24:. The Unity theatre movement developed from workers' drama groups in the 1930s, seeing itself as using theatre to highlight the issues of the working class being produced by and for working-class audiences. Its demands were "for new Scots plays by new Scottish writers to be performed by native actors." The movement had strong links with the
69:
It brought the
Glasgow working-class vividly to the centre of the stage, and intervened directly into the contemporary problem of homelessness (squatters' leader, P.C.B. McIntyre was allowed on stage prior to the rise of the curtain to address an audience which contained both the Glasgow Lord Provost
60:
in London in 1948, where circles and stalls alike cost 15/6d (15 shillings and sixpence), which contrasted sharply with Unity's own prices in
Glasgow which did not rise 4/6d (4 shillings and sixpence) and began at 1/- (one shilling). The Gorbals Story was not only successful financially but it was
35:
The theatre in
Glasgow was formed as an amalgamation of the Workers' Theatre Group, the Clarion Players, the Transport Players and the Glasgow Jewish Institute players. In its early policy, the company operated in two sections: an outside show group performed revues, masques and sketches to
55:
achieved unparalleled critical and popular success. It was performed over six hundred times in towns and villages in
Scotland and England. It was seen by over one hundred thousand people in the first six months alone. The high point of its success came with its appearance at the
36:
audiences such as those of troops, hospitals and trades unions, while another group concentrated on the full-length play, this wing largely predominating in Unity's subsequent development. The company toured in a converted truck, performing in halls and theatres.
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1609:
85:, which would become the world's largest arts festival. They were one of eight companies who performed, uninvited, in Edinburgh in August 1947, alongside the newly established
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Given the company's political leanings, it is likely their presence in
Edinburgh had a political or protest motivation. It is suggested they viewed the official festival as
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at the Queen's
Theatre, Gallowgate. At the time, the play's producer, Robert Mitchell, described Unity's struggle for a new Scottish drama:
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Despite these successes, the company folded in 1951 with financial problems arising from an attempt to turn fully professional.
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Little
Theatre. The following year, they performed another MacLellan play - The Flooers o' Edinburgh - this time in
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What we try to create is something which is essentially reflecting the lives of the ordinary people of
Scotland.
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and removed from the mass public, something they aimed to rectify through their performances.
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and other civic and literary dignitaries in the stalls, and fellow squatters in the circle).
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Although only an amateur production, it was later made into a film and released by
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also a highly important play, which strongly influenced the development of
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89:. These unofficial performances are now commonly accepted as the
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Among the shows the company performed in their first year were
39:
In the Summer of 1946, the company presented Robert McLeish's
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and The Laird O’ Torwatletie by Robert MacLellan, both at
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Scottish People's
Theatre: Plays by Glasgow Unity Writers
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The company was also instrumental in the creation of the
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Hill, John (February 1978). "Glasgow Unity
Theatre".
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318:(Association for Scottish Literary Studies, 2007)
20:was a theatre group that was formed in 1941, in
1605:Theatre companies at Edinburgh Festival Fringe
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1610:Working-class culture in the United Kingdom
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237:(A Political Scottish Culture?): 27–31.
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112:, as a way of reaching more people.
1595:1951 disestablishments in Scotland
365:Robert Mitchell (Unity producer),
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437:Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society
87:Edinburgh International Festival
26:Communist Party of Great Britain
1590:1941 establishments in Scotland
91:first Edinburgh Festival Fringe
606:Assembly George Square Gardens
1:
781:St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral
51:During the next three years,
691:Scottish Storytelling Centre
979:Funniest Joke of the Fringe
1626:
969:So You Think You're Funny?
881:Edinburgh People's Theatre
791:Southside Community Centre
611:St Columba's-by-the-Castle
367:Edinburgh Evening Dispatch
339:Moffatt, Alistair (1978).
933:Jerry Springer: The Opera
786:St Michael and All Saints
631:Mayfield Salisbury Church
432:Edinburgh Festival Fringe
418:Edinburgh Festival Fringe
83:Edinburgh Festival Fringe
270:The Gorbals Story (1950)
171:The Laird O’ Torwatletie
165:The Flooers o' Edinburgh
964:Edinburgh Comedy Awards
1137:Christopher Richardson
1112:William Burdett-Coutts
801:The Famous Spiegeltent
651:Royal Over-Seas League
279:) accessed 5 July 2009
259:) accessed 5 July 2009
110:Princes Street Gardens
72:
49:
1580:Communism in Scotland
974:Malcolm Hardee Awards
886:Glasgow Unity Theatre
626:George Square Theatre
616:The Stand Comedy Club
257:University of Glasgow
252:Glasgow Unity Theatre
67:
45:
18:Glasgow Unity Theatre
996:British Comedy Guide
726:Quaker Meeting House
375:, 27 September 1947.
