Theatre in Scotland
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Theatre in Scotland refers to the history of the performing arts in Scotland, or those written, acted and produced by Scots. Scottish theatre generally falls into the Western theatre tradition, although many performances and plays have investigated other cultural areas. The main influences are from North America,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and from Continental Europe. Scotland's theatrical arts were generally linked to the broader traditions of Scottish and English-language literature and to British and Irish theatre, American literature and theatrical artists. As a result of mass migration, both to and from Scotland, in the modern period, Scottish literature has been introduced to a global audience, and has also created an increasingly multicultural Scottish theatre. Scottish theatre dates back at least as far as the Middle Ages. Because of the linguistic divide between Lowland Scots and
Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well ...
speakers and puritanism in the wake of the
Scottish reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process by which Scotland broke with the Papacy and developed a predominantly Calvinist national Kirk (church), which was strongly Presbyterian in its outlook. It was part of the wider European Protestant Refor ...
, it has been a late development. A third problem was the
union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...
which removed patronage. Scottish "national drama" emerged in the early 1800s, as plays with specifically Scottish themes began to dominate the Scottish stage. The existing repertoire of Scottish-themed plays included John Home's '' Douglas'' (1756) and Allan Ramsay's '' The Gentle Shepherd'' (1725), with the last two being the most popular plays among amateur groups.I. Brown, T. Clancy, S. Manning and M. Pittock, eds, '' The Edinburgh History of Scottish Literature: Enlightenment, Britain and Empire (1707–1918)'' (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007), p. 231. ''Douglas'' elicited the (in)famous "Whaur's Yer Wullie Shakespeare Noo?" jeer from a member of one of its early audiences, and was also the subject of a number of pamphlets for and against it. Notable theatrical institutions include the
National Theatre of Scotland The National Theatre of Scotland, established in 2006, is the national theatre company of Scotland. The company has no theatre building of its own; instead it tours work to theatres, village halls, schools and site-specific locations, both at h ...
, the
Citizens Theatre The Citizens Theatre, in what was the Royal Princess's Theatre, is the creation of James Bridie and is based in Glasgow, Scotland as a principal producing theatre. The theatre includes a 500-seat Main Auditorium, and has also included various ...
of Glasgow and the
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland ( gd, Conservatoire Rìoghail na h-Alba), formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama ( gd, Acadamaidh Rìoghail Ciùil is Dràma na h-Alba) is a conservatoire of dance, drama, music, production, and ...
(formerly RSAMD), whose alumni include noted performers and directors
Robert Carlyle Robert Carlyle (born 14 April 1961) is a Scottish actor. His film work includes '' Trainspotting'' (1996), ''The Full Monty'' (1997), ''The World Is Not Enough'' (1999), ''Angela's Ashes'' (1999), '' The Beach'' (2000), ''28 Weeks Later'' (20 ...
,
Tom Conti Tommaso Antonio Conti (born 22 November 1941) is a Scottish actor, theatre director, and novelist. He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1979 for his performance in '' Whose Life Is It Anyway?'' and was nominated for the Academy Aw ...
,
Sheena Easton Sheena Shirley Easton (; born 27 April 1959) is a Scottish singer and actress. Easton came into the public eye in an episode of the first British musical reality television programme '' The Big Time: Pop Singer'', which recorded her attempts to ...
, John Hannah,
Daniela Nardini Daniela Nardini (born 26 April 1968, Largs) is a Scottish actress who played Anna Forbes in the BBC Two television series ''This Life''. The role earned her a BAFTA Best Actress award in 1998 and also earned her a Scottish BAFTA. She won a se ...
,
Hannah Gordon Hannah Campbell Grant Gordon
Film reference website
(born 9 April 1941) is a Scottish actress and presenter ...
,
Phyllis Logan Phyllis Logan (born 11 January 1956) is a Scottish actress, known for playing Lady Jane Felsham in ''Lovejoy'' (1986–1993) and Mrs Hughes (later Carson) in ''Downton Abbey'' (2010–2015). She won the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer f ...
and
Ian McDiarmid Ian McDiarmid (; born 11 August 1944) is a Scottish actor and director of stage and screen, best known for portraying the Sith Lord Emperor Sheev Palpatine / Darth Sidious in the ''Star Wars'' multimedia franchise. Making his stage debut in '' ...
.


Drama


Folk plays

Medieval Scotland probably had its own
Mystery play Mystery plays and miracle plays (they are distinguished as two different forms although the terms are often used interchangeably) are among the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. Medieval mystery plays focused on the represe ...
s, often performed by craft guilds, like one described as ''ludi de ly haliblude'' and staged at Aberdeen in 1440 and 1445 and which was probably connected with the feast of Corpus Christi, but no texts are extant. One tradition that has survived into the modern day is "
guising Trick-or-treating is a traditional Halloween custom for children and adults in some countries. During the evening of Halloween, on October 31, people in costumes travel from house to house, asking for treats with the phrase "trick or treat". The ...
", the ancestor of America's "trick or treat". This involved youngsters dressing up in costume at New Years and Halloween and often performing a song or act for a reward. Up-helly-aa, a Shetland festival appealing to Viking heritage, only took its modern form out of "mischief" of guising, tar-barrelling and other activities in the 1870s as part of a Romantic revival. Legislation was enacted against folk plays in 1555, and against liturgical plays ("clerk-plays or comedies based on the canonical scriptures") in 1575 by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. However, attempts to ban folk plays were more leniently applied and less successful than once assumed. They continued into the seventeenth century, with parishioners in Aberdeen reproved for parading and dancing in the street with bells at weddings and Yule in 1605,
Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is dep ...
and May plays at Kelso in 1611 and Yuletide guising at Perth in 1634.S. Carpenter, "Scottish drama until 1650", in I. Brown, ed, ''The Edinburgh Companion to Scottish Drama'' (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2011), , p. 20. The kirk also allowed some plays, particularly in schools when they served their own ends, as in the comedy about the prodigal son permitted at St. Andrews in 1574.


