Join us next Wednesday (29th April) for a special evening of film, discussion and live performance at NEA, as part of the 2026 Folk Film Gathering!
For more info and to book your FREE ticket, visit:
FRIDAY 15th MAY at 7pm
Join us for an inspiring evening of music, dance, and culture at Performing for Peace — a special charity concert bringing people together in support of for two very worthwhile causes.
This is more than a concert.
Every ticket you purchase is a direct contribution to real people, real families, and real lives.
Event Details
Inverleith St Serf’s Church, Ferry Road, Edinburgh
15 May 2026
Doors open: 7:00 PM | Concert starts: 7:30 PM
Tickets: £15
What to Expect
• Live music performances
• Dance showcases
• Cultural programme
• A warm and welcoming atmosphere
• A chance to be part of something that matters
Where Your Support Goes
All proceeds from the event will support:
• Children of Heroes (Ukraine) — helping children who have lost one or both parents due to the war. Your support provides care, stability, and future opportunities.
• Edinburgh Direct Aid — delivering humanitarian aid directly to communities affected by crisis, ensuring help reaches those who need it most.
Why It Matters
One evening can make a real difference.
One ticket can support a child.
One room full of people can create impact.
Organised by Rotary Club of Leith
105 new shows across comedy, theatre, musicals, cabaret, variety and children’s shows go on sale today from Gilded Balloon, marking its biggest on sale to date, with more programme announcements still to come.
On sale from 12pm, Monday 30th March
These newly announced shows form part of a wide-ranging 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme, bringing together leading names, rising stars and international artists. From big nights out to thoughtful theatre and side-splittingly clever comedy, August at Gilded Balloon offers something for all ages and tastes.
Karen and Katy Koren, Artistic Directors of Gilded Balloon, said: “We’re delighted to be putting a further 105 brilliant shows on sale as part of this year’s Fringe programme, with even more still to be announced.
“This line-up brings together some of the most exciting talent working today alongside the next generation of performers, and truly reflects the breadth and energy of the Fringe.”
The programme brings together established names including Gregor Fisher, Phil Nichol (returning with two shows), The Guilty Feminist and Rich Hall, alongside a strong wave of new voices making their Fringe debuts. Rising talent includes includes Madeleine Brettingham, Adi Parmar, Fab Goualin, Hannah Byczkowski and Shane Daniel Byrne, while Gilded Balloon continues its commitment to Scottish artists with debut shows from Eva Peroni and Alan Jay, and returning favourites Kim Blythe and Kathleen Hughes. The programme also features new Scottish music and theatre, including Crocodile Rock and a range of bold new productions across the theatre programme.
Gilded Balloon’s legendary shows return for 2026. Late’n’Live is back as the original late-night show, featuring stellar line-ups of your favourite acts from across the festival, hosted by some of the best MCs in the country every night.
Described as “The best late-night show on the Fringe” (Scotsman) and “A Fringe institution for a reason” (TheRecs.co.uk), previous acts have included Johnny Vegas, Bill Bailey, Rich Hall, Jason Byrne, Mawaan Rizwan, John Bishop, Larry Dean, Maisie Adam, Reuben Kaye, Jordan Grey and Viggo Venn. Late’n’Live remains an essential addition to any Fringe bucket list.
Best Of So You Think You’re Funny? returns with an unmissable line-up of fresh talent, including finalists Reb Day, Joel Walker and Rachel Porter, offering audiences the chance to see the best emerging comedians before they become household names.
So You Think You’re Funny? Heats continue the search for comedy’s next big star, as contestants compete for a place in the final of the UK’s biggest newcomer competition. Previous winners include Peter Kay, Aisling Bea, Sara Pascoe and Lee Mack.
Comedy highlights includeGregor Fisher: An (Early) Evening With Gregor Fisher, where the Scottish stage and screen legend shares stories from his life and career; Madeleine Brettingham: Legend, the debut show from the So You Think You’re Funny? 2025 winner exploring myth, identity and growing up in a world of booze-soaked bad behaviour; and Rich Hall: Chin Music, a typically sharp, improvisational hour from the acclaimed comedian.
The Guilty Feminist, hosted by Deborah Frances-White, brings its Road to Gilead Project to the Fringe, alongside rising Scots comedy star Kim Blythe: Puzzle, following a sold-out 2025 run, and Smack The Pony’s Fiona Allen: White Lies, a sharply observed new show about social anxiety and human interaction.
