This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, which had its beginnings in a paperback bookshop, and its first proper premises in a cramped one-time brothel. The Traverse has consistently walked the tightrope between its own ambitions and the cultural constraints of the City of Edinburgh – outside the annual explosion of activity during the festival. In the following article, Vera Lusting combines a view of this cultural context with an historical survey of the theatre's work, a glimpse of some of its more significant productions, and an assessment of the often divergent styles of its succession of artistic directors. She illustrates her survey from interviews conducted with many of the leading figures who have contributed to the Traverse's history.