Summer’s here! We’re running an exciting programme of fun activities and creative events for local children, young people, and their families throughout July and August. Come and join the fun!
Highlights include:
Film Festival Workshop with Folk Film Gathering (Ages 8+): Learn about film festival programming on Thursday 11 July, 5:30pm-7pm at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.
NEA x Edinburgh Science Mini Summer Festival (All ages): Enjoy fun science activities on Tuesday 18 July, 11am-3pm at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.
The Show for Young Men (Ages 8+): A special preview performance on Wednesday 31 July, 11am at PASS Theatre, Edinburgh College Granton Campus.
Fringe at… North Edinburgh Arts! (All ages): Family-friendly performances and workshops on Saturday 10 August, 10:30am-12:30pm at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.
Travelling Gallery – Where We Stand (All ages): An exhibition on community ownership on Thursday 15 August, 10am-4pm at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.
Play Rangers (Ages 5+): Creative outdoor play every Friday afternoon in local parks.
Family Badminton (Ages 7+): Weekly sessions on Mondays, 4:30pm-7:30pm at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.
Cycling Group (Ages 8+): Family-friendly cycling every Wednesday, 10am-11:30am, meeting at 67 Pennywell Road.
Join us for a summer full of creativity, outdoor fun, and community spirit!
A hit podcast, a legendary musical and a modern ballet will all be screening from Vue this May.
Starting with Help I Sexted My Boss (14 May), William Hanson and Jordan North will be broadcasting live from the London Palladium in this brand-new show.
Entertaining listeners around the world, Help I Sexted My Boss has amassed more than 50 million listens since launching over six years ago. From very different backgrounds, watch on as the comedy duo help listeners navigate the challenges of modern life.
Also coming next week (16 and 19 May) is the legendary musical theatre classic 42nd Street, which tells the story of Peggy Sawyer, a talented young performer with stars in her eyes who gets her big break on Broadway.
Filmed live at the magnificent Theatre Royal in the heart of London’s West End, it stars national treasure Bonnie Langford as Dorothy Brock and features iconic songs 42nd Street, We’re In The Money and Lullaby of Broadway.
Arriving on the big screen at Vue on 22 May is The Winter’s Tale from the Royal Ballet. It tells the story of King Leontes, who is crippled with an all-consuming jealousy when his friend King Polixenes of Bohemia stays with him and his wife Hermione.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this season, The Winter’s Tale is an award-winning modern ballet classic, packed with emotional turmoil heightened by Joby Talbot’s compelling score and Bob Crowley’s atmospheric designs.
Robert Smith, General Manager for Vue Edinburgh Omni, said: “Here at Vue, we pride ourselves on showcasing so much more than the biggest blockbusters – giving fans from all walks of life the chance to catch some of the best life performances from the comfort of their local Vue venue.”
For more information and to book tickets, visit myvue.com.
The evening marked the opening of The Scottish Institute of Theatre, Dance, Film and Television following renaming and opening of new campus
The Scottish Institute of Theatre, Dance, Film and Television(The SI; formerly the MGA Academy of Performing Arts) unveiled its brand new Livingston campus last night at a red-carpet launch event celebrating the renaming of the school and new facilities for its students.
The launch party, held at The SI’s new state of the art facilities in Livingston, Scotland, marks a pivotal rebrand for the school with a name change, a new campus and new management from Ireland’s Silver Rock Studios.
The university is also now expanding its reach to international students for the first time as well as continuing to boost local Scottish talent, positioning Scotland as the go-to destination for success in the creative industries.
All guests, staff, and students were treated to an evening of performances, art installations, and a special performance of Dougie MacLean’s famous Caledonia from the school’s current students.
Alumni from The MGA Academy of Performing Arts, now known as The Scottish Institute, have gone on to success in film and television including playing leading roles in BBC’s Gossip Girl and major West End shows such as The Book of Mormon, Wicked and Six!.
Under its new management from Ireland’s Silver Rock Studios, and with new President and CEO Andy Egan, future students will be guaranteed credits as part of their degree, as part of The Scottish Institute of Theatre, Dance, Film and Television’s plans to foster the stars of tomorrow.
