Scottish theatre has a rich and varied history, not confined to the written text. As explained by journalist and critic Fergus Morgan at the launch of his new podcast “A History of Scottish Drama in Six Plays”, it has undergone a rather unique evolutionary process, often out of necessity, from the obstacles in its way. From the Scottish Reformation in 16th Century, development of music hall entertainment as the country became more industrialised; through to the 20th century, with successes as part of Glasgow’s European City of Culture in 1990, following the previous darker era from Thatcher’s time in power in the 1980s, and ending with the establishment of the National Theatre of Scotland in the 2000s, and the current uncertainty of arts funding in Scotland.
Today’s event was a live panel recording of what is to be the seventh episode of the podcast. The first part of the event was an overview of the topics that will be covered in the preceding podcast episodes. Episode one, which is now available, features discussion of Sir David Lyndsay’s 16th Century play “A Satire of the Three Estates” in the context of the Scottish Reformation, where Scotland was deprived of traditional theatrical representation, and sparked the move to folk drama beyond ‘playwrights writing plays’. Subsequent episodes cover plays such as “Men Should Weep”, “Losing Venice”, “Passing Places”, and “Black Watch” and the era of its time of writing, in discussion with playwrights, performers, academics and critics.
Tonight’s panel comprised critic Mark Fisher, the playwrights Nicola McCartney and Isla Cowan, and Traverse Theatre Artistic Director Gareth Nicholls. In an engaging and thought-provoking section, Fraser had asked them to focus on a play or production from the last decade that exemplified Scottish drama. You’ll have to listen to the podcast to hear the examples being discussed, and a particularly impassioned statement from Nicola McCartney should not be missed, describing every new play as being ‘a desperate, longed-for, heartbeat’ within our culture.
As the discussion progressed, clear themes emerged about the uniqueness of the Scottish theatre environment, how to nurture new talent, and ensure inclusivity and new voices to emerge, and inevitably the subject of money. The ‘good night out’ vibes that emanated first from the Glasgow music hall scene, and persists to this day, and the collective energy of groups being able to speak with authenticity and lived experiences. A general consensus also being that Scotland has always had to show resilience in face of adversity, been squeezed to do more, with less, but is particularly stark in the current economy, following years of austerity, and perils of risk-averse attitudes at the expense of innovation and experimentation.
For further context about the importance of this conversation – in early October, Creative Scotland revealed that their Multi-Year funding announcement, expected in October, would not be announced until January 2025, leaving 281 applications with an ask of £87.5 million in limbo, and many in the industry with uncertainty about their future past April 2025.
Tonight’s discussion was a fascinating insight into the past and present climate of Scottish theatre. Fergus is an engaging and knowledgeable host, as those familiar with his own Substack publication, the Crush Bar, will attest, and it is recommended read. On the basis of tonight’s event and the first episode, this promises to be a valuable addition to the Scottish arts scene.
“A History Of Scottish Drama In Six Plays” is written and produced by Fergus Morgan, created with support from the Scottish Society of Playwrights’ SSP@50 Fellowship Awards and from Creative Scotland. The first episode was released on Monday 28th October and is available across podcast platforms now.
Listen to the podcast here