Jo Clifford

Photo by Yaz Norris Photography
Wednesday, 21 August @ 11:00 -- Cairns Lecture Theatre, Summerhall
Jo Clifford
Jo Clifford is one of Scotland's leading playwrights. She has been working in the theatre for over thirty years; she is the author of approximately 80 plays in every dramatic medium; and her work has been translated into several languages and produced throughout the world.
She is the first openly transexual woman to have written a play produced in London’s West End.
Since transitioning to Jo, she has also steadily been gaining a reputation as a performer.
As John Clifford, his work with the Traverse Theatre in the eighties helped establish the international reputation of the Traverse. With these plays:
Losing Venice (1985; Fringe First; Perth Festival Australia, Hong Kong Arts Festival; tour of Sweden; New York, Los Angeles; BBC Radio 3)
Lucy’s Play (1986; Aspen, Colorado; Long Beach))
Playing with Fire (1987; Exeter)
The Girl Who Fell to Earth (commissioned by Traverse for 1988 Edinburghh Festival. Eventually prodiced in 1991 by Great Estern Stage)
Inés de Castro (1989: BBC 2 & Portuguese Television 1990; BBC Radio 3 1992; the opera, with music by James Macmillan, Scottish Opera 1996 and 1998 and 2000; play translated into Spanish, French, Portuguese and Croatian; most recently performed by Shakespeare Carolina and the Serbian National Theatre.
Great Expectations (1989: first performed by TAG in 1988; revived by the Traverse and toured Iraq, Egypt, Sri Lanka, india and Bangladesh. Subsequent productions by Salisbury playhouse, lyric Belfast, Northern Stage, Pitlochry Festival theatre, Perth Theatre, Prime Productions and most recently by Beckman Unicorn productions in London’t West End)
Light in the Village (1991; translated into Norwegian, French and Tagalog; productions in London, Chicago, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Singapore and Manila)
Anna (1993 opera libretto for the Edinburgh International Festival. Music by Craig Armstrong)
An Apple a Day (2009; co-production with Oran Mor)
The Tree of Knowledge (2011)
for the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh: Anna Karenina (2005; also Dundee Rep); Faust parts one and two (2006); Every One (2010)
for Pitlochry Festival Theatre: La Vie de Bohème (1993; also BBC Radio 4); Wutherin Heights (1995); Tchaikovsky and the Queen of Spades (2002; also Nuffield, Southampton); Charles Dickens: The Haunted Man (2002)
for Edinburgh International Festival: Schism in England (1988; National Theatre); Anna (1993; Traverse); Inés de Castro (1996; Scottish Opera); Life is a Dream (1998; Royal Lyceum); Celestina (Birmingham Rep 2004)
For children and young people: Romeo and Juliet (1983: TAG, then SYT, Byre, Perth); Macbeth (1991; Perth); Dreaming (1994; Edinburgh Puppet Co); The Magic Flute (1998; Blue Tiger Music Theatre); Hansel and Gretel (2000; Blue Tiger Music Theatre).
Radio plays include Desert Places (1983; BBC Radio Scotland); Ending Time (1984 BBC Radio 3); The Price of Everything (1991, BBC Radio 3); Writing Home to Mother (1997 Radio 4), Letters from a Strange Land (1999; BBC Radio 4), Ain’t It Grand To Be Bloomin’ Well Dead (1999; BBC Radio 3) Madeleine, (2002; BBC Radio 4) Spam Fritters (2009; BBC Radio Scotland.
Other notable adaptations include: Baltasar and Blimunda (2001; BBC Radio 3), The Leopard (1991: BBC Radio 4), Torquemada (2000; BBC Radio 4) The Chimes (2003; BBC Radio 4) La Princesse de Clèves (2010; BBC Radio 4).
The Seagull (2010; Theatre Alba); The Cherry Orchard (2011; Theatre Alba).
Translations include: The House with Two Doors (1980; Merlindene Productions); The Doctor of Honour (1983; Crawford Arts Centre); Heaven Bent, Hell Bound (1987; Actors' Touring Company); The House of Bernarda Alba (1989; Royal Lyceum Company; Nick Hern Books); The Magic Theatre (1989; Winged Horse Theatre); Bazaar (1997; Royal Court); Bintou (2000; Royal Court; then Arcola) The Constant Prince (2001; BBC Radio 3), S.D.O., (2002; Royal Court), Sitios (2004; Royal Court) Blood Wedding, Yerma, (2008; Nick Hern Books.
