The history of the development of Scottish drama is inextricably linked with the state of the theater industry and the literary process of Great Britain in the 18th–19th centuries. As part of the broad tradition of Georgian theatre, Scottish drama has a number of individual characteristics that distinguish it from English drama. This article attempts to determine the place of Scottish drama in British culture in the mid-18th – first half of the 19th centuries, consider its specific features (in particular, the appeal to the Gothic tradition and the category of the supernatural) and outline ways for further research. Using historical and cultural approaches, the author of the article traces the rapid development of Scottish theater during the Georgian era (1714–1830), which became possible due to the joint efforts of poets, novelists and playwrights.
Scottish drama; national drama; Gothic drama; Gothic tradition; category of supernatural; Georgian theater; Walter Scott; Joanna Bailey; national identity.