Tag: Traverse Theatre

Festival Commission celebrates the work of 16th century Scots Poet and “Scottish Sappho” Marie Maitland

Monday 4 May, 8.15pm, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

This year’s Edinburgh Tradfest commission A’ Chiad Litir (The First Letter), is a tribute to the life of Scots 16th-century poet Marie Maitland, popularised in recent years as the “Scottish Sappho”.

Presented by folk singer, songwriter and composer Josie Duncan and a specially formed band, it will celebrate Marie’s powerful lesbian love poetry through new music and songs, reflecting on her life, her relationships and the world she lived in, whilst also challenging the notion that queerness could ever be considered ‘modern’. 

Marie Maitland was a 16th century Scottish poet born into a wealthy and influential family in East Lothian. She was a noblewoman and the daughter of Sir Richard Maitland of Lethington, a prominent Scottish statesman, judge and poet. When Marie’s father lost his sight, Marie acted as his scribe and began writing her own verse. 

For this new music commission Josie, who works both in English and Scots Gaelic, has written a variety of new songs and instrumental tracks inspired by Marie Maitland’s life and poetry. These include several composed in the style of a ‘waulking’ song, a type of singing that was traditionally performed by women while fulling newly woven tweed cloth usually in the Hebrides.

In addition, historian Ashley Douglas, who has written extensively on Marie Maitland and brought her work to light, will read a verse known as Poem 49 from a manuscript created by Marie.

This powerful nine-stanza poem is one of the very earliest examples of lesbian verse in any language in Europe since Sappho herself (620-570 BC). In it, Marie speaks openly and passionately of her love for another woman, even stating her desire for the two women to be married. In the final stanzas, she reluctantly accepts the impossibility of their formal union, but nonetheless vows her ever-lasting devotion. 

Speaking about the commission, singer songwriter Josie Duncan said: “Marie Maitland’s poetry is a rare and powerful testament to queer love in 16th-century Scotland. Through this music, I hope to amplify her passionate, brave and vulnerable voice and celebrate a story that still resonates deeply today.

“I felt an immediate emotional connection to her work. Marie, like Sappho, wanted to be remembered and she is because of Ashley Douglas, who I knew had to be part of this show.

“It’s an honour to have her work to be inspired by so many years later. Work like this challenges the idea that queer love could ever be considered ‘modern’.” 

Historian and author Ashley Douglas said: “Women who love women have always existed – and remarkable women like Marie Maitland, who bequeathed us her love story, in her own hand, left us the records that prove it.

“When those stories are recovered from the margins, they have the power to validate and inspire the women who love women of today. I’m overjoyed that Marie’s story has so inspired Josie to create such beautiful music and song, and I’m so excited to work with her in continuing the legacy of Scotland’s sixteenth-century Sappho.” 

Jane-Ann Purdy, co-producer of Edinburgh Tradfest said: “Through our connections with Bogha-Frois (Queer Voices in Folk), Edinburgh Tradfest has always been an ally to LGBTQ+ artists, so Josie’s suggestion for a show about Marie Maitland really appealed to us.

“It is a fascinating subject, and is proof-positive that queerness was not invented in the 21st century. Working with Josie on this special commission has been an enlightening and inspiring experience, and I am really looking forward to seeing the finished show on Monday 4 May.” 

About Josie Duncan 

Josie Duncan is an award-winning singer, songwriter and composer from the Outer Hebridean Isle of Lewis. In 2017, she was awarded the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award, and in 2021 her acclaimed New Voices commission for Celtic Connections, showcased her versatility as a composer and performer, and led to her debut album As the Moonlight Melts a collection of self-penned songs. 

Josie has performed at major festivals across the UK and beyond, including Celtic Colours (Canada), the National Celtic Festival (Australia), Tønder Festival (Denmark), Sidmouth Folk Festival and the Hebridean Celtic Festival, for which she composed the 2022 Opening Concert commission. Alongside her work as a performer, she is an emerging composer for film and theatre, bringing her distinctive melodic touch and sensitivity to visual storytelling. 

A’ Chiad Litir has been specially commissioned by The Soundhouse Organisation, who programme Edinburgh Tradfest (1-11 May). It will be performed by singer songwriter Josie Duncan (vocals, harp, tenor guitar and effects); Charlotte Printer (bass and vocals), Laura Jane Wilkie (fiddle), Eilidh Rodgers (percussion), Jenny Clifford (guitar), and author and historian Ashley Douglas (spoken word). With special guests: Kisna Panesar (concertina) and Rae MacIver (piano), a Glasgow-based duo sharing a love of Scottish and Irish traditional music, blended with contemporary influences.

