50 years of Drama and Performing Arts

Home - Alumni and Friends - 50 years of Drama and Performing Arts

Welcome to our drama and performing arts anniversary alumni celebrations.

Since 1971, when the Edinburgh College of Speech and Drama was incorporated into Queen Margaret College, thousands of graduates have gone on to thrive in a variety of careers in the creative industries, and beyond.

Today, we are celebrating the creativity, passion, resilience and success of our graduates. 

As part of our anniversary celebrations we want to bring some of our alumni stories and their careers to life, celebrating the wonderful, yet varied path, a performing arts degree can bring. These dedicated anniversary pages offer a chance to hear directly from just a small selection of our alumni.  

We are also celebrating with our first ever alumni podcast series, 'Going Off Script With…'. The series sees a handful of alumni interviewed by our Dean of the School for Arts, Social Sciences and Management.

Are you a Drama and Performing Arts graduate? Get in touch with your stories, memories and photos. 

Going Off Script With...- a QMU Alumni Podcast

#50yearsQMU

Lewis Gribben

Actor

- C4's Somewhere Boy  

Lewis Gribben

Class of 2019
Image of QMU Alumni, Jane McCarry.

Actor

- BBC's Still Game 

Jane McCarry

Class of 1992 & 1999
Paul Ewing

Composer and producer

Paul Ewing

Class of 1996
Mark Cox

Actor

- BBC's Still Game 

Mark Cox

Class of 1993
Stef Smith

Playwright and screenwriter

Stef Smith

Class of 2009
Jordan Young

Actor

- BBC's River City 

Jordan Young

Class of 2001
Emma Hay

Programme Manager

- Edinburgh International Festival

Emma Hay

Class of 2011
Craig Hill

Comedian, presenter and actor 

Craig Hill

Class of 1994
Adam Park

Head of Social Programming & Production - Jungle Creations

Adam Park

Class of 2015
Scott Hoatson

Actor, voice-over artist and BBC continuity announcer 

Scott Hoatson

Class of 2006
Shaun Bell

Associate Director

- Stripe Communications 

Shaun Bell

Class of 2011
Jemima Levick

Artistic Director

- A Play, A Pie and A Pint

Jemima Levick

Class of 2002
Scott Ramsay

Creative director and theatre-maker 

Scott Ramsay

Class of 1994
Dani Rae

General Manager

- Assembly Festival

Dani Rae

Class of 2007
James Miller

Production Coordinator

- Great Leap Forward

James Miller

Class of 2016
Danielle Jam

Actor

- BBC CBeebies Molly and Mack 

Danielle Jam

Class of 2018
Steve Parkinson

Chief Strategic Partnerships and Events Officer 

- Bauer Media Group 

Steve Parkinson

Class of 1988
Ruth Mcewan

Senior Producer

- Traverse Theatre

Ruth McEwan

Class of 2007
Kevin McKidd

Actor and director

- ABC's Grey’s Anatomy

Kevin McKidd

Class of 1994
Claire Halleran

Set and costume designer 

Claire Halleran

Class of 2004
Gemma Henry

Head of Marketing and Communications - Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre 

Gemma Henry

Class of 2011
Diane Stewart

Playwright 

Diane Stewart

Class of 2014
Michael Nardone

Actor

- Alibi's Traces 

Michael Nardone

Class of 1988
Morna Pearson

Playwright and screenwriter

Morna Pearson

Class of 2002
Anne Marie Platt

Development Assistant - National Theatre of Scotland 

Anne-Marie Platt

Class of 2011
Ali De Souza

Associate Head of Acting

- Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Ali de Souza

Class of 2004
Claire Murray

Actors' Agent & Company Director - Brennan Artists Associates 

Claire Murray

Class of 1998
Johnny Elmer

Service Deliveries Team Manager - TUI (Touristik Union International)

Johnathan Elmer

Class of 2013
Kenny Blyth

Voice-over artist and actor 

Kenny Blyth

Class of 2000
Helen Milne

Producer and director

Helen Milne

Class of 2010
Image of QMU Alumni, Helen Docherty.

Post-Production Operations Manager

- BBC Scotland

Helen Doherty

Class of 1993
Laila Noble

Director, producer and playwright   

Laila Noble

Class of 2015
Ariane Wiltons

Marketing & PR Manager 

Ariane Oiticica

Class of 2011
Amie Burns Walker

Immersive actor, creative and director 

Amie Burns Walker

Class of 2009
Stewart Aitken

Actor and director, and Coordinator for North East Culture Collective

Stewart Aitken

Class of 1984

Drama and Performing Arts at QMU ....

QMU Costume Design student creating a gold and white detailed jacket
Drama and Performing Arts