Gerda Stevenson

Gerda Stevenson (born 10 April 1956 in Peeblesshire, Scotland) is a Scottish actress, director and writer, described by The Scotsman in 1999 as "Scotland's finest actress". She has played many parts in the theatre, including the title role in Edwin Morgan's English translation of Racine's Phèdre, and Lady Macbeth, and has appeared in many television dramas. She was Murron MacClannough's mother in the Mel Gibson film Braveheart, and her voice is familiar to listeners of British radio, as a reader of short stories and adaptations. In particular, she has performed several poems and songs by Robert Burns for the BBC.[1]

Gerda Stevenson
Gerda Stevenson at the Féile na Gréine festival, Waterville, County Kerry in 2012
Born10 April 1956
Peeblesshire, Scotland, UK

Her play Federer Versus Murray toured to New York in 2012, and her poetry collection If This Were Real was published by Smokestack Books in 2013. She has adapted a number of works for radio: Self-Control by Mary Brunton in which Stevenson played the part of Laura Montreville; For the Love of Willie by Agnes Owens in which Stevenson played the part of Liza; The Heart of Midlothian by Sir Walter Scott for BBC Radio 4, nominated for a Sony Award in 2008, in which Stevenson played the part of the heroine Jeanie Deans;[2] and Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon.[3] She has written radio plays including: Island Blue,[4] Secrets: The Punter's Tale,[5] Secrets: The Escort's Tale[6] and The Apple Tree.[7] She directed the Afternoon Play The Price of a Fish Supper.[8]

Stevenson's partner is the Scottish Gaelic poet Aonghas MacNeacail.

Her father is the musician and composer Ronald Stevenson.[9][10] Her sister Savourna Stevenson (born 1961) has recorded works on the Scottish harp, the clàrsach. She is a graduate of RADA.

Radio
DateTitleRoleDirectorStation
12 September 1982 – 10 October 1982The Bride of LammermoorBBC Radio 4
16 May 1985Watching WaitersBBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play
13 March 1990Fair KirstenMarilyn ImrieBBC Radio 3
1 June 1990The InterviewReaderBruce YoungBBC Radio 4 Morning Story
11 June 1990Blood and IceMarilyn ImrieBBC Radio 4 The Monday Play
27 October 1990WitchwoodBBC Radio 4 Saturday Playhouse
7 February 1995The UpshotBBC Radio 4 Thirty Minute Theatre
14 December 1997The Secret CommonwealthPatrick RaynerBBC Radio 4
22 January 1998Tam o'ShanterHamish WilsonBBC Radio 4
21 March 1998
(Recorded on 22 February 1998)		Camelot[11]NimueBBC Radio 2
6 December 1999 – 13 December 1999The Last Days of MankindGiles HavergalBBC Radio 3 Sunday Play
5 February 2001 – 16 February 2001Telling LiddyBridiePam WardellBBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Drama
11 February 2001Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped OffMary, Queen of Scots / MarianMarilyn ImrieBBC Radio 4
11 March 2001Every Bit of ItGeorgiaSusan RobertsBBC Radio 4
19 February 2002A Hundred Miles[12]Bruce YoungBBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play
25 August 2002 – 1 September 2002The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie[13]Jean BrodieBruce YoungBBC Radio 4 Classic Serial
25 January 2003 – 1 February 2003Inspector Rebus: The Falls[14]Jean BurchillBruce YoungBBC Radio 4 The Saturday Play
31 March 2003 – 11 April 2003Self-ControlLaura MontrevilleBruce YoungBBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Drama
6 May 2003The Whole Story and Other Stories: Gothic by Ali SmithReaderDavid Jackson YoungBBC Radio 4 Afternoon Reading
5 April 2004 – 9 April 2004For the Love of WillieLizaBruce YoungBBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Drama
10 January 2005 – 21 January 2005The Gowk StormInnkeeper's WifeDavid Ian NevilleBBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Drama
31 March 2005Wooden HeartUtaMary Ward LoweryBBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play
16 May 2005A Breath from Other PlanetsMathildeBruce YoungBBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play
25 February 2006Christabel's AnarchistChristabelBruce YoungBBC Radio 4 Saturday Play
7 August 2006 – 2 October 2006Paul Temple and the Sullivan Mystery[15]StevePatrick RaynerBBC Radio 4
30 August 2006The Madeleine Effect: Mangoes by Joanna BlythmanReaderKirsty WilliamsBBC Radio 4 Afternoon Reading
9 September 2007 – 16 September 2007The Heart of Midlothian[2]Jeanie DeansBruce YoungBBC Radio 4 Classic Serial
23 March 2008The Muse of Rose Street[16]ReaderMonise DurraniBBC Radio 4
16 May 2008 – 4 July 2008Paul Temple and the Madison Mystery[17]StevePatrick RaynerBBC Radio 4
4 December 2009Distributing Dave[18]BBC Radio Scotland Drama
22 December 2009The Three Knots[19]Old WomanKirsty WilliamsBBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play
11 June 2010 – 30 July 2010Paul Temple and Steve[20]StevePatrick RaynerBBC Radio 4
23 September 2010The Second Mr Bailey[21]MargaretBruce YoungBBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play
25 January 2011The Culture Café: Completely Burns[22]ReaderEsme KennedyBBC Radio Scotland
14 February 2011The Book Café[23]ReaderBBC Radio Scotland
28 February 2011Secrets: The Punter's Tale[5]CaraBruce YoungBBC Radio Scotland Drama
8 May 2011Hume, the Philosophical Historian[24]ReaderLouise YeomanBBC Radio 3 Sunday Feature
24 August 2011 – 12 October 2011A Case for Paul Temple[25]StevePatrick RaynerBBC Radio 4
12 October 2011I Confess: The Power of the Confession[26]Isobel GowdieLiza GreigBBC Radio 3 The Essay