Tickets on sale for new Stef Smith production that brings Queen Margaret University history to life

QMU welcomes audiences to new Stef Smith production at Traverse Theatre

Rising stars of stage and screen will dazzle audiences next February as they perform a new Stef Smith production at the Traverse Theatre, bringing Queen Margaret University’s 150-year story to life. 

Drawing on QMU’s rich history, from its origins as a cookery school for women, through two world wars, student activism and a global pandemic, ‘Head. Heart. Hand.’ explores how generations of students responded to the challenges and changes of their times with resilience, passion and hope.  

Created by award-winning playwright and QMU graduate, Stef Smith, the production will be performed by QMU final year Acting and Performance students at Scotland’s new writing theatre, the renowned Traverse Theatre, from 19–21 February 2026.  

Stef Smith studied Drama and Theatre Arts at Queen Margaret University and won an Olivier Award for the show ‘RoadKill’ just a few years after graduating. 

Her plays include ‘Nora: A Doll’s House’, ‘Swallow’ and ‘Enough’; and her recent screen credits include ‘Float’, the BBC Scotland drama, which shines a light on the lives of LGBTQ+ teens living in rural communities and for which she won a BAFTA for Best Writer. 

Stef said: “Coming back to QMU feels a little surreal. I can hardly believe how much time has passed since I graduated, yet in many ways it feels like no time at all!

“Much of Scotland’s theatre scene is built on new writing, so it’s vital that students gain experience working directly with a living playwright.

“I hope this opportunity gives them a real sense of the professional world they’re about to enter – it has been brilliant to see the next generation of students bringing such energy and creativity to the project.” 

The development of Head. Heart. Hand. forms part of the QMU150 programme of activities marking the 150th anniversary of the founding of the institution now known as Queen Margaret University.

As part of QMU’s commitment to accessibility, the university will be offering 150 £1 tickets to its students for the Thursday afternoon dress rehearsal. These can be booked directly through QMU and are not available via the Traverse box office. 

At its core, Head. Heart. Hand. is a story of perseverance, action, and the enduring belief in education as an act of hope. It promises to be a moving celebration of QMU’s legacy – and the students who shaped it. 

Purchase your ticket on the Traverse Theatre website –

https://www.traverse.co.uk/whats-on/event/head-heart-hand-spring-26 

Performance dates:

19 Feb 7pm | 20 Feb 7pm | 21 Feb 2pm and 7pm

Venue: Traverse Theatre

Tickets: https://www.traverse.co.uk/whats-on/event/head-heart-hand-spring-26

Age recommendation: 14+

Shotput presents Arlington by Enda Walsh at Traverse Theatre

6 – 8 November, Traverse Theatre | Tickets Here

Arlington by Enda Walsh

Directed by Lucy Ireland and Jim Manganello

Scottish premiere

Touring 17 October – 8 November

6 – 8 November, Traverse Theatre | Tickets Here

Starring Aisha Goodman, Alex Austin, and Jack Anderson

Scottish dance-theatre company Shotput are delighted to announce the Scottish Premiere of Arlington by legendary contemporary playwright Enda Walsh. The show will tour across three venues this autumn – Cumbernauld Theatre; Tron Theatre, Glasgow; and Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. 

Set in a dystopian world dominated by surveillance and control, Arlington follows Isla, a young woman held inside a mysterious high rise facility, waiting for her number to be called.

Telling stories of her dreams for the world outside, her only human interaction is with an anonymous man on the other side of the wall. Today there is a new listener. Their encounter sparks a fragile connection that defies the cold mechanisms of the world around them, and what starts as a seemingly small human interaction turns into something much more terrifying and sublime. 

Arlington explores themes of love, freedom, and the enduring power of human connection in the face of oppression. This show about telling stories slyly activates our human impulse for narrative, questioning present realities and imagining new ones. Told in three acts, Arlington sees theatre and dance combine in a tale for two actors and one dancer. 

Jim Manganello and Lucy Ireland said: “We are so thrilled that Shotput gets to have a go at this play with dance by Enda Walsh, a writer who we’ve been obsessed with for many years.

“Enda’s wicked sense of humour, his slant take on the world, and the space he opens for athleticism and dance feels like a perfect fit for all the things we love to do.

“Arlington is a hidden masterpiece and we’re delighted to be bringing it to Scottish audiences for the first time. Whatever you think this play is at the beginning – a dystopian satire, a dream, a love story – we promise that it will mutate and defy expectations over the course of its running time and as you think and talk about it after.

