Water Colour

A multi award-winning new play about a chance encounter that changes two lives forever.

Esme is standing on a bridge when she meets Harris, a young chef whose own life is shifting beneath his feet. They may never see each other again, but in that moment their lives begin to change direction.

Award-winning writer Milly Sweeney's Water Colour is a beautifully observed new play about loneliness, unexpected connection and the profound impact of being seen when we need it most.

Set along the rivers of the Clyde, this tender and powerful drama asks what happens when we choose to reach out - and how even the briefest meeting can become a turning point.

Winner of the St Andrews Playwriting Award 2024 and the Stage Debut Award for Best Writer 2025, Water Colour comes to the Traverse following widespread critical acclaim.

Water Colour is part of the Traverse's £1 Ticket Project.

Image: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

The St Andrews Playwriting Award encourages and supports the next generation of playwrights living in Scotland. The award provides a key opportunity for an emerging professional playwright’s career development.

The St Andrews Playwriting Award is generously supported by Mike and Elisa Levy and supported by the University of St Andrews MLitt in Playwriting and Screenwriting.

Reviews

★★★★★ 'A genuine gem' - The Stage

★★★★ 'A Play that comes across as a vital dispatch from the front line of the mental health crisis among young people, delivered with real passion, and a memorable strand of pure poetry' - The Scotsman

★★★★ 'This is an assured and heartfelt debut from Sweeney...There's a poetry at play here' - The Herald

Awards

Winner of the St Andrews Playwriting Award 2024.

Winner of the Stage Debut Award for Best Writer 2025.

CATS Award nominee for Best New Play and Best Ensemble.

If you have access requirements, please contact our Sales and Welcome Team on boxoffice@traverse.co.uk or 0131 228 1404 so we can arrange reserved seating for you and discuss how else we can best support your visit.