Further highlights include Kathleen Hughes: Twig, exploring family and legacy; Reuben Solo: Someone in This Crowd Will Betray Me [Revenge Edition], a chaotic, high-concept return; and two shows from Phil Nichol, with a brand-new work Aren’t We Lucky and the 20th anniversary of his Edinburgh Comedy Award-winning The Naked Racist.
New additions to the programme include Comedy Night at the Museum, a Gilded Balloon production bringing together top international comedians for a wholly improvised late-night show inspired by real artefacts from the National Museum of Scotland; Shane Daniel Byrne: Baby It’s Time, showcasing one of Ireland’s fastest-rising comedic voices; and Christian Dart: GUMSHOE!, a multi award-nominated, sell-out hit blending noir parody with high-energy character comedy.
Rising voices and distinctive perspectives continue across the programme with Adi Parmar: Sunny Boy, Alan Jay: Hell Hath No Humour Like a Gayboy Scorned, Eva Peroni: Jungledand Fab Goualin: Mixed Messages, alongside Hannah Byczkowski: Killer, a darkly comic debut from the winner of The Traitors, and Aoife Dunne: Good Grief,returning after a sell-out run. Emmy and Golden Globe-winning comedian Guy Branum brings Be Fruitful, a bold, thought-provoking hour blending humour with social commentary.
Theatre highlights include SLAY, a darkly funny and unflinching exploration of trauma, therapy and modern coping mechanisms, andSilent Disco, an inventive, headphone-led experience blending psychology and music.
Further standout work includes HESS, Michael Burrell’s powerful and timely revival exploring the psychology of extremism and its lasting impact, and Broke & Fabulous in the 21st Century,a riotous, raunchy dramedy celebrating friendship, ambition and modern love.
Other theatre shows on sale today include Ostrich, a sharp look at modern dating and identity; Top Gunchained, a high-energy parody from the team behind Yippee Ki Yay; Boy in a Box, a confronting and urgent piece examining race and identity in America; and Waiting For Wonka, a darkly comic reimagining of childhood nostalgia.
Themed shows bring a mix of interactive and late-night entertainment, includingThe Thinking Drinkers’ Great British Pub Ride, an epic, drink-fuelled journey from Land’s End to John O’Groats; Dreamgun Film Reads, where comedians perform unrehearsed parody versions of classic films; and Not Another Quiz Night, a high-energy, chaotic late-night favourite.
Cabaret and variety sees Fake, a critically acclaimed blend of magic, storytelling and illusion from Chris Cook that explores truth, deception and identity; EIGHT: The One (Wo)Man Drag King Musical Parody, a high-energy, genre-bending musical comedy reimagining Henry VIII through drag, parody and pop and Fungasm: Save or Smash offers up bold, interactive performance.
Music and musicals range from nostalgic fun to powerful storytelling, including Crocodile Rock, a touching coming-of-age musical set on Cumbrae; Primary School Bangers, a high-energy singalong experience; Unheard Voices, Unbroken Spirits, a new musical exploring the Scottish care system; and Antigone: A Town Hall Musical, a contemporary retelling of a classic tragedy.
Also featured is Charlene Kaye: Diversity Shredder, introducing audiences to the unhinged, razor-sharp world of Charlene Kaye — guitar god, internet legend and “breakout comedy star” (Rolling Stone), alongside Siobhan Wilson: Flowercore, an immersive performance celebrating Scotland’s wildflowers through music and visual art.
Children’s and family shows include Max Fulham’s Monkey Business, a lively, family-friendly mix of puppetry, sketches and slapstick comedy and Mama G: The Magic Bookmark comes to Teviot. “Everyone’s favourite pantomime dame!” (Metro) and Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist Mama G discovers the magic of books and the power of being yourself in this hilarious award-winning panto adventure for the whole family!
Bring Yer Bairn Comedy is the adult comedy show where you can bring yer bairn! A selection of our favourite comics from the Scottish scene and beyond, performing to parents, carers and bairns under 15 months old! The perfect morning show!
All shows will take place across Gilded Balloon’s four venues this August, including the welcome return to Teviot, alongside Patter House and Gilded Balloon at the Museum, as well as the newly added Gilded Saloon, GB’s year-round pub and live venue.
