Scottish National Players

Scottish National Players, founded in Glasgow c.1920 by figures such as playwright John Brandane, was a non-professional touring theatre company which had the aim to pioneer the establishment of a Scottish National Theatre along the lines of the Irish model established by Dublin's Abbey Theatre around twenty years earlier. The company was founded using left-over funds from the short-lived Glasgow Repertory which had folded in 1914. Its first director was Andrew P. Wilson.[1]: 75 [2]

The Scottish National Players performed early plays by James Bridie, such as The Sunlight Sonata and Brandane's The Glen is Mine, as well as an ill-fated production of Neil Gunn's drama The Ancient Fire. A number of its productions were directed by the young Tyrone Guthrie. Sometimes criticised for its conservatism, Scottish National Players notably turned down Joe Corrie's early masterpiece In Time o' Strife in 1927.[3] On the other hand it was instrumental in touring drama around local communities throughout Scotland. The company also provided drama for BBC Radio in Scotland in the 1920s.[1]: 73–74 

In the early 1930s, James Bridie, as one of the board members, attempted to push Scottish National Players to professionalise. Although remaining supportive, he resigned after the board chose to retain its amateur status. Soon after this decision, the company began to lose direction and was effectively folded by the mid-1930s.

References

  1. ^ a b Scullion, Adrienne (2015). "BBC Radio in Scotland, 1923-1939: devolution, regionalism and centralisation". Northern Scotland. 15. Edinburgh University Press. doi:10.3366/nor.1995.0006.
  2. ^ Larsen, Dawn (2009). "Andrew P. Wilson and the Early Irish and Scottish National Theatres, 1911–1950 (review)". Project Muse. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  3. ^ McManus, Angela (9 October 2014). "We're still in a Time O'Strife". Evening Times. Retrieved 22 August 2017.


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