image from Edinburgh Old and New by James Grant

Acting in Edinburgh, as in most places throughout Britain, is first recorded as mummeries, mystery plays and adventures with a moral tone. The theatre exploded in the mid 18th century as part of the Scottish Enlightenment, with one play, 'Douglas' by the Rev Dr John Home, standing out as having caused the people of Edinburgh to be proud of their drama at last. Allan Ramsay had attempted to open a theatre on Carrubber's Close as early as 1736, but it was not until ? that the playhouse on Playhouse Close opened and crucially remained open. Mrs Henry Siddons, the noted actress was in residence in Edinburgh a great deal during this period, and her presence was a focussing influence for those involved in acting.

The theatre tradition is still strong in the city, which both helped create and is sustained by the Edinburgh Festivals, which take place in the summertime. The festivals are a tremendous boost to creative culture of all kinds, both in Edinburgh and in the wider world. A notable example is the Traverse Theatre, now on Cambridge Street, which was formed at the suggestion and influence of the Footlights Club in 1964. The 'theatre' was then at a pub in West Bow, but has become one of the most innovative and exciting venues for performance, with the stated purpose of encouraging new talent.