Good With People

Producing Company

Traverse Theatre

Led by Orla O’Loughlin (Artistic Director) and Linda Crooks (Executive Producer), the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh is Scotland's new writing theatre and is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2013. From its conception in 1963, it has embraced a spirit of innovation and risk-taking that has launched the careers of many of Scotland's best-known writers including John Byrne, David Greig, David Harrower and Liz Lochhead.

The Traverse is unique in Scotland in that it fulfils the crucial role of providing the infrastructure, professional support and expertise to ensure the development of a dynamic theatre culture for Scotland. It commissions, develops and produces new work from contemporary playwrights. It also presents productions from visiting companies with work ranging from new plays to dance, physical theatre, puppetry and contemporary music.

The Traverse has an international reputation for producing and presenting the very best new drama, and this is particularly the case during the Edinburgh Festivals in August. It is also the home of the manipulate Visual Theatre Festival, the Imaginate children’s theatre Festival, the Traverse autumn Dance Festival and Write Here, a brand new festival focusing on the process behind new writing. In the last three years alone, the Traverse has won 58 awards for its work, including a Laurence Olivier Award in 2012.

The Traverse Theatre also invests in engagement with its audiences, both public and professional. The Traverse engagement programme includes year-round professional workshops, public discussions and work-in-progress events. Our flagship education project for young people, Class Act, enters its 23rd year in 2013 and gives Scottish school pupils the opportunity to develop plays with professional playwrights and see their finished pieces performed on stage at the Traverse. Several graduates from our hugely successful Young Writers’ Group have gone on to write professionally, including Sam Holcroft, Morna Pearson and Catherine Grosvenor. The Traverse recognises that new plays need new directors and in 2012 teamed up with the JMK Trust to offer a series of events especially for emerging directors.