One of the UK’s leading theatre companies for learning disabled actors, Lung Ha celebrates four decades of brilliant theatre-making
Lung Ha is an Edinburgh-based theatre company for actors and theatre makers with a learning disability and autism which produces award-winning productions and works with a year-round, 25-strong Ensemble to develop their practice and remove barriers to participation into the arts.
April marks the start of 12 months of the Company’s 40th anniversary celebrations which will see it take part in or present a remounting of the Company’s 2021 hit An Unexpected Hiccup at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s biggest stage.
Originally created and performed under strict COVID procedures during the global pandemic, the show is a tale of comic misunderstandings, sinister goings on and dangerous eccentricities.
This will also be the inaugural production of the Lung Ha Touring Company which will provide further opportunities for performers to create and tour new and existing work, with bespoke and specialist actor training.
An Unexpected Hiccup is a co-production with Plutôt La Vie featuring five Lung Ha actors, written by Michael Duke after a devising process with the Company. It will be presented between 2 and 10 August at Zoo Southside.
The Company is also commissioning initial research to develop an Access and Creative Principles Toolkit which will support the launch of Lung Ha Touring Company. The research aims to cover three main areas:
To understand the access support structures required for learning-disabled actors in a professional company.
To apply fair and equitable pay remuneration frameworks for ourselves and other theatre companies working with actors and artists in receipt of varied and complex benefit arrangements.
To create a practical toolkit for working with learning-disabled actors which has a wider culture sector benefit and application.
The first publication of findings is expected in spring 2025. The project is funded by RS Macdonald Charitable Trust.
Lung Ha Theatre Company has been invited as a guest contributor at the Europe In Action Conference, a partnership between Inclusion Europe and Enable in May 2024 in Glasgow during Learning Disability Awareness Week, hosted by Enable who are also marking an anniversary year (70th).
The Company will be hosting the closing session of the conference with the theme of deinstitutionalisation, including a presentation about the Company’s work and a focus on the award-winning production Castle Lennox from 2023.
Also in May, Lung Ha Theatre Company will host the World Premiere of its short film, Love Like Salt, at Traverse Theatre – a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear, featuring the Lung Ha Ensemble and co-created by Maria Oller, Susan Worsfold and Stuart Platt. The evening will also feature a short snippet from an anniversary documentary about the Company made and edited by a Lung Ha actor, Emma McCaffrey.
Throughout the year Lung Ha will be spotlighting our Ensemble actors using commissionedportraits from photographer and long-time collaborator Peter Dibden. The photoshoot was a glamourous “Met gala meets night at the theatre” extravaganza.
The actors were given the opportunity to curate their own costumes and threw themselves into model poses and characterful performances which are beautifully captured in this series and in our commemorative 40th anniversary Ensemble group photograph.
Short history of Lung Ha
Lung Ha Theatre Company began its life as Lung Ha’s Theatre Company in October 1984. A sixty strong team of performers, with a learning disability, under the direction of Richard Vallis and Peter Clerke created and performed their own version of the fabled Monkey stories (for a time the Company was called Lung Ha’s Monkey Theatre).
The production was hugely successful and a new company and vitally important new theatrical voice launched onto the Scottish stage, now a vital part of it.
Since then, the Company has worked with over three hundred performers with a learning disability creating over forty original productions. The Company and has also worked with some of the leading artists and creative organisations across the country and toured internationally to England, France, Ireland, Poland, Sweden and Finland.
Some of the Company’s achievements include the Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS) for Best Ensemble in Huxley’s Lab in 2009 (co-recipient with Grid Iron Theatre Company) and for Castle Lennox, a 2023 co-production with The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh.
Now the company offers a range of creative opportunities for learning disabled actors. Our Pathway for Progression features six strands of work where actors can access training and performing opportunities in an inclusive and welcoming environment and on an established platform.
