New writing

photo: Douglas Robertson

The Traverse Theatre nurtures, develops and produces new work from contemporary playwrights to the highest possible standards – bringing the nation’s leading voices and our best emerging talent to the stage in Edinburgh.

Alongside the latest work from leading UK writers, the Traverse also commissions, and develops high-quality translations of the best International plays which we stage as UK premieres.

photo: Douglas Robertson

Commissions

Each year the Traverse commissions at least six new plays by writers based in, or from, Scotland, as well as two or three new translations/versions of contemporary international plays under our groundbreaking Playwrights in Partnership scheme.
Recent Traverse commissions include Hoors (by Gregory Burke), Cockroach (by Sam Holcroft – a co-commission with NTS), Midsummer (by David Greig & Gordon McIntyre), Fall (by Zinnie Harris), Nova Scotia (by John Byrne), Damascus (by David Greig), ENGLAND (by Tim Crouch), Distracted (by Morna Pearson), Carthage Must Be Destroyed (by Alan Wilkins), The People Next Door (by Henry Adam), Iron (by Rona Munro), and Gagarin Way (by Gregory Burke).
Previous Playwrights in Partnership international commissions have included The Girl on the Sofa (by Jon Fosse in a version by David Harrower), Strawberries in January (by Evelyne de la Chenelière in a version by Rona Munro), Broke (by David Lescot in a version by Iain F MacLeod), Olga (by Laura Ruohonen in a version by Linda McLean), 15 Seconds (by François Archambault in a version by Isabel Wright), and In the Bag (by Wang Xiaoli in a version by Ronan O’Donnell).
Playwrights in Residence
For 2009, the Traverse has three writers on attachment with the theatre to be part of its artistic life: Zinnie Harris as our SAC Senior Playwriting Fellow, Sam Holcroft as our Pearson Playwright in Residence and Ella Hickson as our inaugural Emerging Playwright on attachment. This new post is a joint initiative with the Playwright’s Studio – Scotland’s Partnership Projects.

photo: Douglas McBride

THE TRAVERSE’S DEVELOPMENT OF WRITERS:

Public Writers’ Workshops
Each season the Traverse runs a number of public playwriting workshops led by major playwrights and practitioners. These are targeted at a range of experience and offer all writers a chance to further their skills and to meet with other playwrights. To find out what workshops are happening next, look on the What's On section of this website.
The Playwrights’ Toolkit
For writers over 25 we offer a ‘Playwrights’ Toolkit’ each season, led by leading professional playwright & screenwriter Zinnie Harris. Six evening sessions for adult writers looking to develop their skills for the stage, places on The Playwrights’ Toolkit can be booked through the Traverse Box Office on 0131 228 1404, and dates & prices can be found each season in the What's On section of this website.
Young Writers Group
Budding writers aged between 18-25 can join our free fortnightly Young Writers Group, led by a professional, commissioned playwright. The Young Writers Group culminates in First Bite, a chance to work with Traverse directors, actors and the Literary Team on their plays. Please contact Jennifer Williams, Literary Officer at Jennifer.williams@traverse.co.uk /0131 228 3223 for information on the YWG and our current waiting list.
In-house script development & play-readings
When commissioned writers deliver drafts of their plays to us, they are then offered the option of individual script-development workshops on their plays, where the writer can work with a Traverse director and professional actors to hear and develop their play. At other times writers may be given a public performed play-reading by leading actors, allowing our audiences a chance to share in the development of those plays from their earliest stages towards their final draft and production.
On select occasions we also offer talented non-commissioned writers the chance of this type of development work on their plays.
One-to-one dramaturgy for writers
In select cases, promising non-commissioned writers may be offered a one-to-one meeting with a member of the Artistic Team or with a Traverse Associate Playwright where they can be offered personal encouragement, feedback and advice on their writing.
Script exchange & networking
The Traverse actively takes part in Scottish, UK and international script exchange and networking. We share new plays with other leading theatres and companies committed to producing new work to introduce them to the latest plays or to new writers. And we often collaborate with theatres, festivals and writers’ organisations around the world to showcase Scotland’s playwrights on international stages, as well as welcoming world playwrights to our own stages here in Edinburgh.
Traverse ENCOUNTERS and post-show talks
The Traverse hosts regular ENCOUNTER events and post-show discussions that offer audiences the chance to hear our leading writers and theatre-makers talking about their work and inspirations.

If you are a school, college or university and are interested in finding out what’s available for your students, please see the LEARNING section of the website.