Duncan Wells is an award winning playwright, songwriter and recording artist. He is an East Coast Music Award winner who has performed for children throughout the Atlantic Provinces for more than 30 years. He has released four full length recordings of original songs for children, and his songs have been performed by a variety of notable Canadian recording artists, including Rita MacNeil, Patricia Conroy, and The Cape Breton Summertime Revue. Below is a list of Duncan's career highlights beginning from 1985.

Career Highlights

1985 - Willie and the Lapdog was listed among the top fifty scripts of 1985 by Writer's Digest Magazine, an international publication for Writers.

1986 - Tell Harold If You See Him was awarded the Boardmore Trophy for best original script at the University College of Cape Breton's 16th Annual Festival of Plays.

1987 - Duncan was invited to adjudicate the Northside - Victoria School Board's 7th Annual Festival of Plays.

1988 - Funding was received from Canada Council for the Arts to produce Landfalls a book of three original plays.

1989 - The Rankin Family perform Pioneers and Freedom's Sky as part of The Mabou Jig at the Savoy Theatre.

1989 - Duncan spent the 1989/90 school year visiting every elementary school in the Sydney School District, presenting a three part program that taught children the basic personal safety skills that are important to help keep children from being physically, and sexually assaulted. The program met with so much success that it was extended to all other elementary schools on Cape Breton Island.

1990 - FACTOR's New Talent Demo Award was received in the form of 25 hours of studio time, in the category of Children's music.

1991 - As The Circle Continues, placed first in the Molson EX Country song competition for the Hamilton, Ontario region. The sponsoring station was CHAM Radio, of Hamilton, Ont.

1991 - Patricia Conroy performs As The Circle Continues at the Sudbury Grand Theatre.

1991 - FACTOR's CD Compilation Award was received to produce two songs that were included on ON The Right Tracks #1 and #2.

1992 - Ladder to the Sky, a collection of 10 original songs for children was released.

1992 - Duncan wrote, co-hosted and co-produced The Get Up Show On Get Up Radio, a one half hour Children’s Special for C.B.C. Cape Breton.

1992 - Duncan wrote, co-hosted and co-produced The Merry Christmas Show, a one half hour Children’s Christmas Special for C.B.C. Cape Breton.

1993 - AAHS Radio - the Children's Satellite Radio Network - in St. Louis Park, Minnisota, added three songs by Duncan Wells to their regular playlist. All three songs had been previously released on Ladder to the Sky.

1993 - Duncan and the Apple in a Tree Band, sold out 11 straight performances during the annual Concert Series at the U.C.C.B. Playhouse in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

1993 - Duncan and the Apple in a Tree Band was featured at the Bras D'Or Festival of The Arts 1993 Season.

1993 - Duncan spent the summer of 1993 working with internationally known children's entertainer Fred Penner in Merdith Wilson's The Music Man.

1993 - Duncan and the Apple in a Tree Band toured the province of Nova Scotia with the 1993 Not Just For Kids Series, sponsored by the Royal Bank of Canada. In addition to this tour the band, was asked to continue into the province of New Brunswick. In all, they performed an exhausting 24 shows in 16 days.

1993 - Funding was received from FACTOR to produce a second album of original children's music.

1994 - T.L.C. Duncan's second album of original songs for children is released.

1994 - Duncan was commissioned to produce an original playscript to commorate the 250th Anniversary of the Town of Louisbourg. The play, The Louisbourg Exchange, based on the 1936 crash landing of British Aviatrix Beryl Markham was performed 85 times before it finally closed at the end of the summer of 1995.

1995 - Duncan and the Apple in a Tree Band toured New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. In all they performed 19 shows in 16 days.

1995 - Rita MacNeil performs As The Circle Continues on her highly successful C.B.C. weekly variety program.

1995 - Two original stories, Zachariah and Mary Beth Dalton and Sally The Magnificent Cow were published by Wreck Cove Publishing. The book was released as a package which included musical adaptations of both stories.

