So Young by Douglas Maxwell, A History Of Paper by Oliver Emanuel and Gareth Williams, BATSHIT by Leah Shelton and Cyrano by Virginia Gay all picked up awards this morning at the ceremony hosted by lead Scotsman theatre critic Joyce McMillan and award-winning actress Miriam Margolyes.
We are delighted to see the success of the TravFest24 programme recognised at the Scotsman Fringe First Awards, which had its first ceremony of the festival this morning. This endorsement has come at a critical time in the arts funding landscape, and we are so grateful for the acclaim that these productions and our programme is receiving.
The win for So Young, written by Douglas Maxwell and directed by Traverse Artistic Director Gareth Nicholls, comes just months after Douglas won Best New Play at the CATS Awards 2024 back in June. This co-production between the Traverse, Raw Material and the Citizens Theatre charts themes of love, friendship and grief in a performance which Joyce McMillan described as having "blazing theatrical energy, and razor-sharp wit". To be able to continue platforming Scottish playwrights is critical in what we do at the Traverse, and having Douglas back with us this August has been nothing short of spectacular.
Our co-production with Dundee Rep, A History Of Paper written by Oliver Emanuel and Gareth Williams and directed by Andrew Panton, has already seen blinding success having sold-out before its first performance had even hit the stage last week. Being awarded a Scotsman Fringe First is a wonderful accolade for this beautiful and heart-breaking story, and we are so proud to have been able to bring it to life this August.
Leah Shelton's "brilliantly vivid" performance, BATSHIT, directed by Ursula Martinez and produced by Quiet Riot, joined the line-up of award-winners, having come over from Australia to depict her grandmother's story on the TravFest24 stage. This innovative performance is unlike anything else on our stages this August, and speaks directly to themes of female empowerment and its relevancy has resonated with audiences in Edinburgh, as it will continue to throughout the rest of the festival.
The gender-flipped retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac by Virginia Gay is packed full of wit, humour and heart and was the final TravFest24 production to collect their award this morning. Virginia expressed in her acceptance speech that it was "thrilling" that there's such a focus on new work here in Scotland and this is something that we will continue to champion.
Traverse CEO and Executive Producer, Linda Crooks said:
“To have the Traverse programme take home four Fringe Firsts in the first week of the festival is absolutely extraordinary and is a crucial endorsement during a perilous time for arts funding.
With So Young and A History of Paper both being Traverse co-productions, with Raw Material & the Citizens Theatre and Dundee Rep respectively, there is no greater example of the strength in the Scottish theatre industry right now and the power that comes with collaboration.
We are of course delighted to have such innovative international work such as Leah Shelton’s BATSHIT and Virginia Gay’s Cyrano with us this August as well, which also speaks so strongly to the importance of new work and how essential it is to keep it on our stages.
Above all else, we want to send our gratitude and thanks to our collaborators and audiences, without whom none of this would be possible. Their passion and support is what allows us to keep creating new work with and for our communities to come together in celebration of the love and humanity that is at the core of our programme.”