elspeth turner
Actor
Elspeth Turner is an actor and writer. She is originally from Fife and learned Gaelic at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and from her Dad. She is a graduate of The Urdang Academy, London, and of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York. Since then, she has worked with various companies across Scotland, including National Theatre of Scotland, Magnetic North, Theatre Gu Leòr, The Traverse, sruth-mara, and Play, Pie and a Pint.
U.S. Theatre credits include Dial M for Murder and The Odd Couple (Engeman Theatre), The Pillowman (Theatre Row), and Titus Andronicus and Macbeth, (The Queens Players). Screen work includes Bannan (Young Films / BBC Alba), and new feature Riptide, a Schizophrenia love story from acclaimed Scottish filmmakers Lyre Productions. Elspeth lives in Edinburgh with her husband and two children.
dòl eoin mackinnon
actor
Dòl Eoin MacKinnon is originally from Scalpay, Harris. He has worked in the arts for many years, between music, theatre and television. He enjoys finding good stories; writing them, and from time to time, performing them.
He is perhaps best known for playing 'Alasdair' in six seasons of Bannan (BBC ALBA). He has also appeared in Blood of the Clans (BBC4) and Meas air Chrannaibh (Fruit on the Branches) directed by Norman Stone.
Dòl Eoin previously worked with Theatre Gu Leòr in Doras Dùinte (Closed Door) at Oran Mòr Theatre and on tour in Scotland.
His recent work includes a week's research and development workshop for a new musical about Flora MacDonald, also deploying his musician skills.
sam james smith
actor
Sam is an actor from the Isle of Skye. He is currently in his final year of the BA Acting course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He is taking part in the European ACADEMIX project, in which various conservatoires across Europe are working together to create a multi-lingual theatre performance that will be produced in Paris in June. Sam is also a very keen musician. His recent credits include Faustus: That Damned Woman (2022, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), The Dream (2022, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), Swallowed (2022, Frizz Theatre, Gilded Balloon), and Rapunzel: The Drive Through Pantomime (2020, Kapow Theatre Scotland).
mj deans
actor
MJ trained at New College Lanarkshire (formerly Motherwell College). Theatre credits include: Rocket Post! (Constellation Points, NTS), Cèilidh, Gaisgeach nan Gràineag (Theatre Gu Leòr), Aladdin (SLLC), Whisky Galore (NTS), Angus Weaver of Grass (Horse & Bamboo), InValid Voices (Army @ The Fringe/Summerhall). Film & TV credits include: Speak Gaelic (BBC), Scot Squad (Comedy Unit), Carry Me Home (NTS), Stella: Braw Tales (Mull Theatre) and the RTSS Best Comedy Award Winning FUNC (The Woven Thread). MJ's other credits include presenting the videogame documentary Trusadh: Geamadh-An Ath Ìre for Mac TV and voicing the player character Moira in Inkle Studio's new game A Highland Song.
Daibhidh walker
actor
David is from the island of South Uist and did his training at SMO on Skye. His TV credits include An Clò Mor (Solus), OMC! (Comedy Unit), Bannan (Young Films), PC Alasdair Stuibhart (Co-wrote and starred in, BBC Scotland) Outlander (Sony) Gary Tank Commander (Comedy Unit) Da latha sa Damhair (Woven Thread, Celtic Media award for entertainment), Air ais air an Ran Dan (BBC Scotland), Buidheagan (Sorbier, RTS award for Childrens category), Kids of Courage (Looks films/Solus), Siubhlachan–Mara (Lillyisland films).
Theatre includes Gaidhlig Ghlaschu (Glasgow Life/Celtic connections), Soil and Soul (Sruth-mara-MacBheatha), Aisling Oidhche Meadhan Samhraidh (Glasgow Life), Last Tango in Partick (NTS), Oran Mor - Scenes of survival (BBC/NTS) and has also worked on other various productions over the years on radio to voice over work on cartoons to computer games.
Calum L. MacLeòid
Writer
Calum L. MacLeòid is a writer, born and raised in Inverness. His first novel, A’ Togail an t-Srùbain, was shortlisted for the Saltire Literary Award for Best Debut Novel in 2018. In 2019, Bradan Press published Bhon Phlateau dhan a’ Chladach, a collection of poems mostly written while he lived in Montreal between 2016 and 2019. During this time, he also wrote his second novel Fon Choill about the story of the Megantic Outlaw. This won Novel of the Year at the Gaelic Literary Awards 2021.
In 2019, Calum received a bursary from Playwrights’ Studio Scotland for new drama writers and began working on Stornoway, Quebec. As part of this award he was mentored by Douglas Maxwell. In 2021, he was chosen by Theatre Gu Leòr to be part of their programme LAS to develop the script with professional support from dramaturg Lynda Radley. Calum lives in Dingwall with his wife and three children. He works as a news reporter at the BBC.