Curious about performing and creating a small show this summer? Join our Drama Summer Camp at NEA!
Whether you’re a budding actor, curious about the stage, or just want to try something new, this is a fun, supportive space to explore drama. We’ll play games, try improvisation and stagecraft, and work together to create a brand-new piece of theatre to share with family and friends.
No experience needed — just bring your imagination!
Monday 4 to Friday 8 August
10am–1pm (Friday starts at 10.30am, with a sharing at 12noon)
For local young people (ages 7–14) living in Muirhouse, Pilton, Drylaw & Telford
NEA Drama Summer Camp will be led by Marilyn Blyth Wilson who is a performer, director and acting teacher. She works with various theatre companies and runs her own company Blythwood Theatre, focusing on collaboration with young people to bring new writing and performances that focus on what matters to them.
Marilyn will be with us at NEA as part of EPAD’s Supported Residency programme, which aims to support the creation of new work and to build connections between Edinburgh-based performing arts creatives and venues across the city
“Come freely. Go freely. And leave some of the happiness you bring”
Fringe theatregoers this summer are being encouraged to take up Count Dracula’s sinister invitation and experience a production of Liz Lochhead’s take on the classic horror tale by the Edinburgh Makars.
This theatrical version of Dracula had its premiere at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh 40 years ago, but it’s unique approach to Bram Stoker’s timeless story of history’s most infamous vampire is still just as fresh and relevant today.
Bee Parkinson-Cameron, a Fife-based writer, performer and director, is making their Edinburgh Makars directorial debut and the talented cast consists of actors from across the city and the central belt.
Of their decision to direct Dracula at the Fringe, Bee said: “After the recent success of Robert Egger’s Nosferatu, it became clear to me that this was the opportunity and the moment to bring to life in one of the largest arts festivals in the world, the wonderful, engaging and dark adaptation of Dracula by Liz Lochead.
“Dracula was a deeply disturbing, unsettling and fantastical, thrillingly erotic tale when it was released, a testament to the skill of Bram Stoker to tap into the tensions and fears of the time period. My intention in this production is to bring forth this aspect, to return this quality of disturbance back to Dracula that can sometimes be neglected for the sake of parody (amusing though they may be).
“Vampires and the appreciation of vampire lore and vampires featuring in literature, film and television has coloured many of the years of my life. I have a deep and enduring passion for the articulation and exploration of the darker elements of human existence and the moments where we brush against the preternatural.”
The cast includes many actors whose names will be familiar to regular patrons of Edinburgh theatre, but the titular role is being brought to life by newcomer Sonido Kofi Sewornu, an 18-year-old student from Perth who is studying Fashion Design at Glasgow School of Art.
On being cast as one of the most famous names in literature, Kofi said: “I am terrified to play this role, but I couldn’t be more excited. I hope some of that terror translates onto the stage!”
Dracula is something of a departure from the kind of productions that the Edinburgh Makars have usually put on at the Fringe, but President John Scott Moncrieff and the rest of the club’s committee were convinced by Bee Parkinson-Cameron’s obvious enthusiasm for the project.
Edinburgh has long had an association with the gothic, and retelling Liz Lochhead’s version in the city 40 years after its debut was too exciting an opportunity to resist.
Whether you’re a die-hard vampire aficionado, a lover of all things gothic or just have an appreciation for classic literature, this production guarantees an exciting and chilling evening at the Fringe.
Director Bee added: “I hope that you will enjoy the invitation we extend to you to join us in this exploration of the insidious nature of gothic horror and of Dracula himself, a titan of vampire lore whose shadows are still creeping over and caressing our souls and our fears.”
The Edinburgh Makars’ production of Dracula by Liz Lochhead will be performed at the Royal Scots Club on Abercromby Place (Venue 241) from Monday 18th to Saturday 23rd August at 7:30pm each evening. Tickets are £15 or £12 for students and can be purchased in advance from the Edinburgh Makars or Fringe websites.
CAST:
Sonido Kofi Sewornu as Dracula
Craig Gell as Jonathan Harker
Phillipa Roy as Mina Westerman
Bunny Steven as Lucy Westerman and vampire bride
Chris Eyett as Van Helsing
Emma Swift as Florrie and vampire bride
James Gray as Renfield
James Cameron as Arthur Seward
Liza Greenhalgh as Mrs Manners/Doctor Goodman/vampire bride
Carol Davidson as Nurse Grice
Georgia Smith as Nurse Nisbett
Ben Carey as Drinkwater
The Makars was founded in 1932 by Christine Orr, the well-known Scottish actress, broadcaster and playwright, with the intention of performing her own plays.
During the winter of 1933/34 the name “The Makars” was adopted, an old Scots word for the makers of poetry and drama.
The present club was formed in May 1996 by the amalgamation of two long standing Edinburgh drama clubs – The Makars and Davidson’s Mains Dramatic Club (DMDC). In 2002 the new club formally adopted the name The Edinburgh Makars.
Previous Fringe productions have included Amy’s View by David Hare, A Comedy of Tenors by Ken Ludwig, Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon and the five-star production of Perfect Wedding by Robin Hawdon.
Today, Tuesday 03 June, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is delighted to launch the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme. The programme celebrates the diverse selection of work at the Fringe, with performers from across the world and work from 58 countries.