Renaissance drama

James Wedderburn is recorded as having written anti-Catholic tragedies and comedies in Scots around 1540, before he was forced to flee into exile. These included the ''Beheading of Johne the Baptist'' and the ''Historie of Dyonisius the Tyraonne'', which were performed at Dundee.
David Lyndsay Sir David Lyndsay of the Mount (c. 1490 – c. 1555; ''alias'' Lindsay) was a Scottish herald who gained the highest heraldic office of Lyon King of Arms. He remains a well regarded poet whose works reflect the spirit of the Renaissance, speci ...
(c. 1486-1555), diplomat and the head of the
Lyon Court The Court of the Lord Lyon (the Lyon Court) is a standing court of law, based in New Register House in Edinburgh, which regulates heraldry in Scotland. The Lyon Court maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All ...
, was a prolific poet and dramatist. He produced an interlude at Linlithgow Palace for the king and queen thought to be a version of his play '' The Thrie Estaitis'' in 1540, which satirised the corruption of church and state, and which is the only complete play to survive from before the Reformation.Brown et al., 2007, pp. 256-7
George Buchanan George Buchanan ( gd, Seòras Bochanan; February 1506 – 28 September 1582) was a Scottish historian and humanist scholar. According to historian Keith Brown, Buchanan was "the most profound intellectual sixteenth century Scotland produced." ...
(1506–82) was major influence on Continental theatre with plays such as ''Jepheths'' and ''Baptistes'', which influenced Pierre Corneille and
Jean Racine Jean-Baptiste Racine ( , ) (; 22 December 163921 April 1699) was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille as well as an important literary figure in the Western traditi ...
and through them the neo-classical tradition in French drama, but his impact in Scotland was limited by his choice of Latin as a medium.Brown, 2011a, pp. 1-3. The anonymous ''The Maner of the Cyring of ane Play'' (before 1568)Van Heijnsbergen, 2001, pp. 127-8. and ''Philotus'' (published in London in 1603), are isolated examples of surviving plays. The later is a vernacular Scots comedy of errors, probably designed for court performance for
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of S ...
or James VI.Carpenter, 2011, p. 15. Costume for court
masque The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment that flourished in 16th- and early 17th-century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio (a public version of the masque was the pageant). A masq ...
s, performed at the weddings of prominent courtiers including James Stewart, 1st Lord Doune, was managed by the wardrobe servant
Servais de Condé Servais de Condé or Condez (employed 1561-1574) was a French servant at the court of Mary Queen of Scots, in charge of her wardrobe and the costumes for masques performed at court. Varlet of the Wardrobe He was usually referred to as Servais or ...
. James VI and his wife
Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I; as such, she was Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and Queen of England and Ireland from the union of the Scottish and Eng ...
personally dressed in costume and took part in masques. These performances typically involved music, dance, and disguise. The English system of professional companies of players and theatres that developed in this period was absent in Scotland, but James VI signalled his interest in drama by arranging for a company of English players led by Lawrence Fletcher and Martin Slater to erect a playhouse and perform in 1599.Carpenter, 2011, p. 21. The loss of a royal court when
James VI James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...
inherited the crown of England in 1603 meant there was no force to counter the
Kirk Kirk is a Scottish and former Northern English word meaning "church". It is often used specifically of the Church of Scotland. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it. Basic meaning and etymology As a common noun, ''kirk' ...
's dislike of theatre, which struggled to survive in Scotland.Brown et al., 2003, pp. 253-3. However, it was not entirely extinguished. Surviving plays for the period include William Alexander's ''Monarchicke Tragedies'', written just before his departure with the king for England in 1603. They were
closet drama A closet drama is a play that is not intended to be performed onstage, but read by a solitary reader or sometimes out loud in a large group. The contrast between closet drama and classic "stage" dramas dates back to the late eighteenth century. Al ...
s, designed to be read rather than performed, and already indicate Alexander's preference for southern English over the Scots language.


Restoration drama

There is almost no evidence of theatre in the period from 1603 and 1660. After the Restoration there were some attempts to revive Scottish drama. In 1663 Edinburgh lawyer William Clerke wrote ''Marciano or the Discovery'', a play about the restoration of a legitimate dynasty in Florence after many years of civil war. It was performed at the Tennis-Court Theatre at Holyrood Palace before the parliamentary high commissioner John Leslie, Earl of Rothes. Thomas Sydsurf's ''Tarugo's Wiles or the Coffee House'', was first performed in London in 1667 and then in Edinburgh the year after and drew on Spanish comedy. Sydsurf was also manager from 1667 of the Tennis Court Theatre and ran a company of players in Edinburgh's Cannongate. The repertoire followed that in London and there were no new Scottish plays after ''Tarugo's Wiles''. The Duke of Albany brought with him a company of actors when he was resident at Holyrood as commissioner. He was also joined by a group of Irish players, who brought their own costumes. He encouraged court masques and seasons of plays at the Tennis Court Theatre, one of which included
Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of K ...
, the future Queen Anne. A relative of Sydsurf, physician
Archibald Pitcairne Archibald Pitcairne or Pitcairn (25 December 165220 October 1713) was a Scottish physician. He was a physician and poet who first studied law at Edinburgh and Paris graduating with an M.A. from Edinburgh in 1671. He turned his attent ...
(1652–1713) wrote ''The Assembly or Scotch Reformation'' (1692), a ribald satire on the morals of the Presbyterian kirk, circulating in manuscript, but not published until 1722, helping to secure the association between
Jacobitism , war = , image = Prince James Francis Edward Stuart by Louis Gabriel Blanchet.jpg , image_size = 150px , caption = James Francis Edward Stuart, Jacobite claimant between 1701 and 1766 , active ...
and professional drama that discouraged the creation of professional theatre.