These are The Lung Ha Ensemble, Lung Ha Touring Company, Lung Ha Across Scotland (an online nationwide actor training workshop series), Creative Development (one to one skills development, mentoring and critical response), Sharing our Expertise (via our Access and Creative Principles Toolkit, and workshop leader training), and Supporting External Opportunities (where the Lung Ha team prepares and supports people with their creative ambitions outwith Lung Ha).
Artistic Director Maria Oller and Executive Director Ruth McEwan said: “Entering our 40th year, we are so proud of our achievements and what has come before now.
“We have shared incredible moments with everyone we work with and our audiences far and wide.
“From here, we are passionate about continuing to create fabulous theatrical experiences and breaking down barriers in our sector and beyond. Our actors are the inspiration and the beating heart of Lung Ha Theatre Company.”
Lung Ha actor Fern Brodie said: “I see Lung Ha and the other actors as my other family.
“I feel safe and happy when I spend time with them.”
Lung Ha actor Gavin Yule said: “Lung Ha is a place where I can perform and practise acting skills and develop new ones.
“It’s also where I can make friends and have a social outlet. It also allows me to experience professional theatre and perform incredible pieces of work.”
Theatre critic Neil Cooper said: “Its first show, Lung Ha’s Monkey, gave the company both its name and an identity that seemed to suggest that monkeying around on stage was a good thing.
“In the forty years since, that sense of liberation through play has remained at the company’s core throughout work by a stream of writers and directors who followed in Vallis and Clerke’s footsteps.
“With current Lung Ha Artistic Director Maria Oller at the helm for the last fifteen years, the company’s radical philosophy has put it at the centre, not just of community-based arts initiatives, but of Scotland’s entire theatre ecology.
Watching the company grow into itself over these years has been a joy. Long may Lung Ha continue to thrive.”
Summer is on the way and the festival season is hotting up, with Assembly Festival announcing a further 110 shows for this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Assembly Festival opens on Wednesday 31 July with the Assembly Gala Launch at Assembly Hall, highlighting some of the biggest and best shows of the year; expect spectacular circus, thought-provoking theatre, riotous comedy, and more to kick-start your festival experience.
Best of the Fest returns with three shows for your regular dose of Fringe fun. The eponymous Best of the Fest will be the highlight of your weekend with a changing line-up of established talent and rising stars at Assembly Hall.
For the best in emerging talent and fresh comedy faces, head on over to Best of the Fest: The New Class in George Square Gardens. Finally Best of the Fest: Daytime will move to a new home at Assembly Rooms to serve up a daily dose of family-friendly Fringe variety from circus to stand up.
Assembly has a bumper comedy programme in store this year including recently announced shows from the purple felt-faced comedian, Randy Feltface: First Banana; a welcome return to the Fringe for The Last Leg host Adam Hills: Shoes Half Full; and Dara Ó Briain: My Life is a Work in Progress (Work In Progress), Dara’s first Fringe run since 2005. Also appearing on Assembly’s largest stage at Assembly Hall is Milton Jones: Ha!Milton; and Reginald D Hunter will be appearing in George Square Studios this year with his new show Fluffy Fluffy Beavers.
Since 1981, Assembly’s stages have launched the career of many a household name, including Eddie Izzard, Jo Brand, Bill Bailey, Sandi Toksvig, and Rik Mayall, so this year’s selection of comedy debuts could well behold the next big thing.
Assembly’s programme is also renowned for its international talent, and this year is no exception; from Australia, TikTok star Jenny Tian: Chinese Australian and winner of Director’s Choice Award, Melbourne Comedy Festival Bronwyn Kuss: Sounds Good; from New Zealand Guy Williams: This Glass House Makes it Easy to See All the Cowards I’m Throwing Stones At (New Zealand Today, Taskmaster NZ) and soon to be the most powerful man in the universe Ray O’Leary: Your Laughter Is Just Making Me Stronger (Taskmaster NZ); Japan’s latest comedy export Takashi Wakasugi: Welcome To Japan; BBC Galton and Simpson Comedy Winner Grace Mulvey: Tall Baby from Ireland; from India Rahul Subramanian: Who Are You?;from the USA, 17 year-old Maeve Press: Failure Confetti; and from the UK circuit, writer of Death DropHolly Stars: Justice For Holly and self-renowned poet Paulina Lenoir: Puella Eterna.
