about

JD Stewart is a gay Scottish writer, performer and digital content creator, whose work has been performed around the world. He received his BA/Hons in English Studies from Stirling University (2008) and an MFA in Dramatic Writing from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts (2017). In 2015, while living in South Korea, he completed a Professional Programme in Screenwriting through UCLA. Stewart recently completed an MSc in Playwriting from the University of Edinburgh, receiving a Distinction. The course is led by acclaimed playwright Nicola McCartney (How Not To Drown, 2019) and he received a full scholarship. Selected acting credits: Jesus Christ Superstar, Night of the Living Dead, Pocket Queens (Seoul 10-Minute Play Festival Finalist), Cock, and Glitch.

In 2017, his self-written and performed show GAY BOY had its world premiere at the Dream Up Festival at Theater for the New City. GAY BOY went on to be the headliner at the 2018 Queerly Festival, along with being officially selected for the 2018 NYC Fringe Festival. It was also selected to be a part of the 2019 Frigid Festival in New York City. Writing credits include: Co-writer of Baggage Claim (Daegu Theater Troupe, South Korea), The Bachelor: Creature of Legends, Finalist: 2016 Theater Masters Festival in Aspen; Struan (a modernised adaptation of Medea with men) received a reading at the Goldberg Theater in 2016; Movement, received a reading at the Goldberg Theater in 2017 (both directed by Ashley Wren Collins); Compression, Finalist for the 2019 Theatre Uncut Award; One Twenty-One, NYC Pride Plays Long List 2020 and Verity Bargate Top 100 in 2020; Elastic, reading at the Traverse Theatre Pride Plays 2020 directed by Laila Noble and finalist for the 2021 Platform Presents Play Prize; The Birthday, Engagement, Funeral Party which was shortlisted for the 2021 Hope Mill Theatre Prize and longlisted for The Bruntwood Playwriting Prize 2022.

Stewart is a 2016 recipient of The Dewar Arts Award for Scotland, J.S. Seidman Scholarship, and the 2017 MFA Chair’s Award from the Tisch Dramatic Writing Department. He has worked with 1623 Theatre Company, was a Fresh Ink commissioned artist through the National Library of Scotland and was chosen to receive an Everyone is Creative grant from Vanishing Point, Glasgow in 2021.

In 2020, along with playwright Frazer Flintham, they launched the podcast: The One Fifty Marchers, an oral history of the first LGBTQ+ march in the United Kingdom on Highbury Fields in 1970. His writing explores the gay experience and he loves to share stories from within this community.

In 2022, JD’s play Daniel Getting Married was included in the Spring Season of Play, Pie and a Pint. It was performed in Glasgow and Edinburgh, garnering a four star review from The Scotsman and five stars from ScotsGayArts. JD was selected as a 2022 BBC Scottish Voice, completing bespoke mentoring with the BBC along with an outstanding cohort of writers. Over the summer of 2022, he was chosen to be a part of the Edinburgh International Film Festival Script Starter Programme and attended the Less is More writing workshop at Moniack Mhor in September through support from Screen Scotland.

In 2023, JD began development with 1623 Theatre Company on a Queering of the Mercutio story from Romeo and Juliet as part of their 2023 Queer Folio. In May of 2023, The Birthday, Engagement, Funeral Party received a staged reading at the Kings Head Theatre, London (curated by Tom Ratcliffe). The reading was awarded Arts Council of England Funding and was produced by Iona Bremner. JD’s short story, Sarang, was featured in the second Queer anthology, Queer Life, Queer Love Vol. 2 published by Muswell Press. JD also wrote the sold out production, The Devil Drinks Cava for the 2023 Spring Play, Pie and a Pint Season.

WRITING

DANIEL GETTING MARRIED

“This play pressed all my buttons, took me down memory lane, and had me enthralled throughout.” Mary Woodward - ScotsGay Arts

Directed by Kenny Miller, Produced by Play, Pie & a Pint, 2022. Starring: Neil John Gibson, Kristopher Bosch, Ann Lousie Ross, Lesley Hart (Covid-19 Cover), Darren Brownlie (Covid-19 Cover), Michael Dylan (Covid-19 Cover) and Emily Winter (Covid-19 Cover).