18th century

:Major figures: Allan Ramsay,
Joanna Baillie Joanna Baillie (11 September 1762 – 23 February 1851) was a Scottish poet and dramatist, known for such works as ''Plays on the Passions'' (three volumes, 1798–1812) and ''Fugitive Verses'' (1840). Her work shows an interest in moral philoso ...
, John Home, Catherine Trotter,
Newburgh Hamilton Newburgh Hamilton (1691–1761) was an Irish author and librettist. He was born in County Tyrone, Ireland (now Northern Ireland) and entered Trinity College, Dublin, in 1708, aged sixteen, but (as was common in those days) he left without obtai ...
, James Thompson, David Mallet :Major plays: ''
Eurydice Eurydice (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυδίκη 'wide justice') was a character in Greek mythology and the Auloniad wife of Orpheus, who tried to bring her back from the dead with his enchanting music. Etymology Several meanings for the name ...
'', ''Fatal Friendship'', ''Love at a Loss'', ''Courtship A-la-Mode'', ''Love at First Sight'', ''The Petticoat-Ploter'', ''The Doating Lovers'', ''Sophonisba'', ''Agamemnon'', ''Tancrid and Sigismuda'', '' Masque of Alfred'' Drama was pursued by Scottish playwrights in London such as Catherine Trotter (1679-1749), born in London to Scottish parents and later moving to Aberdeen. Her plays included the verse-tragedy ''Fatal Friendship'' (1698), the comedy ''Love at a Loss'' (1700) and the history ''The Revolution in Sweden'' (1706). David Crawford's (1665-1726) plays included the Restoration comedies ''Courtship A-la-Mode'' (1700) and ''Love at First Sight'' (1704). These developed the character of the stage Scot, often a clown, but cunning and loyal.
Newburgh Hamilton Newburgh Hamilton (1691–1761) was an Irish author and librettist. He was born in County Tyrone, Ireland (now Northern Ireland) and entered Trinity College, Dublin, in 1708, aged sixteen, but (as was common in those days) he left without obtai ...
(1691–1761), born in Ireland of Scottish descent, produced the comedies ''The Petticoat-Ploter'' (1712) and ''The Doating Lovers'' or ''The Libertine'' (1715). He later wrote the libretto for Handel’s ''
Samson Samson (; , '' he, Šīmšōn, label= none'', "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution o ...
'' (1743), closely based on John Milton's ''
Samson Agonistes ''Samson Agonistes'' (from Greek Σαμσών ἀγωνιστής, "Samson the champion") is a tragic closet drama by John Milton. It appeared with the publication of Milton's '' Paradise Regained'' in 1671, as the title page of that volume ...
''. James Thompson's plays often dealt with the contest between public duty and private feelings, and included ''Sophonisba'' (1730), ''Agamemnon'' (1738) and ''Tancrid and Sigismuda'' (1745), the last of which was an international success. David Mallet's (c. 1705–65) ''
Eurydice Eurydice (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυδίκη 'wide justice') was a character in Greek mythology and the Auloniad wife of Orpheus, who tried to bring her back from the dead with his enchanting music. Etymology Several meanings for the name ...
'' (1731) was accused of being a coded Jacobite play and his later work indicates opposition to the Walpole administration. The opera '' Masque of Alfred'' (1740) was a collaboration between Thompson, Mallet and composer
Thomas Arne Thomas Augustine Arne (; 12 March 17105 March 1778) was an English composer. He is best known for his patriotic song " Rule, Britannia!" and the song "A-Hunting We Will Go", the latter composed for a 1777 production of '' The Beggar's Opera'', wh ...
, with Thompson supplying the lyrics for his most famous work, the patriotic song ''
Rule, Britannia! "Rule, Britannia!" is a British patriotic song, originating from the 1740 poem "Rule, Britannia" by James Thomson and set to music by Thomas Arne in the same year. It is most strongly associated with the Royal Navy, but is also used by the ...
''.Brown, 2011b, pp. 30-31. In Scotland, performances were largely limited to performances by visiting actors, who faced hostility from the Kirk.Brown, 2011b, pp. 28-30. In November 1727, Edinburgh Town Council denounced stage plays.Farmer, p. 301 The Court of Session reversed the magistrates' pleas, but Rev Robert Wodrow complained of plays as "seminaries of idleness, looseness and sin." A pamphlet of the time described actors as, "the most profligate wretches and vilest vermin that hell ever vomited out... the filth and garbage of the earth, the scum and stain of human nature, the excrement and refuse of all mankind." In 1729, the Scots Company of Comedians, formed for dramatic entertainments, was forced to close. The Edinburgh Company of Players were able to perform in Dundee, Montrose, Aberdeen and regular performances at the Taylor's Hall in Edinburgh under the protection of a Royal Patent. In 1727, Allan Ramsay wrote his ''Some Hints in Defence of Dramatic Entertainment''. Ramsay was instrumental in establishing them in a small theatre in Carruber's Close in Edinburgh,Garlick, 2004, pp. 170-1. but the passing of the 1737 Licensing Act made their activities illegal and the theatre soon closed.Bell, 2007, p. 288. In 1739, the Presbytery of Edinburgh closed a production of '' Macbeth''. In 1752, Glasgow's first theatre was burnt down, shortly after
George Whitfield George Whitefield (; 30 September 1770), also known as George Whitfield, was an Anglican cleric and evangelist who was one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement. Born in Gloucester, he matriculated at Pembroke College at t ...
complained it was the "Devil's Home".Farmer, p. 308 Dundee and
Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
seemed more tolerant. Dundee formed a Company of Players in 1734, but in 1784, the Dundee Town Council prevented a company from Edinburgh from entering. Perth did not seem to suffer these censorships, but it was 1780 before theatre was properly produced there.
Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
's theatres were closed in 1745 and 1751 by clergy as well. A new theatre was opened on Edinburgh's Canongate in 1747 and operated without a licence into the 1760s. In the later eighteenth century, many plays were written for and performed by small amateur companies and were not published, meaning most have been lost. Towards the end of the century there were "
closet dramas A closet drama is a play that is not intended to be performed onstage, but read by a solitary reader or sometimes out loud in a large group. The contrast between closet drama and classic "stage" dramas dates back to the late eighteenth century. A ...
", primarily designed to be read, rather than performed, including work by
James Hogg James Hogg (1770 – 21 November 1835) was a Scottish poet, novelist and essayist who wrote in both Scots and English. As a young man he worked as a shepherd and farmhand, and was largely self-educated through reading. He was a friend of many ...
(1770–1835),
John Galt John Galt () is a character in Ayn Rand's novel ''Atlas Shrugged'' (1957). Although he is not identified by name until the last third of the novel, he is the object of its often-repeated question "Who is John Galt?" and of the quest to discover ...
(1779–1839) and
Joanna Baillie Joanna Baillie (11 September 1762 – 23 February 1851) was a Scottish poet and dramatist, known for such works as ''Plays on the Passions'' (three volumes, 1798–1812) and ''Fugitive Verses'' (1840). Her work shows an interest in moral philoso ...
(1762–1851), often influenced by the ballad tradition and Gothic Romanticism.Brown, 2007, pp. 229-30. The
blank verse Blank verse is poetry written with regular metrical but unrhymed lines, almost always in iambic pentameter. It has been described as "probably the most common and influential form that English poetry has taken since the 16th century", and Pa ...
tragedy '' Douglas'', by John Home, was first performed in 1756 in
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
. The play was a remarkable success in both Scotland and England for decades, attracting many notable actors of the period, such as
Edmund Kean Edmund Kean (4 November 178715 May 1833) was a celebrated British Shakespearean stage actor born in England, who performed, among other places, in London, Belfast, New York, Quebec, and Paris.  He was known for his short stature, tumultuo ...
, who made his debut in it.
Peg Woffington Margaret Woffington (18 October 1720 – 28 March 1760), known professionally as Peg Woffington, was an Irish actress and socialite of the Georgian era. Peg and Peggy were a common pet name for those called Margaret until the late 20th centu ...
played Lady Randolph, a part which found a later exponent in
Sarah Siddons Sarah Siddons (''née'' Kemble; 5 July 1755 – 8 June 1831) was a Welsh actress, the best-known tragedienne of the 18th century. Contemporaneous critic William Hazlitt dubbed Siddons as "tragedy personified". She was the elder sister of Joh ...
. The opening lines of the second act are probably the best known "My name is Norval; on the Grampian Hills..." It also arguably led to
James MacPherson James Macpherson (Gaelic: ''Seumas MacMhuirich'' or ''Seumas Mac a' Phearsain''; 27 October 1736 – 17 February 1796) was a Scottish writer, poet, literary collector and politician, known as the "translator" of the Ossian cycle of epic poem ...
's Ossian cycle.Keay, J. & Keay, J. (1994) ''
Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland ''Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland'' is a reference work published by HarperCollins, edited by the husband and wife team, John and Julia Keay. History Scots had provided the impetus for a number of well-known references works, ''Chambers Dic ...
''. London. HarperCollins.
Home was hounded by the church authorities for ''Douglas''. It may have been this persecution which drove Home to write for the London stage, in addition to ''Douglas success there, and stopped him from founding the new Scottish national theatre that some had hoped he would. In 1783, John Logan's tragedy, ''Runnamede'', was acted in the Edinburgh Theatre. It reflected contemporary politics in its emphasis on the liberties of the subject. It made out a clear parallel between
John of England John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Emp ...
and
George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
of Great Britain, and for that reason the censorship of the
Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main c ...
had prevented its production on the London stage.
Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy ...
later wrote that the idea of the contrast drawn in '' Ivanhoe'' between Saxons and Normans was drawn from the staging of ''Runnamede'' with (anachronistic) Saxon and Norman barons on opposite sides of the theatre. Also important was the work of
Joanna Baillie Joanna Baillie (11 September 1762 – 23 February 1851) was a Scottish poet and dramatist, known for such works as ''Plays on the Passions'' (three volumes, 1798–1812) and ''Fugitive Verses'' (1840). Her work shows an interest in moral philoso ...
(1762–1851); although her work was more significant anonymously in print than in performance for much of her lifetime, she emerged as one of Scotland's leading playwrights. Baillie's first volume of ''Plays on the Passions'' was published in 1798, consisting of ''Count Basil'', a tragedy on love, ''The Tryal'', a comedy on love, and ''De Monfort'', a tragedy on hatred. ''De Monfort'' was successfully performed in Drury Lane, London before knowledge of her identity emerged and the prejudice against women playwrights began to affect her career.