This year’s programme features work from 3,352 shows across 265 venues, with themes tackling some of the most topical issues in the world today.
From rebellious women to the paranormal; the apocalypse to nostalgia; queer joy to life with illness; rave and club culture to science and technology.
Edinburgh Fringe Programme Launch 2025
Launching the 2025 Fringe programme, Tony Lankester, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: ‘Programme launch is such an exciting moment for everyone involved making the Fringe happen.
“Thank you to all the Fringe-makers – the artists, venues, workers, producers, technicians, promoters, support staff and audiences that bring their un-matched, exceptional energy to Edinburgh in August.
‘This year’s Fringe programme is filled with every kind of performance, so whether you’re excited for theatre or circus, or the best of comedy, music, dance, children’s shows, magic or cabaret; get ready to dare to discover this August.
“Jump right in, book your favourites, shows that intrigue you and take a chance on something new.’
At Traverse Theatre,Gary McNair’s ‘award-winning show’ A Gambler’s Guide to Dying returns ‘back home for a special run to mark its 10th anniversary’.
‘Four generations of Northern Irish women, reunited’ in Consumed (Traverse Theatre), ‘a tale of twisted family dynamics and national boundaries’.
‘Inspired by his involvement in the Egyptian revolution of 2011, and experience of the counter-revolution that followed, Khalid Abdalla brings together the personal and the political’ in Nowhere (Traverse Theatre).
At Scottish Storytelling Centre, join the Loud Poetsfor ‘fist-thumping, pint-drinking, side-tickling, heart-wrenching fusion of poetry and live music’ or ‘Scottish and Welsh traditional storytellers Ailsa Dixon and Ffion Phillips as they weave folk music, language and story across these isles and between worlds’ in Aderyn/Bird.
Also at Scottish Storytelling Centre, Cassandra ‘blends Greek myth, Scottish folklore and personal narrative to explore prophecy, protest and survival across time and space’.
At Summerhall, Amazons is a ‘gripping new solo show about the Amazon rainforest and the generations of women who have fought to protect it’.
‘From Parisian hysteria to the glowing Radium Girls’, Fragile Creatures at theSpaceUK ‘reveals gripping stories of women’s rebellion, resilience and their relentless fight for bodily autonomy and equality’.
In Alice Hawkins – Working Class Suffragette at the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre, ‘Peter Barratt gives a stirring and passionate account of his great-grandmother’s hard-fought campaign for the vote’ while VOTE the Musical at Paradise Green takes a ‘gripping look at the Suffragette movement exploring imprisonment, activism and the fight for electoral freedom’.
Three resilient Scottish sex workers, dream of escaping the lives they’ve been trapped in, but the patriarchy stands in their way in Happy Ending Street at Leith Arches.
In Well Behaved Women at Gilded Balloon, in 1888 ‘three chaotic twentysomething women decide to host a séance’ and make ‘a bit of a mess of things.’
‘Get ready for a powerful performance’ at Women in Socks and Sandals at ZOO, ‘filled with quirky stunts, mental courage and celebration of the right to be oneself’.
With ‘history, sermons and singalong’, Church of the Clitori at Paradise Green aims to ‘satirise and crash-tackle anatomy, religious ads and female sexuality politics’.
At Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge, Fallen Angel by Liam Rudden tells the story of Angel, who’s been ‘tortured’ by angels for ‘500 years’, while ‘startling revelations about Edy Hurst’s relations have set him on vision quest to contact his ancestors’ in Edy Hurst’s Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Himself at Assembly.
Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep? is a ‘one-man (and one puppet) musical journey through a zombie outbreak, combining live performance, puppetry and animation’ at ZOO.
‘Get to know Frankenstein’s Monster like you’ve never been able to before’ at Fatherless Monster (Paradise Green), ‘face to face with only a mic and some stage lights between you and him.’
0.1% Accurate: Magdalena the Fortune Teller Show ‘will predict the future, summon the spirits, answer your life questions and send you home smiling’ at Alchemist Cocktail Bar and Restaurant.
Listen to the tales of Haunted Edinburgh at Arthur Conan Doyle Centre ‘and discover a host of terrifying stories of hauntings from the city’s dark past’ or visit The Mother Superior to ‘unveil women’s role in shaping the history of alcohol, including sharing how some were framed as witches’ in Whisky & Witches.
A Haunted House at Assembly is a ‘hysterical, terrifying and surreal tale, about one hair-raising night in a haunted house’ ‘for those who like their laughs big and their scares spine-chilling!’
‘The world-renowned paranormal expert Baron Vordenburg and his helpers, Gothic and Grotesque, give away trade secrets and expertise on hunting the unknown’ in Baron Vordenburg’s Guide to the Paranormal at theSpaceUK.
‘A man commits the ultimate act of cowardice’ and ‘a woman’s spirit gains terrifying embodiment’ in ‘dark, twisted folk horror tale’ Tom Hiccup’s Well at Greenside.
At theSpaceUK, ‘apocalyptic anti-romcom’ Horny for the End of the World follows ‘Gen Z, try-hard, pick-me Ebeth gets dumped by the man of her dreams the day before everyone realizes the world is going to end’.
Apocalipsync is a ‘high-energy solo show blending physical theatre, mime, dance and lip-sync mastery’ ‘exploring themes of isolation, hyper-connectivity and human expression’ at Assembly.
