Eric Branse-InstoneShort video review of this year's #DunsPlayFest put together by one of our young paid interns giving a flavour of this year's festival and an insight into how the festival is supporting new drama and bringing theatre to the Scottish Borders.
YouTube
A brilliant photo by Stacie (see https://staciereflects.com/) of my alcoholic vicar in "The Red Lion" at this year's #DunsPlayfest.
The play, the third (& last?) part of a comedy series that have premiered at the last three festivals was written & directed by a hugely talented young man Jamie Mein (who was sitting his Highers the same week...)
#Theatre #NewWriting #Comedy
I've been writing an end of project report for one of the funders of this year's DunsPlayfest. The main festival in 2026 had 100 events across 7 venues and 9 days. I was involved in lots, but there were many bits that I wasn't. Just discovered a brilliant bit that I missed.
We got a grant to commission seven new plays by local new writers and then see them staged.
#NewWriting #DunsPlayFest #Theatre
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Insightful piece here seeing the community value of DunsPlayfest showing how it is so much more than it's tagline "Bringing brand new theatre to the Borders"
#DunsPlayfest #Theatre #NewWriting #SocialCohesion #community
https://staciereflects.com/2026/05/28/dunsplayfestbehindthescenes/
HSTC👋 we’re Her Story Theatre Company, based in South Wales and on a mission to put women’s stories centre stage.
Our plays explore the lives of remarkable women through history and today. So far that’s taken us through the story of Mary Frost in Pianoforte, a Welsh girl’s journey of faith in Daughter of Bala (DoB) , a comedy, Doreen’s Big Catch with an environmental nuance. ‘Betsi’ is next up at the Edinburgh Fringe 🏴🎭
#theatre #EdFringe #Edinburgh #WelshTheatre #WomensHistory #Betsi #newwriting
One of the theatre companies that returned to DunsPlayfest this year was Slash House. Another brilliant piece of new writing excellently presented. Well worth seeing if they decide to tour it. See the independent review here:
So DunsPlayfest is over for another year. Here is an interesting reflection from one of our Trustees (and writer/director of one of this year's productions that attracted one of the biggest audiences) about the meaning of life.
Musings on Life, Love, and DunsPlayFest by Jamie Mein
I’m about to make a bonkers statement but stay with me. At DunsPlayFest 2026, I well and truly think I discovered the meaning of life. Told you it was going to be bonkers but I’m being entirely serious.“What is this meaning you speak of?” I hear you ask. And “how on earth does DunsPlayFest fit into all this philosophical malarkey?” Well, I’m glad you asked. I had this epiphany at the epic closing party on the final night of the festival. Thanks to the spectacular ceilidh led by the fantastic ban
Facebook Reel here promoting Firebrand Theatre' s production at next month's DunsPlayfest. Can't wait!
Up for something a bit spooky? The latest show from Firebrand Theatre, 'The Land Beyond the Forest', showing at this year's DunsPlayFest, might be for you! Following the success of A Room of One’s Own and Ungetatable, Firebrand is thrilled to return to Duns PlayFest with a brand new play about the Scottish origins of Dracula. Honouring the vein of bringing the lives of women writers out of the shadows and into the light, The Land Beyond the Forest illuminates the little known Scottish novelist and anthropologist Emily Gerard (1849-1905) who solo walked the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania to unearth superstitions including how to kill a vampire and the first mention of Nosferatu; material which went on to inspire Bram Stoker to pen the best known Gothic novel of all time. Featuring Ellie Zeegen, this in-the-round performed reading fuses biographical material with Firebrand’s theatricality for a breathtaking journey into The Land Beyond the Forest. Made possible by Duns Play Fest. With thanks to Dacre Stoker, Experience Transylvania and the National Library of Scotland 🗓 Saturday 2nd May ⏰ 7:30pm 📍Volunteer Hall 🎫 https://tikt.link/dpf26Land Creative Scotland Firebrand Theatre Company Ellie Zeegen | Duns Play Fest
Up for something a bit spooky? The latest show from Firebrand Theatre, 'The Land Beyond the Forest', showing at this year's DunsPlayFest, might be for you! Following the success of A Room of One’s...
And here is the two lead characters of the play that our teenager writer/director is working with doing a promo for DunsPlayfest where the play will be premiered
#NewWriting #DunsPlayfest #Theatre #teenager
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18W2A43Way/
14 reactions · 17 shares | Davie and Alastair are venturing out of The Red Lion to DunsPlayFest! Will you be there too? Catch Davie and Alastair in The Red Lion: The Final Chapter at 12:30 on Saturday the 9th of May! Creative Scotland A Heart for Duns #newplay #livetheatre #emergingtalent #scottishborders #newtheatre #theatrefestival #berwickshire #scotland #Scottishfestival #scotlandstartshere | Duns Play Fest
Davie and Alastair are venturing out of The Red Lion to DunsPlayFest! Will you be there too? Catch Davie and Alastair in The Red Lion: The Final Chapter at 12:30 on Saturday the 9th of May!...
Article in The List about DunsPlayfest!
#Theatre #DunsPlayfest #ScottishBorders #LiveMusic #CommunityTheatre #NewWriting
https://list.co.uk/news/duns-play-fest-rolls-out-programme-for-latest-celebration-of-the-arts-48220
