Scottish writer reunites with Dot Allison for Edinburgh Fringe after three decades of friendship
Some friendships survive decades. Some survive shared flats, artistic chaos and the Glasgow music scene of the 1990s. Fewer still end up on stage together at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Writer, director and performer Kathleen Ruddy returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with her dark comedy The Cut of Her Jib, where one of the emotional threads running through the production is the inclusion of music by Scottish singer-songwriter Dot Allison.
Allison has kindly allowed Ruddy to use her haunting composition Making Murder of the Land, written with Anton Newcombe for the BBC drama Annika. The song provides a poignant backdrop to a play centered around the possible murder of a missing husband—a story that balances razor-sharp comedy with moments of genuine emotion.
The collaboration is deeply personal. The pair shared a flat in Charing Cross, Glasgow, during the vibrant artistic scene of the 1990s. Their home became a meeting place for musicians, actors, writers and artists - many of whom would later become household names. They have remained close ever since. Allison was bridesmaid at Ruddy’s wedding in Cyprus in 1999.
“It was loud, creative, chaotic and hilarious,” says Ruddy. “People were forever coming and going. We were all dreaming about making art and somehow, all these years later, we’re still doing exactly that. More importantly, we’re still making each other laugh.”
Ruddy says Allison’s involvement feels particularly fitting given the themes of The Cut of Her Jib, which explores women reaching fifty, shedding expectations and refusing to be underestimated any longer.
“Dot has always been one of the most intelligent people I’ve known. She has this beautifully soft voice, so people often underestimate her, but she’s an absolute powerhouse. She’s endlessly creative and has a brilliant scientific mind, studying biochemistry alongside her music. The play is about women discovering their own power later in life, so having Dot’s music woven through it feels incredibly meaningful.”
Ruddy, an award-winning Scottish writer and performer – winner of the prestigious Scotsman Fringe First and BT Award for Comedy in previous Fringe years, is making her return to Edinburgh with a play that mixes dark comedy with sharp observations about marriage, menopause, female friendship and the stories women tell once they stop worrying about being polite.
“Standing on stage every day, making audiences laugh and then moving them with Dot’s music, is something really special. I’m incredibly proud of her—not just because she’s achieved so much, but because after all these years she’s still the same wonderfully curious, funny and generous friend.”
About The Cut of Her Jib
The Cut of Her Jib is a dark comedy that asks what happens when the man at the centre of everyone’s lives suddenly disappears. As suspicions mount, two women begin to untangle decades of marriage, secrets and female resilience in a story where the biggest mystery may not be who committed murder—but why nobody seems particularly upset.
Venue: theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (7–15 August, 1:35pm) and theSpace @ Niddry Street (17–22 August, 5:25pm)
Writer/Director: Kathleen Ruddy
Starring: Deborah Whyte and Kathleen Ruddy
Some friendships survive decades. Some survive shared flats, artistic chaos and the Glasgow music scene of the 1990s. Fewer still end up on stage together at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Writer, director and performer Kathleen Ruddy returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with her dark comedy The Cut of Her Jib, where one of the emotional threads running through the production is the inclusion of music by Scottish singer-songwriter Dot Allison.
Allison has kindly allowed Ruddy to use her haunting composition Making Murder of the Land, written with Anton Newcombe for the BBC drama Annika. The song provides a poignant backdrop to a play centered around the possible murder of a missing husband—a story that balances razor-sharp comedy with moments of genuine emotion.
The collaboration is deeply personal. The pair shared a flat in Charing Cross, Glasgow, during the vibrant artistic scene of the 1990s. Their home became a meeting place for musicians, actors, writers and artists - many of whom would later become household names. They have remained close ever since. Allison was bridesmaid at Ruddy’s wedding in Cyprus in 1999.
“It was loud, creative, chaotic and hilarious,” says Ruddy. “People were forever coming and going. We were all dreaming about making art and somehow, all these years later, we’re still doing exactly that. More importantly, we’re still making each other laugh.”
Ruddy says Allison’s involvement feels particularly fitting given the themes of The Cut of Her Jib, which explores women reaching fifty, shedding expectations and refusing to be underestimated any longer.
“Dot has always been one of the most intelligent people I’ve known. She has this beautifully soft voice, so people often underestimate her, but she’s an absolute powerhouse. She’s endlessly creative and has a brilliant scientific mind, studying biochemistry alongside her music. The play is about women discovering their own power later in life, so having Dot’s music woven through it feels incredibly meaningful.”
Ruddy, an award-winning Scottish writer and performer – winner of the prestigious Scotsman Fringe First and BT Award for Comedy in previous Fringe years, is making her return to Edinburgh with a play that mixes dark comedy with sharp observations about marriage, menopause, female friendship and the stories women tell once they stop worrying about being polite.
“Standing on stage every day, making audiences laugh and then moving them with Dot’s music, is something really special. I’m incredibly proud of her—not just because she’s achieved so much, but because after all these years she’s still the same wonderfully curious, funny and generous friend.”
About The Cut of Her Jib
The Cut of Her Jib is a dark comedy that asks what happens when the man at the centre of everyone’s lives suddenly disappears. As suspicions mount, two women begin to untangle decades of marriage, secrets and female resilience in a story where the biggest mystery may not be who committed murder—but why nobody seems particularly upset.
Venue: theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (7–15 August, 1:35pm) and theSpace @ Niddry Street (17–22 August, 5:25pm)
Writer/Director: Kathleen Ruddy
Starring: Deborah Whyte and Kathleen Ruddy