Gregory Burke
Encyclopedia
Gregory Burke is a Scottish playwright
from Rosyth
, Fife
, Scotland
.
in 1979 and returned to Dunfermline
in 1984. He attended St John's Primary in Rosyth, St Christopher's Middle School in Gibraltar, Bayside Comprehensive, Gibraltar and St Columba's High School
, Dunfermline. He attended the University of Stirling
for two years before dropping out. He held several jobs prior to becoming a writer.
, set in the factories of West Fife. His play, Black Watch
, for the National Theatre of Scotland
, debuted at the 2006 Edinburgh Festival
, meeting with critical acclaim, and has since been performed throughout Scotland
and has also toured theatres in London
, Los Angeles
, New York
, and Chicago
. He has also written Occy Eyes, The Straits, Unsecured, On Tour, Liar and Shell shocked. His most recent play was Hoors, which opened at the Traverse Theatre
on the 1st May 2009.
The Chain Play (with others)
Debt
Gagarin Way
Hoors
Liar
On Tour
The Party
The Straits
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
from Rosyth
Rosyth
Rosyth is a town located on the Firth of Forth, three miles south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town has a population of 12,790....
, Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Life
His family moved to GibraltarGibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
in 1979 and returned to Dunfermline
Dunfermline
Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
in 1984. He attended St John's Primary in Rosyth, St Christopher's Middle School in Gibraltar, Bayside Comprehensive, Gibraltar and St Columba's High School
St. Columba's R.C. High School, Dunfermline
St Columba's High School is a six-year comprehensive Roman Catholic secondary school, located in Dunfermline in Fife, Scotland.The School's rector is Mr Jim Mooney.-The Development of St Columba's:...
, Dunfermline. He attended the University of Stirling
University of Stirling
The University of Stirling is a campus university founded by Royal charter in 1967, on the Airthrey Estate in Stirling, Scotland.-History and campus development:...
for two years before dropping out. He held several jobs prior to becoming a writer.
Controversy
His time at Stirling University was cut short by an attack he and three others committed on a fellow student. In May 2009 Burke turned down an honorary degree from Stirling University stating he wanted to prevent any embarrassment to the establishment. According to the victim's family he hasn't to date contacted them to apologise for this attack.Works
Gregory Burke's first play was Gagarin WayGagarin Way
Gagarin Way is a play by Scottish playwright Gregory Burke, named after a street in the West Fife village of Lumphinnans, on the edge of Cowdenbeath. The play documents the disappearance of socialism from an area where political radicalism was once a defining characteristic of the population...
, set in the factories of West Fife. His play, Black Watch
Black Watch (play)
Black Watch is a play written by Gregory Burke and directed by John Tiffany for the National Theatre of Scotland. Based on interviews with former soldiers, it portrays soldiers in the Black Watch regiment of the British Army serving on Operation TELIC in Iraq during 2004, prior to the amalgamation...
, for the National Theatre of Scotland
National Theatre of Scotland
The National Theatre of Scotland is a theatre company established in February 2006. The company performs in a wide range of venues including theatres, halls and found spaces across Scotland....
, debuted at the 2006 Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
, meeting with critical acclaim, and has since been performed throughout Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and has also toured theatres in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. He has also written Occy Eyes, The Straits, Unsecured, On Tour, Liar and Shell shocked. His most recent play was Hoors, which opened at the Traverse Theatre
Traverse Theatre
The Traverse Theatre is a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1963.The Traverse Theatre commissions and develops new plays or adaptations from contemporary playwrights. It also presents a large number of productions from visiting companies from across the UK. These include new plays,...
on the 1st May 2009.
List of works
Black WatchBlack Watch (play)
Black Watch is a play written by Gregory Burke and directed by John Tiffany for the National Theatre of Scotland. Based on interviews with former soldiers, it portrays soldiers in the Black Watch regiment of the British Army serving on Operation TELIC in Iraq during 2004, prior to the amalgamation...
The Chain Play (with others)
Debt
Gagarin Way
Gagarin Way
Gagarin Way is a play by Scottish playwright Gregory Burke, named after a street in the West Fife village of Lumphinnans, on the edge of Cowdenbeath. The play documents the disappearance of socialism from an area where political radicalism was once a defining characteristic of the population...
Hoors
Liar
On Tour
The Party
The Straits