19th century

;Major figures: In the later nineteenth century, Scottish music hall was at its height, but in the earlier part of the century, there were many adaptations of historical material, particularly the novels of
Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy ...
. Scott was keenly interested in drama, becoming a shareholder in the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh.Brown, 2007, pp. 185-86. Baillie's Highland themed ''Family Legend'' was first produced in Edinburgh in 1810 with the help of Scott, as part of a deliberate attempt to stimulate a national Scottish drama.M. O'Halloran, "National Discourse or Discord? Transformations of ''The Family Legend'' by Baille, Scott and Hogg", in S-R. Alker and H. F. Nelson, eds, ''James Hogg and the Literary Marketplace: Scottish Romanticism and the Working-Class Author'' (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2009), , p. 43. Scott also wrote five plays, of which ''Hallidon Hill'' (1822) and ''MacDuff's Cross'' (1822), were patriotic Scottish histories. Adaptations of the Waverley novels, largely first performed in minor theatres rather than the larger Patent theatres, included ''The Lady in the Lake'' (1817), ''
The Heart of Midlothian ''The Heart of Mid-Lothian'' is the seventh of Sir Walter Scott's Waverley Novels. It was originally published in four volumes on 25 July 1818, under the title of '' Tales of My Landlord, 2nd series'', and the author was given as "Jedediah Cle ...
'' (1819/1820), and ''Rob Roy'', which underwent over 1,000 performances in Scotland in this period. Also adapted for the stage were ''
Guy Mannering ''Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer'' is the second of the Waverley novels by Walter Scott, published anonymously in 1815. According to an introduction that Scott wrote in 1829, he had originally intended to write a story of the supernatural, ...
'' (1817), ''
The Bride of Lammermoor ''The Bride of Lammermoor'' is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, published in 1819, one of the Waverley novels. The novel is set in the Lammermuir Hills of south-east Scotland, shortly before the Act of Union of 1707 (in the first editio ...
'', '' The Antiquary'' (1820), ''Waverley'' (1823) and ''
The Abbot ''The Abbot'' (1820) is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, one of the Waverley novels. A sequel to ''The Monastery'', its action takes place in 1567 and 1568. It reaches its climax in the escape of Mary, Queen of Scots from Lochleven Castle ...
''. These highly popular plays saw the social range and size of the audience for theatre expand and helped shape theatre going practices in Scotland for the rest of the century. Locally produced drama in this period included ''John O' Arnha'', adapted from the poem by George Beattie by
actor-manager An actor-manager is a leading actor who sets up their own permanent theatrical company and manages the business, sometimes taking over a theatre to perform select plays in which they usually star. It is a method of theatrical production used co ...
Charles Bass and poet James Bowick for the Theatre Royal in Montrose in 1826. A local success, Bass also took the play to Dundee and Edinburgh.B. Bell, "The national drama and the nineteenth century" I. Brown, ed, ''The Edinburgh Companion to Scottish Drama'' (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2011) , p. 55. Despite these successes, provincialism began to set in to Scottish theatre. By the 1840s, Scottish theatres were more inclined to use placards with slogans like "the best company out of London", rather than producing their own material. In 1893 in Glasgow, there were five productions of ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'' in the same season.B. Bell, "The national drama and the nineteenth century" I. Brown, ed, ''The Edinburgh Companion to Scottish Drama'' (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2011) , p. 57. In the second half of the century the development of Scottish theatre was hindered by the growth of rail travel, which meant English tour companies could arrive and leave more easily for short runs of performances. A number of figures who could have made a major contribution to Scottish drama moved south to London, including William Sharp (1855–1905),
William Archer William or Bill Archer may refer to: * William Archer (British politician) (1677–1739), British politician * William S. Archer (1789–1855), U.S. Senator and Representative from Virginia * William Beatty Archer (1793–1870), Illinois politician ...
(1856–1924) and
J. M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succ ...
(1860-1937). In 1876, an obscure tar barrelling ceremony in Shetland called
Up Helly Aa Up Helly Aa ( ; literally "Up Holy .html" ;"title="ay/nowiki>">ay/nowiki> All") is a type of fire festival held annually from January to March in various communities in Shetland, Scotland, to mark the end of the Yule season. Each festival inv ...
was modified into a pseudo-Norse performance. It has to be admitted even today that the costumes owe more to Wagner than Vikings. Nonetheless, it is perhaps significant in being one of the best known pieces of folk ritual performance in Scotland today.