It’s set to be a very pink summer!
Further programme announcements will follow in the coming months. For full listings visit www.gildedballoon.co.uk or follow @gildedballoon.
Gilded Balloon is one of Scotland’s leading and best-loved entertainment producers, presenting a cross-genre programme annually at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and touring productions across the UK throughout the year.
Book online from 12pm TODAY 30th March at tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk
or call Tel: 0131 622 6552
Mayday
Curated and directed by Cora Bissett and Hannah Lavery
With visuals by Lucas Chi-Peng Kao
A one-night-only response to the times we are living through, presented by a host of leading Scottish artistic talent from the fields of theatre, music, poetry, comedy and dance.
On 1 May at Edinburgh Central Hall at 7pm.
Featuring Comedy:Sanjeev Kohli (Still Game) / Tia Rey; Music: Dala by Heir of the Cursed performed by Djana Gabrielle / Cora Bissett, Kathryn Joseph and Joan Clevillé & Kassichana Okene-Jameson of Scottish Dance Theatre/ Kitti / Loud and Proud Choir / Soapbox / Declan Welsh; Poetry: Shasta Hanif Ali / William Letford / Michael Mullen; Theatre & Dance; An artistic response to Talat Yaqoob’s International Women’s Day Speech (2026) – led by Janice Parker / Apphia Campbell / Reuben Joseph / Hannah Lavery / Uma Nada-Rajah / Sara Shaarawi / Dawn Sievewright performing It’s No a Weans Choice
Live band: Isaac Savage (keyboards/vocals) / Adam Scott (bass) / Djana Gabrielle (guitar/vocals) / Signy Jacobsdottir (drums and percussion) / MJ McCarthy (musical direction)
Two of Scotland’s leading artists and theatre-makers, Hannah Lavery and Cora Bissett, join forces to create an urgent multi‐form evening of theatre, music, poetry, comedy, film, dance and collaborative performance at Central Hall, Edinburgh, on 1 May.
Created as a rapid-response theatre project, in direct response to the turbulent social and political climate, they have curated and gathered together a constellation of Scottish artists for a one-night-only flare of short, urgent performances and interventions.
Through new work, unique collaborations and community voices, Mayday meets the “dark times” we are living through with wit, defiance, tenderness and imagination. This collective response honours the theatrical space as a place where audiences can think together, dream together and begin to imagine the futures we are still reaching for.
Co-curators/co-directors Hannah Lavery and Cora Bissett said: “Given the times we are living in—where division is being fuelled by dangerous and deliberately misinformed rhetoric— we feel deeply and personally connected to this Rapid Response Project.
“We are living through an age of fear: extreme racism and anti-migrant sentiment are being normalised, human rights attacked at every level, climate injustice accelerating, and ordinary people struggling to meet even basic needs.
“We’re thrilled to curate an event that will bring together bold, fierce, insightful and creatively galvanising voices from across Scotland – an urgent celebration of our shared humanity that challenges the rising tide of hate, calls upon solidarity, inspires change and imagines a more compassionate future.”
Highlights include:
Listings information
Friday 1 May 2026, Central Halls, Edinburgh, 7pm (doors from 6.30pm)
2 West Tollcross, Edinburgh, EH3 9BP
Pricing: Pay What You Can
Full info and Box office: https://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/events/mayday
Running time: 2 hours 50 mins approx. with interval
The first recipients of the Scottish Government’s new Expanded Festivals Fund have been announced today, marking a major step in widening support for Scotland’s festivals, and strengthening opportunities for artists and audiences across the country.
Creative Scotland has awarded £1,994,000 of funding to 28 festivals in the first tranche of support for the new Expanded Festivals Fund.
Designed to enable innovation in programming and showcase Scottish and Scotland-based artists and practitioners, it supports festivals in expanding their international and domestic reach and profile and creating opportunities for skills or sector development.
This initial round spans a wide range of artforms and locations, extending activity far beyond Edinburgh and Glasgow to communities from Orkney to the Borders, Argyll to Aberdeen, and Dumfries & Galloway to Highlands, reflecting the breadth and ambition of Scotland’s festival sector and the transformative potential of this new investment.
Supported projects represent significant investment into opportunities for artists and creative professionals which will broaden cultural offerings for audiences, including new and innovative festival programming, international collaborations, touring opportunities and talent development programmes.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “Scotland has a wealth of outstanding festivals across the country which lie at the heart of our culture sector and national life.