There’s more stand-up from the “Bloody Hilarious” (Sarah Millican) Gearóid Farrelly: Gearóid Rage; the award-winning Geraldine Hickey: Don’t Tease Me About My Gloves; shortlisted BBC New Comedy Award 2023 Jo Griffin: Last Chance Saloon; Kelly Bachman: Patron Saint; co-writer of Starstruck (BBC) Nic Sampson returns with his new show Yellow Power Ranger; Ireland’s favourite scoundrel Stephen Mullan: Rascal; and the irrepressible Ted Hill: 110 Percent Normal. Plus, work in progress shows from Angela Barnes and Joanne McNally.
From the world of musical comedy, David O’Doherty returns to Assembly with a new megaconcert, David O’Doherty: Ready, Steady, David O’Doherty; acclaimed duo Flo & Joan: The Joan & Flo Show present their greatest hits ; a personal and political hour from Jonny & the Baptists: The Happiness Index; Taskmaster New Zealand star Paul Williams returns to the Fringe with Mamiya 7; and Ivo Graham returns with one of the best nights out at the Fringe with Comedians’ DJ Battles.
There’s off-the-cuff guffaws in Aaaand Now For Something Completely Improvised; a classic murder mystery is created on-the-spot in Murder, She Didn’t Write; the return of the painfully funny improvised medical drama St Doctor’s Hospital, who also bring endless comedy possibilities in The Free Association: 3; and Terry Wogan is back from the dead in Late Night with Terry Wogan.
On the sketch front, expect a raft of comedy sketches with the world’s only surreal, sketch-comedy circus troupe Laser Kiwi: Rise of the Olive; 100 years of TV in one hour in Joe & Rory: Television 1; and comedy duo Grubby Little Mitts are back with two new shows, Grubby Little Mitts: Eyes Closed, Mouths Open and Grubby Little Mitts presents: Sketch Book.
The uniquely eccentric Trygve Wakenshaw returns after seven years with his Dada-esque new show, Trygve Wakenshaw: Silly Little Things; and Jody Kamali is Ironing Board Man with eight ironing boards and one banging soundtrack. Join comedian Benjamin Alborough as he attempts to improve the most notorious property trading board game in the chaotic, interactive gameshow Absolute Monopoly; take part in an hour of mad cap game show and entertainment with Mad Ron and Jerry; Australian cult classic The Late Nite PowerPoint Comedy Showcase makes its way to the Fringe; and there’s a wild and raunchy, adults-only night of magic and comedy with Sam, Justin, and Magnus ‘Danger’ Magnus in Adults Only Magic Show.
After sell-out runs in 2023, the smash-hit historical-storytelling comedy returns with an all-new collection of 5 Mistakes That Changed History. Less historically accurate but with equally irreverent storytelling is Isabelle Farah: Nebuchadnezzar, a silly show about love and war in Babylon; Edy Hurst’s Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Himself explores a world of witches, neurodivergence and the Vengaboys; Chris Grace: Sardines (a comedy about death) guides audiences through a tragic and hilarious exploration of life’s important questions; and Marc Burrows embarks on a journey through the life and work of one on Britain’s best loved authors and humourists in The Magic of Terry Pratchett.
There’s plenty to entertain the whole family at Assembly this year. The multi-award-winning Circus Trick Tease return to Assembly Festival with their phenomenal Children Are Stinky for another summer of fun.
Expect high calibre circus, a rocking soundtrack and genuine belly laughs, leaving adults and children with their jaws on the floor hooting for more. The Canadian “masters of slapstick” behind Brotipo, Les Foukoutours present a celebration of childhood creativity in NoVa; the harmony of gecko-like Gael is upset by the arrival of a stranger in children’s dance show The Last Forecast; and a chance encounter with a resilient drop of water sends plucky young Hope on a life-changing puppetry adventure in Taiwan Season: Little Drops of Rain.
