Douglas Maxwell Wins 2024 ‘Hector’ Award for Best New Scottish Play

The Scottish Society of Playwrights (SSP) has announced that the 2024 Hector MacMillan Award for Best New Scottish Play—affectionately known as “The Hector”—has been awarded to Douglas Maxwell for his acclaimed play So Young. This marks Maxwell’s second consecutive win, following last year’s recognition for The Sheriff of Kalamaki, making him the first playwright to win the Hector two years in a row.

Written during the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, So Young premiered at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe at the Traverse Theatre, in a co-production with Raw Material and the Citizens Theatre. Directed by Gareth Nicholls, the production received a Fringe First Award, was shortlisted for the Popcorn Award and The List’s Best Show of the Festival, and went on to win Best New Play at the 2025 Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS).

“I'm absolutely delighted that So Young has won the Hector MacMillan Award for Best New Scottish Play of 2024,” said Maxwell. “The fact that the prize is voted for by my fellow playwrights makes it very special indeed. In fact, it may be the highest honour I’ve had in my twenty-five years working in Scottish theatre.”

Set in the summer of 2021, So Young follows recently widowed Milo as he reunites with old friends for an evening of wine and nostalgia—then shocks them by introducing his new 20-year-old girlfriend, Greta. The night spirals into a darkly comedic meditation on aging, grief, and generational dissonance.

The play will be remounted in October 2025 as part of the Citizens Theatre’s grand reopening season following its major renovation, and will also return to Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre for a limited engagement.

SSP Co-Chairs Kris Haddow and Ryan Hay said:

“The fifth Hector Award was hotly contested, with nearly 40 plays premiering in 2024 receiving nominations. Douglas’s win is a testament to his longevity and consistent excellence in Scottish playwriting, as well as the vibrant partnerships that fuel new writing across the country.”

About the Hector MacMillan Award

Named after the late playwright Hector MacMillan—a founding SSP member—the award honors excellence in new Scottish writing and is voted on by professional playwrights. Past winners include:

• Mouthpiece (Kieran Hurley) & Ulster American (David Ireland) – 2019 (joint winners)

• How Not to Drown (Nicola McCartney & Dritan Kastrati) – 2020

• James IV: Queen of the Fight (Rona Munro) – 2021/22

• Castle Lennox (Linda McLean) – 2023

About Douglas Maxwell

Douglas Maxwell has been a central voice in Scottish theatre for 25 years. His plays include Decky Does a Bronco, Yer Granny, Charlie Sonata, The Whip Hand, Orphans, and I Can Go Anywhere. His work has been produced internationally, from New York to Seoul, and translated into over a dozen languages.

About the Scottish Society of Playwrights

Founded in 1973, the Scottish Society of Playwrights champions the rights and voices of professional playwrights in Scotland. In 2023–2024, SSP celebrated its 50th anniversary with the SSP@50 Fellowship, funded by Creative Scotland and The National Lottery, culminating in a State of the Nation Conference at the University of Glasgow.