Edinburgh Theatre ArtsEdinburgh Theatre Arts (ETA) has been existence since the late 1940s. The company owed a lot, in the early years, to Charles Johnston who set
the standard as a no-nonsense talented director. Charlie also encouraged the
company to join the National Drama Federation Association (NDFA) and to compete
south of the border in at least one NDFA full length play festival each year. Our far
flung festival sorties have included a range of great old theatres including
The Gaiety, Isle of Man; New Theatre,
After an itinerant existence for some years the company settled for
nearly 20 years in the Coach House Theatre in
The Father, Uncle Vanya, Our Town, A Delicate Balance, Glass Menagerie and a number of productions which recognised their association with one of America’s greatest playwrights, Arthur Miller: Death of a Salesman, A View from the Bridge, The Crucible, All my Sons and The Price.
In the 1990’s the company moved to St Phillips Hall near Powderhall where highlights included Under Milk Wood, and Liz Lochhead’s Dracula, the latter receiving the playwright’s seal of approval.
During this time, Spring shows were staged at Churchill Theatre with a
wide range of productions: The Diary of
Ann Frank, Plaza Suite, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Odd Couple, The Front
Page, Night Must Fall, The Crucible, Sailor Beware and One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest.
Directorial duties were shared between Norman M.P. Morton,
The company has appeared at most
major drama festivals south of the Border, winning a host of acting and directing
awards along the way.
The group was also crowned National Drama Festival Association
full-length British winners four times with, The Father, The Birthday Party, A View from the Bridge and The Crucible.
ETA moved to St Ninian’s in the 1990’s, but to a hall which has since been replaced by housing. Among the logistical problems in those days was the lack of dressing rooms, the cast changing in a tent! This did not affect the output with acclaimed productions of The Scottish Play (and a late night production of excerpts from MacBeth in Scots!) and The Government Inspector.
ETA has been in the new replacement hall in St Ninian’s since 2002 and the company continues to flourish. Following an innovative production of David Copperfield, the company staged a number of award-winning productions: Waiting for Godot, The Ride Down Mount Morgan, The Day They Shot John Lennon, Steel Magnolias, I Have Been Here Before, The Servant of Two Masters and Michael Palin’s The Weekend.
The company has also collaborated with talented singer/songwriter Kim
Edgar who provided musical accompaniment for a number of shows, most notably A Taste of Honey, Men Should Weep and an
original score for The Weekend.
In 2008 and 2009 ETA was proud to be recognised locally in winning the
Evening News Fringe drama award with productions of Blue Remembered Hills and A Tale of Two Cities.
ETA’s theatrical season is sandwiched between Burns suppers’, the
company having performed in Edinburgh Castle, National Portrait Gallery and
Scotch Malt Whisky Society, as well as hosting their own Supper with a meal
made and served by members of the company; and a Christmas show where cast and
audience get the chance to let their hair down!
The first production of 2010 is Tons
of Money a play by Will Evans and Valentine, adapted by Alan Ayckbourn. Iain Kerr makes his directorial debut for ETA with this production which
runs in St Ninian’s Hall from April 12th to 17th 2010.