DJ, performer, and mum of two Monski Mouse is back with her Baby Cabaret and Baby Disco Dance Hall full of bonkers fun for 0-5s and their parents/carers; Mr Sleepybum has more dreams to share in his high-energy, interactive, multi-award-nominated comedy show for the whole family; The Greatest Magic Show returns with more whimsical wonders than ever before; and Mojo the Monkey and Jimmy the Tomato guide audiences on a rollercoaster of amazement in Mojo and Jimmy: The Comedy Magic Spectacular.
For a touch of magic for more mature audiences, look no further than Dom Chambers: Magic Hunt, an untamed magic rampage, a fusion of awe and anarchy and a ‘unique blend of comedy and illusions’™; and a brand-new show from Chris Dugdale: 11, 11 tricks and a message that may or may not change your life. There’ll be audience participation aplenty with the return of Goose’s Quizzes Elimination Game. Scotland’s premiere quiz company bring their raucous five-star game show, with fresh questions every night, brilliant prizes and all-new rounds – will you face elimination, or be crowned a champion?
After taking Australia by storm everyone’s favourite Ogre inspired burlesque and drag parody is finally coming to Edinburgh! The award-winning, critically acclaimed, Swamplesque makes it way to Assembly Festival from far-far-away.
There’s more drag excellence as glamorous, hilarious and fiercely clever Jens Radda explodes onto the Edinburgh scene with Skank Sinatra; Sarah-Louise Young and Russell Lucas pay glorious homage to the music, fans and mythology of one of the most influential voices in music in An Evening Without Kate Bush; and high camp and heartbreaking drama collide in These Are the Contents of My Head (The Annie Lennox Show) as Salty Brine charts his way, track by track, through Lennox’s masterpiece Diva.
Following hit sell-out sensations Macro and The Pulse, Gravity & Other Myths return to Edinburgh with their brand-new critically acclaimed show Ten Thousand Hours, an ode to the countless hours needed to achieve great things. Blending circus and dance, Taiwan Season: I Am The BOSS asks what do three siblings do when home alone; the 600-year-old Korean folk song Arirang is brought to life in ARI: The Spirit of Korea; and Taiwanese choreographer Chuang Po-Hsiang presents Taiwan Season: Palingenesis, an absorbing dance trio inspired by a biological concept of regeneration.
Assembly Festival and Dance Base team up once again, presenting a programme across two stages at Scotland’s National Centre for Dance.
Five dancers collide and rebound through urban, breaking, contemporary and everything in between in PACK; the boundary between the inert and the living is blurred in Golem, a captivating dialogue between dancer and sculptor; The Show for Young Men asks what it means to be a man today in a tender dance performance for ages 8+; and the eternal relationship between the deity and the devotee is explored in Ananta, the Eternal. Masquerading as a sequel to an earlier, non-existent version of itself,
The Passion of Andrea 2 is a mischievous con artist of a dance theatre piece about uneasiness, confusion, and the painful desire for more; Futuristic Folktales scrutinises reproductive injustices through storytelling, contemporary movement, and an evocative soundscape of experimental bagpipe; and the Korean tradition of tying and untying knots faces the climate crisis in Sleeper.
Assembly Festival is proud to present this year’s ART Award winner, Gracie and the Start of the End of the World (Again) from writer and performer Zoë Bullock. Meet Gracie, an immortal, pop culture obsessed, very horny jellyfish. An extinction-level comedy about heartbreak, revolution and surviving the apocalypse; this is excellent new theatre from one of Scotland’s up and coming creative teams.
Other new writing in Assembly’s 2024 programme includes the intricacies of mother-daughter relationships in Glitch and Mum and I Don’t Talk Anymore; plus, Good Luck, Cathrine Frost! a funny one-woman show about philosophy and childbirth. Love is on the menu as Steve Porter is back with a new spicy seminar, How to Mate: The Ted XXX Talk; while Pillock confronts loneliness, hook-up culture and medical role plays.