“Funny, difficult, terrifying, beautiful. We’re honoured that we get a go at capturing all that and sharing it.” 

Known for their experimental investigations into the darker sides of contemporary life, this is Shotput’s first Scottish tour since they were awarded multi-year funding.

It is directed by the company’s Co-Artistic Directors Lucy Ireland and Jim Manganello, with a creative team made up of Shotput’s associate artists, Lighting Designer Emma Jones; Video Designer Rob Willoughby, and Scenic and Costume Designer Anna Yates, as well as Sound Designer Garry Boyle and Composer Cat Myers returning from Shotput’s maverick Totentanz. 

Enda Walsh is one of the most renowned contemporary playwrights of our time. Winning multiple Fringe First awards throughout his career, his work has a long history in Scotland, with multiple productions at the Traverse Theatre, including Medicine, Disco Pigs, Ballyturk and more.

Shotput’s production of Arlington will mark its Scottish Premiere. 

Instagram: @shotputtheatre

Facebook: @ShotputTheatre

Twitter: @ShotputTheatre

Website: https://www.shotput.org/

Creative Team: 

Co-directors | Lucy Ireland and Jim Manganello

Producer | Isy Sharman

Scenic and Costume Designer | Anna Yates

Video Designer | Rob Willoughby 

Lighting Designer | Emma Jones

Sound Designer | Garry Boyle Composer | Cat Myers

Strange Town presents HER – a play all parents should see

Leith-based charity Strange Town returns this October with their acclaimed play ‘HER’ a bold and urgent performance about consent, gender inequality, and the pressures young people face today.

Established in 2008 by Steve Small and Ruth Hollyman, Strange Town has spent 17 years creating life-changing arts experiences for young people across Edinburgh.

Long before the groundbreaking series Adolescence hit screens, Strange Town was already producing daring, original theatre in schools, giving pupils their first-ever experience of live performance while opening conversations about difficult topics such as knife crime, mental health, and social pressures.

HER, written by Jennifer Adam and directed by Steve Small, follows HIM and HER, childhood friends who have grown apart by the age of 17.

Loosely reconnecting at high school, they confront the challenges of teenage life, gender inequality, and the truth about consent. Through bold, honest storytelling, the play asks: how can you be the change you want to see in the world when it feels like the world is working against you?

‘This is such an important play — all parents, grandparents, and really anyone who wants to understand the challenges young people face today needs to see it, urgently. Our young people are navigating a world that many older people are completely unaware of and unprepared for.

‘Watching this performance helped me start conversations at home that I wouldn’t have known how to begin, and I am incredibly grateful for that.” — Audience Member

Open to audiences aged 14+, HER runs for two nights: Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd October at 7pm at the Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street, Edinburgh EH1 2ED

Times: 7pm (approx. 50 minutes)

Tickets: £15/£12/£10 https://www.traverse.co.uk/whats-on/event/her-autumn-25

Strange Town has been hit by the well publicised funding cuts imposed by the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB), leaving the future of its Touring Company — which brings bold, original theatre into schools across the city — under threat.

The charity depends on fundraising to sustain accessible arts opportunities for young people who might otherwise miss out.

Local people and businesses who want to help protect this vital work are encouraged to donate online or get in touch to explore other ways of support.   

https://strangetown.org.uk/about-us/donations-info-page/.

Traverse Theatre announces industry events for Travfest25

  • Thought-provoking Monday events this August will cast a glance forward to the future of Scottish theatre through the lens of pressing issues in playwrighting.
  • Delivered in partnership with the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Edinburgh and Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland

The Traverse Theatre hosts two exciting industry-facing events as part of its Travfest25 programme this August, bringing together artists, academics, and audiences to look into what the future may hold for Scottish theatre.

These Monday discussions and readings will bring together leading playwrights, academic voices, and industry experts to explore critical themes shaping the future of arts and culture in Scotland and beyond.

On Monday 11 August a panel event on playwrighting, delivered in partnership with the University of Edinburgh’s Institute of the Advanced Study of Humanities programme (IASH).

Chaired by Fergus Morgan, The Stage’s Scotland Correspondent and freelance theatre critic, the Scottish Writers Community panel will discuss the shape of contemporary playwrighting in Scotland, and the burning issues that writers can uniquely address on-stage.  

Fergus is joined by Gareth Nicholls, the Traverse Theatre’s Artistic Director and a number of the IASH x Traverse Theatre fellows past and present – Isla Cowan (2024) Michael John O’Neill (2025) and Apphia Campbell (2021).

The event will also feature an exclusive first reading of Michael John O’Neill’s work-in-progress play Headland, a result of his 2025 IASH fellowship.