20th century

J.M. Barrie was amongst the most successful of Scottish literary exports, spending most of his career in England. His ''
Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...
'' (1904), which began life as a play, is one of the best known stories in English. Barrie is often linked to the Kailyard movement and his early plays such as '' Quality Street'' (1901) and ''
The Admirable Crichton ''The Admirable Crichton'' is a comic stage play written in 1902 by J. M. Barrie. Origins Barrie took the title from the sobriquet of a fellow Scot, the polymath James Crichton, a 16th-century genius and athlete. The epigram-loving Ernest is p ...
'' (1902) deal with temporary inversions of the normal social order. His later works, such as ''Dear Brutus'' (1917) and ''
Mary Rose The ''Mary Rose'' (launched 1511) is a carrack-type warship of the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. She served for 33 years in several wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany. After being substantially rebuilt in 1536, she saw her ...
'' (1920), focused on historical themes.R. Crawford, ''Scotland's Books: A History of Scottish Literature'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), , pp. 510-12. After Barrie the most successful Scottish playwrights of the early twentieth century were John Brandane and
James Bridie James Bridie (3 January 1888 in Glasgow – 29 January 1951 in Edinburgh) was the pseudonym of a Scottish playwright, screenwriter and physician whose real name was Osborne Henry Mavor.Daniel Leary (1982) ''Dictionary of Literary Biography: ...
, the pseudonyms, respectively, of doctors John Macintyre (1869-1947) and Osborne Mavor (1888–1951). Brandane's plays were often humorous explorations of the clash between modernity and tradition in Highland society, as in ''The Glen is Mine'' (1925).R. Crawford, ''Scotland's Books: A History of Scottish Literature'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), , p. 587. Bridie emerged as a prolific playwright and a major figure in developing modern Scottish drama. As well as drawing on his medical experience, as in ''The Anatomist'' (1930), his plays included middle class satires such as ''The Sunlight Sonata'' (1928) and often called on biblical characters such as devils and angels, as in ''Mr. Bolfry'' (1943). He was a member of the Scottish National Players (1924–43), who performed several of his plays and which aimed to produce a Scottish national theatre, but his view that they should become a professional company meant he resigned from the board. He was a founder and first president of the
Glasgow Citizens' Theatre The Citizens Theatre, in what was the Royal Princess's Theatre, is the creation of James Bridie and is based in Glasgow, Scotland as a principal producing theatre. The theatre includes a 500-seat Main Auditorium, and has also included various s ...
(1943), a member of the body that became the
Scottish Arts Council The Scottish Arts Council ( gd, Comhairle Ealain na h-Alba, sco, Scots Airts Cooncil) was a Scottish public body responsible for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland. The Council primarily distributed funding from the ...
and was its first President (1947). He founded the College of Drama within the Royal Scottish Academy of Music, Glasgow (1951).G. H. Cody and E. Sprinchorn, ed., ''The Columbia Encyclopedia of Modern Drama'' (Columbia University Press, 2007), , p. 199. The early twentieth century saw the emergence of a tradition of popular or working class theatre. Hundreds of amateur groups were established, particularly in the growing urban centres of the Lowlands. Many were offshoots of the Workers' Theatre Movement (WTM) and the Unity Theatre Society (UTS). Among the most important were the Fife Miner Players (1926–31), Glasgow Workers' Theatre Group (1937–41) and Glasgow Unity Theatre (1941–51), which lay the ground for modern popular theatre groups.M. Banham, ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995), , p. 971. Important playwrights in the movement included former miner
Joe Corrie Joe Corrie (13 May 1894 – 13 November 1968) was a Scottish miner, poet and playwright best known for his radical, working class plays. He was born in Slamannan, Stirlingshire in 1894. His family moved to Cardenden in the Fife coalfield when Co ...
(1894–1968), whose plays included ''In Time o' Strife'' (1927), based on the events of the general strike the year before. The Scottish Repertory Theatre was the first Scottish company to encourage native playwrights. In the interwar period its aim was taken up by other amateur companies, particularly the Curtain Theatre, Glasgow, who "discovered" the work of
Robert McLellan Robert McLellan OBE (1907–1985) was a Scottish renaissance dramatist, writer and poet and a leading figure in the twentieth century movement to recover Scotland’s distinctive theatrical traditions. He found popular success with plays and ...
(1907–85), including his first full-length play ''Toom Byres'' (1936) and his best known work ''Jamie the Saxt'' (1936). He was a talented comic dramatist, committed to writing in Scots. The shift to drama that focused on working class life in the post-war period gained momentum with Robert McLeish's ''The Gorbals Story'' (1946), which dealt with the immense social problems of urban Scotland. Similarly,
Ena Lamont Stewart Ena Lamont Stewart (10 February 1912, Glasgow – 9 February 2006, Dalmellington) was a Scottish playwright. Life and career Stewart was the daughter of a Church of Scotland minister whose family was originally from Canada and had settled in Gl ...
's ''
Men Should Weep ''Men Should Weep'' (originally called ''Quancos Should Dance'') is a play by Ena Lamont Stewart, written in 1947. It is set in Glasgow during the 1930s depression, with all the action taking place in the household of the Morrison family. It ...
'' (1947) focused on the impact of
the depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagion ...
in Scotland. Other major Scottish playwrights of the era included Robert Kemp (1908–67), who produced work including '' The Heart is Highland'' (1959), and George Munro (1902-68) whose plays included ''Vineyard Street'' (1949).J. MacDonald, "Theatre in Scotland" in B. Kershaw and P. Thomson, ''The Cambridge History of British Theatre: Volume 3'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004), , p. 208. The
Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...
was founded in 1947 as a substitute for festivals at
Glyndebourne Glyndebourne () is an English country house, the site of an opera house that, since 1934, has been the venue for the annual Glyndebourne Festival Opera. The house, located near Lewes in East Sussex, England, is thought to be about six hun ...
,
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
and
Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label= Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...
, which could not be held in the aftermath of World War II.C. Harvie, ''No Gods and Precious Few Heroes: Twentieth-century Scotland'' (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1998), , pp. 136-8. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe began when eight theatre companies, who had not been included in the programme, organised their own performances in small and converted theatres. Until the 1960s relations with between the two co-existing festivals were strained. Together they are now the largest, and among the most prestigious, arts festivals in the world, and have included large and small-scale theatrical productions. A Scottish theatrical renaissance has been perceived by Ian Brown as occurring between the opening of the
Traverse Theatre The Traverse Theatre is a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1963 by John Calder, John Malcolm, Jim Haynes and Richard Demarco. The Traverse Theatre company commissions and develops new plays or adaptations from contemporary p ...
in Edinburgh in 1963 and the foundation of the Scottish Society of Playwrights in 1973. The Theatres Act 1968 abolished the system of censorship of the stage by the
Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main c ...
that had existed in Great Britain since 1737. This allowed much greater artistic freedom, but local authorities in Scotland still retained the ability to prosecute "obscene performances" under local by-laws and statutes. In the 1970s a large number of plays explored the nature of Scottish identity. Historical dramas included Stewart Conn's (b. 1936) '' The Burning'' (1971) and Hector MacMillan's (b. 1929) ''The Rising'' (1973). MacMillan's ''The Sash'' (1973) was one of the earliest plays to confront
sectarianism Sectarianism is a political or cultural conflict between two groups which are often related to the form of government which they live under. Prejudice, discrimination, or hatred can arise in these conflicts, depending on the political status quo ...
