Meet our graduates: Rosanna Hall
A two-time Edinburgh graduate, Rosanna now works as a playwright, theatre facilitator and opportunity coordinator for hard-to-reach young people, care leavers and young offenders.
Rosanna Hall is from Edinburgh and has completed two degrees at the University: an MA (Hons) in Philosophy and English Literature; and an MSc in Writing for Theatre and Performance (now known as Playwriting).
Dividing her time between Glasgow and Edinburgh, her work as an Opportunity Coordinator involves delivering employability workshops with hard-to-reach young people, care leavers and young offenders.
As Rosanna explains: “I use drama techniques to build their confidence in addition to script writing with them and helping them realise their ideas. It inspires me that drama and performance can affect lasting change, with the power to [help people] share stories, build resilience and see other ways that their lives can be realised.”
In the course of her work, she draws on a number of aspects of her MSc, including practical script writing knowledge (“to help the young people I work with realise their creativity”), ideas for workshops and writing prompts, and the connections she's made as part of a community of writers and actors.
Award-winning playwright
In addition to her work with young people, Rosanna is also a freelance playwright and theatre facilitator.
Citing her biggest achievement as “having my first full-length play ‘Two Girls’ performed at Terratoria Festival in Moscow, Russia”, she has also had work performed at Glasgow’s Tron Theatre and London’s Southwark Playhouse.
A member of the BBC Writers Room, and recipient of a Playwright’s Studio, Scotland ‘New Playwrights Award’, she particularly likes making political work, geared towards the sections of society to which theatre does not normally speak.
She is currently under commission to Hidden Door Festival with ‘Dead Centre’, a new play about constructed identity and “the versions of ourselves we make and remake in a world that controls through fear”. Directed by Derek Roland (a current Playwriting MSc student), its three-night run starts at State Cinema, Leith on Tuesday 29th May 2018.
Dreaming big and realising my ambition
Students on our Playwriting MSc work closely with peers and the Programme Director, Nicola McCartney, whom Rosanna describes as “passionate, inspiring and always looking for ways to encourage and build our writing careers.”
Rosanna really valued this “good community, [with] lots of support - I felt like the tutor did everything she could to help me dream big and realise my ambition”.
She liked the fact that her classmates each had their own take on playwriting: “they had varied styles of writing, [and were] encouraging and good fun to work with. Edinburgh also has great facilities and [it was] useful having the Edinburgh Festival.”
Asked what advice she would give someone wanting to study playwriting, she says “Do this course! It will inspire you, keep you focused, improve your writing skills, get you to finish full length pieces, link you with a community and get you noticed.”
Are you interested in studying for an MSc in Playwriting?
Our unique and practical masters programme is taught over one year (full-time) or two years (part-time) through a dynamic combination of seminars, workshops, one-to-one supervision and professional masterclasses.
Find out more about our MSc in Playwriting
Related links
Find out more about 'Dead Centre' and book tickets on the Hidden Door website
Read about other Playwriting graduates' experiences of the programme