On Monday 18 August, Traverse Theatre and Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland collaborate on their annual event that looks to Scottish theatre’s past to offer a guide for its future. Industry figures will gather to discuss perspectives and insights.

The Traverse Theatre Festival for 2025 runs until Sunday 24 August, featuring 12 productions and 10 premieres, giving audiences the chance to be among the first to see some of the most ground-breaking, quality new theatre in Edinburgh this month.

LISTINGS

Monday 11 August, 4pm (1hr 30mins)

Scottish Writers Community: Panel Discussion

Join a discussion chaired by Fergus Morgan (The Stage’s Scotland correspondent and freelance theatre critic), Gareth Nicholls (Traverse Artistic Director), Michael John O’Neill (2025 IASH x Traverse Playwriting  fellow), Isla Cowan (2024 IASH x Traverse Playwriting fellow) and Apphia Campbell (2021 IASH x Traverse Playwriting fellow), to discuss the future of Scottish theatre, contemporary theatre narratives and what writers want to address.

This event will also feature an excerpt reading of Michael John O’Neill’s new work in development, Headland, which is a result of the IASH x Traverse fellowship.

Full price £8

Standard concession £5

Under 30s/Student £3

Low income benefit £3

Monday 18 August, 3pm (1hr30mins)

Traverse Theatre event with Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland

Join us for our annual festival event with long-term partners Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland. Expect discussion and insight from industry figures.

BSL Interpreted

Full price £8

Standard concession £5

Under 30s/Student £3

Low income benefit £3

Tickets are available to book now at https://www.traverse.co.uk/whats-on/travfest25

Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge St, Edinburgh, EH1 2ED I traverse.co.uk For more information, interviews, press tickets or images, contact press@traverse.co.uk

Glimmers films set to spread moments of joy throughout Travfest25

  • Seven moments of filmed magic to be shared with audiences in the theatre and at home throughout this year’s TravFest.
  • Partnership with Edinburgh Napier’s Screen Academy Scotland showcases Class Act writers from Scotland, Ukraine, India and Finland
  • First film released is Grandmother’s Pie, performed by Imani Preyor, with further releases to follow each week through August.

Glimmers: micro-moments of positivity that help us to feel joy, safety and connection. It could be a fleeting sense of safety or love, happiness, or hope. But it leaves a positive lingering feeling.

Glimmers are ephemeral, much like theatre: a swift moment of magic, over too soon, but whose impacts can last forever.

This summer TravFest25 shares Glimmers with audiences and visitors. The series of short films have been penned by some of our brightest young voices, nurtured and discovered through the Traverse’s flagship engagement programme Class Act, then filmed within the Traverse Theatre and given a platform at the world’s biggest performing arts festival.

Voices from across the world – including Ukraine, India, Finland, and Scotland come together in Glimmers, supported by the Traverse’s leading mentors and directors including John Tiffany, Douglas Maxwell, Nicola McCartney, Natalya Vorozhbyt and Gareth Nicholls.

Created and delivered in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University’s Screen Academy Scotland, these wonderful miniature theatre works have become short films to be shared online and within the Traverse itself throughout August.

The first of the seven films is released today – Grandmother’s Pie, a new piece submitted by former Class Act Finland participant Anastasiia, performed by Imani Preyor.

Further Glimmers will be released through the coming weeks, uploaded to enjoy for free via the Traverse Theatre’s Youtube channel as well as popping up on digital screens within the building throughout the month.

The full set of films is:

1 in 2 by Seren (Class Act Dumfries submitted in 2024) – performed by Eloise King Anderson

Grandmother’s Pie by Anastasiia (Participated in Class Act Finland 2023 – Cultura Foundation and Fenix Finland Ry, new piece submitted for Glimmers)– performed by Imani Preyor

One Two Three by Matvey (Participated in Class Act Finland 2023 – Cultura Foundation and Fenix Finland Ry, new piece submitted for Glimmers) – performed by Alexander Tait.

More Like Mum by Jules Risingham (Letters to Our Future Government piece submitted in 2024) – performed by Lawrence Boothman.

Ryoko by Kate (Participated in Class Act Finland 2023 – Cultura Foundation and Fenix Finland Ry, new piece submitted for Glimmers) – performed by Janette Foggo.

The Light by Alisa (Participated in Class Act Finland 2023 – Cultura Foundation and Fenix Finland Ry, new piece submitted for Glimmers) – performed by Eve Buglass and Sydney Mulligan.

Last Chance to Save the Planet by Kayla (Submitted in 2023) – performed by Rebecca Wilkie.