. Workplace dramas included
Bill Bryden William Campbell Rough Bryden (12 April 1942 – 5 January 2022) was a Scottish stage and film director and screenwriter. Early life and career He worked as a trainee with Scottish Television before becoming assistant director at the Belgrad ...
's (b. 1942) ''
Willie Rough ''Willie Rough'' is a play by Scottish writer and director Bill Bryden, which is often regarded as a landmark of Scottish drama. Originally a stage play produced by the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company in Edinburgh in 1972, a TV version was shown ...
'' (1975) and
Roddy McMillan Roddy McMillan OBE (23 March 1923 – 9 July 1979) was a Scottish actor and playwright, possibly most famous for his comedy role as Para Handy for BBC Scotland's television series, '' The Vital Spark''. He also played the lead role in Edw ...
's ''The Bevellers'' (1973). These plays opened the way for a new form of independent and politically committed community theatre. The trend was kicked off by 7:84 (1971–2008), with their 1973 production of John McGrath's (1935–2002) '' The Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black Black Oil''. McGrath's work, such as ''The Game's a Bogey'' (1974), was socialist in intent and took the part of resurgent Scottish nationalism. Independent theatre companies that formed along the lines of this model have been many and include such names as TAG (1967–),C. Craig, "Culture: modern times (1914-): the novel", in M. Lynch, ed., ''The Oxford Companion to Scottish History'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), , pp. 157-9. Borderline Theatre Company (1974–), Wildcat Stage Productions (1978–), or Theatre Alba (1981–2021). The Scots language continued to be used as a medium for Scottish drama, particularly comedy. In 1947, Robert Kemp adapted
Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and worl ...
's L'Ecole des Femmes for the Scottish stage as ''Let Wives Tak Tent''. In 1958, Alexander Reid's ''The Lass wi' the Muckle Mou and ''The Warld's Wonder'' were both well received. The director of productions at the Gateway Theatre,
Victor Carin Victor Carin (1 October 1933 – 2 January 1981) was a Scottish actor, director, and translator, who wrote for radio, television, film, and the stage.Corbett (2005), "Introduction", pp. xvii–xix. Carin was born in Aberdeen and grew up in Stoneh ...
translated four plays into Scots: ''The Hypochondriack'' (a translation of Molière's ''The Imaginary Invalid'') (1963); ''The Servant o' Twa Maisters'' (translated from Carlo Goldoni's ''The Servant of Two Masters'') (1965); ''The Chippit Chantie'' (a translation of Heinrich von Kleist's ''The Broken Jug'' (1968); and ''A Muckle Steer'' (a translation of Ludvig Holberg's ''The Fidget'') (1976). Several of these comedies became popular staples for amateur companies. In the 1970s, the dramatic potential of the language was demonstrated in plays such as ''The Bevellers'', ''The Jesuit'', ''Willie Rough'', ''The Hardman'' and ''The Slab Boys.'' In 1980, Martin Bowman and Bill Findlay translated
Michel Tremblay Michel Tremblay (born 25 June 1942) is a French-Canadian novelist and playwright. Tremblay was born in Montreal, Quebec, where he grew up in the French-speaking neighbourhood of Plateau Mont-Royal; at the time of his birth, a neighbourhood wit ...
's '' Les Belles Soeurs'' into contemporary Scots as ''The Guid Sisters''. In 1985, David Purves's ''The Puddok an the Princess'', a Scots language version of ''
The Frog Prince "The Frog Prince; or, Iron Henry" (german: Der Froschkönig oder der eiserne Heinrich, literally "The Frog King or the Iron Henry") is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (KHM 1). ...
'', won an
Edinburgh Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
First Award for Charles Nowosielski's Theatre Alba. David Purves and Robin Lorimer published translations of
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's '' Macbeth'' into Scots in 1992 and 1993 respectively. The 1960s and 1970s also saw the flourishing of Scottish Gaelic drama. Key figures included Iain Crichton Smith, whose plays explored wide-ranging themes. Often humorous, they also dealt with serious topics such as the betrayal of Christ in ''An Coileach'' (''A Cockerel'', 1966) of the Highland Clearances in ''A' Chùirt'' (''The Court'', 1966). Iain Moireach's plays also used humour to deal with serious subjects, as in ''Feumaidh Sinn a Bhith Gàireachdainn'' (''We Have to Laugh'', 1969), which focused on threats to the Gaelic language. Other major figures included Tormod Calum Dòmhnallach (1927–2000), whose work included ''Anna Chaimbeul'' (''Anna Campbell'', 1977), which was influenced by Japanese
Noh theatre is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kan'ami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art that is still regularly performed today. Although the terms Noh and ...
. Fionnlagh MacLeòid's (Finley Macleod) work included ''Ceann Cropic'' (1967), which was strongly influenced by the
theatre of the absurd The Theatre of the Absurd (french: théâtre de l'absurde ) is a post–World War II designation for particular plays of absurdist fiction written by a number of primarily European playwrights in the late 1950s. It is also a term for the style o ...
. Similarly, Donaidh MacIlleathain (Donnie Maclean), made use of absurd dialogue in ''An Sgoil Dhubh'' (''A Dark School'', 1974). Many of these authors continued writing into the 1980s and even the 1990s, but this was something of a golden age for Gaelic drama that has not been matched. The political and funding climate changed radically after the failure of the devolution referendum of 1979 and the election of a Conservative government under
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...
. The
Scottish Arts Council The Scottish Arts Council ( gd, Comhairle Ealain na h-Alba, sco, Scots Airts Cooncil) was a Scottish public body responsible for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland. The Council primarily distributed funding from the ...
encouraged theatre companies to function as business, finding funding in ticket sales and commercial sponsorship. In 1981 the actor
Ewan Hooper Ewan Hooper (born 23 October 1935 in Dundee) is a Scottish actor who is a graduate from, and now an Associate Member of, RADA. Hooper was the motivating force in the foundation of the Greenwich Theatre, which opened in 1969. Hooper was the fou ...
was given £50,000 to found the Scottish Theatre Company based in Glasgow and designed to promote the work of Scottish writers. The company found touring difficult as there were insufficient large venues that could generate the necessary income outside of the major cities. Works in the first season included McGrath's ''Animal'' (1979) and Bryden's ''Civilians'' (1981). Artistic successes were accompanied by financial disaster and the company was £120,000 in debt by the end of its second season. Despite some critical triumphs, the company was wound down in 1987. 7:84 also encountered a period of financial instability, but new structures, new management and an emphasis on encouraging new writing led to works such as
Rona Munro Rona Munro (born 7 September 1959) is a Scottish writer. She has written plays for theatre, radio, and television. Her film work includes Ken Loach's '' Ladybird, Ladybird'' (1994), ''Oranges and Sunshine'' (2010) for Jim Loach and ''Aimée & J ...
's (b. 1959) ''Bold Girls'' (1990). By the last two decades of the twentieth century a substantial body of Scottish theatrical writing had built up. There was also a change from a habit of one writer working with one company to several companies drawing on a community of writers. Scottish play writing became increasingly internationalised, with Scottish writers adapting classic texts, such as Liz Lochhead's version of
Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and worl ...
's ''
Tartuffe ''Tartuffe, or The Impostor, or The Hypocrite'' (; french: Tartuffe, ou l'Imposteur, ), first performed in 1664, is a theatrical comedy by Molière. The characters of Tartuffe, Elmire, and Orgon are considered among the greatest classical thea ...
'' (1985) and ''
The Misanthrope ''The Misanthrope, or the Cantankerous Lover'' (french: Le Misanthrope ou l'Atrabilaire amoureux; ) is a 17th-century comedy of manners in verse written by Molière. It was first performed on 4 June 1666 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris b ...
'' (1973/2005) or Edwin Morgan's translation of ''
Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th cen ...
'' (1992). Scottish playwrights were also increasingly preoccupied with wider European culture, as can be seen in Jo Clifford's (b. 1955) ''Loosing Venice'' (1985) and David Greig's (b. 1969) ''Europe'' (1995).


