Sign board of former Traverse Theatre

McGarry, Paul, 1992, Photograph

Category

Library Item

Item no

2521

Title

Sign board of former Traverse Theatre, James' Court, Lawnmarket, Edinburgh

Artist / maker

McGarry, Paul

Date

1992

Size

25 x 20.1 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

The first Traverse Theatre was situated in a rather dilapidated building owned by Tom Mitchell at 15 James Court, off Edinburgh's Lawnmarket. Reputedly a former brothel and lodging house, it went by the nickname of 'Kelly's Paradise'.
On the first floor an oblong room only 15 feet wide and 8 feet high was converted into a 60 seat theatre, the seats themselves coming from the disused Palace Cinema further down the High Street. Terry Lane suggested two banks of seats on either side of a central stage, an arrangement he erroneously thought was called 'traverse'. The actual term is transverse, but from such a misconception the name Traverse Theatre was born.
The basement of the building was used for dressing rooms, a scene dock and wardrobe accommodation, the second floor housed the box office and a coffee bar, and the third had a restaurant and bar. The Traverse occupied this building from 1963 to 1969 when it moved into its second location in the Grassmarket.

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Related subjects

Places > Edinburgh areas > Old Town

Places > Edinburgh areas > Royal Mile

Places > Edinburgh Landmarks > Traverse Theatre

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Sport and leisure > Culture > Theatres

Transport > Infrastructure > Alleys

Transport > Infrastructure > Drainpipes

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