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From Rowan Tree Theatre Company History 1987 A show booked for the first Borders Festival of Ballads and Legends drops out at the last minute, and in its place, The Rowan Tree is hurriedly put together, inspired by the popular song and by the painting by Robert Herdman. It utilises the performing talents of John Nichol, Carol Wightman, and Ian Hardie, and the production skills of Judy Steel and Janice Parker. Two local children, Christian Mackenzie and Morag Hamilton, also take part. In all The Rowan Tree gives about a dozen performances including a couple at the Glasgow Garden Festival and the opening festival at Samye Ling Tibetan Monastery. 1989 Willie Wastle's Account of his Wife, a story in Wilson's Tales of the Borders, an extract from which was used was used in The Rowan Tree, is developed by Judy Steel into a play for a solo actor, John Nichol, and two musicians, Hilary Bell and Lucy Cowan. The name, Rowan Tree Company, is adopted and the company makes its first visit to the Edinburgh Fringe at The Pleasance, before touring the Borders - including a performance at the Crook Inn, where Burns' song about its hero was composed. Willie Wastle has been revived many times over the years, most recently in 2004. 1991 The company's production Moorland Tales comprises early stories by John Buchan, and the actress Maureen Lawrie joins the performers from the previous production. Moorland Tales premiers in Buchan's beloved childhood village of Broughton. Two of the stories, Politics and the Mayfly and The Herd of Standlan, were used again in Rowan Tree's production Fishtales (1997), and the latter forms a part of the company's 21st Birthday Double Bill. 1993 The company is approached by the American writer and academic, Kenneth Johnston, with an adaptation of a novella by James Hogg, The Love Adventures of Mr. George Cochrane. It is developed during the spring of that year and premiered at Bowhill. In the autumn, it enjoys a hugely successful tour during the Borders Festival, with John Nichol in the title role. The play receives a fresh production by Rowan Tree in 2004, when Sean Kane plays Geordie and the play is directed by Carter Ferguson. 1995 John Nichol writes and performs in The Travels of Mungo Park, written to coincide with 200th anniversary of the explorer's departure for West Africa. The music is by Hilary Bell and Amu Logoste. For the first time, the company is able to afford professionally designed costumes, by Cath Young of N. T. C., and the production is once again directed by Judy Steel. The Travels of Mungo Park goes to the Netherbow Theatre during the Edinburgh Fringe, and to the Peebles Arts Festival, as well as touring in the Borders and to Glasgow. 1996 For the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Culloden, Rowan Tree's production of Tales of Whigs and Jacobites is a double bill of two new plays adapted by Judy Steel from short stories, which looked at the Jacobite rebellion as it affected the Borders. The production tours in spring and autumn, in the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, and Edinburgh. In December and January, Rowan Tree's one and only Christmas production, The Puddock an the Princess, by David Purves, plays at Bowhill and the Wynd theatres. Until 2008, it remains the only existing script produced by Rowan Tree. 1997 Rowan Tree's 10th anniversary year sees it respond to an invitation from Theatre for Africa to perform at South Africa's National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. The company revives The Travels of Mungo Park and a new show. Fishtales, is created, using some of the material from Moorland Tales. At the Edinburgh Fringe, Fishtales earns a five star review. Its later tours include Mull and Pitlochry. In October, Rowan Tree flies to Ontario, where Fishtales is performed in two Universities, Judy Steel lectures to staff and students, and John Nichol, Lucy Cowan and Hilary Bell give musical entertainments. 1999 John Nichol creates War and Glaur, a Scottish odyessy of the First World War including the writings of John Buchan, R.S. Service and Will Ogilvie. He performs it with Hilary Bell and Alison Kaye. After a run at the Edinburgh Fringe the show makes an extensive tour of the Borders including Rowan Tree's first appearance at the Eskdale and Langholm Music and Arts Festival. War and Glaur was revived by Rowan Tree several times around Remembrance Day, and continues this tradition with IDEOMS Theatre Company. 2001 Judy Steel directs her adaptation of Walter Scott's story Wandering Willie's Tale. John Nichol is the sole actor; music is by Ian Fraser and Colin Turnbull. The play tours throughout the Borders over a couple of years and has a successful Fringe run at the Netherbow where it receives four stars from The Scotsman. In December of both years it is a part of Scott's Selkirk. Over a few years at this time, Rowan Tree also gives highly unusual Burns Nights at Bowhill, when Alan Caig co-directs as well as performs, and a show Vintage Sir Walter, based on excerpts from Scott's Waverly novels. 2002 Following the previous year's foot-and-mouth outbreak, Rowan Tree's first contemporary play, The Four Horsemen, is performed. It remains the only play written in Scotland to deal with the issue. The Four Horsemen is written and directed by Judy Steel and marks her swansong as a director. The company is John Nichol, Fiona Steele, and Douglas Russell; the set is designed by Dave Toneri. After this, there will be a change in Rowan Tree's direction and image. 2003 Around this time Rowan Tree faces a crisis and the possibility of its ceasing production is an option. However, a decision is made by friends of the company to set it up on a formal basis as a charitable company limited by guarantee and with its own board of directors. For legal reasons, its name changes slightly to Rowan Tree Theatre Company. A policy of inviting, or responding to, guest directors is adopted, and a commitment to new productions is made. Shortly after this, sadly, John Nichol and Hilary Bell decide to cease their long association with Rowan Tree. John Carnegie is invited to direct a stage version of James Hogg's Confessions of a Justified Sinner and writes his own script. The actors are Matthew Burgess and Alan Steele, and after premiering at Bowhill, the play goes to the Edinburgh Fringe where Alan Steele is nominated for The Stage award for best actor in the Fringe. 2004 In early 2004, Confessions tours the Borders - including schools performances - and is the first play at the Eastgate Theatre, Peebles, along with a new production of The Love Adventures of Mr. George Cochrane. Willie Wastle is also revived. 2006 John Carnegie approaches Rowan Tree and suggests directing Hermiston, his own adaptation of R.L.Stevenson's novel. After a month-long development in 2005, Hermiston opens the newly refurbished theatre at Bowhill in July 2006 before a month's successful run at the Fringe and a three week tour of the Borders. The set is designed by Scott Anderson and the costumes by Hilary Macdonald. The actors are Michael Mackenzie, Isabella Jarrett and Grant O'Rourke. 2007 The Journey of Jeannie Deans, Judy Steel's treatment of Walter Scott's classic The Heart of Midlothian, undergoes the same development process at Bowhill Theatre with director/designer Catriona Taylor. It is the first production in the new Tower Mill Theatre in Hawick. At the Fringe, it is a "hot show of the day" and four star reviews. The performers are Sean Kane, Zoe Hunter, Nicola Jo Cully and Hannah Read. As well as undertaking an extensive tour of the Borders, Rowan Tree is invited to perform the play in the chamber of the Scottish Parliament during the Festival of Politics. 2008 Rowan Tree's 21st Birthday year begins with the return of Isabella Jarrett to perform Barry, a solo play by Frederic Mohr. It is designed by Gregory Smith. © Copyright 2004 by Rowan Tree Theatre Company |
