About
Vlad Butucea is a Glasgow-based, Romanian-born playwright and screenwriter.
He was mentored by Playwrights’ Studio Scotland, and holds a Masters in Playwriting and Dramaturgy from the University of Glasgow. Vlad made his professional debut writing one part of National Theatre Scotland’s sci-fi trilogy Interference (2019). Recently, he co-wrote the film/ stage hybrid The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (National Theatre of Scotland, Selkie Production, Sky Arts), and was a contributing writer on Ghost Light (Edinburgh International Festival, National Theatre of Scotland). His new play Silkworm, a Pearlfisher x The Byre Theatre co-production in association with Assembly Festival, won a 2022 Fringe First Award.
projects
Stage Play
Directed by Mojisola Elufowoju.
Pearlfisher. The Byre Theatre. Assembly Festival.
Won 2022 Scotsman FRINGE FIRST Award.
Won 2022 Assembly ART Award.
Shortlisted for the 2020 Popcorn Writing Award.
Silkworm is the story of two women living in a Glasgow
tower block, seeking asylum from the UK Home Office
on the basis of their sexual orientation.
★★★★ Fest Magazine
★★★★ The Scotsman
★★★★ The Wee Review
2022 - The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (co-writer)
Feature Film & Stage Play
Conceived and Directed by Hope Dickson Leach.
National Theatre of Scotland, Selkie Productions, Screen Scotland, Sky Arts.
UK-wide cinema release (2022), Sky Arts TV release (2023)
Within the century-old walls of historic Leith Theatre, something sinister is stirring.
A gothic tale of double lives and inner demons, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde takes on its own hybrid identity
in this unique retelling.
The Stage "Breathless narrative drive" ★★★★
The Reviews Hub "A memorable experience in staging a live movie" ★★★★
2020 - Ghost Light (contributing writer)
Short Film
Conceived by Hope Dickson Leach, Jackie Wylie and Philip Howard.
National Theatre of Scotland. Selkie Productions. Edinburgh International Festival.
Ghost Light is a love letter from the National Theatre of Scotland, evoking moments from Scottish theatrical performances past,
present and future.
All Edinburgh Theatre "Magical" ★★★★
The Guardian ★★★★★
2021 - The Edwin Morgan Bot (creator)
Experimental Digital Practice. AI Algorythm Poetry
Edwin Morgan Centenary. Edwin Morgan Trust.
Vlad Butucea introduces us to an algorithm that he has trained to generate Edwin Morgan-like poetry and discusses
translation, queering language, dominant languages and the human/ non human.
2019 - Interference: Glowstick (writer)
Stage Play
Directed by Cora Bissett.
National Theatre of Scotland.
"The trilogy ends with Vlad Butucea’s impressive debut Glowstick, about the evolving relationship between a woman with severe disability who just wants to die, and Ida, the android sent to look after her. Amid some brilliantly vivid and dream-like language – and with Maureen Beattie and Moyo Akandé both in exquisite form – the play emerges as a richly memorable piece of theatre". Joyce Mcmillan in The Scotsman (22nd March 2019)
academic
academic
Recent Conference Paper: "Using AI Tools in Playwriting". AHRC Research Network Symposium, AI and
Ludic Technologies, December. Aberystwyth;
Recent Publication: "Gaming as Everything. Challenging the Anthropocene through Nomadic Performativity" in
Nordic Theatre Studies special issue on "Theatre and the Anthropocene".
Email: contact@vladbutucea.net
