Playing it back: Stef Smith reimagines QMU’s history
When audiences took their seats at the Traverse Theatre earlier this year, they were taken on a journey through Queen Margaret University’s history, reframed through the lens of award-winning playwright and QMU graduate Stef Smith.
A play commissioned as part of our 150th anniversary programme, ‘Head. Heart. Hand.’ delivered a heart-warming and often surprising look at the institution’s evolution – from its origins as a cookery school for women to the modern university it is today.
Stef spent months researching QMU’s archives, uncovering stories and moments that shaped the script. The result was a tightly structured piece that blended factual detail with contemporary commentary. Scenes shifted from early domestic science classes to student activism, public health innovations, and the more recent challenges of the pandemic.
Students at the centre
The play was performed by our very own final year Acting and Performance students, who were given the incredible opportunity to work with a living playwright on a new piece of theatre.
Other students, staff and alumni from across our Media, Communication and Performing Arts Division also helped bring the play to life – from costume design to stage dressing. Bruce Strachan, Lecturer in Drama and Performance at QMU and Director of Head. Heart. Hand. said: “It’s a powerful example of how we prepare our students and engage consistently with today’s creative industries.”
A significant homecoming
Stef, who graduated from QMU in 2009 with a BA (Hons) in Drama and Theatre Arts, has gone on to build a remarkable career as a writer for both stage and screen, being described by the Scotsman as “one of Scotland’s most gifted playwrights.” Her acclaimed plays include ‘Nora: A Doll’s House, Swallow and Enough’, while her screen work includes the BBC Scotland drama ‘Float’. She has received numerous awards, including an Olivier Award for ‘Roadkill’ and Best Writer at the 2022 Royal Television Society Awards.
Stef described her return to QMU, as a “little surreal”. She said: “I can hardly believe how much time has passed since I graduated, yet in many ways it feels like no time at all! Much of Scotland’s theatre scene is built on new writing, so it’s vital that students gain experience working directly with a living playwright. I hope this opportunity gives them a real sense of the professional world they’re about to enter – it has been brilliant to see the next generation of students bringing such energy and creativity to the project. They should be so proud of their performance.”
Standing ovations
The play, which ran for three days in February, drew audiences of fellow students, staff, performing arts alumni, friends, family, along with arts journalists, agents, and casting directors. The atmosphere throughout the run was one of connection and shared experience, as many viewers recognised elements of their own time at QMU in the stories onstage. The production now stands as a memorable milestone in QMU’s drama and performing arts journey.
