”
Over the following years, the company went from strength to strength thanks largely to support from Glasgow's Tron Theatre, which encouraged them to add an admission fee to their events after several sell-out performances.
A signature format which showcases punchy 10-minute short stories woven together by live music saw them progress from back rooms to stages at the Vic Bar, the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh and finally the Changing House at the Tron itself.
Speaking of what motivated them to push themselves so far outside of their comfort zones Mhairi said: “One of the driving forces for what we do is providing a space for female actors, directors and creatives.
“That’s not to exclude men, but the majority of shows in theatres across Scotland are written by male playwrights and there is a real problem across the industry where there is a lack of meaty roles for females over 50.
“We want to make sure that there’s a range of voices and stories being told on stage.”
While Covid lockdowns put a halt to a promising application for funding from Creative Scotland in early 2020, Tandem's well-earned reputation has now seen it secure cash to stage its latest project, ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS at the Tron Theatre on Wednesday, April 5 and the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh on Saturday, April 2.
Looking forward to the show Mhairi, who grew up in Croy and now lives in Finnieston, says they are grateful to find themselves firmly established in an industry that is rapidly becoming more inclusive for both talent and spectators alike.
She said: “Glasgow is a beautiful city to start working in as a creative.
“As someone who grew up here and then moved away, I never thought I would come back but now more than ever I’m glad to live here because now more so than ever there are so many opportunities.
“I’m a working-class writer and when I was growing up I remember turning up to workshops and being terrified to even open my mouth.
“Now I can see the room is changing and people are feeling more confident to go down that avenue.
“The industry is not as ‘middle class’ as it used to feel when I was younger and there’s a lot more effort to get more regional voices on screen and stage which is brilliant because it will encourage diversity in audiences as well.
“When we started off in the back of those pubs, we never could have dreamed that we would be where we are today.”
For more information on Tandem click here.
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