A new season of drama will tour throughout Scotland with investment from the Scottish Arts Council.

A total of six theatre companies have been awarded grants to tour new Scottish productions to venues throughout the country offering a wide range of drama, from street theatre to puppetry to projects using multi-media. The tours will take place in the 2006/07 financial year.

The funding from the Scottish Arts Council allows the theatres to reach new audiences in venues as diverse as the Eastgate in Peebles, the Tron in Glasgow and Big in Falkirk, the festival of street arts. The companies also represent a diverse range of drama practices with interactive and multi-media theatre being presented alongside theatre for children and by a disability arts organisation.

David Taylor, Head of Drama commented ‘This was an extremely positive funding round where the majority of applications were of very high quality.

The successful projects clearly demonstrated a commitment to delivering new work and supporting new writing and artistic development.’

The companies which will be touring are:-

• boilerhouse Theatre Company with ‘Drenched’ written by Gary Younge. This is a new one woman show about murder, obsession, sexual jealousy and rain. The production will be directed by Mark Murphy.
• Birds of Paradise an inclusive theatre company with actors who are physically disabled explore themes of conflict and resolution and issues around displaced communities in Reclaimed! by Gerry Loose, directed by Morven Gregor. 
• A new comedy The Seer by Booker Award nominee Ali Smith will be presented by Inverness based Dogstar theatre company and will tour predominantly in the highlands. The play is a contemporary comedy of manners about domestic perfection, free spirits and the new post-devolution Scotland, which will be directed by Matthew Zajac.
• Audiences will be fully involved in the performance of Montague Place by interactive street theatre company Mischief la Bas. Based on themes of voyeurism and alternative reality based around “a day in the life” narratives the audience will be literally surrounded by the set, actors and action. 
• A collaboration between Scottish Children’s Theatre company Catherine Wheels and Velo Theatre, France brings a new production for young children and families. Twig is a new show inspired by the traditional folk tale with puppetry, magic and storytelling.
• How To Steal A Diamond an expose of true diamond heist stories. This will explore the diamond thief’s motivation, the politics of the diamond trade and the fascination of the perfect crime. The production by new company Vox Motus uses innovative projection and multi-media techniques. Vox Motus are a new theatre company who have received development support from the Scottish Arts Council and are involved with the ‘Scottish Arts Council shared resources’ scheme operated by Vanishing Point theatre company.