Scottish Theatre in the 21st Century

Omtale

This book draws attention to some of the major developments in Scottish theatre through an examination of performances and makers, drawing in multiple perspectives and providing a clear analysis of Scottish theatre’s key characteristics, its recent developments and future directions. Covering the time from the founding of the National Theatre of Scotland (2006) to the referendum on Scottish independence (2014) to the Covid-19 pandemic, the book investigates how Scotland’s theatre sector has engaged with and responded to these changes. In particular, it probes how Scotland's theatre has managed to navigate and negotiate ever-narrowing paths of public subsidy and policy changes while routinely creating world-leading performances and performance makers. It also explores the place of the playwright as a defining element of Scottish theatre’s identity and new writing industry, focusing on the work of Kieran Hurley, featuring original interviews with its founding Artistic Director, Vicky Featherstone, Lewis Heatherington, Julia Taudevin and Oliver Emanuel. Through a selection of representative case studies, including Stellar Quines (Scotland’s only feminist theatre company), Magnetic North, Vox Motus and Disaster Plan, plus original interviews with key figures from these companies, we are given crucial insights into the development, dynamics and ecology of theatre in Scotland in the 21st century.