341:The Edinburgh Fringe
231:New Edinburgh Review
1585:Theatre in Scotland
751:Edinburgh Playhouse
731:Hill Street Theatre
1600:Culture in Glasgow
849:Meadowbank Stadium
721:Bruntsfield Church
349:Johnston and Bacon
276:The New York Times
153:Ena Lamont Stewart
76:New World Pictures
1567:
1566:
1090:Prominent figures
899:
898:
874:Theatre Companies
862:
861:
854:Palladium Theatre
839:Dunfermline Abbey
816:St Bride's Centre
696:St Cecilia's Hall
676:John Hope Gateway
646:Sweet Grassmarket
575:
574:
324:978-0-948877-79-7
191:Gold in his Boots
185:The Gorbals Story
179:All in Good Faith
169:Robert MacLellan
163:Robert MacLellan
139:(in January 1941)
53:The Gorbals Story
41:The Gorbals Story
1617:
1097:Anthony Alderson
871:
641:Traverse Theatre
621:New Town Theatre
584:
543:Heroes of Fringe
503:Greenside Venues
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362:
326:
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197:The Lambs of God
147:The Lower Depths
98:The Lower Depths
63:Scottish theatre
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891:Pilgrim Players
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844:Gateway Theatre
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681:John Knox House
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383:, 2 April 1948.
380:Evening Citizen
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195:Benedick Scott
183:Robert McLeish
157:Men Should Weep
128:
58:Garrick Theatre
32:Theatre Guild.
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1192:Fringe by year
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1080:The Wee Review
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919:The Elvis Dead
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796:Symposium Hall
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756:Canongate Kirk
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748:
746:Surgeons' Hall
743:
741:Bedlam Theatre
738:
736:Symposium Hall
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728:
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666:Pleasance Dome
663:
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656:Assembly Rooms
653:
648:
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628:
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601:Fringe Central
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567:Laughing Horse
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518:Paradise Green
515:
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508:Just the Tonic
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472:Gilded Balloon
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369:, 5 July 1946.
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176:Roddy McMillan
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160:(in June 1948)
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136:Awake and Sing
132:Clifford Odets
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30:Left Book Club
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1168:George Square
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1117:Kate Copstick
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1107:Steve Bennett
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1024:Fringe Review
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1003:Broadway Baby
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821:Assembly Roxy
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716:Assembly Hall
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706:The Pleasance
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513:Monkey Barrel
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358:0 7179 4245 7
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1147:Charlie Wood
1078:
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1052:The Scotsman
1050:
1043:
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1031:The Guardian
1029:
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1015:
1008:
1001:
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988:Publications
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830:
776:Rose Theatre
771:Queen's Hall
766:Voodoo Rooms
587:
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533:Sweet Venues
491:
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425:Key articles
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333:Bibliography
315:
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304:Moffatt 1978
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292:Moffatt 1978
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15:
1132:Karen Koren
1127:Robert Kemp
912:Black Watch
811:Wee Red Bar
761:Cafe Camino
701:Cowgatehead
686:King's Hall
596:Fringe Shop
562:Free Fringe
143:Maxim Gorky
126:Productions
102:Maxim Gorky
1574:Categories
1183:Royal Mile
1152:Bob Slayer
1102:Ed Bartlam
1073:ThreeWeeks
1059:The Skinny
1038:The Herald
867:Performers
711:Adam House
671:Summerhall
661:Dance Base
538:Zoo Venues
528:theSpaceUK
523:PQA Venues
492:Other Paid
482:Underbelly
203:References
1161:Locations
1066:The Stage
806:The Caves
477:Pleasance
451:Promoters
442:Edinburgh
117:bourgeois
78:in 1950.
1178:Old Town
1173:New Town
1045:The List
831:Previous
499:C venues
467:Assembly
459:Big Four
28:and the
1010:Chortle
940:Nanette
926:Fleabag
588:Current
373:Forward
22:Glasgow
957:Awards
636:Teviot
580:Venues
545:(PWYW)
355:
345:London
322:
947:Stomp
904:Shows
1559:2019
1554:2018
1549:2017
1544:2016
1539:2015
1534:2014
1529:2013
1524:2012
1519:2011
1514:2010
1509:2009
1504:2008
1499:2007
1494:2006
1489:2005
1484:2004
1479:2003
1474:2002
1469:2001
1464:2000
1459:1999
1454:1998
1449:1997
1444:1996
1439:1995
1434:1994
1429:1993
1424:1992
1419:1991
1414:1990
1409:1989
1404:1988
1399:1987
1394:1986
1389:1985
1384:1984
1379:1983
1374:1982
1369:1981
1364:1980
1359:1979
1354:1978
1349:1977
1344:1976
1339:1975
1334:1974
1329:1973
1324:1972
1319:1971
1314:1970
1309:1969
1304:1968
1299:1967
1294:1966
1289:1965
1284:1964
1279:1963
1274:1962
1269:1961
1264:1960
1259:1959
1254:1958
1249:1957
1244:1956
1239:1955
1234:1954
1229:1953
1224:1952
1219:1951
1214:1950
1209:1949
1204:1948
1199:1947
1017:Fest
554:Free
353:ISBN
320:ISBN
16:The
100:by
1576::
351:.
347::
343:.
284:^
243:^
235:40
233:.
211:^
65:.
410:e
403:t
396:v
361:.
273:(
255:(
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