Film and TV: Santiago (1990; Nile Pictures); Quevedo: The Soul’s Dark Night (BBC 2 1993); God’s New Frock (Gateway Films 2003); Sex, Chips and the Holy Ghost (Channel 4 2012).
As writer and performer: The Night Journey (1999; Northern Stage); God’s New Frock (2003; Tron Theatre); Leave to Remain (with Suzanne Dance; 2007, Scottish Storytelling Centre, Bath Literary Festival, Citizens Studio, Byre Theatre and other venues); Chrystal and The General (2009; The Gude Cause, with Rachel Amey, Suzanne Dance, and Clunie Mackenzie); The Gospel According to Jesus Queen of Heaven (2009; Glasgay, and other venues subseuqnetly); Sex Chips and the Holy Ghost (2012, Oran Mor; with David Walshe and Susan Worsfold)
Awards: Scottish Arts Council Writer’s Bursary (1983);Edinburgh Festival Fringe First (1985: Losing Venice);Spirit of Mayfest (1988: Great Expectations);Scotland on Sunday Critics Award (1996: Inés de Castro);Herald Angel (1996: Inés de Castro)
European Community Translator’s Scholarship: La casa del traductor, Tarazona (1999, 2000); College International des Traducteurs Littéraires, Arles (2001);Fellow in Hawthornden Castle (2004);Robert Louis Stevenson Fellow (2009); Creative Scotland Bursary 2010.
As an academic, she made her reputation as an expert in 17th century Spanish drama (the subject of her PhD) before eventually becoming Professor of Theatre at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.
She is a noted leader of writers workshops. She believes passionately in using creativity as a tool to help overcome oppression and emotional abuse.
She has also worked as a journalist and broadcaster, bus conductor and nurse.
She is the proud father of 2 daughters; and the proud grandmother of a beautiful grandson. She lives in Edinburgh.
Jo Clifford
Jo Clifford is one of Scotland's leading playwrights. She has been working in the theatre for over thirty years; she is the author of approximately 80 plays in every dramatic medium; and her work has been translated into several languages and produced throughout the world.
She is the first openly transexual woman to have written a play produced in London’s West End.
Since transitioning to Jo, she has also steadily been gaining a reputation as a performer.
As John Clifford, his work with the Traverse Theatre in the eighties helped establish the international reputation of the Traverse. With these plays:
Losing Venice (1985; Fringe First; Perth Festival Australia, Hong Kong Arts Festival; tour of Sweden; New York, Los Angeles; BBC Radio 3)
Lucy’s Play (1986; Aspen, Colorado; Long Beach))
Playing with Fire (1987; Exeter)
The Girl Who Fell to Earth (commissioned by Traverse for 1988 Edinburghh Festival. Eventually prodiced in 1991 by Great Estern Stage)
Inés de Castro (1989: BBC 2 & Portuguese Television 1990; BBC Radio 3 1992; the opera, with music by James Macmillan, Scottish Opera 1996 and 1998 and 2000; play translated into Spanish, French, Portuguese and Croatian; most recently performed by Shakespeare Carolina and the Serbian National Theatre.
