An Tobar and Mull Theatre has announced a new stage adaptation of Sarah Moss’ acclaimed novel Night Waking, adapted by playwright Shireen Mula and directed by Rebecca Atkinson-Lord.
This one-woman show, starring Nicola Jo Cully as Anna Bennett, will tour Scotland from 28 September to 31 October 2025, opening on the Isle of Mull before visiting venues across the country.
Set on a remote Hebridean island, Night Waking follows Anna, a sleep-deprived historian and mother of two, as she struggles to complete her research while her ornithologist husband is away monitoring puffins.
When Anna and her eldest son discover something buried in the garden, the past begins to intrude on the present in unsettling ways.
Sarah Moss, author of the original novel, said:
“It’s at once uncanny and delightful to see my novel, and especially my narrator, take a new form on stage. I love the way the one-person show intensifies the book’s interest in interiority, reliability and all the voices in the scholar-mother’s mind.”
The production moves between contemporary domestic life and fragments of historical correspondence, exploring themes of motherhood, colonial legacy, and inherited histories.
Director Rebecca Atkinson-Lord commented:
“What excites me about Night Waking is the way it speaks the unspeakable parts of motherhood—the exhaustion, the fear, the isolation—and does so with wit, sharpness and emotional clarity. But what makes it truly remarkable is how it also unearths the buried legacies of empire and colonialism in Scotland. It’s a play that asks big questions about who gets remembered and who gets forgotten, and how the past haunts our present—personally and politically. It’s unsettling, intelligent, and deeply human. I’m incredibly proud to bring this story to audiences across the country.”
Night Waking is a haunting and intelligent solo performance that flickers between biting humour and unbearable tension, offering an urgent portrait of modern womanhood.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