“Our festivals’ ambitions and creativity provide focal points for activity and an invaluable platform for artists and performers to showcase their work. They also provide hundreds of millions of pounds to the economy and support a pipeline of jobs and businesses.
“The Expanded Festivals Fund forms part of the Scottish Government’s ongoing commitment to provide an additional £100 million more annually for culture funding by 2028-29. I am heartened to see this fund support incredible projects across Scotland which will increase participation in creative pursuits and ensure festivals can commission and collaborate on new and exciting works.”
Paul Burns, Interim Director of Arts and Engagement at Creative Scotland said: “Scotland’s festivals are a vibrant celebration of our creativity and culture, recognised and enjoyed by local communities and people from around the world.
“The Expanded Festivals Fund is a new opportunity to profile incredible creative work in every corner of the country and support other areas vital to our festivals’ ongoing success.
“The supported projects reflect the full range of our festivals’ work – including sector and talent development, international collaboration, and the development of new projects with specific groups and communities in their areas.”
The list of awards up to £100,000, for programmes of activity taking place between 1 May 2026 and 30 April 2028, can be found on the Creative Scotland website (see below).
In Edinburgh, there’s funding for the HIDDEN DOOR (£57,000) and PUSH THE BOAT OUT (£71,000) festivals.
Recipients of awards of up to £200,000 will be published in May 2026.
THURSDAY 26 FEBRUARY from 7 – 8.30pm
Do you want to hear all of Scotland’s main political parties discuss their plans for culture ahead of May’s elections?
Then join us for a FREE, open-access, livestreamed event next Thursday evening:
https://campaignforthearts.org/events/scottish-arts-hustings-2026/
SCOTLAND’S CULTURE HUSTINGS 2026 will be the only chance to hear all the main political parties set out their values and vision for Scotland’s cultural future at this critical moment.
The event is chaired by Halla Mohieddeen and features:
Captions and BSL interpretation available.
Organised in partnership with Culture Counts, Federation of Scottish Theatre, Scottish Contemporary Art Network, Festivals Edinburgh, Equal Media & Culture Centre and the Campaign for the Arts.
theSpaceUK has announced the first wave of shows on sale for the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, offering an early snapshot of a programme rooted in bold new writing, distinctive solo performance and genre-spanning cabaret and musicals.
Elsa Jean McTaggart marks 15 years of touring with #SHORN, a music-led theatre piece that combines original songs and spoken reflections, performed with long-time collaborator Gary Lister. Triple Lutz Productions’ Dear Michelle Kwan is a darkly comic coming-of-age story set inside a hyper-competitive figure skating rink, where teenage rituals, obsession, and girlhood collide.
Solo storytelling features prominently. In A Cat in a Box, Tom Nemec delivers an autobiographical play exploring love, trauma and recovery within a dysfunctional family, while Raising Cain Productions’ award-winning thriller The Night Ali Died reconstructs a single catastrophic evening through multiple perspectives.
Julie Flower returns following a five-star Fringe run with Grandma’s Shop, a multi-character solo show blending family history, subculture and community, set in a Sheffield second-hand clothes shop in the late 1980s.
Dark ensemble work is represented by Minotaur Theatre Company’s And The Little One Said, a late-90s-set black comedy in which a summer holiday unravels into violence and moral collapse. Political satire arrives in January 6th The Musical, where two aspiring performers attempt to sing and dance their way out of alleged involvement in the US Capitol insurrection.
From Italy, Action Theatre presents Democrazy, a physical-theatre, mask-led examination of populism and dictatorship, dedicated to Alexei Navalny.
The first on-sale announcement also includes cabaret and musical theatre. Canada’s The Cheesecake Burlesque Revue, winners of Best Large Group at the 2024 Burlesque Hall of Fame Awards, celebrate 20 years with a body-positive variety spectacular. Vocal trio The Sundaes return with Diva Las Vegas, a short-run cabaret celebrating iconic divas, while Thank You for the Muesli offers an ABBA-inspired musical comedy with pun-heavy exuberance.
Musical theatre highlights include Music & Murder By…, a darkly comic new musical set at a writers’ retreat that turns fatal, and Spraywatch: A Beautiful Rescue, an unauthorised 90s-inspired seaside musical comedy from Low Fat Productions.
