NESCol drama student’s script in the spotlight at national festival

April 23, 2025

NESCol Drama student Charlotte Gillies is set to fulfill her childhood dream of becoming a playwright and screenwriter this week as her play, ‘Grief’, takes the stage at the National Student Drama Festival in Leicester.

Charlotte (24), from Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire, has been writing stories from a young age as well as scripts for TV and plays for ten years. Charlotte sent ‘Grief’, her most recent work, to BBC Writers, a cross-platform department which seeks out and develops new writing talent and Papatango, an Olivier Award-winning theatre company that champion the next generation of playwrights, and received a positive reaction.

Charlotte explained, “I got great feedback on ‘Grief’ and pointers on how I could improve it. They suggested I send it to the National Student Drama Festival (NSDF), and I was thrilled when they got in touch and invited me to show it at this year’s event. “

The NSDF is a festival for young theatre makers aged 16-25 to share work, develop skills and careers, and connect with other makers from across the UK. Charlotte will travel to Leicester to see her play performed to her peers, the public, and industry professionals.

‘Grief’ is a play centred around mental health and the impact on two sisters when their younger, third sibling commits suicide. The play explores the five stages of grief that the sisters experience after their tragic loss. The actors who play the sisters studied at renowned drama schools including Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and RADA, and will bring Charlotte’s script to life while she provides stage direction. Becca Harris, Zoe Moore & Caitlin Lee Smith are all Scottish actors who are now London-based.

Charlotte is nervous but excited about her big break and keen to see the audience’s reaction to her work. The performance will be filmed, allowing Charlotte’s lecturer and classmates who can’t travel to Leicester to watch at a later date. Charlotte, a student on the Performing Arts: Drama course at NESCol’s Aberdeen City Campus, enrolled at the College last year after a few years away from education.

Charlotte explained, “I decided it was the right time to try something new, and having always been interested in script writing and performance, I applied for the course. I’m so glad that I did! I’ve had a great experience and met some lovely people. Not only are the lecturers industry-experienced and knowledgeable, they are super supportive and encouraging too. My time at NESCol has massively boosted my confidence and I’m looking forward to returning in the new session. “

NESCol Acting & Performance lecturer, Vicki Jamieson, said, “We are thrilled that Charlotte has the opportunity to showcase her work at such a major event in the creative industries calendar. She works incredibly hard and has put her heart and soul into ‘Grief’. Charlotte is a promising young screenwriter, and we’re excited to see where the future takes her. “

Charlotte’s ambition is to become the North-East’s very own Greta Gerwig and establish herself as a successful screenwriter. Opportunities like the NSDF will certainly lead her another step closer to that.

NESCol drama courses include learning opportunities that extend beyond the classroom, such as workshops, theatre trips, specialist training, and live performances in our City Campus Basement Theatre, a fully equipped performance space with professional sound and lighting.

NESCol’s creative end-of-year events festival, Luminate, features student theatre productions, two of which the public are invited to attend.

Applications are open now for performing arts courses starting in August 2025.