Original musical The Real Housewives of the Zombie Apocalypse at Greenside asks if the ‘OGs of reality TV’ can ‘survive the hordes, and each other, and self-produce their way to the end?’ while 4’s a Crowd (Or What Not to Do When Stuck in a Bunker During the Apocalypse) at theSpaceUK ‘follows the idiots left behind after the world ends’.
Apocalypse Cabaret: Songs for the End of the World (Underbelly) is a ‘powerhouse Fringe debut packed with original songs, pop bangers, audience interaction, and existential musings’ following ‘a lonely karaoke jockey is the sole survivor at the end of the world and decides to go out singing.’
Scenes of Unfathomable Horror brings ‘absurd, twisted and entertaining take on modernity, celebrity and existential dread’ to Just the Tonic.
At Underbelly, A Small Town Northern Tale is a ‘Y2K coming-of-age story, charting life in a small Northern town as a mixed-race boy’ and WANTED tells the story of ‘two girls from opposite worlds’ ‘fated to meet on the 00s queer scene’.
At Club NVRLND (Assembly), ‘where the party goes on till morning’, ‘Wendy and Peter reunite for an unforgettable night of adventure, nostalgia and staying forever young, featuring the biggest 2000s anthems’
‘All set to the soundtrack of the 2000s’ Jake Donaldson Is The Fifth Weezer at Laughing Horse is set to be ‘packed with nostalgia, punchy jokes and stories about finding your place in the world’.
‘The perfect nostalgic show for pop fanatics and chart aficionados’, Margot and Martha’s Chart Show Mixtape at theSpaceUK will ‘take you on a journey from mixtapes to Spotify wrapped, celebrating pop music through what was in the charts on the 18th of August – the very week they’re performing at the Fringe’.
‘Party like it’s 1999’ at MASSAOKE: 90s Live (Underbelly) with ‘an epic 90s sing-along’.
‘Through everyday conversation, hilarious comedy, and music-hall style songs’ at The Steamie (Gilded Balloon) ‘we learn from four working-class women about their lives, husbands, technology and the approaching New Year in this time capsule of Glasgow in the 1950s’.
A ‘love letter to the queers, the weirdoes, the trailblazers, the fringes and the night-walkers’, Anatomy of a Night at Summerhall isan ‘exploration of personal identity through a reflection of memories from queer and club spaces’.
‘Queer, chic and outrageous’ – head to the Big Gay Afterparty at Just the Tonic for the ‘biggest, gayest party at the Fringe (fun straights allowed)’.
‘A queer love story but no one dies at the end? Welcome to the world of’ Blooming at Greenside.
Join a ‘plus-sized, 72-year-old lesbian’ sharing ‘intimate stories celebrating inclusivity’ at Tales From Your Queer Elder (Greenside).
At Carpet Muncher at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, ‘the contemporary folklore of the Mothman is brought to life, using vibrant surrealist costuming to explore themes of queer alienation, metamorphosis, cross-border solidarity and homoerotic hot-hub encounters’.
Follow a young trans girl as she navigates the hilarity of rural Argentina during the 1900s at Cecilia Gentili’s Red Ink at Underbelly.
‘Expect chaos, drag, stand-up, glitter, queer joy and an ever-changing line-up of LGBTQIA+ acts’ at Comedy Queers (Laughing Horse) or check out Midnight at the Palace (Gilded Balloon) for a ‘night of radical joy and glitter-encrusted anarchy’.
3 Kidneys No Colon at Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge is ‘the medical diaries (or rather… diarrheas) of Dave who suffers from chronic kidney disease, ulcerative colitis and has had multiple organ transplants’.
Learn about ‘narcolepsy from a true-life perspective’ at theSpaceUK, Fragments of Fatigue is a ‘coming-of-age story to transform your world and prove just how much fight is required to beat the fatigue’.
‘Artfully weaving between generational trauma and chronic illness’, Robyn Reynolds: What Doesn’t Kill You at Assembly will have you ‘roaring with laughter’.
In The Nature of Forgetting at Pleasance, ‘Tom is living with early onset dementia’ and ‘we meet him as he prepares for his 55th birthday party and past memories come flooding back’. At theSpaceUK, Ah-Ma is ‘a hauntingly beautiful new play, weaving together natural and social disasters, bodily deterioration and family sorrow’.
At Assembly, Ohio tells the story of ‘when Shaun turned his back on the church’ and ‘found a new home in music’ before he is ‘confronted now with acute degenerative hearing loss’.
Yvonne Hughes: Absolutely Riddled is ‘a fresh and bold dive into the reality of living with cystic fibrosis (CF) – a journey that’s as phlegmy as it is funny’ at Gilded Balloon.
At Summerhall,TheButterfly Who Flew Into The Rave is ‘the atmosphere and culture of a three-day rave condensed into an hour’ while PUMP ‘drops you in the middle of a nightclub dance floor in a desperate search for validation, intimacy and identity’.
Her Raving Mind is ‘a Greco-British rave tragicomedy unravelling the complex mind of an abuse survivor’ at Just the Tonic.