I Made You a Mixtape by Response Theatre Company is a movement-led dance theatre piece set at a 1990s dorm party, using popular music to explore friendship, identity and memory, with each performance shaped live in response to sound.
FESTIVAL DATES: Friday 1 May – Monday 11 May 2026
The festival’s FULL programme including workshops, folk films, and storytelling will be announced on Tuesday 17 March, thanks to support from the National Lottery through Creative Scotland and the William Grant Foundation.
Opening this year’s festival at Potterrow, is multi-award winning, trad music powerhouse RURA (below) performing tunes from their 15-year-long repertoire; and Scottish newcomers Astro Bloc (Eryn Rae, Paul Jennings, Éadaoin Ní Mhaicín, Gillie Ó Flaherty) playing an exhilarating mix of tunes that push boundaries to create a thrilling new sound.
Also headlining is ‘velvet-vocalist’ Kim Carnie; The Furrow Collective, (Lucy Farrell, Rachel Newton, Emily Portman, Alasdair Roberts) playing contemporary versions of folk songs against a Cantastoria of visuals on a moving scroll; RANT (Anna Massie, Lauren MacColl, Bethany Reid, Gillian Frame) playing a mix of all-time favourites and tunes from their brand new album; and the Brian Molley Quartet celebrating the Scottish roots of jazz.
Additionally, acclaimed singer, composer and live-looping artist GANNA Gryniva presents her new album UTOPIA which mixes Ukrainian folk tunes, with Peruvian grooves, jazz-tinged arrangements and electronic soundscapes.
Finally, closing this year’s packed festival is Scottish supergroup Session A9 (Charlie McKerron, Kevin Henderson, Gordon Gunn, Adam Sutherland, Marc Clement, Brian McAlpine, David ‘Chimp’ Robertson) – an unmissable gig by a group reputed to be one of the best live bands in Scotland.
Other must-sees include:
• Séamus and Caoimhe, beautiful blood harmony, dexterous instrumentals and energetic Irish dancing, all from two incredibly talented young people.
• The Complete Recordings of Hezekiah Procter, a vaudeville act from the 1920s looking back on the beginnings of country music, with Montreal based songwriter Li’l Andy taking on the fictional persona of “Hezekiah Procter”, a long-lost legend of old-time music. This piece is accompanied by musicians from Sheesham and Lotus & ‘Son, who combine harmony vocals, fiddles, banjos, and sousaphone.
• This year’s festival commission is A’ Chiad Litir (The First Letter) led by captivating singer songwriter Josie Duncan from the Isle of Lewis.
• The festival Spotlight event which gives a platform to new artists each year. Bands for 2026 include: Curlew, Dauntless and old-time fiddle and banjo duo Jeri Foreman and Ruth Eliza.
Music highlights from this year’s early evening programme which kicks off at 6.30pm each night include:
• Fiddle player Laura Jane Wilkie and folk guitarist Ian Carr
• Master of the melodeon Tim Edey
• The Nexus Project featuring Bede Patterson who explores contemporary and ancient Highland Bagpipes. With creative and experimental contributions from Dean Garrity, Ewan Johnston, and Roan Anderson.
• Multi-award-winning harp and percussion duo Eleanor Dunsdon and Gregor Black.
• Deiseil: Dancing in Time – a powerful exploration of the revival of stepdance told through fiddle, feet, Gaelic song and story. Directed by Gerry Mulgrew, with dancing by Alison Carlyle and music by Amy Geddes. This 5-star show premiered during the Edinburgh Fringe in 2025.
Other early evening trad/folk bands programmed for 2026, that are making waves on the international scene include:
• Old-time stringband The Onlies a collective of Gen Z folkies originally from Seattle.
• String trio Northern Resonance who take Scandinavian music in a new direction with their mix of explosive rhythms and grand chamber-like arrangements. They play viola, Nyckelharpa and Hardanger fiddle.
• Rajasthani folk trio SAZ whose repertoire encompasses centuries-old folk music, passed down the generations.
• Banjo-playing singer-songwriter from Montreal Kaïa Kater. Her music reflects ties to the Canadian folk music scene, her college years spent in West Virginia, and growing up in Grenada.