References
  1. BBC – Robert Burns – Works read by Gerda Stevenson
  2. BBC – Classic Serial – The Heart of Midlothian
  3. BBC – Classic Serial – Sunset Song
  4. BBC – Woman's Hour Drama – Island Blue
  5. BBC – BBC Radio Scotland – Secrets: The Punter's Tale
  6. BBC – BBC Radio Scotland – Secrets: The Escort's Tale
  7. BBC – Afternoon Play – The Apple Tree
  8. BBC – Afternoon Play – The Price of a Fish Supper
  9. Gasser, M., "Ronald Stevenson, Composer-Pianist : An Exegetical Critique from a Pianistic Perspective" (Edith Cowan University Press, Western Australia, 2013)
  10. "Peebleshire News, 2009/07/31 Braveheart actress composes song for local school". Archived from the original on 22 August 2009. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
  11. CastAlbums » Camelot » BBC Radio 2 Cast
  12. Scottish Theatre Archive – A Hundred Miles
  13. Radio – Scattered dreams – The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – Sue Arnold, The Observer, 1 September 2002
  14. BBC – The Saturday Play – Inspector Rebus: The Falls
  15. BBC – Paul Temple – Paul Temple and the Sullivan Mystery
  16. BBC – The Muse of Rose Street
  17. BBC – Paul Temple – Paul Temple and the Madison Mystery
  18. BBC – BBC Radio Scotland – Distributing Dave
  19. BBC – Afternoon Play – The Three Knots
  20. BBC – Paul Temple – Paul Temple and Steve
  21. BBC – Afternoon Play – The Second Mr Bailey
  22. BBC – BBC Radio Scotland – The Culture Café: Completely Burns
  23. BBC – BBC Radio Scotland – The Book Café
  24. BBC – Sunday Feature – Hume, the Philosophical Historian
  25. BBC – Paul Temple – A Case for Paul Temple
  26. BBC – The Essay – I Confess: The Power of the Confession
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