‘Loud, lawless, and laced with naughty bits’, Watch Me Die! is ‘rave theatre: performance, film, stand-up and pounding basslines, dragging Shakespeare into a civil war where star-crossed love and vengeance make their scene’ at theSpaceUK.
At Rave, Colin and Rosie ‘are battling through their own worlds of crisis using the music of the rave club to help, encourage and solve their problems’ at Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge.
Created by an AI researcher, AI: Save Our Souls at Greenside features ‘an immersive future world of AI, polystylistic music and a dynamic plot’ while at Paradise Green, Rise of the Solar Punks asks ‘what can we learn from ancient cultures regarding climate adaptation, and how can we fuse this with technology and AI?’
As part of the Made in Scotland showcase, MUO Live at the French Institute in Scotland is ‘a unique fusion of music, science and unseen cosmic forces.’
Head to Just the Tonic, Excel Comedy and Mathem-antics for a ‘themed stand-up show for spreadsheet experts and rookies alike’ or check out Sci-larious – Science Stand-up at Laughing Horse for ‘bi-lol-ogy or pharm-ha-cy’.
Mark Thompson’s Spectacular Science Show at Gilded Balloon is ‘science like you have never seen it before’ exploring ‘the magical properties of matter’.
At PBH’s Free Fringe, Freya McGhee: Experimental blends ‘science, comedy and dating into one unforgettable experiment’ investigating ‘the chemistry of attraction to the mechanics of mixed signals’.
Check out Hot Rubber (Gilded Balloon) to see ‘eight comedians pit their homemade remote-control cars against one another in the world’s smallest demolition derby’ or ‘form a team, select a knockoff Roomba, customise it, then pit it against a dozen rivals’ at Robot Vacuum Fight Club (Outhouse Bar).
Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge ‘on busy George Street’ is new with a number of shows this August, including well-known musicals Little Shop of Horrors, High School Musical and Footloose, as well as a range of theatre, cabaret and children’s shows.
Welcome to the Fringe, Palestine, ‘a mini-festival to celebrate Palestinian art and culture’, takes place in new venue Portobello Town Hall.
Citadel Youth Centre is ‘hosting two fundraisers for the Citadel’s valuable work with young people and families in Leith’ Storm in the Citadel and Punchline on Leith.
The Bowlers Rest in Leith is home to Beggared, ‘the story of a privileged white South African whose life collapses into homelessness’.
Easter Road Stadium joins the Fringe as a venue, hosting two shows: Dropped, in which ‘former Chelsea FC trainee Alfie Cain tells his moving story of dashed football dreams and explores the darkness and pressures young men go through trying to make it as professional footballers’ and Frankie Mack Showman – The Next Stage: The Leith San Siro ‘a high-energy, show-stopping night of swing, rock’n’roll and modern classics’.
All the way from Italy is Mirage Spiegeltent at Gyle Shopping Centre, hosting Spirit of the Favela, a ‘dynamic fusion of circus and theatre showcasing Rio de Janeiro’s vibrant culture and communities’.
Gilded Balloon have introduced a new space at Appleton Tower for twenty shows, including Frances Floats and Not My Grandmother’s Daughter.
Now in St. Andrew’s Square, The Famous Spiegeltent returns, offering theatre, cabaret, music and musicals, including La Clique – ‘the global phenomenon that redefined a genre, with its mélange of cabaret and circus’.
Josie Long: Now Is the Time of Monsters is ‘a new show about extinct, gigantic, charismatic megafauna from three-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee’ at Pleasance.
Gilded Balloon marks their fortieth anniversary with ‘a series of special in-conversations featuring comedy greats’ including Jenny Eclair and Michelle McManus.
Also at Gilded Balloon, Rosie O’Donnell: Here & Now ‘reflects on her life in the present, including why she moved to Ireland from the USA, and how that shift has shaped her future’ and Michelle Brasier: It’s a Shame We Won’t Be Friends Next Year is a ‘show for the theatre kids, the freaks, the queers; for anyone who’s spiralled about something they did years ago’.
Fringe favourite Nina Conti: Whose Face Is It Anyway? is back at Underbelly, with ‘an unparalleled, unscripted show that delves deep into who we are, hijacking faces to spark a bold, hysterical reality warp’.
‘Direct from a sell-out West End season’, Bill Bailey is at Edinburgh Playhouse with Thoughtifier while Miriam Margolyes brings ‘more characters, more Dickens and more fascinating stories about the man behind the classics’ to Pleasancewith Margolyes and Dickens: More Best Bits.
‘The talented comedian, writer and host of A24 late-night variety sketch show’ Ziwe brings Ziwe’s America to Pleasance.
At The Stand Comedy Club, ‘expect to hear the glorious mess of being a professional polymath – from medical school to quiz championships, comedy clubs to Parkinson’s advocacy’ at In Conversation with… Paul Sinha or ‘jokes, rants, politics, swearing and possible nudity’ at Mark Thomas: WD40.
At Monkey Barrel, there’s ‘new material from the Rose d’Or, Southbank Sky Arts and Edinburgh Comedy Award winner’ Bridget Christie. Also at Monkey Barrel, ‘the Taskmaster treasure, Live at the Apollo star and voice of Netflix’s Too Hot to Handle presents a new hour about our bodies corporeal and politic, and what remains through ascension and destruction’ with Desiree Burch: The Golden Wrath.
