Richard Nisbet

Richard Nisbet, the founder of Shakespeare at Traquair, died in May 2024. This page is dedicated to Richard and will include photographs and video of Richard performing in Shakespeare at Traquair. It is also an archive of the information posted about Richard in May and announcing the celebration of Richard’s life at the Eastgate Theatre in August 2024.

Photographs and video of Richard acting in Shakespare at Traquair productions will be made available here soon.

Celebration of the Life of Richard Nisbet

11th August, Eastgate Theatre

As you know we lost Richard Nisbet, the founder and guiding light of Shakespeare at Traquair, in May and his family and friends are organising a celebration of Richard’s life the huge contribution he made to the local and wider community and to many of us personally.

The celebration of Richard’s life will take place at the Eastgate Theatre, Peebles, on Sunday 11th August. Doors will open at 2.00pm, with a planned start at 2.30pm. Food and drinks will be available and the event will end between 4.00pm and 5.00pm.

Richard asked four people to speak and of course we will all be able to share our memories with each other. There will also be photographs and videos (with accompanying music) supplied by family and friends, including his roles in Shakespeare at Traquair.

Announcement (23/5/24)

With deep sadness this message bears unhappy news, our dear friend Richard Nisbet passed away this morning.

Richard was in hospital for several weeks and saw many visitors, he got a lot of loving energy from everyone, then spending the last few days in the loving care of his family.

Richard has touched the lives of so many people with his kindness, his love, his desire to let anyone who wished to perform do so, what a beautiful theatre he created for everyone; Shakespeare at Traquair has always been his baby. He is the pied piper, he is peter pan, he is the blue bird and the light and exuberance shone from him and we follow along in his footsteps.

When Richard talked about Shakespeare at Traquair he would stand up and trace out the course of a river and he would say, life is like a river with its twists and turns, with the water and the pebbles and how each of us were the many pebbles, and that the river would not exist if all these elements were not here together. He appreciated the collaboration, the performers, the production, the audiences, the friends, the surroundings, and everything that came together to make this special enchanting community.

He will always be a part of us and will be truly missed.

Fiona