21st century

The current century has been described as a "golden age" for theatre in Scotland. Devolution and the re-establishment of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood in 1999 had significant impacts on the ecology and infrastructure of the performing arts. Numerous venues were expanded and refurbished, while new venues opened in several towns and cities across Scotland. The Byre Theatre in St Andrews was renovated and expanded at a cost of £5.5m, opening in 2001. North Edinburgh Arts Centre opened in 2002 in the Muirhouse area of
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
, comprising a 96-150-seat studio theatre, two smaller studio spaces, a recording studio, gallery, licensed cafe and garden.
Eden Court Theatre Eden Court Theatre (Scottish Gaelic: Cùirt an Easbaig) is a large theatre, cinema and arts venue situated in Inverness, Scotland close to the banks of the River Ness. The theatre has recently undergone a complete refurbishment and major exten ...
in Inverness re-opened in November 2007, having undergone a complete refurbishment and extension by Robertson Construction and Page\Park Architects. Upon its re-opening, it became the largest combined arts centre in Scotland.
Mull Theatre Mull Little Theatre was a theatre on the Isle of Mull in the Inner Scottish Hebrides. Built from the shell of an old byre (cowshed) in 1963 by Barrie and Marianne Hesketh, it began as the Thursday Theatre, an entertainment for the paying guest ...
moved into new premises at Druimfin in 2008, and in 2013 partnered with arts centre An Tobar to form Comar, a multi-arts organisation that produces, presents and develops creative work.
Perth Theatre Perth Theatre at 185 High Street (no longer its registered address) Perth, Scotland, opened in 1900 and was extended in the 1980s. The building is category B listed by Historic Scotland, and is operated by the charitable organisation Horsecros ...
closed for renovation in 2014, with projected re-opening in 2017. In contrast to these developments, some venues closed their doors permanently, including The Arches in
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
. The Arches was a major site for contemporary theatre and avant-garde performance. Under the direction of Jackie Wylie, The Arches staged performances such as DEREVO's ''Natura Morte'', Nic Green's ''Trilogy'' and Linder Sterling's ''Darktown Cakewalk''. Major contemporary theatre festivals produced by The Arches included ''Behaviour'', Wylie's rebranding of the original Arches Theatre Festival, and ''Arches Live'', a theatre festival celebrating young risk-taking artists. The venue closed in 2015. Funding for the arts also underwent major changes with the replacement of the
Scottish Arts Council The Scottish Arts Council ( gd, Comhairle Ealain na h-Alba, sco, Scots Airts Cooncil) was a Scottish public body responsible for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland. The Council primarily distributed funding from the ...
by
Creative Scotland Creative Scotland ( gd, Alba Chruthachail ; sco, Creative Scotlan) is the development body for the arts and creative industries in Scotland. Based in Edinburgh, it is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. The o ...
. The Scottish Government brought
Creative Scotland Creative Scotland ( gd, Alba Chruthachail ; sco, Creative Scotlan) is the development body for the arts and creative industries in Scotland. Based in Edinburgh, it is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. The o ...
into being on 1 July 2010, after an interim company, Creative Scotland 2009, was set up to assist the transition from the existing organisations,
Scottish Screen The Moving Image Archive is a collection of Scottish film and video recordings at the National Library of Scotland, held at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, Scotland. There are over 46,000 items within the collection, and over 2,600 of these are publicly av ...
and the Scottish Arts Council. Since the early days of devolution, a national theatre for Scotland (distinct from the National Theatre in London) had been a priority of the Scottish Executive. A 2003 debate in the Scottish Parliament led to the constitution of the
National Theatre of Scotland The National Theatre of Scotland, established in 2006, is the national theatre company of Scotland. The company has no theatre building of its own; instead it tours work to theatres, village halls, schools and site-specific locations, both at h ...
.
Vicky Featherstone Vicky Featherstone (born 5 April 1967) is a theatre and artistic director. She has been artistic director of London's Royal Court Theatre since April 2013. Prior to that she was founding artistic director of the National Theatre of Scotland, a ...
was appointed Artistic Director in 2004 and the company was formally established in 2006. The company has no theatre building of its own, although administration is based at Speirs Lock in Glasgow. Instead it tours work to theatres, village halls, schools and site-specific locations across Scotland, the UK and internationally. The company has created over 200 productions and collaborates with other theatre companies, local authorities, and individual artists to create a variety of performances, from large-scale productions through to theatre specifically made for the smallest venues. Playwrights and theatre companies responded to the burst of creative energy stemming from devolution, and later, the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, in a number of ways. Some chose to look back into Scottish history, focusing in particular on periods which seemed to have been forgotten, such as the ill-fated
Darien scheme The Darien scheme was an unsuccessful attempt, backed largely by investors of the Kingdom of Scotland, to gain wealth and influence by establishing ''New Caledonia'', a colony on the Isthmus of Panama, in the late 1690s. The plan was for the co ...
which led to the Acts of Union. It has been claimed that the 2010 Darien-themed play ''Caledonia'' by
Alistair Beaton Alistair Beaton (born 1947) is a playwright and satirist, journalist, radio presenter, novelist and television writer. At one point in his career he was also a speechwriter for Gordon Brown. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Beaton was educated at the ...
"signifies a partial refocusing on the past in Scottish theatre", a prediction borne out by the rise in Scottish history plays in subsequent years, including ''Dunsinane'' by David Greig (2010), ''The James Plays'' by
Rona Munro Rona Munro (born 7 September 1959) is a Scottish writer. She has written plays for theatre, radio, and television. Her film work includes Ken Loach's '' Ladybird, Ladybird'' (1994), ''Oranges and Sunshine'' (2010) for Jim Loach and ''Aimée & J ...
(2014), Tim Barrow's ''Union'' (2014), and ''Glory on Earth'' by Linda McLean (2017). Other writers scrutinised contemporary life in Scotland, examining themes of identity and nationhood. '' Gagarin Way'' by Gregory Burke premiered at the
Traverse Theatre The Traverse Theatre is a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1963 by John Calder, John Malcolm, Jim Haynes and Richard Demarco. The Traverse Theatre company commissions and develops new plays or adaptations from contemporary p ...
, in July 2001, before transferring to the National Theatre and the West End in London. ''
The Wonderful World of Dissocia ''The Wonderful World of Dissocia'' is a play written and directed by Anthony Neilson about a young woman suffering from dissociative disorder. The idea was originally workshopped with a group of students at LAMDA in 2002 but was later re-written ...
'' was written and directed by
Anthony Neilson Anthony Neilson (born 1967, Edinburgh) is a Scottish playwright and director. He is known for his collaborative way of writing and workshopping his plays. Much of his work is characterised by the exploration of sex and violence. Neilson has bee ...
about a young woman suffering from
dissociative disorder Dissociative disorders (DD) are conditions that involve disruptions or breakdowns of memory, awareness, identity, or perception. People with dissociative disorders use dissociation as a defense mechanism, pathologically and involuntarily. The i ...
. The idea was originally workshopped with a group of students at
LAMDA LaMDA, which stands for Language Model for Dialogue Applications, is a family of conversational neural language models developed by Google. The first generation was announced during the 2021 Google I/O keynote, while the second generation was ...
in 2002 but was later re-written and produced for Glasgow's Tron Theatre at the
Edinburgh International Festival The Edinburgh International Festival is an annual arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, spread over the final three weeks in August. Notable figures from the international world of music (especially european classical music, classical music) and ...
in 2004. ''
Black Watch The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regime ...
'', written by Gregory Burke and directed by
John Tiffany John Richard Tiffany (born c. 1971) is an English theatre director. He directed the internationally successful productions ''Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'', ''Black Watch'' and ''Once''. He has won 2 Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, a Drama ...
, was part of the first season of the
National Theatre of Scotland The National Theatre of Scotland, established in 2006, is the national theatre company of Scotland. The company has no theatre building of its own; instead it tours work to theatres, village halls, schools and site-specific locations, both at h ...
. Based on interviews with former soldiers, it portrays soldiers in the
Black Watch The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regime ...
regiment of the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
serving on Operation TELIC in Iraq during 2004, prior to the amalgamation into the
Royal Regiment of Scotland The Royal Regiment of Scotland is the senior and only Scottish line infantry regiment of the British Army Infantry. It consists of three regular (formerly five) and two reserve battalions, plus an incremental company, each formerly an indiv ...
. ''Black Watch'' was first performed during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on 1 August 2006 in a temporary
traverse stage A traverse stage, also commonly known as an alley, corridor stage, tennis court, or catwalk, is a form of theatrical (theatre stage) in which the audience is predominantly on two sides of the stage, facing towards each other. Design There are many ...
at the former
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
Officer Training Corps The Officers' Training Corps (OTC), more fully called the University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC), are military leadership training units operated by the British Army. Their focus is to develop the leadership abilities of their members whilst ...
'
Drill hall A drill hall is a place such as a building or a hangar where soldiers practise and perform military drills. Description In the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, the term was used for the whole headquarters building of a military reserve unit, ...
. ''Rantin' '' by Kieran Hurley provides an optimistic portrait of modern Scotland, similar to the work of David Greig and
Stephen Greenhorn Stephen Greenhorn (born 5 September 1964 in Fauldhouse, West Lothian, Scotland) is a Scottish playwright and screenwriter. He is the creator of the BBC Scotland soap opera ''River City''. Theatre Greenhorn’s plays have been produced by a wide ...
: "They propose a nation that is never static, always in process, proud of its heritage as well as its increasing heterogeneity and, above all, one that can surprise and provoke engagement beyond the confines of a restrictive and potentially damaging nationalism." Hurley and his collaborators, all prominent in the Yes campaign, presented a rousing patchwork of song and monologue which nodded to John McGrath while extending his socialist legacy into a new century. Other significant works of the early 21st century include Zinnie Harris’ '' Further than the Furthest Thing'' (2000), ''Decky Does A Bronco'' by Douglas Maxwell (2000),
David Harrower David Harrower (born 1966) is a Scottish playwright who (as of 2005) lives in Glasgow. Harrorwer has published over 10 original works, as well as numerous translations and adaptations. Career Harrower's first play, ''Knives in Hens'', which p ...
’s '' Blackbird'' (2005), '' Sunshine on Leith'' by
Stephen Greenhorn Stephen Greenhorn (born 5 September 1964 in Fauldhouse, West Lothian, Scotland) is a Scottish playwright and screenwriter. He is the creator of the BBC Scotland soap opera ''River City''. Theatre Greenhorn’s plays have been produced by a wide ...
(2007), and historical trilogy ''The James Plays'' by
Rona Munro Rona Munro (born 7 September 1959) is a Scottish writer. She has written plays for theatre, radio, and television. Her film work includes Ken Loach's '' Ladybird, Ladybird'' (1994), ''Oranges and Sunshine'' (2010) for Jim Loach and ''Aimée & J ...
(2014). Theatre for younger audiences, especially very young children, has grown enormously in popularity since the 1980s, and has been described as "a particular strength in contemporary Scottish theatre". A major player in this area is Imaginate, the development agency for performing arts for children and young people, based in Edinburgh. As well as artist development and creative learning, Imaginate also delivers the annual Imaginate Festival, now one of the largest international festivals in the world, and engages in research. Between 2009 and 2011, Imaginate supported Starcatchers, a production company creating performing arts experiences for children from birth to four. As critic Mark Fisher has noted, "one of Scottish theatre’s great success stories is the number of exceptional children’s companies to have emerged over the last 20 years", including Frozen Charlotte, Wee Stories, Visible Fictions, Catherine Wheels Theatre Company and
TAG Theatre Company {{Unreferenced, date=June 2008 TAG Theatre Company is a theatre company established in 1967 in Glasgow, Scotland as the outreach arm of the Citizens' Theatre in Glasgow, and was known as the Citizens' Theatre for Youth. Background It is the lon ...
.


Music hall

Music hall was a form of
variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
light entertainment common in Scotland from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. With the arrival of cinema, radio and television, its influence began to wane. However, something of the flavour of Scottish music hall can still be seen in many Scottish
pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
s. Music hall is not strictly theatre, but it can contain dramatic elements and small sketches. It tended towards sentimentality, light humour and the singalong, rather than high-brow dramatic entertainment. Music hall was often working class recreation, and the
temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders emph ...
encouraged it as an alternative to drinking. Despite this, music hall contained frequent ''
double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially ...
s'' and sexual humour. A notable feature of Scottish music hall was its frequent use of exaggerated forms of
Highland Dress Highland dress is the traditional, regional dress of the Highlands and Isles of Scotland. It is often characterised by tartan (''plaid'' in North America). Specific designs of shirt, jacket, bodice and headwear may also be worn along with cla ...
. It had some overlap with the Kailyard movement as well. Reaction to Scottish music hall was mixed. Hugh MacDiarmid was particularly disparaging, particularly to
Harry Lauder Sir Henry Lauder (; 4 August 1870 – 26 February 1950)Russell, Dave"Lauder, Sir Henry (1870–1950)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, online edition, January 2011, accessed 27 April 2014 was a S ...
. MacDiarmid said, " havenever met a single, intelligent Scot who would be seen at Lauder performance" and quipped that Lauder was so funny no one could remember any of his jokes.


