Writer and actor Dr Stuart Hepburn is  a lecturer in Screenwriting at the  University  of Stirling. His company “Whinhill Productions” launches in August 2019.

His latest stage play ” Chic Murray-A Funny Place For A Window” will open at The Newtown Theatre, Venue 7 on the 19th Of August. Book tickets here.

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/chic-murray-a-funny-place-for-a-window

Stuart was Story Producer at BBC Scotland’s River City from 2015-16, being responsible for the team storylining 52 hours of the long running drama. He recently  appeared  as John Anderson in the series.

From 2006-15 he was a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing  and Contemporary Screen Acting at University Of The West Of Scotland. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and in 2015 was a awarded a PhD in English Literature  through the School of Critical Studies at the University Of Glasgow. 

Stuart’s areas of expertise are the practice and theory of Stage Writing and  Team Writing For Television, Screen Adaptation and Contemporary Screen Acting. 

Stuart was  a  member of the creative team who adapted, storyboarded and wrote  26 Episodes  of  Mairi Hedderwick’s  “Katie Morag” series for Move On Up TV and BBC Scotland .

Katie Morag’s awards up to now are as follows: 

2 British Academy Children’s Awards for Best Drama and Best Performance, (also nominated for Best Writer for Sergio Casci)

Best Children’s Series BAFTA Scotland

RTS Scotland Children’s Award

Best New Kids Series 2015 Kidscreen Awards Miami

Freesat Free TV Awards Best Children’s Series

Nominated Best Children’s Screenplay in the British Screenwriters Award.

Here is a pic of Stuart with fellow team writers Sergio Casci and Martin McCardie with Katie Morag’s Scottish BAFTA.

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As a creative writing developer, tutor  and mentor, he has worked for   The Edinburgh International Festival Network, The Arvon Foundation, Clackmannan Council,  Screen Academy Scotland, Moonstone, Movie Makars, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and  UHI at Sol Mor Ostaig  on Skye. He was on the board of the Traverse Theatre for 11 years and it’s chair for 5.

 As an  actor he appeared in the first two Series of “Lip Service “for BBC 3 as the father of Laura Fraser who went on to star as Lydia in HBO’s “Breaking Bad.” Before that he  played Sam Heughan’s father in “River City” who then went on to star as Jamie Fraser in  Starz “Outlander”. He makes no claim to fame other than that his screen progeny have completely eclipsed the career of their screen father.

Short Bio

Stuart has been acting and writing since graduating from the University Of Stirling in 1982.

From 2006-15 he was a Senior Lecturer in Screenwriting and Performance at University Of The West Of Scotland. He won two Star teaching awards and was nominated four times for his innovative teaching while at UWS.

He was on the  Reading  Panel and a member of the Board of The Traverse in Edinburgh for 11 years, and  was  it’s Chair from 2001-2005 . He helped  to support the creative team who  nurtured the talent of writers such as David Grieg, Gregory Burke   and  David Harrower. He has worked with Directors such as John Tiffany, DominicHill, Bill Gaskell,  Philip Howard, Kenny Ireland,  Ian Brown and Ian Woolridge.

As an actor Stuart has appeared at theatres such  as The Royal Lyceum, The Citizens, The Traverse, Dundee Rep  and The Tramway , and won a Fringe First for his portrayal in “Hanging The President”. He has worked with companies such as TAG, Communicado, Cumbernauld and  The MacRobert in Stirling. He has toured with stageworks  extensively from Achiltibuie to Battersea.

He has written  two feature films: “The James Gang” (Revolution Films) starred John Hannah and Toni Collette,  and “A Love Divided “ (Paralell Films) ,which achieved  five Irish Film and TV Award  Nominations.

He has written  four stage plays,  and over 80 hours of Television, His latest stage play “The Beaches Of St Valery” was performed at Oran Mor in Glasgow in March 2017.

He created  the series “ McCallum” for ITV , and   adapted Ian Rankin’s “Rebus”  for Clerkenwell  Films ,  and has written  for series as diverse as  “Sam Saturday,”  “Hamish Macbeth” , ” Monarch Of The Glen” and “River City.”

He was the winner of the Writer’s Guild Award for Drama  for his work on Taggart, for which he has written 17 Series.

He   was a leading writer and Creative Story Consultant for BBC  Scotland Drama “River City” from 2007-9.

He is been a visiting lecturer in Creative Writing  at the Universities of St.Andrews,  Stirling and Glasgow. His main research interests are in the areas of  Creative  Writing in Adaptation, Practice Based Research,   Team Writing for Television,  and Cross- Programmatical Creative  Synergies.

You can follow Stuart on Twitter  at www.twitter.com/stuart_hepburn