TRAVERSE CELEBRATES FULL REOPENING WITH ANNOUNCEMENT OF ITS VIBRANT TRAVFEST22 PROGRAMME

The Traverse today announces our TravFest22 programme, celebrating a return to full strength across our performance spaces, Traverse 1 and Traverse 2. We are delighted to be welcoming audiences back to a full-scale TravFest through a programme of vibrant and brilliant new work spanning a spectrum of stories and perspectives, from queer rom-coms to the dark heart of show business.

Marking the beginning of a bright new era for the Traverse as we build momentum for our 60th anniversary in 2023, TravFest22 is a celebration of togetherness, and of the incredible resilience and creativity t that theatre, the arts more widely, and every one of us collectively have displayed over the last two years. We are thrilled to offer such a dynamic and varied range of shows for TravFest22, made possible by the determination, ingenuity and passion of everyone involved.

We are especially overjoyed thatJames Ley’s riotous joyride of a show, Wilf, will be speeding back into Traverse 1, offering audiences a wild tour around Scotland, which, once taken, will never be forgotten... And Michael John O’Neill’s Popcorn Award-winning This is Paradise will justly receive a full-scale Traverse 2 production following a limited staging during TravFest21. Each of these important and resonant shows have been under further development throughout the past two years, and we are both proud and ecstatic to finally bring them both to full-scale audiences this August.

Making a celebratory return to the streets of Edinburgh is the location-based audio experience Eavesdropping: Walk This Play® by Hannah Lavery and Sarah MacGillivray (ThickSkin in association with Traverse Theatre), which takes audiences on a journey of imagination throughout the festival city, and beyond.

Elsewhere in the programme audiences will be able to enjoy the world premieres of Uma Nada-Rajah’s satirical Exodus(National Theatre of Scotland), Sonya Kelly’s comedic The Last Return(Druid), andTabby Lamb’s queer rom-com Happy Meal(Roots/Theatre Royal Plymouth with ETT and Oxford Playhouse). Scottish premieres include Liz Kingsman’s universally acclaimed One-Woman Show(Country Mile Productions),ALOK's new comedy and poetry show ALOK(Soho Theatre), Lauryn Redding’s gig musical Bloody Elle (A Cloudrise Production), Matt Wilkinson’s thrilling Psychodrama (Psycho Productions & Cusack Projects Limited) and the movingBlood Harmony featuring the music of the Staves, co-created by Matthew Bulgo, Jonnie Riordan and Jess Williams (Commissioned and produced by ThickSkin and Lawrence Batley Theatre, in co-production with Watford Palace Theatre and Wales Millennium Centre and supported by the Lowry).

With the generous support of our Festival Companies, we are delighted that a limited number of £1 tickets will be available for each performance in the programme, for those under the age of 25 or in receipt of low-income government benefits, subject to availability.

Further additions to the TravFest22 programme will be announced in the coming weeks.

Linda Crooks, Executive Producer, said:

“TravFest22 marks a bold and brave new beginning for the Traverse, ahead of our sixtieth anniversary in 2023. The last two years have undoubtedly been challenging, but we have continued to bring artists and audiences together online, outdoors and when possible, within our spaces to generate new ideas and keep telling new stories. Now we are delighted to again be able to present a full-scale, in-person festival programme and welcome our partners, friends and audiences back to a space where they can connect, imagine, plan and get back to those post show debates we’ve all missed so much. We are pleased to welcome friends old and new across the programme and cannot wait to share these vital and vibrant pieces of work with the audiences that’s needed to make them complete.“

Gareth Nicholls, Artistic Director, said:

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with so many amazing artists this August – some we know well and others who we are incredibly excited to get to know better. The variety and imagination of work on offer this year is a testament to everyone who has been determined to keep creating throughout these difficult times, and have been unwavering in producing work which confronts, comforts and entertains. We are delighted to have them as part of our programme. And it’s especially meaningful for us to be able to bring both James Ley’s ‘Wilf’ and Michael John O’Neill’s ‘This is Paradise’ to full theatres this year, with both pieces sure to offer laughter, delight and reflection to audiences. Our doors are open – and so is the bar – we can’t wait to see you all here soon!”

BROWSE ALL TRAVFEST 22 PRODUCTIONS

The Traverse is funded by Creative Scotland and The City of Edinburgh Council, with additional support from The Scottish Government Performing Arts Venues Relief Fund