English American writer/comedian returns to the UK with Alison Larkin: Grief… A Comedy, looking at love, loss and hope; a doc-com billionaire pays a famous American theatre company to translate the Bard in Polishing Shakespeare; ‘one of the most fascinating experimental theatrical minds at the Fringe’ brings us Honnef’s Lost words; and a clandestine cabal of misfits attempt their ultimate heist in Brian Parks’ new work, Plotters.
Fresh off the back of two successful seasons with Salamander, Scottish, female-led Pretty Knickers Productions bring Mary, Queen of Rock! a brand-new musical that will get Scotland rocking! While the reign of the only Empress–Queen is a prism through which the entire crown can be seen via Victoria’s journals and letters in Queen; and notorious filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl attempts to sanitize her past in the insightful, hilarious wild ride of Leni’s Last Lament.
Comedian Ivo Graham goes around and around, backwards and forwards, to the places he aches to go again in Carousel; a girl with anxiety must rescue her friend from a city of skeletons in Shadow Necropolis, from the creators behind Shadow Kingdom; You&It: The Musical looks at the love between a husband and wife when one of them returns as AI; and aspiring actor and current window salesperson Kacie confronts an existential journey in I Sell Windows.
A group of former kid detectives return to the scene of their greatest unsolved case in Solve It Squad; actor and pro-wrestling fan Tegan Verheul presents a knockout solo show about sports entertainment in Chokeslam; follow Shy Girl’s attempts to open up in Wyld Woman: The Legend of Shy Girl; and myths and legends are told like never before in Remythed.
More mythology from Fringe smash hit Mythos: Ragnarok as they return to Assembly Festival this year, a masterful blend of storytelling, theatre and stage combat. Also coming back this August is hot-ticket interactive theatre piece Temping; ten minutes of a father with dementia and his family is revisited in multimedia theatre piece Layers; and an unexpected patient challenges a counsellor’s commitment in Black and White Tea Room: Counsellor, part of the Korean Season at Assembly Festival. Plus, Captivate Theatre return with Fringe favourite Sunshine on Leith; and Oxford’s internationally acclaimed a cappella group, Out of the Blue return to the Fringe for their 20th year.
Assembly Festival’s Fringe season will begin on Wednesday 31 July and run through to Monday 26 August. Performances will take place across Edinburgh city centre, including Assembly Festival’s year-round home Assembly Roxy, Assembly Checkpoint, Assembly Hall, Assembly Rooms, and Assembly George Square Gardens.
For tickets and further information, and to sign up to receive news about future shows at Assembly Festival 2024, visit www.assemblyfestival.com.
The Edinburgh International Festival unveils an expansive programme of world-leading opera, music, theatre and dance from 2-25 August 2024, when the original festival that defines Edinburgh as the world’s Festival City returns for another year.
This is the second year under the helm of Festival Director and Scottish violinist, Nicola Benedetti. ‘Rituals That Unite Us’ is the theme underpinning the 2024 Edinburgh International Festival, responding to an overwhelming desire for togetherness from artists and audiences following on from 2023’s question ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’.
From immersive beanbag concerts and virtual reality to drop-in rehearsals and a site-specific promenade opera, the 2024 programme is defined by a deepened commitment to creating a closer union between audiences and artists through innovative and informal experiences.
To reach the broadest possible audience, 50% of tickets for the 2024 International Festival will be sold at £30 or under, free tickets are available for young musicians, and £10 Affordable Tickets will be available for every performance in the 2024 programme.