Theatre festivals in Scotland

The best known theatre festivals in Scotland at the
Edinburgh International Festival The Edinburgh International Festival is an annual arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, spread over the final three weeks in August. Notable figures from the international world of music (especially european classical music, classical music) and ...
and Edinburgh Festival Fringe which take place annually in August. Much of the material in these festivals, however, tends to be of non-Scottish origin. Other Edinburgh festivals include the Imaginate Festival of Theatre for Children and Young People, held in May each year and originally known as the Scottish Children's Theatre Festival, Manipulate - the Visual Theatre Festival and the
Edinburgh People's Festival The Edinburgh People's Festival is an arts festival and labour festival in Edinburgh, Scotland which is intended as a celebration of indigenous talent and cultural entertainment at venues across the city, especially in the outer schemes at prices ...
. Glasgow festivals include the
Glasgay! Festival Glasgay! Festival was a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender arts festival in Glasgow, Scotland. From 1993 to 2014 it was part of the diversity of Glasgow's cultural scene, an annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Arts Festival h ...
and the Buzzcut festival of live art, held at the Pearce Institute in
Govan Govan ( ; Cumbric?: ''Gwovan'?''; Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of south-west City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south ba ...
.


Theatre companies in Scotland


7:84 Scotland

7:84 Scotland began in 1971 with a premiere of John McGrath's ''Trees in the Wind'' at the
Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...
.McGrath, John ''A Good Night Out, Popular Theatre: Audience, Class and form'', p. 118. In 1972, the same play was performed at a May Day rally in Edinburgh, and also an occupied factory in Glasgow. The likes of Leni Lean and David MacLennan moved to other companies from 7:84, such as Wild Cat. However, by far their biggest success was "the Cheviot". As David Edgar writes: :"''7:84 Scotland's use of the '' ceilidh'' form in '' The Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black Black Oil'' succeeded because it drew on a rural folk-form, and indeed was directed at audiences in the rural
Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...
of Scotland.''" ''The Cheviot'' toured Ireland successfully later on, both rural and
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
. ''The Game's a Bogey'' discussed the life of John MacLean, amongst other things, but resorted to obvious joke names, such as Sir Mungo McBungle for a failed industrialist, and Andy McChuckemup for a Glaswegian wheeler dealer. 7:84 produced a number of other plays during the period, but ''The Cheviot'' remained by far and away the most successful. It was eventually recorded as a television programme, albeit with some modifications to thank BBC censors. By the end of the decade, the nucleus of 7:84 had broken up, and many other people started their own political theatre companies.McGrath, p. 125.


Theatres in Scotland

All of Scotland's major cities have theatres, as well as regional centres, such as Dumfries,
Mull Mull may refer to: Places *Isle of Mull, a Scottish island in the Inner Hebrides ** Sound of Mull, between the Isle of Mull and the rest of Scotland * Mount Mull, Antarctica *Mull Hill, Isle of Man * Mull, Arkansas, a place along Arkansas Highway ...
, Perth and
Ayr Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire Subdivisions of Scotland, council area and the historic Shires of Scotlan ...
. In more rural areas, plays are often performed in community halls, church halls, arts spaces etc.


See also

* :Scottish dramatists and playwrights * :Scottish plays *
List of Scottish dramatists This is a list of playwrights either born in Scotland or living/based in Scotland. Playwrights whose work is in Scottish Gaelic and Broad Scots are included. A – J K – Z See also *Theatre of Scotland *List of theatres in Scotland *List ...
* List of Irish theatres and theatre companies * The Cambridge History of British Theatre


References


Further reading

* Bell, B. (2007). "The national drama, Joanna Baille and the national theatre". In I. Brown (ed.), ''The Edinburgh History of Scottish Literature: Enlightenment, Britain and Empire, 1707-1918''. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. . * Brown, I., Clancy, T., Manning, S. and Pittock, M. (eds.) (2007). ''The Edinburgh History of Scottish Literature: Enlightenment, Britain and Empire (1707–1918)''. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. . * Brown et al. (2003). "Scottish identity". In B. Bradshaw and P. Roberts (eds.), ''British Consciousness and Identity: The Making of Britain, 1533-1707''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. . * Brown, I. (2011a). "Introduction: a lively tradition and collective amnesia". In I. Brown (ed.), ''The Edinburgh Companion to Scottish Drama''. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. . * Brown, I. (2011b). "Public and private performance: 1650-1800". In I. Brown (ed.), ''The Edinburgh Companion to Scottish Drama''. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. . * Brown, I. & Fisher, M. (eds.) (1994). ''Made in Scotland''. London: Methuen. * Brown, I., Owen Clancy, T., Pittock, M. and Manning, S. (eds.) (2007). ''The Edinburgh History of Scottish Literature: From Columba to the Union, until 1707''. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. . * Cameron, A. (ed.) (1990). ''Scot-Free''. London: Nick Hern Books. * Carpenter, S. (2011). "Scottish drama until 1650". In I. Brown (ed.), ''The Edinburgh Companion to Scottish Drama''. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. . * Craig, C. & Stevenson, R. (eds.) (2001). ''Twentieth-Century Scottish Drama: an Anthology''. Edinburgh: Canongate. * Dorney, Kate & Gray, Frances (2013). ''Played in Britain, Modern Theatre in 100 Plays''. London: Bloomsbury Methuen Drama. * Farmer, Henry George (1947). ''A History of Music in Scotland''. Hinrichsen. . * Findlay, B. (ed.) (1998). ''Plays of the Seventies''. Edinburgh: Scottish Cultural Press. * Finlay, Bill (ed.) (1998). ''A History of the Scottish Theatre''. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. . * Garlick, G. (2004). "Theatre outside London, 1660-1775". In J. Milling, P. Thomson and J. Donohue (eds.), ''The Cambridge History of British Theatre, Volume 2''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. . * Hartnoll, Phyllis (ed.) (1993). ''The Oxford Companion to the Theatre''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. * Howard, P. (ed.) (1998). ''Scotland Plays''. London: Nick Hern in association with the Traverse Theatre. * Jackson, C. (2003). ''Restoration Scotland, 1660-1690: Royalist Politics, Religion and Ideas''. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. . * Keay, J., & Keay, J. (1994). ''Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland''. London: HarperCollins. . * McGrath, John (1996). ''A Good Night Out, Popular Theatre: Audience, Class and Form''. London: Nick Hern Books. . * Maloney, Paul (2003). ''Scotland and the Music Hall 1850-1914''. Manchester: Manchester University Press. . * Paterson, Tony (1981), ''Four Decades of Drama'', in Murray, Glen (ed.), ''Cencrastus'' No. 7, Winter 1981 - 82, pp. 43 & 44, . * Robertson, Alec (1949), ''History of the Dundee Theatre'', Precision Press, London. * Stevenson, R. & Wallace, G. (1996). ''Scottish Theatre since the Seventies''. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. * Tobin, T. (ed.) (1972). ''The Assembly''. Purdue University Press. . * Tomlin, Liz (2015). British Theatre Companies 1995 - 2014. London: Bloomsbury Methuen Drama. . * Van Heijnsbergen, T. (2001). "Culture: 7 Renaissance and Reformation (1460-1660): Literature". In M. Lynch (ed.), ''The Oxford Companion to Scottish History''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. . * Wright, A. (ed.) (1980). ''A Decade’s Drama: Six Scottish Plays''. Todmorden: Woodhouse Books.


External links


Twelve Key Scottish Plays
{{Scottish literature Cultural history of Scotland Scottish Gaelic literature Scots-language literature