A team of 23 camera, sound, lighting, technical and production staff from Edinburgh Napier University’s Screen Academy Scotland honed theatre capture skills in a short residency at the Traverse Theatre in July.

Camera: Grant Deans (him), Owen McCaffrey (him), Natalie Weir (her), Tony Ross (him)

Sound: Liam Stobie (him), Reece Groves (him), Sherbaaz Khan (him)

Lighting: Marcin Maternik (him), Jimmy Kitson (him)

Production: Ruby Holywell-Walker (her), Olivia Mcardle (her)

Technical support: Francis Todd (him) (Napier staff technician)

Support:  Reece Groves (him), Ruby Holywell-Walker (her), Sherbaaz Khan (him), Jimmy Kitson (him), Marcin Maternik (him), Owen McCaffrey (him), Olivia Mcardle (her), Tony Ross (him), Liam Stobie (him), Francis Todd (him), and Natalie Weir (her)

Glimmers films will be available to watch via the Traverse Theatre Youtube channel

Traverse Theatre announces Autumn 2025 season

  • Scotland’s engine room of new writing reveals Autumn programme of home-grown performances and thrilling new work from Scotland and further afield
  • Traverse commissions Stephen Christopher and Graeme Smith’s Dancing Shoes for new December production
  • Taking centre-stage in Traverse 1 is Black Hole Sign, a razor-sharp new Traverse co-production about the healthcare system written by practicing NHS nurse Uma Nada-Rajah
  • Two hilarious plays from Douglas Maxwell, including the return of award-winning Traverse co-production So Young and new canine comedy Man’s Best Friend
  • Exciting partner company productions include Night Waking by Shireen Mula, Arlington by Enda Walsh, Through the Mud by Apphia Campbell, and the award-winning Òranby Owen Sutcliffe
  • Audience-favourite & TravFest24 Fringe First-winner BATSHIT by Leah Shelton returns to Traverse 2
  • A Play, A Pie, & A Pint is back at the Traverse for six-week Autumn season of new plays

Hot on the heels of a thrilling TravFest25 programme, the Traverse Theatre has announced the first details of the exciting work audiences can look forward to seeing in the venue from September.

The Autumn season sees some of the most exciting artists and companies working in Scotland take centre stage with new productions and returning favourites alike.

Stephen Christopher and Graeme Smith’s raucous new comedy, Dancing Shoes, is being fully commissioned by the Traverse to run in Traverse 1 in December 2025. Struggling with isolation and addiction, long-suffering Donny joins a local support group where he meets new-found friends Jay and Craig.

When Donny shares his secret passion – donning his best shoes for a private boogie in his bedroom – Jay smells an opportunity. Unexpected viral fame follows, and the men’s new friendship is put to the test with the whole world now watching on. Packed with humour and emotion, Dancing Shoes is a sure-footed comedy that’s guaranteed to have audiences laughing this winter.

New Traverse production Black Hole Sign – co-produced with the Tron Theatre in association with National Theatre of Scotland – is a new play taking a razor-sharp scalpel to the absurdities, tragedies and realities of working within the modern healthcare system. Written by Uma Nada-Rajah, a practicing NHS nurse and one of the most exciting new voices in Scottish playwrighting, Black Hole Sign sees three generations of NHS nurses doing their best to stay afloat against a crumbling system which seems stacked against them.

Directed by Traverse Artistic Director Gareth Nicholls, the play will be brought to life by a multi-talented ensemble cast including Martin Docherty, Dani Heron, Amelia Isaac Jones, Beruce Khan, Helen Logan, and Ann Louise Ross.

An exploration of changing attitudes towards an institution once world renowned, the play asks what we want for the future of our National Health Service and, crucially, who will hold it together when it all falls down?

Uma Nada-Rajah, Playwright, said: “I’m a nurse in my day job and have been a nurse for a long time. There is something so funny and tragic about day-to-day life in hospital, the way that routine and paperwork brush up against the grand processes of human existence: When you’re born you get a birth certificate. When you die you get a death certificate.

“I wanted to capture that sense of absurdity and put it into a play that will make people laugh or cry.  And at a time when there are a lot of questions circulating about the future of the National Health Service, I hope Black Hole Sign will make audiences think about the significance of care in modern society.”

Two productions by celebrated playwright Douglas Maxwell, the man behind previous Traverse favourites including Decky Does A Bronco and I Can Go Anywhere, will delight theatre-going audiences this Autumn.

Man’s Best Friend is a hilariously heart-warming story about the give-and-take of companionship – specifically the four-legged kind. Walking his neighbours’ dogs kept Ronnie together after a very difficult lockdown.