Classical Music: Yuja Wang, Elim Chan, Marin Alsop, Jakub Józef Orliński, Alison Balsom, Hilary Hahn, Dame Sarah Connolly, Ian Bostridge, Steven Osborne, Nicola Benedetti, Maxim Emelyanychev, Sir Mark Elder, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Sir Donald Runnicles, Gianandrea Noseda, Jennifer Stumm, Thierry Fischer, Philharmonia Orchestra, Bamberger Symphoniker, Ilumina, The Hallé, European Union Youth Orchestra
Opera: Malin Byström, Opéra-Comique, Komische Oper Berlin, Scottish Opera, Kirill Serebrennikov, Sir Andrew Davis, James Gaffigan, Saimir Pirgu, Golda Schultz
Theatre and Dance: Internationaal Theater Amsterdam, Jack Lowden, Crystal Pite, Grupo Corpo, Aakash Odedra, David Ireland, Vicky Featherstone, Stef Smith, 1927, Eline Arbo, Christiane Jatahy, Scott Silven, Teatro La Plaza
Contemporary Music: Cat Power, Bat for Lashes, Chilly Gonzales, Youssou N’Dour, The Magnetic Fields, The Grit Orchestra, Tirzah, Jordan Rakei, Balimaya Project, Endea Owens, Domo Branch Celtic Music: Breabach, Mànran, Ceilidh Trail, Cätlin and Marko Mägi, Finlay MacDonald and Ali Hutton, Goitse, VRï
Scottish companies and ensembles: Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Chorus, National Theatre of Scotland, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Scottish Opera, National Youth Choir of Scotland, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Edinburgh Festival Chorus, Scottish Ballet
From 2-25 August 2024, Edinburgh International Festival presents a hand-picked selection of leading international and local local artists in the world’s Festival City, with 24 days of world-class opera, dance, music and theatre.
The 2024 programme comprises 161 performances from over 2000 artists across 42 nations, all joined under the theme,‘Rituals That Unite Us’.
The theme responds to an overwhelming desire for togetherness from artists and audiences following on from 2023’s question ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’.
Reasserting the value of shared experiences, the 2024 International Festival celebrates the practices, traditions and festivities that give us meaning and connect us – as a festival, a city, and as a society.
The second year under Festival Director and Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti, the 2024 programme offers an increased range of innovative and informal audience experiences, designed to create closer union between artists and audiences.
Audiences can enjoy a virtual reality experience filmed within an orchestra, a site-specific promenade opera and, by popular demand, an expanded programme of beanbag concerts placing the audience among performers to experience music in a unique way.
The programme also features an all-ages family concert, a participatory dance and music work outside The Scottish Parliament, and post-show talks with artists in The Hub, returning with a bigger programme as the International Festival’s home and ‘green room’. This year the venue will be open to the public for informal dining, drop-in rehearsals and Up Late performances.
There is also a deepened commitment to reach the broadest possible audience, with 50% of tickets for the 2024 International Festival to be sold at £30 or under, thousands of free tickets available for young musicians, and £10 Affordable Ticketsavailable for every performance in the 2024 programme.
Year round, the International Festival offers three pathways for people of all ages and backgrounds to make the most of their creative potential and create a growing social impact in Scotland.
Underpinning the 2024 Festival is an ambition to deepen connections with young people, communities and the arts industry, from a youth takeover day and opportunities for emerging talent to a first-time partnership with an Edinburgh community space and pop-up performances in NHS healthcare settings.
Highlights of the programme include:
Two world premiere theatre productions from Scottish creatives: The Fifth Step, a thrilling new play written byDavid Ireland,directed by Finn den Hertogand starring BAFTA-nominated Scottish actor Jack Lowden; and the stage adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s bestselling memoir,The Outrun, brought to life by Oliver Award-winning playwright Stef Smith, director Vicky Featherstone and Edinburgh’s producing theatre, The Royal Lyceum Theatre Company.
Five extraordinary operas, of which three are staged and two are performed in concert, including Opéra Comique’s production of Bizet’s Carmen with Gaëlle Arquez in the title role; and Komische Oper Berlin’s production of Mozart’sThe Marriage of Figaro, directed by Kirill Serebrennikov. A new production of Stravinsky’sOedipus Rex by Scottish Opera takes over the National Museum of Scotland, performed in promenade with a 100-strong community chorus from across Scotland.
A two-part opening weekend exploring different ways of telling the same great story, with two distinct interpretations of the Passion: Latin American and Afro-Cuban musical styles mix with contemporary classical expressions inthe Scottish premiere of Osvaldo Golijov’sLa Pasión según San Marcos, and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, their Chief Conductor Ryan Wigglesworth and the Edinburgh Festival Chorus take on Johann Sebastian Bach’s masterpiece,the St Matthew Passion, in Mendelssohn’s 1841 version.