‘A love letter to people pleasers everywhere’, Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares at Underbelly is ‘a hilarious, heartfelt and sometimes brutally honest tribute to recovering ingenues, mothers and anybody working on themselves’.
‘Comedy veteran’ Karen Dunbar ‘returns to the Fringe for a limited run of her stand-up tour’ at Just the Tonic.
At Assembly, David O’Doherty: Highway to the David Zone has ‘has got the lot’ with ‘talking, songs, talking during songs, talking while walking around’.
There are 325 free shows and 529 Pay What You Can/Want shows in this year’s programme.
10,001 Ideas by Robyn Perkins at Laughing Horse offers a ‘uniquely different hour of critically acclaimed stand-up and storytelling’.
Huge Davies: Free Work in Progress is at PBH’s Free Fringe with ‘his wearable keyboard for a free hour-long work in progress’. Also at PBH’s Free Fringe, Escape the Rat Race is a ‘a must-see for anyone who has ever worked in an office’.
At Laughing Horse, Three Bad Sisters is a ‘cacophony of the best and darkest materials from these three female rising stars of Irish comedy: Aideen McQueen, Shinanne Higgins and Louise O’Toole’.
‘Imagine an Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman in the same bar as a therapist’ and you’ll imagine 5 Mugs, No Tea at Leith Depot. At the Mother Superior, you can ‘expect a fever-dream of love, loss, and existential dread’ at Crying at the Meat Raffle.
Disco Picnic at The Three Sisters is a ‘Fringe fiesta serves up a delicious mix of toe-tapping disco tunes’.
The Fringe Society are grateful to the many partners, supporters, funders and sponsors this year. In particular, they would like to thank the official Education Partner of the Fringe Anthropic, the official Beer of the Fringe Innis and Gunn, Cirrus Logic and Baillie Gifford.
They would like to thank the UK Government and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for their Keep it Fringe Fund support, the Scottish Government and City of Edinburgh Council for strategic funding support, the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund support for the Made in Scotland programme; and Screen Scotland for supporting Screen Fringe.
The Fringe Society would also like to thank accommodation partners who provide much needed affordable accommodation to artists – Queen Margaret University and the University of Edinburgh, Theatre Digs Booker. Health in Mind are also returning in 2025 to support the delivery of mental health and wellbeing services within Fringe Central, which is once again kindly delivered in partnership with Grassmarket Community Project.
Established in 2008, Leith-based charity Strange Town was set up to ensure that everyone, no matter their experience or their background, gets the opportunity to access life-changing activities in the arts.
Founded by local Directors Steve Small and Ruth Hollyman, the organisation has expanded across the last 15 years and now reaches 2,000 local young people every year through youth theatre classes, holiday programmes, a touring company and agency support for young actors helping to develop the careers of some of Scotland’s best-known local talent including Tallulah Greive and Lewis Gribben.
Across all the charity’s activities, Strange Town creates high quality work that is daring and entertaining, tackling subjects of importance to young people’s lives, such as consent, knife crime and climate change anxiety.
The organisation tours local schools with educational performances that spark discussion, debate and often provides local young people with their first experience of a theatrical performance.
This week the charity’s Young Company (18-25) returns to the Scottish Storytelling Centre after their sold out shows there last year. ‘The Dark Up Close’ by local writer Jack MacGregor has been specially commissioned for Strange Town’s Young Company.
Open to everyone age 12+ the play will run for two nights Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th March.
‘Two teenagers digging graves, an island full of conscripts and puffins, the guns are silent on the eve of World War III.
‘These are scenes from a near future Britain, a country in crisis, with national service reinstated for all young people. The old world is dying, and the new world has been delayed indefinitely.’
Venue: The Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, EH1 1SR
Arts activities enrich lives, but organisations such as Strange Town are seriously under-funded, and the future is uncertain. Strange Town relies on its fundraising activities to deliver fully accessible activities for local young people.
Funders include the Backstage Trust, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Cordis Trust, Crerar Trust and others.
The charity also runs the 15for15 fundraising initiative where local people can donate monthly to support their life-changing work.
Brian Cox (Succession, Braveheart) returns to Scottish stages in a new play by leading British playwright James Graham (Dear England,Sherwood)
The first major artwork to tell the story of Royal Bank of Scotland’s role in the 2008 financial crash
WORLD PREMIERE
A National Theatre of Scotland, Edinburgh International Festival and Dundee Rep Theatre co-production in association with Playful Productions and Neal Street Productions
Make It Happen Written by James Graham Directed by Andrew Panton With Brian Cox
Opening performance of the 2025 Edinburgh International Festival on Friday 1 August 2025, then running until Saturday 9 August. Previewing at Dundee Rep Theatre in late July and at the International Festival on Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 July.
Make It Happen is an epic new satirical play by acclaimed playwright James Graham, directed by Andrew Panton, Artistic Director of Dundee Rep Theatre. This unique co-production between National Theatre of Scotland, Edinburgh International Festival and Dundee Rep Theatre marks the return of Brian Cox to Scottish stages for the first time in a decade.
The world premiere of Make It Happen opens the Edinburgh International Festival’s 2025 programme of theatre, music, opera, and dance. It runs for a week at the Festival Theatre from 1–9 August, with previews at the International Festival on 30 and 31 July and at Dundee Rep Theatre from late July.
