Ida Schuster


Ida Schuster was a Scottish theatre, radio and television actress, theatre director, and a leading figure in Glasgow's 20th-century Jewish theatre community.

Early life and education

Schuster was born in Glasgow, one of nine children born to Jewish immigrants who moved from Vilnius to Glasgow at the end of the 19th century. She attended Abbotsford Primary School in the Gorbals.

Career

Ida's older sister, Ray, married , who founded the Glasgow Jewish Institute Players, and her brother, Leon Schuster, was production manager for GJIP, and, later, when it merged with other groups, Glasgow Unity Theatre.
Ida began acting at the age of 15, and was a prominent member of both theatre troupes. Glasgow Unity Theatre, was, she said: “...a particular response to a particular time. These were heady days and after the war we really felt utopia had arrived.” She turned professional in the 1950s.
In 1973, she described her feelings about the artist within the community:
Well...the bridge games, the social activities for charities which form so much of the pattern, must be partly rejected if one is to survive with any creative energy. And as one grows older, responsibilities increase and energy decreases. This happens to all of us and youth takes over. Make no mistake, our young folk will be holding the reins with great expertise, well equipped for the battles which lie ahead.
In 2020, Schuster was known as "the world's oldest podcaster", because she hosted Old School, an audio series about her life, introduced by actor Alan Cumming.

Personal life

Ida was married to Dr. Allan Berkeley until his death in 1990, after 45 years of marriage. At the time of his death, she was appearing in The Steamie and had to leave the cast. The couple had two children, Howard and Peter. Schuster died on 9 April 2020, at the age of 101, from COVID-19.

Theatrical productions

Amongst her work as a theatre director was the inaugural production of Eine Kleine Nachmutze at the Tron Theatre.

Selected filmography