Charles Nowosielski (21 July 1953 – 5 May 2020) was a Scottish theatre director and founder of the theatre company Theatre Alba.
Early life Nowosielski was born in Edinburgh to a Polish father (Wlodzimierz, known as Wlodek) and Scottish mother (Grace). He was the youngest of four children. He attended St. Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School and George Heriot's School, where he was captain of the school's 1st 15 rugby team.
He studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, graduating in 1975, and performed in plays in London, Scotland and overseas until the late 1970s. He gained his first experience as a director while working at Dundee Rep, where he was asked to direct a series of short plays, including Joan Ure’s Something in it for Cordelia.Obituary: Charles Nowosielski, visionary director behind Theatre Alba, The Scotsman, 3rd June 2020
Theatre Alba
In 1981, with Richard Cherns, he founded Theatre Alba, with the aim of promoting diversity in Scottish theatre by producing plays in the Scots language and encouraging new Scottish writing. He took the role of Artistic Director while Cherns became the company's Musical Director.The Lass wi' the Muckle Mou theatre programme, Theatre Alba, 1986
The company's first production was Edward Stiven's Tamlane, staged in the open air on the Calton Hill, Edinburgh, in 1981. In 1982 it staged the world premiere of The Shepherd Beguiled by Netta. B. Reid.Theatricalia, The Shepherd BeguiledLittle Red Riding Hood / Saint Joan theatre programme, Theatre Alba, August 2008 The company's production of The Puddok an the Princess by David Purves won a Fringe First Award in August 1985, was staged again at the Traverse Theatre in December, and was taken on national tours by the company in 1986 and 1988.Theatricalia, The Puddok an the PrincessThe Puddok an the Princess tour listings, 1986, The List, issue 15, 2–15 May, p. 7, Puddok Prowess, The List, issue 16, 16–29 May 1986, p. 18, Netherbow Theatre listing, The List, issue 80, 28 October – 10 November 1988, pp. 21 & 23, The company toured Edward Stiven's Tamlane in the Borders during the Borders Festival of Ballads and Legends in the auntumn of 1987.Theatre listings, The List, Issue 50, 18 September - 1 October 1987, p. 24 Stiven's The Cauldron was taken on tour in the spring of 1988.Theatre listings, The List, Issue 63, 1–14 April 1988, p. 19 David Purves' Whuppitie Stourie was taken on a tour of the Central Belt in the autumn of 1989."A Measure of Scots", The List, Issue 105, 29 September - 12 October 1989, p. 45advertisement for the Theatre Alba production of Whuppitie Stourie, The List, Issue 105, 29 September - 12 October 1989, p. 4 Robert McLellan's The Carlin Moth was staged at Theatre Workshop on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 1990 and toured South-West Scotland in the Autumn.review of The Carlin Moth, The List, Issue 128, 17–23 August 1990, p. 18advertisement for the tour of The Carlin Moth, The List, Issue 131, 14–27 September 1990, p. 54
In 1998, the company was invited to mount its Festival Fringe productions in Duddingston Kirk Gardens. Its first production there was a revival of Netta B. Reid's A Shepherd Beguiled, and it continued to use the gardens as an August venue for more than twenty years.The Quest for Excalibur / The Shepherd Beguiled theatre programme, Theatre Alba, August 2016 Among the productions staged by the company during this period were adaptations of Anton Chekov's The Seagull and The Cherry Orchard commissioned from Jo Clifford and a Scots translations of Chekov's The Three Sisters and August Strindberg's The Outlaw commissioned from David Purves. From 2003 until 2018, Nowosielski produced four quinquennial Passion Plays, which were performed on Easter Sundays at locations around Duddingston village.Duddingston Kirk Passion Play, 1st April 2018, Passion Plays website
Brunton Theatre
Nowosielski was appointed Artistic Director at the Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh, in 1986, Richard Cherns joining him as Musical Director. Notable productions under their direction included the Kander & Ebb musical Cabaret, with Alan Cumming in the role of Cliff Bradshaw (1987),review of Cabaret by Sally Kinnes, The List, Issue 51, 2–15 October 1987, p. 20 and Goodrich and Hackett'sThe Diary of Anne Frank (1988),listing for the Brunton Theatre Company's production of The Diary of Anne Frank, The List, Issue 78, 30 September - 13 October 1988, pp. 22 & 23review of The Diary of Anne Frank by Mark Fisher, The List, Issue 79, 14–27 October, p. 24 The Brunton Theatre Company staged two Edinburgh International Festival productions, James Bridie's Holy Isle, opening at the Church Hill Theatre in Edinburgh, with Vivien Heilbron in the role of Margause, Queen of Orkney (1988),preview of the Brunton Theatre Company's production of James Bridie's Holy Isle, The List, Issue 74, 9–25 August 1988, p. 3 and Robert Silver's The Bruce (1991).The Bruce theatre programme, Brunton Theatre Company, Musselburgh, August 1991Brunton Theatre Company programme, 1987/88, Musselburgh
Nowosielski continued to direct Theatre Alba productions at the Assembly Rooms on the Edinburgh Fringe, and took several of them on tour.review of The Lass wi' the Muckle Mou by Helen Davidson, The List, Issue 23, 22 August - 4 September 1986, pp. 9 & 10
Lyric Theatre
Between 1991 and 1993, Nowosielski was Artistic Director at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast. He directed the Lyric Players in productions of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca, with Orla Brady in the title role, in January/February 1992,Theatricalia, Rebecca George Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man in October 1992.Theatricalia, Arms and the Man and Willy Russell's Stags and Hens in October 1993.Theatricalia, Stags and Hens
MPR Theatre Studio Nowosielski returned to Scotland in 1993, establishing the MPR Theatre Studio in Musselburgh, where he lived with his wife, the late Scottish actress Anne Lannan, and daughter Ana for some time before moving to Haddington. MPR provided drama classes for children and later became an arm of Theatre Alba for amateur players.
