Theatre Alba

Since it's outset in the early 1980's, Theatre Alba has had a close connection with youth including them in many of their major successes. So much influence had they, that in 1994, the year when the company expanded it's enterprise under the self titled MPR, it ran classes for young people in Edinburgh and Musselburgh and indeed, throughout East Lothian to include Longniddry, Haddington, North Berwick and Dunbar.

Young people were to be included in plays such as The Shepherd Beguiled, Tamlane, Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest and many others.

The demand became such that the separate wing established saw the realisation of plays specifically for them, which included; Jungle Book by Stephen Macdonald, The Insect play by the Capek Brothers, a new play written for them, The Peasants by director Charles Nowosielski and for older age-groups the work went into the modern greats of english theatre such as Noel Coward, Somerset Maugham and J. B. Priestley.

Money, always at the root of any problems in an aspiring theatre company, saw a paring down of the work for and with youth and at the present time only the thriving Dunbar Youth remains in existence.

THEATRE ALBA YOUTH DRAMA is a vital and important part of the present and future of Theatre Alba. The key to this work has absolutely nothing to do with a perceived norm of 'Acting Schools'. Rather it is to to do with free expression and confidence building. It should be noted that ...the ones that stay tend to be high achievers!

On the 19th and 20th June 2008 the company of some 40 young people presented BARD IN THE BAR - a series of extracts from the works of that great Englishman, William Shakespeare. The play was interspersed with extracts from various improvised works by the children themselves. The production was mounted under the patronage of the ROSSBOURGH HOTEL, DUNBAR.

Like the rest of Alba enterprises, this important work is completely unfunded. The directors are Anne Lannan and Charles Nowosielski who are assisted when necessary by members of the professional acting and musical fraternity.