Robbie Gordon is a theatre-maker and creative engagement specialist based in Scotland.
WHO I AM:
Robbie Gordon is a Scottish theatre-maker, writer and creative engagement specialist based in Glasgow. He is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Wonder Fools, a socially engaged theatre company creating bold new work with communities across Scotland and beyond. Robbie’s practice focuses on making theatre that is accessible, political, and rooted in real-life stories — from international participatory projects to critically acclaimed stage plays.
Recent work includes Same Team, Òran, 549: Scots of the Spanish Civil War, and The Kelton Hill Fair. He was formerly the Creative Engagement Director at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh and The Gaiety in Ayr. He also co-leads Positive Stories for Negative Times, which has reached over 11,000 young people in 24 countries.
CREDITS:
Robbie is the co-creator of Positive Stories for Negative Times, an international participatory project by Wonder Fools in association with the Traverse Theatre, which has engaged over 8500 young people in 16 different countries and commissioned 16 new plays by Tim Crouch, Robert Softely Gayle, Leyla Josephine, Bryony Kimmings, Hannah Lavery, Sabrina Mahfouz, Douglas Maxwell, The PappyShow with Lewis Hetherington, Sara Sharaawi, Stef Smith, Debris Stevenson, Chris Thorpe, Bea Webster, Wonder Fools and Traverse Young Writer Ellen Bannerman. The work culminated in four festivals at the Traverse Theatre, Ayr Gaiety, Eden Court and Pert Theatre in association with Youth Theatre Arts Scotland. All three Seasons of the PSFNT have been published by Methuen Bloomsbury.
For Wonder Fools: Writer and Movement Director of 549: Scots of the Spanish Civil War (Wonder Fools in association with the Citizens Theatre); Writer and Movement Director of The Coolidge Effect (Wonder Fools); Writer and Director of McNeill of Tranent: Fastest Man in the World (Wonder Fools): Producer of Meet Jan Black (Ayr Gaiety in association with Wonder Fools); Associate Director of Lampedusa (Citizens Theatre in association with Wonder Fools); Engagement Director And Then Come The Nightjars (Wonder Fools).
Selected creative Engagement work: Project Lead for the Positive Stories for Negative Times Festivals (Wonder Fools, Traverse Theatre, Eden Court, Ayr Gaiety, Perth Theatre in association with Youth Theatre Arts Scotland); Director and Producer of Class Act On Tour (Traverse Theatre); Director of Ayr Gaiety’s Culture Collective projects with Jack Nurse; Co-creator of the New Scottish Companies Programme (Ayr Gaiety); Speaker at the 2022 Edinburgh International Culture Summit at the Scottish Parliament; Producer and Director of Traverse Young Writers 2022 (Traverse Theatre); Creator of Open Your Lugs (Ayr Gaiety); lead artist (Ayrshire) on Danny Boyle’s Pages of the Sea (National Theatre of Scotland and 1418 NOW); Assistant on Jeremy Deller’s we’re here because we’re here (National Theatre of Scotland and 1418 NOW).
Other selected theatre work: Writer of When the Sun Meets The Sky (Traverse Theatre and Capital Theatres); Co-movement Director of The Enemy (National Theatre of Scotland); Movement Director of Eve Nicol’s Svengali (Pleasance Theatre in association with Pitlochry Festival Theatre); Associate Director of Square Go (Francesca Moody Productions); Movement Director of the Lost Elves (Citizens Theatre in association with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland); Assistant Director for Julius Caesar (Company of Wolves); Assistant Director on Graham McLaren's Dream On! (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and BBC Symphony Orchestra) and Research Assistant on Locker Room Talk (Traverse Theatre).