Great Expectations (1989: first performed by TAG in 1988; revived by the Traverse and toured Iraq, Egypt, Sri Lanka, india and Bangladesh. Subsequent productions by Salisbury playhouse, lyric Belfast, Northern Stage, Pitlochry Festival theatre, Perth Theatre, Prime Productions and most recently by Beckman Unicorn productions in London’t West End)
Light in the Village (1991; translated into Norwegian, French and Tagalog; productions in London, Chicago, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Singapore and Manila)
Anna (1993 opera libretto for the Edinburgh International Festival. Music by Craig Armstrong)
An Apple a Day (2009; co-production with Oran Mor)
The Tree of Knowledge (2011)
for the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh: Anna Karenina (2005; also Dundee Rep); Faust parts one and two (2006); Every One (2010)
for Pitlochry Festival Theatre: La Vie de Bohème (1993; also BBC Radio 4); Wutherin Heights (1995); Tchaikovsky and the Queen of Spades (2002; also Nuffield, Southampton); Charles Dickens: The Haunted Man (2002)
for Edinburgh International Festival: Schism in England (1988; National Theatre); Anna (1993; Traverse); Inés de Castro (1996; Scottish Opera); Life is a Dream (1998; Royal Lyceum); Celestina (Birmingham Rep 2004)
For children and young people: Romeo and Juliet (1983: TAG, then SYT, Byre, Perth); Macbeth (1991; Perth); Dreaming (1994; Edinburgh Puppet Co); The Magic Flute (1998; Blue Tiger Music Theatre); Hansel and Gretel (2000; Blue Tiger Music Theatre).
Radio plays include Desert Places (1983; BBC Radio Scotland); Ending Time (1984 BBC Radio 3); The Price of Everything (1991, BBC Radio 3); Writing Home to Mother (1997 Radio 4), Letters from a Strange Land (1999; BBC Radio 4), Ain’t It Grand To Be Bloomin’ Well Dead (1999; BBC Radio 3) Madeleine, (2002; BBC Radio 4) Spam Fritters (2009; BBC Radio Scotland.
Other notable adaptations include: Baltasar and Blimunda (2001; BBC Radio 3), The Leopard (1991: BBC Radio 4), Torquemada (2000; BBC Radio 4) The Chimes (2003; BBC Radio 4) La Princesse de Clèves (2010; BBC Radio 4).
The Seagull (2010; Theatre Alba); The Cherry Orchard (2011; Theatre Alba).
Translations include: The House with Two Doors (1980; Merlindene Productions); The Doctor of Honour (1983; Crawford Arts Centre); Heaven Bent, Hell Bound (1987; Actors' Touring Company); The House of Bernarda Alba (1989; Royal Lyceum Company; Nick Hern Books); The Magic Theatre (1989; Winged Horse Theatre); Bazaar (1997; Royal Court); Bintou (2000; Royal Court; then Arcola) The Constant Prince (2001; BBC Radio 3), S.D.O., (2002; Royal Court), Sitios (2004; Royal Court) Blood Wedding, Yerma, (2008; Nick Hern Books.
Film and TV: Santiago (1990; Nile Pictures); Quevedo: The Soul’s Dark Night (BBC 2 1993); God’s New Frock (Gateway Films 2003); Sex, Chips and the Holy Ghost (Channel 4 2012).
As writer and performer: The Night Journey (1999; Northern Stage); God’s New Frock (2003; Tron Theatre); Leave to Remain (with Suzanne Dance; 2007, Scottish Storytelling Centre, Bath Literary Festival, Citizens Studio, Byre Theatre and other venues); Chrystal and The General (2009; The Gude Cause, with Rachel Amey, Suzanne Dance, and Clunie Mackenzie); The Gospel According to Jesus Queen of Heaven (2009; Glasgay, and other venues subseuqnetly); Sex Chips and the Holy Ghost (2012, Oran Mor; with David Walshe and Susan Worsfold)
Awards: Scottish Arts Council Writer’s Bursary (1983);Edinburgh Festival Fringe First (1985: Losing Venice);Spirit of Mayfest (1988: Great Expectations);Scotland on Sunday Critics Award (1996: Inés de Castro);Herald Angel (1996: Inés de Castro)
European Community Translator’s Scholarship: La casa del traductor, Tarazona (1999, 2000); College International des Traducteurs Littéraires, Arles (2001);Fellow in Hawthornden Castle (2004);Robert Louis Stevenson Fellow (2009); Creative Scotland Bursary 2010.
As an academic, she made her reputation as an expert in 17th century Spanish drama (the subject of her PhD) before eventually becoming Professor of Theatre at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.
She is a noted leader of writers workshops. She believes passionately in using creativity as a tool to help overcome oppression and emotional abuse.
She has also worked as a journalist and broadcaster, bus conductor and nurse.
She is the proud father of 2 daughters; and the proud grandmother of a beautiful grandson. She lives in Edinburgh.