‘There is no such thing – as too big.’
Behold the rise, fall and fail of the biggest bank in the world – The Royal Bank of Scotland.
Helmed by Fred ”The Shred” Goodwin, with his fervent belief in the wisdom of the ‘founder of modern capitalism’, Adam Smith, the once prudent RBS soon plummets, placing Scotland at the heart of the global financial crash of 2008.
Set in Edinburgh, Make It Happen sees legendary actor Brian Cox return to the Scottish stage for the first time in a decade as Adam Smith, the ghost of fiscal past. Written by James Graham (Sherwood, Dear England), hailed as one of the most influential and finger-on-the-pulse writers of our time, and directed by the award-winning Andrew Panton, this bitingly funny new satire delves into the unchecked growth, spiralling greed and nail-biting hubris that brought the world’s economy to its knees.
This fictionalised satire features a mixture of characters and incidents inspired by real-life events, with others entirely imagined.
James Graham, writer, said: “Like many writers, an Edinburgh stage is the first place ever I dared put a full play in front of an audience.
“To be invited to join the prestigious Edinburgh International Festival programme this summer is an honour and a thrill. And to work with the National Theatre of Scotland, the Dundee Rep, and of course – Brian Cox, whom I’ve been desperate to write for for as long as I can remember.
We still live in the long shadow of the 2008 financial crash and our inability to reset from that inheritance and its divisive legacies, so it feels right to be interrogating it artistically. But we hope to do so in a show full of music and story, larger-than-life characters, cheeky humour, and some ghosts from Scotland’s centuries’ long past thrown in as well…”
Andrew Panton, director, said: ”It’s a personal honour and huge responsibility to tell what became a global story that started in the city close to where I grew up.
“Working with an exceptionally talented cast, creative and production teams, I’m excited to be directing this new play, bringing it to audiences at Dundee Rep Theatre and Edinburgh International Festival stages.”
Brian Cox, actor, said: “I’m excited to be doing a play written by James Graham who is such a great writer.
“It’s been a long time since I played in Scotland – it’s good to be back.”
Jackie Wylie, Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Scotland said: “I am thrilled that audiences will get to experience the combined talents of James Graham and Brian Cox, taking on the collapse of Royal Bank of Scotland in this epic new play, directed by the gifted Andrew Panton, produced in partnership with the brilliant institutions, Dundee Rep and Edinburgh International Festival.
“Dealing with seismic global moments that have shaped our national psyche, at the world’s most significant arts Festival is the perfect project for the National Theatre of Scotland and we are truly proud of this special collaboration”
Nicola Benedetti, Edinburgh International Festival Director, said: “We are extremely proud to present a brand-new play by James Graham, ‘Make It Happen’, which will open the 2025 International Festival in August.
“This co-commission with the National Theatre of Scotland and Dundee Rep demonstrates our ongoing commitment to bringing vital Scottish stories to the world stage, and invites us to examine events that took place in Edinburgh but rippled across the globe.
“Illuminating this year’s festival theme ‘The Truth We Seek’, ‘Make it Happen’ exemplifies the level of ambition and thought-provoking work that defines the Edinburgh International Festival. We cannot wait to see you there.”
Paisley born Fred Goodwin was the Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group between 2001 and 2009, presiding over RBS’s rapid rise to become the world’s largest company (by assets) and the fifth-largest bank (by stock market value), and their even more rapid fall in 2008, which coincided with the worldwide economic crisis. Make It Happen is the first major artwork exploring RBS’s role in this tumultuous period in recent history.
‘James Graham is fast becoming the pre-eminent playwright of his generation.’ The Guardian
James Graham is an award-winning screenwriter and playwright, whose recent work includes Dear England (National Theatre of GB and West End) which won the Olivier award for Best Play in 2024 and is currently being adapted into a BBC miniseries.
Other theatre work includes: This House (National Theatre of GB, West End and UK tour), which was chosen by popular vote as the best play of the 2010’s for the major theatre publisher Methuen; Punch (Nottingham Playhouse and transferring to the Young Vic in spring 2025); Best of Enemies (Young Vic, 2022), winner of the Critics’ Circle Theatre Award; Tammy Faye (The Almeida), and Ink (The Almeida), which transferred to Broadway and was nominated for six Tony Awards; Labour of Love (Noel Coward Theatre, 2018) which won the Olivier award for Best Comedy.
For television, James is the writer and creator of Sherwood which first aired on BBC One in 2022 to five star reviews, winning the Royal Television Society Award for Best Drama and two BAFTAS. Other TV includes Brexit: An Uncivil War, broadcast on Channel 4 and HBO, and was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie. His Channel 4 drama, Coalition won the RTS Award for Best Single Drama (2019), and Quiz (ITV and AMC), adapted from his stage play and directed by Stephen Frears, was one of the most watched UK TV dramas of 2020.
Andrew Panton is an award-winning theatre director and currently Artistic Director and Joint CEO of Dundee Rep Theatre. For Dundee Rep, his directorial credits include August: Osage County, The Children, A Christmas Carol, Oor Wullie, Passing Places and Spring Awakening.