1995/96 - Duncan and the Apple in a Tree Band was selected in 1995 and again in 1996 to showcase at the East Coast Music Awards.

1996 - Duncan received the first ever East Coast Music Award in the category of Children's Artist Of The Year from the East Coast Music Association.

1996 - Duncan was a member of the 1996 Bras D'Or Festival of the Arts Songwriter's Circle, sharing the stage with songwriters Lenny Gallant, Terry Kelly and Laura Smith.

1996 - Today's Parent Magazine declares Duncan's, TLC, "worthy of a national audience."

1997 - Duncan is included among the featured artists in the Ragweed Press publication Rock Rythm and Reels: Canada's East Coast Musicians on Stage.

1997 - Loggerhead Record recording artist Nicholson releases video of Duncan's powerful song of peace, When Angels Brush Their Hair.

1998 - The Love & Safety Club for Children is launched in Halifax, Nova Scotia at the 10th Anniversary of East Coast Music Awards. This live production of original songs was created and designed by Duncan to help reinforce basic safety messages that are important to the every day lives of children.

1998 - Welcome to the Club an original musical play by Duncan Wells is presented in Sydney, Nova Scotia at the Colby/St. Joseph Elementary School Complex. Using the talents of grade five and six students the messages of The Love & Safety Club are presented through songs and skits.

1998 - Funding was received from FACTOR to produce a third album of original children's music.

1998 - Cyril MacPhee of the popular Eastern Canadian Power Folk Band, Brakin’ Tradition, includes Counting Your Blessings in Twos an original song by Duncan Wells on his first solo release When I Say I Do.

1998 - Gordie Sampson records a Duncan Wells/Mary Jane Lammond co-write, The Blood is Strong.

1998 - Wayne Nicholson releases two of Wells’ songs, County Town and Tears of Joy on his 1998 release I Drive.

1999 - The Love & Safety Club Duncan's third full length recording of original songs for children released to the general public.

1999 - Loggerhead Record recording artist Nicholson releases video of County Town to national television audiences on CMT.

1999 - The Love & Safety Club In-Class Safety Education Program is piloted in elementary schools in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Nevada, North Carolina, Texas, Connecticut and Guam. Teachers and students agree that The Love & Safety Club is a valuable safety education tool.

2000 - In The Land Of Grey & Pink, an original musical play for children written and directed by Duncan Wells receives the award for Best Musical Composition at the UCCB Boardmore Playhouse. In The Land Of Grey & Pink went on to be performed by two other drama groups in Kingston, Nova Scotia in 2001, and in Tabor, Alberta in 2003.

2001 - Willie & The Lapdog, Duncan's award winning play is staged for the third time at the UCCB Boardmore Playhouse.

2001 - From The Outports, written and directed by Duncan Wells is a one act play dealing with isolation and escape from a 17 year old girl's perspective, takes the stage at the UCCB Boardmore Playhouse.

2002 - Duncan launches The Cape Breton Young People's Theatre Company. The all children's cast of actors and singers present their first musical production of an original script entitled Missus Moon's Marvellous Monster Camp For Kids, at the UCCB Boardmore Playhouse.

2002 - The Invisible Morrison Jeffrey, written and directed by Duncan Wells is an original full length play that tackles the subject of mental disabilities, runs for six nights at the UCCB Boardmore Playhouse.

2003 - Newfoundland, Independent recording artist, Rik Barron includes two of Duncan's songs, Sittin' Next To You and From Hopkins Wharf To Havenside on his 2003 release, The Quiet Faith Of Man.

2003 - The Grandfather Clock, a one act play written and directed by Duncan Wells, took the stage at the UCCB Boardmore Playhouse during it's 32nd Annual Season Of Plays.

2003 - Written and directed by Duncan Wells, The Girl Who Lives Under My Bed, a one act play for children, take the stage in June at the UCCB Boardmore Playhouse during it's 2003 Children's Play Festival.