In addition, we will be celebrating World Play A Strathspey Day on Saturday 2 May with Laura Jane Wilkie, Madeleine Stewart, Sam Mabbett and Angus Lyon; and enjoying an afternoon performance of Isla Ratcliff’s reimagining of Vivaldi’s four seasons.
Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy, co-producers of Edinburgh Tradfest said: “It’s such a tonic for a dreich February to look forward to the warmth of May and such a dazzling line up of trad and traditionally-inspired music at Edinburgh Tradfest.
“We have carefully curated a programme that has something for everyone. Included are the very best musicians from Scotland who are currently carrying our traditions forward in myriad exciting ways.
“We are also delighted to be welcoming a wide variety of touring musicians from Ireland, India, Sweden, Ukraine, Canada and the United States. Whether you love song, tunes or beats, jazz influences, classical inspiration or a straight ahead Strathspey, we have you covered.”
Participating Musician Josie Duncan who is leading this year’s special commission said: “It’s a total honour to be creating this year’s special commission. As artists, we’re often involved in a wide range of musical projects, so having the time and space to slow down and create something entirely new feels incredibly special.
“I feel very lucky to be exploring the powerful work of Marie Maitland and to be working alongside historian Ashley Douglas who has brought this work to light.”
Participating musician and co-programmer Laura Jane Wilkie said: “Tradfest is a wonderful exhibition of the quality in folk and traditional music in all its glorious cultures and subcultures.
“It is an inclusive and beautifully curated festival and heralds the transition from spring to summer in the capital city. Delighted to be a part of it.”
Edinburgh Tradfest 2026 will run from Friday 1 May – Monday 11 May.
Full programme announced on Tuesday 17 March 2026.
For tickets and more information visit edinburghtradfest.com
A National Theatre of Scotland Production
Presented in partnership with The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and in association with Pitlochry Festival Theatre
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Adapted by David Harrower from the novel by Muriel Spark
Directed by Vicky Featherstone
Featuring Gayle Rankin as Jean Brodie
Touring Scotland from 02 October to 07 November 2026.
Previews and opening at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh before touring to The Citizens Theatre, Glasgow; His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen and Pitlochry Festival Theatre.
Opening performance at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh on 9 October 2026.
National Theatre of Scotland in partnership with The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and in association with Pitlochry Festival Theatre is bringing one of Scotland’s most iconic and enduring Scottish literary characters to the stage, in a brand-new production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. This production will mark 60 years since the premiere of the original stage version.
Adapted for the stage by acclaimed Scottish playwright David Harrower from Muriel Spark’s much-loved novel, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is directed by Vicky Featherstone and features Gayle Rankin making her National Theatre of Scotland debut as the charismatic Jean Brodie.
To mark Muriel Spark’s birthday, born in Edinburgh on 1 February,1918, National Theatre of Scotland is releasing newly commissioned images to promote this new production. The photos were captured by Rankin in his studio in London.
Gayle Rankin, photographed by Rankin.
Born in Edinburgh in 1918, Muriel Spark he wrote 22 novels including The Driver’s Seat, Memento Mori and The Girls of Slender Means with The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie being the best known of her works.
First published in the New Yorker and reissued in volume form in 1961, the novel is set in Edinburgh in 1936 with the central character based in part on a teacher at Muriel Spark’s Edinburgh school, James Gillespie’s School for Girls. The novel was subsequently adapted for stage, film and television.
Gayle Rankin is a Tony Award-nominated Scottish performer well known for her role as Sheila the She-Wolf in the hit Netflix series GLOW. Gayle recently finished a run on Broadway as Sally Bowles opposite Eddie Redmayne in the award-winning production of Cabaret (Tony nominated).
Other TV credits include House of the Dragon and Perry Mason (HBO). Film includes Alex Garland’s Men, Amazon’s Blow the Man Down, Bad Things and The Greatest Showman. New York theatre credits include Sam Gold’s Hamlet and Phyllida Lloyd’s The Taming of the Shrew.
Gayle Rankin said: “Working with the legendary photographer Rankin was an incredible experience.
His deep curiosity as an artist, alongside Vicky Featherstone and me, helped crack open the earliest beginnings of our Jean Brodie—approaching her not just as an icon, a myth or character, but as a real woman for our time. We were thrilled to start this journey with Rankin’s lens on her.”
Rankin is a British photographer, publisher, and film director.
