“Visibility and representation of women playwrights in Scotland: are women writers in a healthier place now in comparison to the 1970’s?”

Abstract

This research project will investigate the current visibility and representation of women writers in Scotland. To fully grasp and understand the current level of representation, this project will also investigate women writer’s visibility within the 1970s to give a complete and adequate picture for contrast. By examining a 50-year progression into Scotland’s theatrical landscape, it will naturally reveal the ways in which the nation’s social and political outlook has aided the visibility of women writers. The research will aim to explore the level of diversity and inclusion within the current theatre output in Scotland, thus determining whether or not equality for women has improved over a 50-year period. For the purpose of this thesis, the researcher will be using the gender term “women” and “woman” as well as gender pronouns “she” and “they” to represent all women writers and theatre makers who identify with this terminology. This research will attempt to be as inclusive as possible to capture a diverse snapshot of women playwrights within Scotland. In order to successfully carry out this research, academic literature and previous data collection was reflected upon to showcase gaps within the field. From the overview of academic literature, qualitative research methods were chosen due to the project adopting a strong sense of social consciousness. The data collection methods included an open ended structured questionnaire, followed by an open ended semi-structured interview with Stellar Quines. Both methods provided a wealth of data to underpin the research. In summary, the research has highlighted a subtle yet steady progression for women writers in Scottish theatre, yet has also highlighted the vast amount of inequality that still prevails for many women.