THE BLACK DOG

In the summer of 2018, Peter was approached by the Perth-based business training and facilitation organisation W2 Training and their roleplaying partner Impromptu with whom he is an associate to write a short forum theatre play about mental health and wellbeing and its impact on process safety in the oil and gas industry.

The main aims of which were to encourage offshore workers to become more aware of mental health issues in the workplace; to seek support from a line manager or trained professional if needed; and to "stop the job" if they thought someone's mental health was in danger of putting themselves or others at risk.

The resulting two-hander The Black Dog, co-performed with Douglas Russell (Berlin Station, Outlander, Silent Witness), was performed at several venues throughout the UK before an invited audience of Wood Group safety representatives.

It was such a success that it was reprised twice the following year. First at their global headquarters in Aberdeen and then onsite at St Fergus Gas Terminal in Peterhead. Both times garnering positive reviews for its authentic humour and sensitivity to the issues.

BETTER LATE THAN DEAD ON TIME

As part of Baldy Bane Theatre Company's contract with Road Safety Scotland to provide theatre-in-education, Peter wrote Better Late Than Dead On Time, an hour-long inter-generational drama about the impact of driver and pedestrian behaviour on a young family, which toured schools, community venues and theatres throughout Scotland for ten weeks in the Spring of 2012.

Originally inspired by the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, the objective of which was to "stabilize and reduce the forecast level of road traffic deaths around the world", the production was restaged several years in succession and seen by over 4000 people from as far and wide as Stranraer to Shetland and Arran to Aberdeen. And what's more, each performance was completely free.

A recent evaluation by Road Safety Scotland praised the show for being "funny, short, relatable, informal, local and fast-paced" and "something that could be promoted even further in the future to reach an even wider audience." Feedback from event organisers was equally positive, noting that "younger audiences in particular appeared to like the humour in the performance, indicating that this made it more enjoyable and interesting."

To give you a flavour, here's an extract from the opening rap: "Hear ye! Hear ye! A moment of your time. / Let me entertain you in song and rhyme / And bring to your notice as best I can / The seven road rages of modern man. / Baseball-capped boy racers out on the pull. / Jakey mates in the back too cool for school. / Seat belts are so gay. Hey, check out that chick. / Flash the lights. Doh! Not the hazards, you p***k."

GOLD STARS

As part of the Scottish Government's “National Domestic Abuse Delivery Plan for Children and Young People”, Peter ran a series of five two-hour drama workshops in five primary schools throughout Scotland to explore issues of bullying and the impact of domestic abuse on children.

He then worked with fellow theatre practitioner Garry Stewart to devise a forum theatre play Gold Stars & Dragon Marks which since its premiere in 2009 has toured nationwide several times and been adapted into a short film starring River City’s Mark Cox and Jane McCarry.

CRUSH

In the spring of 2010, Peter embarked on the second strand of the Scottish Government’s “Delivery Plan” by facilitating 25 two-hour drama workshops in secondary schools throughout Scotland on issues of gender stereotyping, body image and abuse within teenage relationships.

Again, working closely with a team of professional actors from Baldy Bane Theatre Company, he co-devised a forty-five minute forum theatre play entitled Crush (formerly A Big Boy Did It And Ran Away) which has been adapted into an award-winning short film by Soundsmove.

PAGE POETRY

For the past twenty years, Peter has written and performed poetry at various open mic and spoken word events throughout the UK including Queer Up North and Edinburgh International Book Festival.

A number of his poems have also been published in respected magazines and literary journals including: Alight Here, an anthology of Falkirk writing edited by Alan Bissett; and Naked Among Thistles, a collection of poetry and prose about LGBT+ identites by Stewed Rhubarb Press.

Recent poems include a dirge to the demon drink Never Again, a satirical attack on austerity Mr Tax Man and a tongue-in-cheek plea to seize the day Gather Ye Rosebuds As well as the coronavirus-inspired Nothing Else For It.

STAGE POETRY

As far back as 2002 Peter appeared in Night Lines, an STV documentary in "celebration of the country's performance poets".

In 2010, he performed a half-hour spoken word show at Sloans in Glasgow which Gareth K Vile writing in The Skinny described as "winningly sliding from emotional despair to pride and success, Peter Callaghan captivated the crowd with his sharp verse and taut delivery."

A month before the 2014 referendum, he joined fellow Falkirk writers Dickson Telfer, Samuel Best and Alan Bissett in an evening of debate and spoken word Aye For Falkirk.

And in the spring of 2019 he headlined the popular Last Monday at Avant Garde in Glasgow hosted by the genial Robin Cairns.

NON-FICTION

To mark the £50,000 refurbishment of Laurieston Bowling Club in Falkirk and to celebrate what Bowls Scotland calls “one of the great Scottish sporting success stories”, Peter researched, wrote and published a comprehensive history entitled “No Carnegies In Its Midst”.

Drawing upon a century’s worth of meticulously penned minutes and supported by extracts from local newspapers, the 64-page A5 colour book is as much a history of the community as it is of the club, featuring major events such as the Redding Pit Disaster and the impact of both world wars.

Ian Scott writing in The Falkirk Herald described the publication as "a fascinating new book", "well illustrated" and "of great interest to bowlers, villagers and local historians."

REVIEWSPHERE

For several years, Peter was a regular contributor to the Edinburgh-based e-zine reviewsphere which, edited by freelance video journalist and writer Luke Rajczuk, offers a Scottish perspective on culture, politics and current affairs.

Examples of his film, theatre and music reviews include:

• Luca Manning's debut jazz album When The Sun Comes Out;
• James Ley's riotous comedy about Edinburgh's first gay bookshop Love Song To Lavender Menace; and
• John McPhail's zombie musical Anna and the Apocalypse.

A collection of his reviews can be found on his arts blog Scottish Reviews.