Sarah Marie Mooney
Director
Sarah Marie Mooney
Director · Dramaturg · Writer
Profile
Base: Edinburgh
Practice: New writing, devising, feminist storytelling, creative access and socially engaged work
Biography
Sarah is a Paisley-born theatre-maker and creative facilitator, now based in Edinburgh. Working across new writing and devising, she makes vibrant and collaborative performances, blending poignant storytelling with humour to move, entertain and actively engage with audiences. She is passionate about creative access and work that places women and non-binary people centre-stage.
Alongside her own creative projects, Sarah has undertaken a variety of freelance roles for organisations including Perth Theatre as a director, Pitlochry Festival Theatre as an assistant director, Playwrights’ Studio Scotland as a trainee dramaturg, the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting as a reader, and Framework Theatre as a director. She is a co-founder of Play Full Theatre, producing scratch nights and opportunities for emerging artists collaborate on new work, supporting them as a director and dramaturg.
Recent directing credits include The Skarsgård Effect (Edinburgh Fringe), Louder Than Words (Traverse Theatre), Tartan Tat (Edinburgh Fringe and tour venues), and Survivors of the Zombie Apocalypse (an Edinburgh Horror Festival sell-out show). Sarah is currently developing a new play with music that is a contemporary reimagining of the Greek myth of Echo, receiving funding from Creative Scotland Open Fund.
Working within the disability arts sector as a theatre maker and facilitator, accessibility for artists, participants and audiences is key to Sarah’s practice. She is also on the Senior Management Team of Arts Council England NPO, Disability Arts Online, and a trustee of disabled-led theatre company, Birds of Paradise.
Directing, Dramaturgy and Writing Experience
Director — Half Baked Tales residency
Scottish Storytelling Centre · 2026
Writer — They Get Together at the End by Sarah Marie Mooney
And Friends at Paisley Arts Centre · 2026
Director — Skarsgård Effect by Ellen Eklund
Eklund Productions — Edinburgh Fringe · 2026
Director — Perth Theatre Scratch Night
Perth Theatre & Lisa Nicoll Productions · 2026
Lead Artist / Director / Co-writer — Echo by Sarah Marie Mooney and Anne Yeomans
Funded by Creative Scotland, with support from National Theatre of Scotland · 2026
Director / Dramaturg — The March by Isla Campbell
Research and development funded by Capital Theatres · 2025
Script Reader — Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting
Royal Exchange Theatre · 2025
Director — Tartan Tat by Lex Joyce and Isla Campbell
Shark Bait Theatre — Edinburgh Fringe and tour venues · 2024 - 2025
Director — Louder Than Words by Fiona Moon
Framework Theatre — The Traverse · 2024
Trainee Dramaturg — paid work placement
Playwrights’ Studio Scotland · 2024
Director — Only in Moonlight research and development
Supported by An Tobar & Mull Theatre · 2024
Director / Co-writer — Survivors of the Zombie Apocalypse by Suzy Ross and Sarah Marie Mooney
Factory of Errors — Edinburgh Horror Festival · 2023
Co-Founder / Director / Dramaturg — Play Full Theatre
Various venues · 2023–2026
Director — Waking the Giant by Bodhran Mullen
Framework Theatre — Livestreamed performance · 2022
Assistant Director — Who Are You? by Timberlake Wertenbaker
Pitlochry Festival Theatre & The Lyceum Edinburgh · 2021
Dramaturg Placement — Hindu Times by Jaimini Jethwa
Stellar Quines & Dundee Rep for Edinburgh International Festival · 2021
Work Examples
- Echo show pack 2026
- Tartan Tat production images
- Louder Than Words rehearsal and Traverse show images
- Survivors of the Zombie Apocalypse show pack
Reviews
“Sarah Marie Mooney's direction is spot on, with the five strong cast using every part of the thrust stage to good effect, the frequent scene changes quick and efficient.” — FringeReview
“Director, Sarah Marie Mooney, has brought together the various elements of the play, adding purposeful movement to create a coherent piece that works brilliantly.” — All Edinburgh Theatre
“Sarah Marie Mooney's efficient direction helps maintain an intelligent sense of pace.” — The Scotsman
Other Arts Experience
Assistant Artist — Fringe in a Fortnight project
Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society · Freelance fixed term · 2026
Creative engagement project working within a school to co-create a show to stage as a performance in two weeks.
Workshop Assistant — Elevate project
At the Root Arts · Weekly freelance · 2025–2026
Drama workshops for neurodivergent children and young people; supported and led activities and games; directed performances.
Workshop Facilitator
Various · Freelance · 2025–2026
Communications Manager
Disability Arts Online · Part-time remote · 2023–2026
Board Member
Birds of Paradise Theatre Company · Voluntary · 2022–2026
Board Member
Framework Theatre · Voluntary · 2023–2026
Support Team
Lung Ha Theatre Company · Freelance and voluntary roles · 2023–2025
Head of Communications
Stellar Quines Theatre Company · Part-time · 2020–2023
Media Officer
Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society · Full-time fixed term · 2019
Education, training and development
Distinction — MLitt 'Playwriting and Dramaturgy'
University of Glasgow · 2021
First class — BA (Joint Hons) 'Journalism and Creative Writing' and 'English'
University of Strathclyde · 2011
Company Member
Tron Theatre Young Company · 2015–2018
Sheep at Tron Theatre and Traverse Theatre
Shadow of a Doubt at Tron Theatre
Short courses: Writer Development Programme - Strange Town Theatre (2026); Co-creation with Young People - Ned Glasier (2024); Technical Development Workshops - Mull Theatre (2024); Stage Management: Skills & Practice - Queen Margaret University; Introduction to Theatre Directing - Royal Conservatoir of Scotland