But when a series of mishaps result in the dogs slipping their leads and disappearing off into the woods, Ronnie is forced to take chase and confront some hard truths. Directed by Jemima Levick and starring Jordan Young (River City, Scot Squad) as Ronnie, this Tron Theatre production visits the Traverse as part of its acclaimed Scotland-wide tour in September.

And following its critically acclaimed, Fringe First-winning premiere at TravFest24, So Young returns to the Traverse 1 stage for a hilarious new run of performances from 23 – 25 October. 

When Milo invites his two best friends Davie and Liane around for a takeaway to meet his new girlfriend, it promises to be a great night spent reconnecting. As they delve into the past and swap the same old stories they’ve been through a thousand times before, the night becomes more about those absent than present; remembering who they have lost and who they were, or thought they were…

Produced by Raw Material and the Traverse in association with the Citizens Theatre, So Young is a touching and funny story about old friends coming back together after time apart. Following its Traverse performances the production will transfer to the Citizens Theatre as part of its long-awaited reopening season.

Another returning favourite from TravFest24 will be Leah Shelton’s riotous one-woman tour-de-force BATSHIT, which once again takes the Traverse 2 stage by storm from 22 – 25 October.

Quiet Riot’s wildly theatrical, darkly comic, and deeply intimate reckoning with the myths and misconceptions of female madness is created by Shelton and directed by Olivier award-winning Ursula Martinez.

A requiem for Leah’s grandmother Gwen, who was incarcerated for seeking independence in 1960s Australia, BATSHIT draws on personal stories, in-depth research and pop culture to unpack how psychiatry has been shaped by gender bias. The show won both a Scotsman Fringe First & the Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award on its premiere at TravFest24, heralded for its razor-sharp wit, raw storytelling, and unflinching central performance.

The season will also see the venue host visiting productions by some of Scottish theatre’s most exciting artists and companies. On 01 October An Tobar and Mull Theatre present Night Waking – a sharp, strange, and darkly funny exploration of motherhood, colonialism, and the ghosts we inherit.

As Anna ricochets between present-day exhaustion, historical letters, and a past that won’t stay buried, she is forced to confront what it means to nurture, to protect, and to fail. Adapted from Sarah Moss’s novel by Shireen Mula, and directed by Rebecca Atkinson-Lord, this one-woman play is a feat of acting virtuosity—a fragmented, fevered journey through sleepless nights, long-lost voices, and the things that won’t stay hidden.

Glasgow-based dance-theatre company Shotput bring their thrilling new production of Enda Walsh’s Arlington to the Traverse from 06 – 08 November. In a room, high in a tower block, Isla waits for her number to be called. Her only companion, on the other side of the wall, is an anonymous man who collects her stories.

Today there is a new listener. He offers glimpses of the world beyond the tower, and what seems at first to be a small, if strange, conversation between two strangers turns out to be something much more terrifying and sublime – in a dark fable of surveillance, connection, and the power of imagination.

Wonder Fools’ critically-acclaimed production Òran, winner of The Bestie’s Best Debut Award on its premiere in 2024, arrives at the Traverse from 13 – 15 November. A visceral piece of contemporary theatre is a collaboration between Wonder Fools and the acclaimed hip-hop artist Owen Sutcliffe with music by VanIves, creating an urgent and entertaining modern retelling of the classic Greek myth Orpheus.

Against a stunning live soundtrack of gospel and blues, Through The Mud explores what it takes to become a revolutionary. The story of two generations of women activists in the struggle for black liberation in America: One, notorious Black Panther Assata Shakur, the other a college student at the beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement in Ferguson in 2014.

Written and performed by Apphia Campbell, Fringe First-winner and creator of the hit show Black is the Colour of My Voice, Through the Mud arrives at the Traverse from 14 – 15 November.

Audiences can also look forward to a night with the multi-award-winning comedian and Taskmaster-star Babatunde Aléshé as he guides us through family life, his new-found fame and the joys of Costco in his hilarious new stand-up show High Expectations, which visits the Traverse on 02 November as part of its UK-wide tour.

The season also sees the return of the beloved A Play, A Pie, & A Pint as it returns to the Traverse for a new run of performances promising some of the very best new-writing on the Scottish stage, with more to be announced soon.

Music At The Traverse continues to bring brilliant gigs and sessions into the theatre this Autumn. Soundhouse present a trio of events spotlighting exciting global jazz, country, traditional and folk acts, including a special concert celebrating the release of jazz pianist Paul Harrison’slong awaited new album Encontros, a slice of Ancient Northumbrian Futurism from Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening, and the exciting Erik Palmberg Quartet bringing their lyrical jazz melodies to Edinburgh on a first UK tour.

