SCOTLAND’S NEW WRITING THEATRE –
EXHILARATING, CHALLENGING, EXPERIMENTAL

Welcome to the Traverse Theatre Festival 2010

I’m really excited by and proud of our 2010 Festival programme. Long-time collaborators join newer companies in what is undoubtedly one of the biggest, most entertaining and most challenging seasons in our 47 years. Eighteen productions – 7 world premieres, 5 UK premieres and 4 Scottish premieres. Serious drama, comedy, music and dance appear alongside shows that refuse to be categorised. This all proves that the Traverse Festival continues to offer something new for everyone by presenting the familiar in unfamiliar ways.

You’ll find all the details of our groundbreaking programme inside this brochure but I just want to draw your attention to the two Traverse Theatre Company productions. Sam Holcroft’s While You Lie headlines a programme of major new work. Sam developed her extraordinary talent in the Traverse’s Young Writers’ Group and more recently as our Pearson Playwright in residence. Her shocking new play will be one of the most talked-about shows at the festival.

Over the last few years, we have been successfully serving up plays with our breakfast! This year we team up with Hibrow Productions to present a programme of staged readings of specially commissioned work by major writers from the UK and Ireland. These readings will be filmed live for later presentation on the internet, as well as for Traverse Live! - a special one-off live performance with simultaneous transmission to cinemas throughout the country (see page 5 for details).

We’re celebrating the city of Edinburgh in all its glory this year with two outdoor shows and three venues outwith the Traverse building. I am equally delighted to welcome you to Edinburgh’s newly thriving cultural quarter. This has recently emerged from a major refurbishment primarily of our neighbouring Usher Hall but also landscaping of the area around us. If you are a regular visitor, or a first time visitor, thank you for your support in making our work such success both during the Festival and throughout the year.

By popular demand, you’ll also notice that we are re-launching the much lamented Traverse Theatre Club (see page 28)! If you would like more information on the benefits of becoming a member and how to join, just contact my colleague Fiona – Fiona.sturgeonshea@traverse.co.uk.

We hope we have everything here at the Traverse from nine in the morning until late night to make your Festival experience unmissable and unforgettable.]

See you there!

Dominic Hill
Artistic Director