**** - The Scotsman: Daniel Getting Married Review Link

***** - ScotsGayArts: Daniel Getting Married Review Link

E-mail for more information!

elastic

Longlist for Relish Theatre Regeneration Prize, 2022

Finalist for the Platform Presents Play Prize, 2021

Reading at Traverse Theatre, Pride Plays, 2020

E-mail for more information!

One Twenty-One

Longlisted for Pride Plays, New York, 2020

Top 100 in the Verity Bargate Soho Award, 2020

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COMPRESSION

Runner up for the Theatre Uncut Political Playwriting Award 2019

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gay boy

Performed & Produced at the Theater for the New City Dream Up Festival 2017

Performed & Produced at the Queerly Festival 2018

Performed & Produced at the 2019 Frigid Festival

Official Selection for the 2018 NYC Fringe Festival

Gay Boy is the provocative account of some sort of gay man living some sort of life as an English Teacher in South Korea. His best friend Stella has been cheating on her girlfriend, behavior Gay Boy detests, but this doesn’t prevent him from sleeping with as many men as possible. To add to his list of first world problems, his mum won’t stop calling and all the porn websites in Korea are blocked. At least the new guy at work wears skinny jeans to provide distraction, or not. On the surface, Gay Boy may seem like a typical gay boy: highly sexed, sassy, and reveling in both. But when his vulnerability surfaces after a one-night stand, truths about his past are finally revealed.

 read about gay boy here. 

news

GAZE - BAFTA/Rocliffe Shortlist 2023

Really thrilled that my new TV pilot, GAZE, was selected as one of the BAFTA/Rocliffe finalists this year! Although it missed out on the main prize, I am so excited that the script was well received and also got some excellent feedback!

GAZE Logline: A group of Millennial gay men struggle to overcome their extended adolescence and attempt to pursue relationships in modern-day Edinburgh. It's like Heartstopper, but they’re adults and have sloppy anal sex.

The show is very much in the vein of the iconic, GIRLS, and covers Queer Temporality, along with capturing a true slice of being gay in the modern age. Looking forward to sharing this and I hope that a production company is interested in developing it further!

THE DEVIL DRINKS CAVA

Despite the beautiful May weather, The Devil Drinks Cava had a super successful week at the Oran Mor at the end of May, kicking Pride month off with a bang.

Joe Rising, Karen Fishwick and Lawrence Boothman did incredible work on the piece under direction from the wonderful Liam Rees.

We had two sold out shows across the week - including the Bank Holiday Monday and Saturday (both reaching temperatures of 28!) Thank you to everyone who came out to see the show. Now it’s time to raise a glass…but not Cava!

queer life, queer love vol. 2

Super stoked that my short story, Sarang, will be included in the second volume of Queer Life, Queer Love coming to book stores this May!

This is the first time I have been published and it’s such a joy to be included along side some really great LGBTQ+ writers, poets and thinkers.

This is writing that explores characters, stories, and experiences beyond the mainstream; works that celebrate the fascinating, the forbidden, the subversive, and even the mundane, but, in essence, works that express the view from outside.

You can pre-order a copy of the book right here: Queer Life, Queer Love Vol. 2 Pre-Order

The Birthday, Engagement, funeral party

In May, my Bruntwood Playwriting Prize Longlisted Play will receive a staged reading at the Kings Head Theatre in London, as part of the amazing Tom Ratcliffe’s Queer Interrogation Season.

It’s such an honour for me to finally hear this play our loud properly. It’s been a long time in the making! I hope you’ll be able to make it along.

It will be directed by Frazer Flintham, produced by Iona Bremner and will star: Conor McLeod, Scott Afton, Joel Samuels, Ethan Pascal Peters and Helen Jessica Liggat.

