Interview with Hannah Lavery and Cora Bissett about Mayday, a one-night-only Scottish theatre event in Edinburgh

Lisa in the theatre
1 day ago
2 min read

Find out more about Mayday here

Mayday: Q&A with directors Hannah Lavery and Cora Bissett

How did Mayday come about?

HL and CB: Mayday grew out of conversations about how heavy things feel right now, and how the arts can respond without pretending to have the answers. When National Theatre of Scotland approached us about a one‑night event, we wanted to make a space where people could sit with the complexity of the moment together, without being told what to think.

Why do you think a project like Mayday is urgently needed now?

HL and CB: Public conversation feels increasingly polarised, and people are often encouraged to shut down or toughen up just to get through the day. Mayday isn’t trying to fix that, but it does offer a chance to gather, listen, and stay open and curious, which feels necessary right now.

What do you hope audiences will take from coming along to Mayday?

HL and CB: We’re not trying to steer anyone. If people leave feeling a bit more connected; to the work, to each other, to the questions raised, that’s enough. Space to think and feel in company is a rare thing.

How do you both know each other/how did you first meet and what has it been like working together on Mayday?

HL and CB: Cora and I first met when we were both Associate Artists with the National Theatre of Scotland but this is the first time we’ve actually worked together. It’s been very natural, lots of trust, straight talking, and a shared sense of humour, which helps when you’re making something in the middle of a fairly intense moment.

Which other projects have you collaborated on with the National Theatre of Scotland or more generally?

HL and CB: We’ve both worked with NTS in different ways over the years, but Mayday is our first joint project. Bringing our different experiences into the same room has been a good spark.

What are each of you most excited to see on the evening?

HL and CB: Honestly, the mix. The night moves across forms and tones, and there are moments that land in completely different ways. I’m excited to see how the pieces speak to each other, and how the audience holds those shifts. And there are some one‑off collaborations you won’t see anywhere else.

Hannah, you’re presenting a new short play, Patriotic Renewal…

Patriotic Renewal sits alongside three other new pieces that each respond to the moment in their own way, some directly, some more sideways. What connects them is a sense of urgency and a refusal to look away. They’re very different in tone and form, but together they create a conversation across the night.

Find out more about the Mayday programme here