Faroese folk masters Spælimennir arrive on a 50th anniversary tour, while there are also gigs from award-winning young violinist Ryan Young and a solo performance from one of the great Irish singers Andy Irvine.

Festival commission celebrates our Love of  Trees

Monday 5 May, 8.15pm, Traverse Theatre

Musicians Donald Hay and Mary Macmaster are pictured in front of the remains of the 29m high  Himalayan Cedar at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. Their new song The Cedar  Silent is a tribute to the cedar and will premiere as part of For the Love of Trees, at the Traverse Theatre on Monday 5 May, 8.15pm.

This year’s festival commission For the Love of Trees celebrates the  songs and tunes associated with our nation’s woodlands and trees and  includes the premiere of The Cedar, Silent which was written as a tribute  to the 29m high Himalayan cedar (Cedrus deodara) at the Royal Botanic  Garden in Edinburgh that came down in Storm Éowyn earlier this year.  

Specially commissioned by Soundhouse who programme Edinburgh  Tradfest, For the Love of Trees is produced and performed by harpist Mary  Macmaster and drummer Donald Hay, who are joined by an incredible  line-up of talented musicians: Amy MacDougall (vocals, sampling),  Mairearad Green (accordion, pipes, vocals), Pete Harvey (cello) and Ciaran Ryan (banjo/fiddle/guitar). 

Mary Macmaster is an award-winning harpist, singer, and ambassador for  Scottish music who has previously collaborated with the likes of Sting,  Northumbrian pipe virtuoso Kathryn Tickell, English folk legend Norma  Waterson and many more. 

Mary is a founder member of The Poozies (still going strong after 35  years), Macmaster/Hay with Donald Hay, Shine with Alyth McCormack  and Corinna Hewat, and Sìleas with Patsy Seddon. In 2013, she and  Seddon were inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. 

For this commission Mary has chosen a variety of tunes related to trees,  plus there are four new compositions written specially for the concert including The Cedar, Silent. The tunes include everything from a  traditional Irish reel The Island of Woods by the wonderful Irish/American  fiddler Liz Carroll; to Scottish lament Cumha Crann Nan Teud The  Lament for the Harp Key; The Trees by rock band Pulp; and Chraobh nan  Ubhall a traditional Gaelic waulking song. 

Speaking about the commission musician Mary Macmaster said: “I chose trees for this commission because I love trees – everyone loves  trees don’t they? Also, one of my favourite ever books is The Overstory, by  Richard Powers. It’s a massive, magnificent story. It really inspired and 

affected me. Trees are in the earth and in the air. They are older and more  still than humans could ever be and yet we treat them like commodities. 

If only we could hear what they are saying to each other – and they do  communicate, through their roots and along the lines of mycelium that  connect them.They will be here when we have gone, no matter what a  mess we make of our beautiful world.” 

Jane-Ann Purdy, co-producer of Edinburgh Tradfest said: “Mary  Macmaster is one of Scotland’s finest musicians and composers so we  were absolutely thrilled that she agreed to take on this year’s festival  commission.

“She has picked a stellar line-up to join her on 5 May so we’re  sure it will be a concert to remember. The subject matter is very close to  our hearts and that set list includes tunes from across the centuries is  surely fitting.

After all, many the trees we look at today have been here long  before us and will survive long after we are gone.”  

For the Love of Trees is on Monday 5 May starts 8.15pm at the Traverse  Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street, Edinburgh EH1 2ED. £16/£13 with special  guest Fiona Soe Paing whose new album SAND, SALT FLINT is inspired by the ballads of and locations around the northeast of Scotland.

Her  performance will include visuals from Isla Goldie. 

About Mary Macmaster 

Best known for her pioneering work with the metal-strung clarsach and the  fantastic Camac electro-harp, Mary Macmaster is also a fine singer of  Gaelic and English language songs. During the last twenty years she has  been at the forefront of the revival of the Scottish harp and has been an  ambassador for Scottish music, touring throughout the world with Sìleas,  The Poozies and Donald Hay, a brilliant percussionist. 

Mary has collaborated live and in the studio with many wonderful musicians  including the Northumbrian pipe virtuoso Kathryn Tickell, English folk  legend Norma Waterson and the amazing Sting. Mary’s influence on and  contribution to the Scottish music scene and her role in the clarsach revival 

in recent decades has been recognised by the Scottish Music Hall of Fame  (Hands Up for Trad / Saltire Society), into which she was inducted in 2013. Edinburgh Tradfest 2025 runs until Monday 12 May.