Tickets and more info can be found through this link: The Birthday Engagement Funeral Party Tickets

THE DEVIL DRINKS CAVA

Very excited to be a part of the 2023 Play, Pie and a Pint Season with my new play, The Devil Drinks Cava.

It will be directed by the wonderful Liam Rees and there’s a wee synopsis below:

Under the rising moonlight in Traquair Maze, aspiring 30 year old ‘DJ Nate-O’ (or Nathan), waits for his extremely ambitious but modest wedding planner girlfriend of ten+ plus years, Annie, so he can finally pop that big ole’ question himself.

However, when Emile arrives searching for his latest wedding hook-up (always the groomsman and never the groom), a series of hidden truths are revealed which lead all three to questions who they want to be, how they want to live, and the legacy they want to leave behind.

Massive thanks go to Jemima Levick and the PPP team! Also looking forward to be working with Sanctuary Queer Arts to bring this part of my multiverse to the stage.

Tickets available for Glasgow here: The Devil Drinks Cava Tickets - Oran Mor

Edinburgh Film Festival: Script Starter

Last month I began the Edinburgh Film Festival Script Starter programme. Along with seven other writers, we will work on developing a synopsis/treatment for a feature film or short film. The workshops take place once a month on a Saturday and we share work with each other along with receiving guidance from those who work in the industry. It’s a really exciting opportunity and I am looking forward to where it leads! For more information and a list of all the writers involved, click here: Edinburgh Film Festival Script Starter Announcement

BBC Scottish Voices 2022

Over the past few months I have been working on a TV pitch and outline through the BBC Scottish Voices 2022 programme. It has been such a joy to gain some insight into the UK television industry, to work on my exciting idea - DEN, and to meet the other eleven writers in the cohort. You can find out more about all of us through this link: BBC Scottish Voices 2022

DANIEL GETTING MARRIED: Round Up

Well, Daniel Getting Married made it to the stage - major thanks to Jemima Levick and the whole Play, Pie and. pint Team. We had some Covid-19 hiccups but thanks to the sheer strength and support of everyone involved it made it through its two week run (week one in Glasgow, week two in Edinburgh).

I am so happy I was able to share this play. Thank you to everyone who came along and the whole cast for giving everything they had each day: Neil, Kris, Ann, Darren, Lesley, Emily and Michael - you’re all superstars.

Special thanks to director Kenny Miller, who gave everything he had to make sure it was a success. It was a joy to work with you all.

DANIEL GETTING MARRIED

Absolutely thrilled that my first Scottish Production will be in the 2022 Play, Pie, and a Pint Season at the Oran Mor in Glasgow and then at The Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh.

It will be directed by the incredible, Johnny McKnight and there’s a wee synopsis below:

The big day has come, the guests are arriving, and Daniel is waiting in the church vestry with his mum, Joy, for his wedding to Zach to begin. However, when his ex-boyfriend Gabriel turns up with his own proposal, walking down the aisle and saying the words “I Do” might not be quite as simple as Daniel thought…or it might be easier…right?

Massive thanks go to Jemima Levick and the PPP team - it takes a village. I can’t wait for you all to attend the Big Gay Wedding of the Year.

Tickets available for Glasgow here: Daniel Getting Married Tickets - Oran Mor

Tickets available for Edinburgh here: Daniel Getting Married Tickets - Traverse Theatre

1623 Theatre: shake up

Last year, the wonderful team of artists from 1623 Theatre invited me to write a monologue from the view of Mercutio from Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare. What resulted was a poem/monologue a poelogue? titled, HERE/THERE. This piece is performed by the amazing Ralph Adriel Johnson, an actor who I worked with a number of times while living in New York. We spent hours on Zoom pouring over the text and worked together to make this piece shine. Check it out below:

