Cora Bissett

Cora Bissett (born 1974) is a Scottish theatre director, playwright, actor and musician. As a director she has created Amada, Roadkill, Grit: The Martyn Bennett Story, Glasgow Girls and Room. As an actor she had regular appearances in the television programmes Rab C. Nesbitt and High Times. She is an associate director at the National Theatre of Scotland.

Cora Bissett
Born1974 (age 48–49)
Glenrothes, Fife, Scotland
Alma materRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
Occupation(s)Theatre director, playwright, actor, musician
AgentCasarotto Ramsay & Associates

Early life

Bissett was born in Glenrothes, Fife, Scotland.

She was the lead singer in the indie rock band Darlingheart who released one album in 1993 before splitting up.[1] The band received favourable write-ups[2][3] with the Scottish music press making Bissett a cover star.[4] Her time in the band was the inspiration for her autobiographical play, What Girls Are Made Of, which debuted at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe.[5]

In 1995 she was the singer in the band, Swelling Meg, a three-piece "comprising acoustic guitar, bowed double-bass and Bissett's athletic voice".[6] They performed at that year's T in the Park festival.[7]

Between 1993 and 1997 she attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) where she studied theatre, graduating with a BA in Dramatic Studies.[8][9]

Directing career

Productions include:

Amada

In 2007, she devised Amada with three actors. It was an adaptation of an Isabel Allende short story about a woman whose personality changes as a result of an accident.[10] Bissett was the joint winner of the 2007 Arches Award for new directors for Amada.[11][12]

Roadkill

Roadkill, was a 2010 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show devised by Bissett and Stef Smith about sex trafficking.[13] The performance at the Theatre Royal Stratford East won an Olivier Award in 2012.[14]

Glasgow Girls

In 2011 she conceived the musical Glasgow Girls with book by David Greig about a group of activists who took up an ethical fight against the deportation of asylum seekers who had settled in Scotland.[15] In 2013 the show was shortlisted for best musical production at the UK Theatre Awards.[16]

Whatever Gets You Through The Night

In 2012 she collaborated with David Greig, Swimmer One and other artists to create Whatever gets you through the night at The Arches.[17][18]

Janis Joplin: Full Tilt

In 2013 she directed Peter Arnott's short play about Janis Joplin.[19]

Grit: The Martyn Bennett Story

Grit: The Martyn Bennett Story was created by as part of the 2014 Commonwealth Games cultural programme.[20] After being conceived by Bissett, it was written by playwright Kieran Hurley.[21] Bissett directed the show, having worked in close collaboration with Bennett's friends and family to create the show.[21] It premiered at the Tramway in Glasgow in May 2014, then was performed in Mull.[22] It was named event of the year at the 2014 Scots Trad Music Awards.[23]

Room

In addition to directing, Bissett co-wrote the music for a stage version of Emma Donoghue's book Room, with Kathryn Joseph.[24] which was produced by Theatre Royal Stratford East and Dublin's Abbey Theatre, in association with National Theatre of Scotland and Covent Garden Productions.[25][26]

National Theatre of Scotland

In 2014 she became a part-time associate director at the National Theatre of Scotland (NTS).[27]

In 2022, she directed Orphans, a stage adaptation of the 1998 cult film of the same name. [28]

Gagarin Way

Bissett directed Gregory Burke's Gagarin Way for Dundee Rep in 2018. [29]

Acting career

In 2009 Bissett won the Best Actress at Stage Awards for Acting Excellence.

Bissett appeared regularly in the comedy series Rab C. Nesbitt, as a barmaid.[30] She appeared in High Times. She also appeared in the 2006 film Red Road.[13]

References
  1. "Darlingheart discography". Discogs. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  2. Inglis, Gavin (31 January 1992). "Live review: Darlingheart". The List. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  3. McLean, Craig (21 May 1993). "Serendipity Doo Dah!". The List. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  4. "The List front cover". The List. 21 May 1993. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  5. Lorna, Irvine (15 August 2018). "Theatre review: What Girls Are Made Of". The List. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  6. Mabbott, Alastair (3 November 1995). "Live review: Rude/Swelling Meg". The List. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  7. "T in the Park: Caledonia Stage". The List. 28 July 1995. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  8. McMillan, Joyce (5 January 2017). "Ones to watch in 2017 - director Cora Bissett". The Scotsman. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  9. "Alumni > Drama > Cora Bissett". Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Archived from the original on 22 October 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  10. "Taking the stage". The Scotsman. 31 March 2007. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  11. "New voices, new directions and no resting on their laurels". The Herald. 3 April 2007. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  12. "My Cultural Life: Cora Bissett". Scotland on Sunday. 8 April 2007. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  13. "'I woke up one morning with bondage straps on either side of the bed. I've really got to start dividing life and art'". The Guardian. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  14. "Full list: Olivier award winners 2012". The Guardian. 15 April 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  15. "Asylum fight to move centre stage". The Scotsman. 1 April 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  16. Ferguson, Brian (26 September 2013). "Cora Bissett's Glasgow Girls up for theatre award". The Scotsman. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  17. Eaton-Lewis, Andrew (13 June 2012). "A little help from my friends". The Scotsman. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  18. Fisher, Mar (29 June 2012). "Whatever Gets You Through the Night – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  19. McMillan, Joyce (14 November 2013). "Theatre review: Janis Joplin: Full Tilt, Glasgow". The Scotsman. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  20. Ferguson, Brian (20 May 2014). "Martyn Bennett story should tour world – director". The Scotsman. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  21. Miller, Phil (3 May 2014). "Inside Track: Celebrating a musician whose short life was lived to the full". The Scotsman. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  22. McMillan, Joyce (7 June 2014). "Theatre review: Grit - The Martyn Bennett Story". The Scotsman. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  23. Ferguson, Brian (13 December 2014). "Trad Music Awards: Martyn Bennett Story victorious". The Scotsman. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  24. Eaton-Lewis, Andrew (2 May 2017). "Interview: Director Cora Bissett on bringing hit novel Room to the stage". The Scotsman. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  25. Billington, Michael (11 May 2017). "Room review – Emma Donoghue's story of survival is ingeniously staged". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  26. Didcock, Barry (23 April 2017). "Scottish theatre director Cora Bissett on what attracted her to Room, and how she persuaded its author, Emma Donoghue, to let her". The Herald. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  27. McMillan, Joyce (3 January 2015). "NTS director Laurie Sansom plots 2015 strategy". The Scotsman. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  28. "Orphans". National Theatre of Scotland. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  29. "Gagarin Way". CORA BISSETT. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  30. "Interview: Rab C Nesbitt actors Iain Robertson and Cora Bissett". Scotland on Sunday. 17 January 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
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