Best known for work that is on the cultural cusp and leading future trends, he has produced rule-breaking campaigns for brands such as Rolls Royce, Unilever, L’Oreal, Lego, and Samsonite; creating wide reaching projects for charities including Women’s Aid and Macmillan; and shooting music videos for the likes of Miley Cyrus, Rita Ora and Kelis.
As a photographer Rankin’s portfolio ranges from portraiture to documentary. He has shot The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Kate Moss, Kendall Jenner and Zendaya to name only a few. In 2023 Rankin photographed King Charles III to mark the monarch’s 75th Birthday for The Big Issue magazine.
As a publisher, Rankin co-founded the seminal magazine Dazed & Confused with Jefferson Hack in 1990 and has since published the likes of AnOther and AnOther Man, alongside over 40 books, and the fashion and culture publication Hunger. His photography has been published everywhere from his own publications to Elle, Vogue, Esquire, GQ, Rolling Stone, and Wonderland, and exhibited in galleries globally, including MoMA, New York, and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
Gayle Rankin, photographed by Rankin
Rankin said: “It was a thrill and a privilege to be invited to capture the extraordinary Gayle Rankin in the iconic role of the dangerous but alluring Jean Brodie. Her power as an actor brought an electric theatricality to the shoot as can be seen in the final images.
“It was fantastic to collaborate with the National Theatre of Scotland on this production, which I hope I can get to see later this year.”
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
‘Give me a girl at an impressionable age, and she is mine for life’
At the Marcia Blaine School for Girls, junior-school teacher Miss Jean Brodie is, famously, in her prime.
Each year, Brodie selects her ‘set’. The crème de la crème of girls whom she will shape through art and politics, stories of sexual liberation and titillating glimpses of the women they could become. In return, she demands utter loyalty from them all.
Witty, seductive and swirling in contradictions, Brodie’s mythical ability to invent her own truths and manipulate her girls ultimately leads her to risk everything.
In an adaptation by David Harrower, which sharpens the knives of Spark’s extraordinary work, and with a cast led by Gayle Rankin (Sally Bowles in Cabaret on Broadway, and TV’s Glow & House of The Dragon and The Greatest Showman), this visceral production takes a head-on look at the enduring moral fascination with such a beguiling and dangerous character.
“The crème de la crème of Brodie adaptations”
The Theatre Times on The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Donmar Warehouse, 2018
This is the first time that David Harrower’s adaptation of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie has been performed in Scotland, having been originally staged at the Donmar Warehouse in 2018 to critical acclaim.
The original 1966 London stage adaptation was by Jay Presson Allen (Marnie, Cabaret). Scottish productions include Pitlochry Festival Theatre in 1985 and 2009 and at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in 2003.
Gayle Rankin played one of the schoolgirls in The Lyceum production and this 2026 production marks her homecoming to Scotland’s stages.
Vicky Featherstone, director, said “20 years after we made our first tentative steps towards what a National Theatre for Scotland could be, I am honoured to be part of this year’s celebrations, with what is undoubtably one of the most iconic characters and stories ever written.
“It is testament to Spark that this story penned in 1961 Edinburgh, feels as sharp, as shocking, as thrilling, as alive as it did on publication and is an incredible opportunity to exalt the exceptional theatre artists and celebrate Scottish audience’s unbridled passion for theatre that gave us the courage to begin all those years ago.”
David Harrower is an Olivier Award-winning and Tony-nominated Scottish playwright and screenwriter. Plays include Blackbird (Olivier Award for Best New Play and Tony nominated), Knives in Hens, Kill the Old, Torture Their Young (Traverse Theatre), Six Characters in Search of an Author, 365, Calum’s Road (National Theatre of Scotland). Film & TV work includes Una, Outlaw King, Lockerbie: A Search for the Truth and the forthcoming The Day of the Jackal Season 2.
Vicky Featherstone was the founding Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Scotland, and she returns to direct The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie with the company, following a decade as Artistic Director of London’s Royal Court Theatre. Theatre credits include: Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, Enquirer (National Theatre of Scotland); Shoe Lady, The Glow (Royal Court); The Outrun (Royal Lyceum Theatre for Edinburgh International Festival 2024). Her production of Krapp’s Last Tape with Stephen Rea recently played in NYC following an earlier presentation at Barbican, London and Pavilion Theatre, Dublin in 2025.
