On 14 October 1881, forty-five fishing boats set out from Eyemouth harbour, heart of the Scottish Borders' fishing industry. Only twenty-five returned. A small community was torn apart by the loss of husbands, brothers, fathers and sons. Get Up And Tie Your Fingers dramatises the daily lives of the herring lassies and fishwives who lived in this community: lives dominated by work, overshadowed by the moods of the sea, but released in the telling of stories and the singing of songs. Safe plunders story-telling techniques of a different kind - namely fairytales - to investigate a very contemporary concern: the safety versus freedom debate for parents and children. As a group of parents gather in a disused warehouse to construct a carnival float, fairytale conventions and symbols begin to invade reality, and the parents have to face up to the dilemmas of modern parenting and the failings of their own fathers and mothers.

Includes the plays Get Up and Tie Your Fingers, Devil's Ground and Safe Get Up and Tie Your Fingers, Ann Coburn’s first play, was premiered at the 1995 Borders Festival and had a successful run at the 1996 Edinburgh Festival. It is the achingly sad and ultimately uplifting story of three women coping with death, dealing with guilt, and learning to let their children go. Safe is a play which taps into the deep, shared roots of childhood in order to explore contemporary parental fears about the safety of their children. Devil's Ground is the story of an historical act of genocide, told through the personal tragedy of one Reiver family.

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Nestling on the River Bandon, Kinsale emerged as a settlement in the sixth century and has seen many changes. Its deep, secure harbour provided a safe anchorage and prospered during the seventeenth century's 'golden age of sail', victualling ships bound for the West Indies and the American colonies, and facilitating trade with English and continental ports. Its military forts and naval base protected against the threat of foreign invasion, as well as pirates and smugglers who were rampant on the coast. Its bustling waterfront was thronged with fishermen in the nineteenth century and today is filled with tourists and yachting enthusiasts. John Thuillier tells of community suffering, seafaring under lofty masts and billowing sails and life ashore in the taverns and coffee houses, aboard ships and in 'lewd' houses. This comprehensive overview of Kinsale's seafaring tradition will be enjoyed by all who appreciate a whiff of salty spray and the adventure attached to ships voyaging to distant lands.

An epic love story for our times. Unable to age until she has cried, Tanya must collect the tears of others in glass bottles down through the centuries – and through her stories, bear witness to the pain and suffering of the people. Taking both male and female lovers, Tanya is an outcast, hunted by those who misunderstand her until the day comes when she finally stands up to be counted – and learns how to cry. Also part of this collection: ‘ghost-tag’, ‘ryan yr tits are leakin’, ‘widescream’, ‘chair held aloft’, ‘when i return as lenin’ and ‘cocoon’.

This book is the first major study of amateur theatre, offering new perspectives on its place in the cultural and social life of communities. Historically informed, it traces how amateur theatre has impacted national repertoires, contributed to diverse creative economies, and responded to changing patterns of labour. Based on extensive archival and ethnographic research, it traces the importance of amateur theatre to crafting places and the ways in which it sustains the creativity of amateur theatre over a lifetime. It asks: how does amateur theatre-making contribute to the twenty-first century amateur turn?

With more mouth than muscle, the ladies of the V.I.P. Crew aren't gonna let anyone get in their way, not even each other. But in the locker room, team talk turns personal as the straight-talking sistas defend their corner. Vibrant and fun, Shoot 2 Win is a sharp, sassy new play set in the world of ladies' netball.