About
Vlad Butucea is a Glasgow-based, Romanian playwright and screenwriter.
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He was mentored by Playwrights’ Studio Scotland, and holds a PhD in Theatre Studies 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 feature film/ stage hybrid The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (National Theatre of Scotland, Edinburgh International Film Festival, 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.
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projects
Stage Play
Directed by Mojisola Elufowoju.
Pearlfisher. The Byre Theatre. Assembly Festival.
Won 2022 Scotsman FRINGE FIRST Award.
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Won 2022 Assembly ART Award.
Shortlisted for the 2020 Popcorn Writing Award.
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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
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★★★★ The Scotsman
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★★★★ The Wee Review
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2023 - The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (co-writer)
Feature Film & Stage Play
Directed by Hope Dickson Leach.
National Theatre of Scotland, Selkie Productions, Screen Scotland, Sky Arts.
Live Cinema stream from Leith Theatre (2022); Edinburgh International Film Festival (2023); Sky Arts (2023)
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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.
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The Stage "Breathless narrative drive" ★★★★
The Reviews Hub "A memorable experience in staging a live movie" ★★★★
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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.
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Ghost Light is a love letter from the National Theatre of Scotland, evoking moments from Scottish theatrical performances past,
present and future.
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All Edinburgh Theatre "Magical" ★★★★
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The Guardian ★★★★★
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2021 - The Edwin Morgan Bot (creator)
Experimental Digital Practice. AI Algorythm Poetry
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Edwin Morgan Centenary. Edwin Morgan Trust.
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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.
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2019 - Interference: Glowstick (writer)
Stage Play
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Directed by Cora Bissett.
National Theatre of Scotland.
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"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;
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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