Touring in 2026 to The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh (Previews Fri 2, Mon 5-Thu 8 October) Fri 9 October to Sun 18 October; The Citizens Theatre, Glasgow Wed 21October to Sat 24 October; His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen Thu 29 October to Sat 31 October; Pitlochry Festival Theatre Wed 4 November to Sat 7 November 2026.
The Traditional Arts and Culture Fund, previously known as Tasgadh, will open for applications at 10am today (19 January 2026).
The fund, administered by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), offers small grants of up to £1,200 to artists, community groups, and grassroots organisations working across Scotland’s traditional music, song, storytelling, dance, crafts, indigenous languages, and wider intangible heritage.
TRACS won the Creative Scotland tender to administer the fund in October last year, with traditional crafts included for the first time as a new addition to the fund.
In 2026, the total fund available is £43k and applications for the first round close on Monday 16 February, with a second round of funding due to open on 6 April and close on 4 May. Awards of up to £1,200 are available (an increase of 20% on previous years), enabling around 18 applicants in each round to be funded the maximum amount.
Applications can be submitted in Gaelic, Scots, and English language. All applicants are required to demonstrate a positive track record in and/or professional commitment to one or more traditional artforms, and awards are decided by a panel of traditional arts and craft specialists.
TRACS won the Creative Scotland tender to administer the fund in October last year, with traditional crafts included for the first time as a new addition to the fund.
In 2026, the total fund available is £43k and applications for the first round close on Monday 16 February, with a second round of funding due to open on 6 April and close on 4 May. Awards of up to £1,200 are available (an increase of 20% on previous years), enabling around 18 applicants in each round to be funded the maximum amount.
Applications can be submitted in Gaelic, Scots, and English language. All applicants are required to demonstrate a positive track record in and/or professional commitment to one or more traditional artforms, and awards are decided by a panel of traditional arts and craft specialists.
Funding is available for the creation, performance, touring, and showcasing of traditional arts and crafts in Scotland, and for professional development and learning projects.
Previous successful projects include music classes and workshops, dance development and collaborations, composition of new music, tours, personal development projects, internships, and festivals.
Previous applicants who received awards of between £250 and £1,000 include Sangstream Scots Folk Choir celebrating the heritage of Midlothian miners in song; puirt à beul workshops for Dundee Gaelic Choir; Cabraich Community Arts’ weekly song and story cèilidhs in Stornoway; storytelling development at Glenesk Folk Museum with the Grampian Association of Storytellers; and the creation of new work in Scottish stepdance by Deiseil Airson Dannsa.
Steve Byrne CEO of TRACS said: “We are delighted to have been appointed as the new administrators of this important fund.
“Being able to provide support to artists and organisations at all stages of their development is essential to ensuring that Scotland has a buoyant traditional arts community, and experience shows that a nimble small grants programme like this can make a huge difference to grassroots activity.
“We look forward to announcing the successful applicants in due course.”
Catriona Hawksworth, Traditional Arts Officer at Creative Scotland said: “The newly redeveloped Traditional Arts and Culture Fund will directly benefit the tradition-bearers and communities upholding Scotland’s many traditions, and we’re delighted that the fund will support traditional crafts for the first time, alongside traditional music, storytelling and dance.
“With increased funding, more traditional artists and practitioners will be able to boost their offerings within their local communities thanks to National Lottery funding. TRACS are expertly placed as a custodian of this crucial funding as champions of Scottish traditions with their invaluable knowledge and networks.”
Helen Voce, panellist representing Traditional Craft said: “The Fund’s recognition of traditional crafts for the first time is welcomed and timely.
“A supporter of craftspeople in Scotland, including as a volunteer Regional Coordinator of Scottish members of Heritage Crafts,I know the Fund will make a difference to the practice of experienced and emerging practitioners alike.
“It arrives following a year that saw a number of traditional crafts practised in Scotland listed as endangered (e.g. Shinty Caman Making) and critically endangered (e.g. Highlands & Islands Thatching) on theRed List of Heritage Crafts 2025.
“And, as communities are poised to submit traditional craft practices to the Crafts Inventory of Living Heritage following the UK’s ratification of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.”
The Traditional Arts and Culture Fund is administered by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), with support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.
More information on the fund and a video guide to completing the application form is available at www.tracscotland.org/traditional-arts-and-culture-fund/
