Maria MacDonell is a writer and performer with a career as an actor, writer, historical researcher, journalist, educator and mother of a large family. As an actor she has worked in small scale touring, mainstage theatres (Watford palace, Bristol Old Vic) film and TV.
Recent work includes Mary in The Motorist, a short film directed by Ciaran Lyons short-listed for Scottish Bafta 2020, winner Jury Prize Berlin British Shorts Festival 2021. Last Summer she wrote and performed in a seventeen minute film Miss Lindsay’s Love in Lockdown commissioned by Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival. As co-writer and performer she is developing with Jo Clifford The Not So Ugly Duckling, supported by Creative Scotland. Performance Storytelling includes Incredible Journey, A Many Splendoured Thing ; Dagba’s Forest Tales, for Puppet Animation Scotland; Cottongrass commissioned by Scottish International Storytelling Festival.
Miss Lindsay’s Secret, developed with support from Creative Scotland, was performed at Fringe 2021, gathering five four star reviews, positive audience responses and support from Scottish Culture minister Jenny Gilruth who saw it and tweeted - ‘outstanding and heartbreakingly beautiful’.
Georgina MacDonell Finlayson is an emerging composer and musician with a particular interest in multidisciplinary performance. In November 2019 Any Enemy performed her piece ‘To Glenesk’ at Sound Festival, later broadcast on Radio 3. During Lockdown she composed and performed online for Red Note Ensemble, Nevis Ensemble, Sound Festival. Last year she was selected mentee on the Scottish Chamber Orchestra composers’ scheme with composer Anna Clyne and writer Janis Mackay. She has been reselected this year for the continuing programme. She is sound designer for our film Miss Lindsay’s Love in Lockdown and also for The Not So Ugly Duckling, a live theatre piece being developed by Maria MacDonell and Jo Clifford with support from Creative Scotland. She is studying a classical violin masters degree at the Royal Northern College of Music.
Alan Finlayson is a film maker, puppeteer, writer and performer. He was a founder member of Scottish Mime Theatre and after many years in small scale touring developed his own puppet theatre shows, most notably The White Cat touring Scotland for Puppet Animation Scotland who also supported his Mechanical Turk. As a filmmaker Alan has screened work at the Edinburgh Film Festival and this summer made Miss Lindsay’s Love in Lockdown, providing voice, camera and editing.
Molly MacDonell Finlayson is a costume maker/textile artist with experience in opera, theatre, dance, film/tv and community arts including Scottish Opera, Magnetic Opera, Jabuti theatre, National Theatre of Scotland. She has been making costume for Scottish Opera for over five years. Molly is inspired by people and stories, colour and texture, music, words, walking in urban and remote spaces. She has her own company, MacFin, creating clothes sustainably.
