Hansard

Our big five—Scotland’s five national performing companies—with their singing, dancing, music and storytelling to gladden the heart, are things of which we ought to be incredibly proud. As with most good things, there have been ordinary folk with determination and commitment behind each of those organisations since their inception.

The Scottish Orchestra, which was founded in 1891, became the Scottish National Orchestra in 1950. The youngest-ever musical director of Sadler’s Wells theatre, one Alexander Gibson from Motherwell, returned to Glasgow in 1959 to become the first Scottish principal conductor and artistic director of the orchestra—a post that he held for a remarkable 25 years. During that time, in 1962, he founded Scottish Opera, which launched with a performance of Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly” in the King’s theatre in Glasgow, to great acclaim.

In 1969, Peter Darrell and Elizabeth West established Scottish Theatre Ballet in Glasgow, out of which grew Scottish Ballet and some fine performances—the most recent of which is “A Streetcar Named Desire”. I had not noticed that it was on but, thanks to Clare Adamson and the fact that we had a free night, I went to see it. If members have not seen it, their lives are missing something.

In 1974, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra was founded and led by John Tunnell. In 1975, the old Theatre Royal was bought and transformed into the home of Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet. I mention all that because it is fairly recent, relative to Scotland’s history. It all happened in the past 60 years, and the companies are growing still.

For almost a century, the debate about whether we needed a national theatre rumbled on in Scotland. Then, the National Theatre—the other National Theatre—opened on the South Bank in London and the debate went quiet. We might have looked south, but that theatre in London did not feel to us as if it was our national theatre and it rarely looked north or toured in Scotland. In 1995, the National Theatre of Scotland—the theatre without walls—was born. There was a huge debate in Scotland about it at the time, but the right decision was taken because it has brought theatre to people throughout Scotland who otherwise would not have been reached. With great originality, Vicky Featherstone, the director, launched the new National Theatre with several theatrical pieces called “Home”. None of those used conventional theatre spaces, but used places such as the old glass factory in Wick, a shed in an industrial estate in Evanton, an empty shop in Stornoway, a high-rise flat in Aberdeen and Edinburgh airport. There must have been one in Glasgow, but I cannot remember where it was.

The National Theatre of Scotland is holding a “mirror up to nature”, as Shakespeare said, and doing what theatre should do, which is to allow us to look at ourselves. Malcolm Chisholm referred to that. One of the National Theatre’s productions is “Calum’s Road”, the stage version of the true story of Calum MacLeod of Raasay, an island off Skye. He got so tired of waiting for the council to build a road that he built it himself—literally. He built one and three quarter miles of road: eat your heart out, transport minister. The National Theatre’s production of “Black Watch”—the telling of the history of that Scottish regiment—has been hugely popular and has toured the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.

The National Theatre of Scotland is about to open a production called “Enquirer”. I understand that it is about the media—or, perhaps, just the newspaper industry—in Scotland. I cannot think for a minute what it will be about. It is also establishing a presence across all Scotland and produces work for all ages. It is truly national, as are the other companies; as has been said, the RSNO was recently in Shetland for the first time in a long time. The National Theatre of Scotland is working on a huge community project in Shetland in collaboration with Shetland Arts.

The SCO covers Scotland every year. It plays village halls as well as city halls and it sometimes even plays in sports halls. Scottish Ballet, too, takes smaller groups of dancers to such venues in addition to performing in Scotland’s main auditoria. All the companies perform to all ages. For example, reference has been made to Scottish Opera’s “BabyO” and “SensoryO” projects.

I, too, remember having an extraordinarily good time at a show that was performed by a company called Scottish Opera Go Round which, if I remember correctly, was a small sub-company of Scottish Opera. It was hugely ambitious, although it had a very small cast with young singers and a single pianist. Through innovative stage design and so on it fitted into the most extraordinarily small venues. The audience was always amazed by the pianist, who would sometimes play through a two and a half hour or three hour opera.

Collectively, the companies are huge employers of some of our most creative and talented people, be they actors, designers, technicians, singers, dancers or musicians. I hope that the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland satisfies the people whom the companies inspire to follow such careers by enabling them to develop their talents and skills.

Our national performing companies are entertainers, educators, employers and ambassadors. We should be proud of them all, take a keen interest in them, let them be part of our lives and ensure that they continue to be at the core of cultural Scotland, both at home and abroad.

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