Platform Presents play prize 2021

I am thrilled to announce that my play, elastic, was a finalists for the 2021 Platform Presents Play Prize. 734 plays were submitted and I am very lucky to be included in the final ten. Huge congratulations to Ezra England, whose play, Nuclear Children was crowned the winner. Thank you to all the judges involved and to Isabella Macpherson and Gala Gordon. More info on the prize can be found here: Platform Presents

vanishing point - everyone is creative

I am thrilled to be selected as one of eleven artists to be a recipient of the Vanishing Point: Everyone is Creative commission. Each commission of £1500 allows the individual to spend some time imagining, researching or developing a seed idea they are interested in. Along with Olivia Fischer, we will be imagining and creating PINKFACE. Please check out this link for more information on the commission and the other fantastic artists to be involved: Vanishing Point: Everyone is Creative.

SCDA Best of the fest 2021

When I was in my teens, I attended the Scottish Community Drama Association Theatre camp for young people. I always remember those days with such fun memories, so it was really nice to be asked by Kelso Amateur Dramatic Society to adapt “The Church Meeting” by Garry Watson for the SCDA Best of the Fest 2021. You can check out this lovely little Scots comedy below. To learn about what the SCDA does, click here: SCDA Home Website

Hope Mill Theatre: Through the Mill Playwriting Prize

I am thrilled that my play The Birthday, Engagement, Funeral Party has been shortlisted for the Hope Mill Theatre: Through The Mill Playwriting Prize. This play has been a labour of love and I am thrilled it has been recognised by such a wonderful theatre. More details on the finalists will be released over the coming months! Feel very lucky to be alongside such great writers.

National Library of Scotland: Fresh Ink - Respond to 2020

Last year I applied to a call out made by the National Library of Scotland for a new initiative titled, Fresh Ink. The call asked writers to create a literary response to the theme “my experience of 2020.”

I was very lucky to be one of ten writers chosen for this commission. The piece will be available online and will be added to the Library’s national collections. More information can be found here: National Library of Scotland Fresh Ink Initiative.

Below is the title page of my submission!

The one fifty marchers podcast launch

On November 27th, 1970, 150 people marched on Highbury Fields, London, in the first march for LGBTQ+ rights in the United Kingdom. Myself and Frazer Flintham have created a podcast chronicling our search for the one hundred and fifty people who took part in the march. Join us on our journey and learn about LGBTQ history in the United Kingdom along the way. Keep on Marching.

Pride Plays at the Traverse - 14th & 15th February 2020

On February 15th, my play, ‘Elastic’ debuted in a staged reading at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. The piece was directed by Laila Noble (who was shortlisted for the Theatre Uncut Political Playwriting Prize, 2019, and included a fantastic cast of Neshla Caplan as Adrienne, Reuben Joseph as Lawrence, and Adam Greene as Christian. The play was one of four to be presented over the two nights. I am so thankful to Shift Scotland for all of their support, also to Gary McNair, and the Traverse Theatre for hosting us. Check out this lovely review from The Student Newspaper by Anano Mghebrishvili: Pride Plays Review

The Fabric Of Life - Watch Now!

During my first year of NYU, I wrote a short film titled, The Fabric of Life. A year later, Jamie Cristello, an up and coming director at Hunter College reached out and asked if she could make my short film for here thesis project. Obviously, I said yes! Watch the film below - and enjoy! It doesn’t go where you think it will!

Theatre Uncut Political Playwriting award: Compression

I was honoured to be shortlisted for the inaugural Theatre Uncut Political Playwriting Award with my play, Compression. On March 22nd, we all convened at the Young Vic Theatre in London to hear excerpts from four of the plays, including mine, and to be told the winning play was “Two Palestinians Go Dogging” by Sami Ibrahim. The award was created by Theatre Uncut to find the next generation of political playwrights, and was in partnership with the Young Vic, Traverse Theatre, and Sherman Theatre. It was such a great day and I was so happy to be included in the shortlist of eight, which began as 444 submissions. Thank you so much! If you’d like to read Compression, please let me know in the contact me section below! Theatre Uncut: The Stage.

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