The full programme  includes a stellar line-up of traditional music, talks, adult and children’s  music workshops, ceilidhs, films, and storytelling thanks to continued  support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, and the  William Grant Foundation. 

Dazzling student creations brought to life at QMU Costume Showcase

A vibrant theatrical catwalk show celebrating the creativity, craftsmanship and collaboration of Queen Margaret University’s talented BA (Hons) Costume Design and Construction students, is set to dazzle audiences across two dates this May.  

Taking place at the renowned Traverse Theatre, the QMU Costume Showcase will unveil a bold and beautiful collection of historical, fantastical, whimsical, and elegant costume designs, which have all been meticulously crafted by students for live events and productions throughout their time on the course.  

The 2025 showcase draws upon the wonder and magic that costumes can bring to theatre – think Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland and Kim Henson’s Labyrinth – bringing the audience into a wonderland that has a dark fantasy undertone, while holding the overall appearance of the Edwardian curiosity and oddities style. 

Dr Susan Martin, Programme Leader of Costume Design and Construction at QMU, said: “Each year, QMU’s Costume Showcase provides the perfect platform to witness the talent of the next generation of costume professionals—bold in vision, meticulous in craft, and full of passion. 

 “Not only is the showcase a celebration of our students’ outstanding design work, but also a powerful demonstration of what happens when creativity meets collaboration. Behind the scenes, a large team of students, in roles such as stage management, wardrobe maintenance, dressing, technical support, and modelling, have come together to make the showcase possible – a testament to the spirit of teamwork that defines QMU’s Costume Design and Construction course.” 

In addition to the 45-minute performance, an exhibition of graduating student work will be on display in the Traverse Bar, offering guests the chance to explore the inspiration, process and artistry behind the designs. 

This year’s showcase includes work created for the Brunton Theatre’s annual pantomime, in collaboration with Wonder Fools Company.

Students have also designed clothes for QMU’s Acting and Performance shows, most recently ‘Charley’s Aunt, Blue Stockings’,a photographic reinterpretation of ‘Sleeping Beauty’, and a fantasy promenade version of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, created exclusively for the Costume Showcase catwalk.

Each production highlights the students’ versatility, industry-readiness, and commitment to storytelling through costume design. All costumes will be modelled by students from across QMU’s performing arts department. 

The QMU Costume Showcase 2025 will be taking place on Friday 2 May at 7.30pm, and Saturday 3 May at 12.30pm.  

Prints and merchandise will also be available to purchase before and after the show in the Traverse Bar. 

Join us in celebrating the skill, imagination, and hard work of QMU’s costume cohort – an unforgettable display of theatrical flair awaits. 

Book your ticket on the Traverse Theatre website. 

Success for first ever Soundhouse Winter Festival

Music fans packed out the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh for Soundhouse’s first ever Winter Festival (28 Nov to 2 Dec). Bringing in an audience mostly comprised of locals (73% from the capital, with 21% from the rest of Scotland), it proved the best antidote to a dark time of year and a great way to mark St Andrew’s Day.

The festival ran over five days thanks to support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland and included some of the finest jazz, indy and folk musicians from Scotland.  Sellouts included the Nicole Smit Quintet; Fergus McCreadie with an outstanding performance from guest Italian star Mattia Galeotti on drums; and Su-a Lee performing alongside a stellar line-up of trad favourites – Duncan Chisholm, Donald Shaw and Hamish Napier. 

Other popular highlights included a screening of The Rugged Island: A Shetland Lyric (1933), opened by Shetland pianist Amy Laurenson, and accompanied by music composed by award winning multi-instrumentalist Inge Thomson from Fair Isle with Shetlander Catriona Macdonald; a preview of rock goddess Megan Black’s new album; and a performance of Unwritten Women read by Edinburgh’s former Makar Hannah Lavery to a new score written and performed by Kate Young.

The Festival also received five star reviews and was a key part of this year’s Fair Saturday celebrations in Edinburgh.

Jane Ann Purdy and Douglas Robertson, producers of the Soundhouse Winter Festival said: “We are thrilled with the appetite that audiences have shown for live music during the winter months.

“We knew that people would come out for the festival if we programmed great music, so that’s what we did and it paid off.

“It’s been an absolute blast to present five days of jazz, rock, punk, poetry, and silent film, not a line-up we have had the opportunity to programme before, but one that we would definitely look to repeat next year.”

The Soundhouse Organisation returns in May with more live music at the Traverse for Edinburgh’s Tradfest (2-12 May 2025). Dates for the Soundhouse Winter Festival 2025 are to be confirmed.