He has previously worked with National Theatre of Scotland as director on digital lockdown short Out of the Woods with Alan Cumming and A Sheep Called Skye, and as staff director on the original UK & International tours of Black Watch. He has also directed productions for the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Citizens Theatre Glasgow, Royal & Derngate, Perth Theatre and The Stephen Joseph Theatre.
His recent work includes A History of Paper, which won a Scotsman Fringe First, an immersive production of Peter Greenaway’s The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, and the gig-theatre musical No Love Songs which will transfer to Sydney and New York in spring 2025. Andrew’s work for television includes: Children in Need, The Naked Choir and The Voice (BBC) and he was a creative director for the opening ceremony of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Brian Cox is an award-winning Scottish actor, known for his work on stage and screen. Born in Dundee, he trained at Dundee Rep Theatre before going on to work at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company where he first gained recognition for his portrayal of King Lear.
His numerous accolades include two Olivier Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Recent entries on his extensive list of theatre credits include Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Wyndham’s Theatre) and The Score (Theatre Royal Bath). His screen work includes Succession (HBO), Braveheart (Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox) and Nuremberg (TNT).
Brian returns to Scottish stages for the first time in a decade, last appearing on Scottish stages in 2015 in Waiting For Godot at the Royal Lyceum Theatre. He previously worked with National Theatre of Scotland in 2020 when he played Inspector Rebus in a special digital short, John Rebus: The Lockdown Blues written by Ian Rankin for their lockdown Scenes for Survival series, created in partnership with BBC Scotland.
Creative Team: Set Designer: Anna Fleischle; Costume Co-Designers: Anna Fleischle and Angelica Rush; Movement Director: Emily Jane Boyle; Musical Supervisor and Arranger: Martin Lowe; Lighting Designer: Lizzie Powell; Sound Designer: Tingying Dong; Video co-designers: Lewis den Hertog and Anna Fleischle; Associate Designer: Angelica Rush; Casting Director: Stuart Burt CDG
Supported by Sir Ewan and Lady Brown
Make It Happen is also supported by the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund through Creative Scotland.
Previewing at Dundee Rep Theatre (late July); opening at Edinburgh International Festival, at the Festival Theatre, (previews Wed 30 & Thurs 31 July) Fri 1 August – Sat 9 August
We are delighted to announce that on Saturday, November 23rd, we will be hosting two free taster sessions for our new performance groups – 10am – 12pm & 1pm – 3 pm – at The Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Edinburgh.
With these sessions, we want to create a fun, safe and supportive enviroment for people to engage in interactive drama activities, where like-minded people can meet and feel comfortable to experiment and perform.
We are looking for individuals to participate and provide valuable market research and feedback. Whether you’re a seasoned performer or just curious about drama, this is a fantastic opportunity to explore your creative side and help shape our future programs.
To register, email us at fablesstagecommunitytheatre@gmail.com or give us a direct message on Facebook and Instagram. Places are limited, so please book in advance.
We look forward to seeing you then and thank you so much for your help!
Assembly Roxy’s year-round programme continues this November with a line-up of theatre, music, and live events celebrating creativity, Scottish traditions old and new, and looking to a better future for all.
With highlights including immersive theatre piece Maiden Mother Whore from Theiya Arts Dance Collective, Jeremy Corbyn at Lighthouse Books’ Radical Book Fair, and the Scottish Dementia Arts Festival 2024, there’s plenty coming up at Assembly’s year-round venue.
Theiya Arts Dance Collective joining Assembly Roxy on the 01 Nov with a thought-provoking performance experience, in Maiden Mother Whore.
A 90-minute show, Maiden Mother Whore invites audiences to interact with five installations throughout the Roxy, exploring complex relationships between women, social structures, health and social policies, and institutions.
Assembly Roxy regulars Edinburgh Ceilidh Club with Teannaich bring the finest in Scottish Ceilidh dancing back to Assembly Roxy Central on Fri 08 Nov. All the dances are taught and called by the band – so bring along regulars and newbies alike to celebrate the Scottish tradition.
Scottish Dementia Arts Festival 2024 boasts a jam-packed line-up of events including live performance, creative workshops, film screenings, open-mics and more. The four-day festival runs from 11 – 14 Nov and celebrates the creativity of people living with dementia, and highlights include relaxed Scottish panto McScrooge by Alan Mountford and Citadel Arts Group and creative consultants living with dementia, Dementia the Musical Soundtrack Gig with Sophie Bancroft and Friends, and Meeting Centres Scotland film launch, as well as a host of ceilidhs, open mics, discos and more!
Lighthouse Books return with their annual Radical Book Fair from Thurs 21 – Sun 24 Nov with a line-up of workshops, cabarets, panels and talks exploring community organising, creativity and international solidarity. This year’s theme ‘From Where We Standcelebrates histories of resistance, protest and change-making.
Highlights include We Are It: Community Power in Our Time with a panel including Jeremy Corbyn, Kate Pickett and Oliver Escobar, and Young Radical Worlds exploring radical writing for young people with Faridah Abike-Iyimide and Margaret McDonald.
Closing out the month, Amy Leach and Alasdair Paul bring their duo gig Amy and Alasdair to the Snug Bar, passing on traditional Scots songs and ballads. With history in Edinburgh and beyond,
Amy and Alaisdair share their simple and striking approach in a stripped back show sharing glimpses into the darkest and lightest moments of life. Amy and Alasdair is showing for one night only on 29 Nov.
