Catherine Wheels was formed in 1999 by the director Gill Robertson. The first production Martha, has performed in theatres throughout the UK, Ireland and North America, including the New Victory Theatre in New York. In 2008Martha won the award for Best Production at the Shanghai International Children’s Festival, and in 2009 performed at the Singapore International Children’s Festival and the Australian Ten Days on the Island Festival in Tasmania.

Lifeboat (2002), which won the Barclays Stage Award for Best Show for Children and Young People, has performed at the New Victory Theatre, been part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the New Zealand International Arts Festival, as well as being the first production by a Scottish children’s theatre company at the Sydney Opera House.

Hansel & Gretel premiered as an indoor promenade performance at the Bank of Scotland Imaginate Children’s Festival in 2007. The show was developed by the
company from Gill Robertson/NTS’s Home East Lothian, which won Best Show for Children and Young People at the 2006 CATS awards. It was the 2008 Christmas show at the Barbican in London, and in 2009 was redesigned to be part of the Scottish Festival at the New Victory Theatre in New York – and was nominated for a Drama Desk award for Unique Theatrical Experience on Broadway.

White, opened at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2010 as part of the Made in
Scotland programme. The company’s first production for under five year olds, it won
three Fringe Festival awards – a Fringe First, Herald Angel and a Total Theatre Award. The show also triumphed at 2011 Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS), winning Best Production for Children and Young People, Best Design (Set, Costumes and Lighting) and Best Technical Presentation. Picking up three of the ten awards available, it was described as the most successful show of the year.

These successes, along with Kes, Caged, Pobby and Dingan(TMA 2010 award winner for Best Show for Children and Young People), The Book of Beasts, Something Wicked This Way Comes (with National Theatre of Scotland), The Snow Baby, The Lion of Kabul, The Story of the Little Gentleman (nominated for TMA Best Show for Children and Young People), Kappa and The Ballad of Pondlife McGurk,have established Catherine Wheels as a leading producer of theatre for children and young people.