Cornwall Woman Karen Pirie

Within a year of giving up a successful career in education to pursue a lifelong ambition to be a playwright, Sarah Connors was being nominated for prestigious national playwriting awards. Next year, three of her plays will be staged and big name theatres are taking a keen interest in producing her work. For this episode, recorded between rehearsals at The Minack Theatre, Sarah talks about the key advice she put into practice to help her tackle imposter syndrome and she talks candidly about the painful years trying for a baby – an experience which has fed into her powerful production Tre in which Mary Woodvine plays a childless woman. 
Click hear to book for Tre at The Minack. 
 

Ella was 40 when she decided to start writing poetry. Since then she's created the Mor Poets collective, published Morvoren, the poetry of sea swimming, and organised workshops and poetry evenings across Cornwall. 
 When she was a little girl, a dramatic storm brought her family to Cornwall. Her own family now live on a boat during the summer and the sea is a strong current through her writing. Join us down on the shoreline to find out what’s in store this summer for Ella.
Find out more about the Mor Poets collective here. 
 

Epic outdoor productions, unique open-air sculpture and mesmerising performances across Cornwall and the world – Sue Hill can do it all. She’s worked with Kneehigh, Wildworks, the Minack, the Eden Project to name just a few, flying the flag for Cornwall, her home county.
Produced and presented by Karen Pirie
Music by Alisdair Stirling 

It’s 20 years since the feminist production hub launched itself onto the world. Since then they have staged countless performances, ushered new female voices into the limelight and brought classic works screaming into the 21st century. Hear from the women who are making it happen. Find out what a Mayven is – are you one? And hear from other key women in Cornwall’s cultural scene.
Produced and Presented by Karen Pirie for Western Sounds.
Music by Alisdair Stirling 

International focus is on Mary as she takes the lead in Mark Jenkin’s highly anticipated follow-up to Bait – Enys Men. She’s appeared in countless theatre productions across Cornwall and was a core member of Kneehigh Theatre in the 90s. And she’s been seen on our small screens in everything from Eastenders to Poldark. Mary talks about the challenge of taking on the intense role, the responsibility of being a leading lady in her 50s, the nightmare of her first day on EastEnders and scooping the naughtiest line of the series in Poldark.  

A celebration of Cornwall's leading ladies in the performing arts.