Productions 1979?: Something in it for Cordelia by Joan Ure 1981: Tamlane, by Edwin Stiven 1981: The Jeweller's Shop by Karol Wojtyla 1981: The Passion, Part One, by Bill Bryden 1981: Swanwhite, by August Strindberg 1982: The Shepherd Beguiled, by Netta B. Reid 1985: The Shepherd Beguiled, by Netta B. Reid 1985: The Puddok an the Princess, by David PurvesDudley Edwards, Owen, "Cradle on the Tree-Top: the Edinburgh Festival and Scottish Theatre", in Stevenson, Randall & Wallace, Gavin (eds) (1996), Scottish Theatre Since the Seventies, Edinburgh University Press, p.42, 1986: The Puddok an the Princess, by David Purves 1986: The Lass wi' the Muckle Mou, by Alexander ReidTheatre listings The List, Issue 27, 17–30 October 1986, p. 22 1986: Oh, What a Lovely War! by Joan Littlewood 1987: The Warld's Wonder, by Alexander Reid 1987: Tamlane, by Edwin StivenAdvertisement for Theatre Alba's production of Tamlane, The List, Issue 47, 7–20 August 1987, pp. 10 & 11 1988: The Cauldron by Edward Stiven 1988: The Puddok an the Princess, by David Purves Holy Isle by James Bridie 1989: Whuppitie Stourie by David PurvesTheatricalia, Whuppitie StourieWhuppitie Stourie tour listings, The List, issue 107, 27 October – 9 November 1989, p. 52, 1990: The Time Gairden, by David Swan 1990: The Carlin Moth, by Robert McLellanadvertisement for The Carlin Moth, The List, Issue 127, 10–16 August 1990, p. 18 1991: The Bruce by Robert Silver 1992: Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier 1992: Arms and the Man, by George Bernard Shaw 1993: Stags and Hens, by Willy Russell 1998: The Shepherd Beguiled, by Netta B. Reid 1998: Wallace's Women by Margaret McSeveney and Elizabeth Roberts 1998: Good Morning Mr. Burns, by Donald Mackenzie 1999: Shakespeare at the Sheraton 1999: The Thrie Sisters, play by Anton Chekhov, translated into Scots by David Purves 1999: Tamlane, by Edwin Stiven 2000: Josef, by Raymond Ross 2001: Thenew, by Margaret McSeveney 2002: The Tragedie o MacBeth, by William Shakespeare, translated into Scots by David Purves 2002: The Faery Queen, by Howard Purdie 2002: The Carlin Moth, by Robert McLellan 2003: The Burning, by Stewart Conn 2003: The Enchauntit Gairden, by Charles Mackenzie 2004: The Magic Quest, by Clunie Mackenzie 2004: A Midsummer Night's Dream, by William Shakespeare 2008: Little Red Riding Hood, by Eugene Schwartz 2008: Saint Joan, by George Bernard Shaw 2009: The Fairy Queen, by Howard Purdie 2009: A Man for All Seasons, by Robert Bolt 2009: The Ootlaw, by August Strindberg, translated into Scots by David PurvesTheatre Alba production programme, 2009 2010: The Seagull, by Anton Chekov, adapted by Jo Clifford 2011: The Cherry Orchard, by Anton Chekov, adapted by Jo Clifford 2012: Dancing at Lughnasa, by Brian Friel 2013: The Diary of Anne Frank, by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett 2013: The Garden o' Delight, by Clunie Mackenzie 2016: The Quest for Excalibur, by Clunie Mackenzie 2016: The Shepherd Beguiled, by Netta B. Reid
References
Further reading Purves, Graeme, 'Charles Nowosielski at the Brunton Theatre', in Small, Mike (ed.), Bella Caledonia, 7 January 2026