Tickets and information on all the events above are available now from www.assemblyroxy.com
Calling all potential actors, stagehands, costume makers and painters of scenery!
Cramond Drama Group, supported by the Cramond Association, is planning the forthcoming events for Christmas 2024 and for 2025 – including our next pantomime – and we need your help.
We have a small, strong team but still need a chair (and a person to sit in it) as well as lots of actors, helpers and friends to make it happen.
A university in Edinburgh has formed a unique collaboration with an award-winning theatre company to co-produce two ambitious plays for Heart of Midlothian Football Club’s 150th anniversary celebrations this year.
The hugely popular and critically acclaimed shows, A War of Two Halves, and Sweet FA, will be revived in collaboration with BA (Hons) Acting & Performance and BA (Hons) Costume Design and Construction students at Queen Margaret University (QMU).
Taking place across November 2024, the shows will be performed at the renowned home of Heart of Midlothian FC, Tynecastle Park.
Sir Paul Grice, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of QMU, said: “It’s incredibly exciting that our students will get the opportunity to perform at such an iconic Edinburgh venue and help Hearts mark their special 150th anniversary – an experience that I’m sure will stay with them for years to come.
“As we celebrate 150 years of Queen Margaret University in 2025, we take pride in the many meaningful collaborations we’ve fostered over the years, each of which reflects our deep commitment to supporting our stakeholders and enriching the communities we serve. This new partnership, merging the vibrant worlds of theatre and sport, perfectly embodies QMU’s core values of creativity, innovation, and community engagement.”
Heart of Midlothian FC has welcomed productions at Tynecastle Park since 2018 and recognises their vital contribution to the heritage and cultural understanding of the club and its history.
Throughout this year of Hearts’ 150-year celebrations, the club has found a number of innovative ways to commemorate this important milestone.
Ann Park, Director of Communities and Partnerships at Hearts, said: “Both of these productions highlight important episodes from the club’s proud history, and we are thrilled that both plays make these accessible and captivating for football and non-football audiences alike.”
A War of Two Halves is a powerful story about the Heart of Midlothian players who, in 1915, showed tremendous courage and team spirit and volunteered en masse for McCrae’s Battalion. This promenade performance leads the audience on a moving journey through various locations around Tynecastle Park, including the home dressing room.
Sweet FA is a companion piece to A War of Two Halves. It is a play with music that tells the inspiring tale of an Edinburgh women’s factory team in 1915, united by their passion for football and their unwavering support and love for one another against the backdrop of the ban on Women’s Football. It will be performed in a purpose-built stage within the main concourse at Tynecastle Park.
The cast of Sweet FA will also be performing at half time of the Women’s Premier League Capital Cup game on 17th November.
Ann, continued: “A War of Two Halves performed to sell out audiences in 2018, 2019 and 2022. BBC Radio 4’s Front Row listed Sweet FA as one of the three must-see shows across 2021’s Fringe and International Festival.
“It is fitting that it is being revived on the 50th anniversary of the lifting of the ban on Women’s Football in 1974. Brilliant dialogue and powerful songs deliver a timely, no holds barred, take on Scottish culture during the Great War.”
Bruce Strachan, co-founder of Two Halves Productions and Lecturer in Acting and Performance at QMU, said: “This new collaboration between us, Hearts Heritage and Queen Margaret University, looks to build on the award-winning success of these two ambitious plays, rooted in the history of Edinburgh.
“It is a wonderful opportunity for two young casts, on the cusp of their launch into the professional world, to explore the importance of these stories and their impact on local history and contemporary Scottish theatre. Given current global events, both pieces serve as a timely reminder of the horrors and futility of world conflict.”
A War of Two Halves and Sweet FA will take place at Tynecastle Park from the 9th to the 21st November 2024 with varying performance times. To purchase your ticket, visit Heartsfc.co.uk.
The Besties is a new series of awards celebrating the best across Edinburgh’s August Festivals. The Award is a partnership between The Skinny & Fest, Capital Theatres and Premier Scotland.
The Skinny and Fest, Capital Theatres and Premier Scotland are delighted to announce the winners of the second round of the weekly new Festival Awards, The Besties, in the following categories:
The award ceremony took place on Saturday 17th August at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh, hosted by comedian Josephine Lacey whose show Autism Mama is at the Pleasance Courtyard, with performances from Orkney musician Catriona Price who performed earlier this week at Queen’s Hall and Edinburgh New Town Church, celebrating her debut album, Hert.
The Besties award, designed by artist Camillo Feuchter who has recently graduated fromInterior & Environmental Design at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee, uses recyclable plastics gathered at the Festival Theatre Café and leftover wood sourced locally.
Reflecting the broad and diverse coverage both magazines produce every summer and responding to the need for a pan-festivals award, The Besties span all the festival activity taking place in the city over the month of August, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh Art Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival which started on Thursday 15 August, and others, making them the one of the only awards to celebrate the full spectrum of culture in the city.
Winners of The Besties are chosen each week by the editorial teams of The Skinny and Fest, drawing on their cross-festival expertise to celebrate the best work happening anywhere in the festivals. The categories will reflect the diversity of the magazines’ coverage and might be different every week.
The third and last ceremony will take place on Saturday 24th August.
