playwright director performer
curriculum vitae
For a more comprehensive CV, please email islacowan [at] hotmail [dot] co [dot] uk
AWARDS
Winner Assembly ART Award 2022
Shortlist Filipa Bragança Award 2022
Shortlist St Andrews Playwriting Award 2022
Winner Alpine Fellowship Theatre Prize 2021
Shortlist Phil Fox Award 2020
Top 100 Verity Bargate Award 2020
PLAYWRITING
Jack and the Beanstalk, Hopscotch: Schools Tour, Nov-Jan 2022/23
She Wolf , Assembly Festivals: Assembly Roxy, Aug 2022 (Winner of 2022 Assembly ART Award) | Writer/Performer
Alright Sunshine, A Play, a Pie and a Pint @Oran Mor, Jun 2022
Consumed, Scottish Mental Health Arts Commission (Audio), Aug 2021
TRASH (extract), Traverse Theatre, May 2021
Ecotone, Making Space Festival (Audio), Mar 2021
World Under Water, Strange Town and Scottish Mental Health Arts, Oct 2020
Sno Wite and the Seven Dickensians, Scottish Storytelling Centre (Strange Town), Dec 2019
Daphne, or Hellfire, Pleasance (The Greenhouse), and Assembly Roxy, Aug/Nov 2019
The View from 2038: The View from Portobello, Royal Lyceum Theatre (Lyceum Youth Theatre), Nov 2018
Stressed, Traverse Theatre (Lyceum Youth Theatre), Mar 2018
These Walls, Sweet Venues, Edinburgh Fringe, Aug 2017
BANTER, Traverse Theatre (Lyceum Youth Theatre), Mar 2017
Come Back to Bed, Fitzpatrick Theatre, Mar 2017
Lily, Corpus Playroom, Nov 2016
LEARNING TO LIVE, Espionage@ Laughing Horse Free Fringe, Aug 2015 | Writer / Performer
ASSISTANT DIRECTING
The Duchess [Of Malfi] by Zinnie Harris, Royal Lyceum Theatre / Citizens, 2019 | dir. Zinnie Harris
GUT by Frances Poet , Traverse Theatre / National Theatre of Scotland, 2018 | dir. Zinnie Harris
Success by Nick Drake, Royal Lyceum Theatre (Lyceum Youth Theatre), 2017 | dir. Jordan Blackwood
Ben-Hur by Hattie Naylor, Reading Rep Theatre, 2016 | dir. Christie O’Carroll
DIRECTING
Andy McGregor The Beacon Arts Centre 2022
Traverse Scratch Night by various, Traverse Theatre, 2022 | Director
To Save the Sea by Isla Cowan & Andy McGregor, Creative Scotland: Development, 2022 | Co-Director
Batter Park by Andy McGregor, Beacon Arts Centre: Development, 2022 | Associate Director
Yes, Chef! by Laurie Ongden, Traverse Theatre: Development, 2021 | Director
Daphne, or Hellfire, Pleasance (The Greenhouse), 2019 | Director
Come Back to Bed, Fitzpatrick Theatre, Mar 2017 | Director
Lily, Corpus Playroom, Nov 2016 | Director
WORKSHOP AND TEACHING
Workshop Leader, Sustainable Theatre Practice, Framework Theatre Company, Jun 2022
Seminar Leader, Contemporary Dramaturgical Practices: Ecodramaturgies, University of Glasgow, Mar 2022
Workshop Leader, Ecological Methodologies Seminar, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Oct 2021
Workshop Leader, Phone Call to the World: VOICEMAIL, Scottish Youth Theatre and British Council, Jun-Sep 2021
Workshop Leader, Writing and Performing a Monologue Masterclass, University of St Andrews (Mermaids), Mar 2021
Workshop Leader, Ecological Methodologies Seminar, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Oct 2020
Workshop Leader, Creative Writing Seminar, University of Edinburgh, Feb 2020
Workshop Leader, Renaissance to Modern Day Dramaturgy Masterclass, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Jun 2019
Workshop Leader, Playwriting & Working with New Texts, Perth Youth Theatre, Feb 2019
Workshop Assistant, Lyceum Youth Theatre, Mar 2018
Workshop Assistant, ‘Summer on Stage’, Lyceum Youth Theatre, Jul 2016
Ballet Teaching Assistant, Blackhall Ballet, 2011 - 2012:
SKILLS
BALLET:
RAD Grade 8 (with distinction)
RAD Intermediate level
MUSIC:
ABRSM Grade 8 Singing
ABRSM Grade 5 Music Theory
EDUCATION
BA English Literature, University of Cambridge, 2014-17
MLitt Writing for Performance, University of St Andrews, 2017-18