Showing Playing for Scotland: History of the Scottish Stage by Donald Campbell

In the middle of the first night production of Douglas at the Canongate Theatre in Edinburgh in 1750 a member of the audience was so carried away by the excellence of the performance that he could not help cheering on the actors. His enthusiasm was shared by many who had grown tired of settling for second-hand versions of London shows and who hankered after a drama of their own. This book is the lively story of Scotland's drama told through its leading personalities whose ambition through succeeding generations has been to play for Scotland on the theatre stage. The story of these pioneering players is largely one of struggle. Allan Ramsay founded his theatre in the teeth of official and religious opposition - his actors were arrested and jailed. The first major Scottish actor Henry Erskine Johnston, died in poverty. Yet as the tradition of Scottish drama has developed there have been many triumphs and times of prosperity.