About me

My name is Alan Muir – a playwright from the Twilight Zone known as Cumbernauld (Scotland).

My debut professional play – The Greatest – premiered at A Play, A Pie and A Pint in Glasgow's Oran Mor, in March 2018, telling the tale of a Scottish pensioner who (allegedly) once knocked out Muhammad Ali.

It proved a hit with audiences and critics (***** - The Herald, **** - The Scotsman), returning for a second week’s run (due to “phenomenal demand”) in July 2018.

The Greatest was revived by Tryst Theatre in February 2025, with a sold-out week of performances in Falkirk.

My second professional play – Losing the Rag – opened the Autumn 2018 season of A Play, A Pie and A Pint.

In 2022/23 I took part in the inaugural East by West UK/US Playwright Exchange with five fellow writers from Scotland and the US – working in Mull, New York, Cape Cod and Glasgow.

Produced works (live):

The Greatest – A Play, A Pie and A Pint, Glasgow (12-17 March 2018)
The Greatest – A Play, A Pie and A Pint, Glasgow (23-28 July 2018)
Losing the Rag – A Play, A Pie and A Pint, Glasgow (27 August-1 September 2018)
Water of Life (extract) – Kirkintilloch Town Hall (audience included Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Culture and the Consulate General of Japan – 2019)
Hack – Short Attention Span Theatre – Ayr Printworks and Cumbernauld Theatre (September 2023)
Code – Short Attention Span Theatre – The Gaiety Theatre, Ayr (May 2024)
The Greatest - Tryst Theatre - Behind the Wall (16-21 February 2025)

Produced works (recorded):

Acquiesce - Short Attention Span Theatre (2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQyyzHUFFBg (from 22 mins)
Merry Christmas, Mr Marshall – A Play, A Pie and A Pint, Glasgow (2020): https://youtu.be/ywfHNTs6xcg
Scabby King – Short Attention Span Theatre (2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18Fa1ge-GIM (from 15 mins)

As a neurodiverse writer, I'm passionately committed to culture for all. I have a particular interest in works which explore everyday magic, mental health, human connection and the incredible power of stories.

My Plays

Code

Synopsis:

Could the key to existence be found on the dusty shelf of a forgotten shop?

Leah is searching for answers and an unusual item ... one which just might solve the greatest mystery the universe has ever known.

But knowledge comes at a price. It always does.

Especially in a digital world which seems to have no room for folklore or faith.

Number of Characters: 2

Minimum Number of Actors Required: 2

Length (in Pages): 25

Location: A shop in Scotland

Key Words: Faith Magic Folklore Death Life Hope Despair

Has the Play Been Produced? Yes

Are the Rights Available? Yes

Has the Play Been Published? No

Award nominations/wins:

Reviews:

Hack

Synopsis:

Two strangers share a fateful journey through the twilight zone of a big city.

As the pair dodge traffic jams and swap jibes, they must also navigate class, morality, prejudice and profits.

Number of Characters: 2

Minimum Number of Actors Required: 2

Length (in Pages): 20

Location: A taxi - in a city

Key Words: Drama Work Life Class Prejudice Morality Funny

Has the Play Been Produced? Yes

Are the Rights Available? Yes

Has the Play Been Published? No

Award nominations/wins:

Reviews:

Shitebag

Synopsis:

Two words.

That’s how they start for Annie – the bad thoughts. The worst.

What if?

Tonight might be Annie\\\'s last chance. She’s waiting at a stage door for The Singer. For a miracle.

Yorke is on the run. Rival gang \'The Fear\' are closing in and time is running out.

Then he sees a light in the dark – a stage door. A girl nearby.

What if?

She’s haunted. He’s hunted. Tonight, their lives rest with each other and a strange they’ve never met.

A story of survival, shared ground, desperation, guilt, hope and home.

Number of Characters: 3

Minimum Number of Actors Required: 3

Length (in Pages): 62

Location: Exterior of a roller disco in Falkirk

Key Words: OCD mental health hope survival violence humour music young controversial shocking Scottish working class

Has the Play Been Produced? No

Are the Rights Available? Yes

Has the Play Been Published? No

Award nominations/wins:

Reviews:

The Greatest

Synopsis:

Ever hear the one about the ginger Glaswegian who flattened Muhammad Ali?

A chance encounter between a cantankerous pensioner and a cynical blogger uncovers a comical tale lost in Scottish legend.

Number of Characters: 3

Minimum Number of Actors Required: 3

Length (in Pages): 40

Location: Retirement village - Scotland

Key Words: Muhammad Ali Comedy Boxing Cynicism Hope Young and Old Loneliness Dementia Roller Derby

Has the Play Been Produced? Yes

Are the Rights Available? Yes

Has the Play Been Published? No

Award nominations/wins:

Reviews:

https://www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/arts_ents/16082447.__39_Moving_and_funny__39______Theat/

https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/theatre-and-stage/theatre-reviews-spring-awakening-the-greatest-the-play-that-goes-wrong-320773

https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/theatre-and-stage/the-greatest-is-returning-for-round-two-at-oran-mor-1428234

Production Photos/Posters/Playtext Cover:

Play Image

The Water of Life

Synopsis:

The true story of a legendary life. Rita Cowan's journey from daughter of Scotland to 'Mother of Japanese Whisky' began almost a century ago today, when two lonely strangers met - one driven to escape, the other by a dream.

A story of love, empowerment, obsession, regret, hope and home.

And whisky.

Number of Characters: 2

Minimum Number of Actors Required: 2

Length (in Pages): 60

Location: A house in Kirkintilloch, Scotland and a distillery in Hokkaido, Japan

Key Words: Life Sacrifice Love Whisky Racism War Feminism Groundbreaking Bravery Scotland Japan Inspiration Legend

Has the Play Been Produced? No

Are the Rights Available? Yes

Has the Play Been Published? Yes

Award nominations/wins:

Reviews:

Profile Photo
Alan Muir
 @ alanmuir

Location

Cumbernauld, Scotland

Contact