2003 - Duncan's original musical comedy, Cape Breton Island's 4 Men In A Tub became the surprise hit of the summer. The show enjoyed 52 performances at the Capri Cabaret in downtown Sydney, and received hundreds of rave reviews from local and international audience members.

2004 - Brownbird: A Gothic Tale written and directed by Duncan Wells, took the stage at the UCCB Boardmore Playhouse during it's 33rd Annual Season Of Plays.

2004 - The Cheveries, a Prince Edward Island family band records Duncan's song, Home Again.

2004/2005 - Duncan's original musical comedy, Cape Breton Island's 4 Men In A Tub returned with an all new music and comedy production at the Capri Cabaret. The show has been met with rave reviews for three years running.

2006 - Duncan's releases, Dunkle Unkin's Farm,  his fourth collection of original songs for children. Available exclusively as a downloadable internet CD, Dunkle Unkin's Farm contains some of the more popular songs from Duncan's live performances such as Wait For The Dinner Bell and Adios Amigo.

2006 - Cape Breton Island's 4 Men In A Tub's second Christmas production, T''was Da Night Before Christmas II hits the stage at the Louisbourg Playhouse, and the Capri Cabaret performing throughout the month of December.

2007 - Two brand new 4 Men In A Tub scripts (summer production and Christmas production) written by Duncan Wells and performed at the Capri Cabaret, the Savoy Theatre, and the Louisbourg Playhouse. 

2008 - "I'm In A Pickle", a song from Dunkle Unkin's Farm is picked up as a theme song for a frozen treat called the Pickle Sickle and the song is aired (and danced to) on the FOX Network's "Houston LIVE!" and NBC's San Antonio Today. 

2008 - Cape Breton Island's 4 Men In A Tub celebrates it's 6th year of music and comedy with two brand new scripts by Duncan Wells produced for the summer and Christmas seasons at the Capri Cabaret and the Savoy Theatre. 

2008 - The Girl Who Lives Under My Bed, an original script by Duncan Wells is translated into Hindi. The play, translated as Bedke Neeche Rehne Wali, opened May 4th at the Pritvi Theatre in Bombay. The run consisted of six performances in and around the city of Bombay. 

2009 - Two of Duncan's songs (Small Town Wind and Shine) were included on CD releases by two different east coast artists (Max MacDonald and Rik Barron). Both CD's were nominated for East Coast Music Awards with one, Rik Barron's Shine, winning in the best children's CD category.

2009 - Cape Breton Island's 4 Men In A Tub kicks off it's 7th season of music and comedy with "All You Need Is Love", a dinner theatre production dedicated to the ups and downs (and ins and outs) of love.

2009 - July of 2009, Cape Breton Island's 4 Men In A Tub's new summer season of music & comedy opens at the Capri Cabaret in Sydney, NS.

2010 - After seven years, Cape Breton Island's 4 Men In A Tub emerges with a brand new show under the banner of 4 Men In A Tub Productions. The all new music and comedy show, The Cape Breton Stomp, opens at the Martin Arms Hotel, featuring a new cast of characters. The production is a more family friendly show consisting of 4 Men In A Tub founders, Brian Martin, Duncan Wells and George MacDonald, and features the talents of multi-instrumentalist, Amanda Greaves.

2011 - One of Duncan's songs, Finger Dance, is included in an E-book for educators by the Nelson Education Group of Vancouver, Canada.

2011 - After eight years, more than 14 original scripts and hundreds of performances later Duncan takes a break from Cape Breton Island's 4 Men In A Tub to deal with other matters both personal and artistic.

2012 - Duncan teams up with legendary Cape Breton writer and folk artist, Wally MacAulay to create the music and comedy duo of Maggie MacAulay.

2013 - Duncan's song Guitar Man On A Runaway Train is recorded by Cape Breton rock 'n blues artist Glen P MacNeil and is included on his 2013 release, "Guitar Man".

2013 - Cape Breton Island's 4 Men In A Tub returns with a music and comedy called The Justin Trudeau Show.