The Outrun

A young woman finds herself washed up back home on the Scottish archipelago of Orkney, trying to rebuild her life after a decade of addiction.

The life she has left behind in London, with all its intoxicating temptations, has pushed her to the point of destruction. Now there is wildness of a different form - an alluring wilderness that she must learn to navigate.

Speaking to the impact of isolation and loneliness and - ultimately - the resilience of people, Amy Liptrot's bestselling memoir The Outrun has been adapted for the stage by Stef Smith. Directed by Vicky Featherstone, and co-produced by The Royal Lyceum Edinburgh and Edinburgh International Festival, it premiered at the 2024 Festival.

Amy Liptrot's The Outrun was a Sunday Times bestseller, BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week, won the Wainwright Prize and the PEN Ackerley Prize, and was shortlisted for the Wellcome and Ondaatje Prizes.

'One of Scotland's boldest chroniclers of contemporary women's lives' The Stage on Stef Smith

'A lyrical, brave memoir... compelling' Guardian on The Outrun

'A triumph... exquisitely written... breathtakingly sure-footed and perfectly crafted' — Scotsman

'Unflinching... devastating... sums up an entire millennial generation's struggle for pleasure... roars with a sense of yearning... a delirious spectacle... dizzyingly euphoric' — The Herald

'Ambitious... very impressive... valiantly blurs the wild and the urban to portray the writer's introspective journey to sobriety' — Guardian

'A nifty adaptation' — Observer

'Bold and moving... Stef Smith's sharp writing ensures that every line spoken has a purpose... a beautiful adaptation of Amy Liptrot's book, brought to life by a wonderful playwright' — Broadway World

'Powerful and contemplative' — Fest Mag

'Exceptional... Smith's adaptation is smart and concise... remarkable storytelling... a sensational theatrical achievement' — The Quinntessential Review