Maria Macdonald is technician for the Netherbow Theatre and has seen hundreds of fantastic shows, performed by storytellers and other artists from around the world, take to its stage. Here she looks back on the venue’s very first major theatre production, Theatre Objektiv‘s The Old Quarter, which took place in June 2006.

Despite many memories, I keep coming back to The Old Quarter, which, since it was 10 years ago, must surely have been the first theatre piece performed in the new centre. Directed by Donald Smith, then director of the Centre, it involved several people who had been involved with the Centre for a long time, and continue to be so – Raymond Raszkowski Ross as writer, John Sampson for music and Corinne Harris on stage. It also starred Matthew Zajak and Kirsten Smith, Donald’s daughter. At the time, I knew both John and Corinne slightly, but have been involved in practically every show either has been in ever since.

The play was based on stories of old Prague, but translated beautifully to Edinburgh, and seemed to me to be particularly apposite for a theatre based right in the heart of the Old Town. Unfortunately, I don’t think the play ever went anywhere else, though certainly one or two of us at least are constantly “suggesting” to those in a position to do so that it is due a revival.

Do you have a memory of the Scottish Storytelling Centre you’d like to share? Email sophie@scottishstorytellingcentre.com, or leave us a comment on our Facebook page.