The return of beanbag concerts, inspired by Budapest Festival Orchestra’s founder Iván Fischer’s shows last year, with the audience seated on beanbags to experience classical music in a unique way. A variety of musical performances include family-friendly presentations from European Union Youth Orchestra with Gianandrea Noseda, and Barokksolistene’s The Alehouse Sessions, transforming the Usher Hall into a 17th-century English tavern, complete with sea shanties and folk-favourites.
The Opening Event – a large-scale outdoor opening event for 10,000 people evoking the mythology and history of Scotland’s rich heritage, in collaboration with single malt Scotch Whisky, The Macallan, with creative producer Pinwheel. Further details will be announced closer to the event.
The Philharmonia Orchestra in residency, including performances of Verdi’s Requiem (conducted by Santtu-Matias Rouvali) and the International Festival’s Closing Concert, Strauss’s Capriccio (conducted by Sir Andrew Davis), with Malin Byström. The Philharmonia also present the UK premiere of Julia Wolfe’s Fire in my Mouth, a multimedia performance conducted by Marin Alsop, with the National Youth Choir of Scotland.
A stellar dance and theatre offering full of UK, European and World Premieres with leading creatives and companies such as Internaational Theater Amsterdam, Crystal Pite, Kidd Pivot, Grupo Corpo, Aakash Odedra, National Theatre of Scotland, Jack Lowden, 1927, Teatro La Plaza, Émilie Monnet, Waira Nina, Christiane Jatahyand more.
The Bamberger Symphonikerin residence with conductor Jakub Hrůša for three performances that include works by Brahms, Dvořák and Hans Rott, and a family-friendly explainer event, Beyond the Score, taking a deep dive into Dvořák’s New World Symphony.
A final residency with Ilumina, the São Paulo-based artist collective founded by violinist Jennifer Stumm. Known for their model of 21st century creativity and artist-led advancement of diverse talent, their first visit to the International Festival sees them give two concerts with the audience seated on beanbags and two performances in The Hub.
Projects which go beyond the performances on stage with an ambition to create a growing social impact in Scotland through the performing arts, include: a first-time Community Connections Hub, inviting audiences to experience the Philharmonia Orchestra in Virtual Reality within their own community space; Culture Clubs bringing together community groups to explore ‘Rituals that Unite Us’ through a shared meal and performance; pop-up performances in NHS healthcare settings; a Youth Takeover Dayfor senior pupils in Edinburgh schools; and schools performances and workshops across music, opera, theatre and dance for secondary school pupils.
A contemporary music programme including gifted singer-songwriter Cat Power; indie-pop sensation Bat for Lashes; polymath composer and piano personality Chilly Gonzales;beloved orchestral-pop group The Magnetic Fields; one of the most famous voices in African music, Youssou N’Dour; the mighty 80-piece contemporary Scottish GRIT Orchestra; South London electronic singer-songwriter Tirzah; a blend of West African folkloric music, the sounds of Black London and the London jazz scene with Balimaya Project; and a signature mix of electronic and soul from New Zealand-born Jordan Rakei.
Leading soloists include Dame Sarah Connolly, Yuja Wang, Golda Schultz, Alison Balsom, Hilary Hahn, Jakub Józef Orliński, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Ian Bostridge, Steven Osborne and more.
The Hub, the International Festival’s HQ on the Royal Mile, is once again home to the most intimate performances and discussions from virtuosic musicians sharing their respective culture, traditions and rituals through music and instrumentation. A programme of leading Celtic musicians includes Irish quintet Goitse, an International Festival debut from Welsh folk band VRï and the 25th anniversary of Fèis Rois’ Ceilidh Trail. Further across the globe, innovative musicians from Brazil, China, America, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, West Africa and India come to Edinburgh in a truly international programme.
As part of the International Festival’s ongoing commitment to accessibility, the 2024 programme includes 25 accessible performances, including ten audio described performances, five BSL interpreted performances, and nine captioned performances.
The concession ticket for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people is increased from 30% to 50% off all full price tickets, with options for a free essential companion ticket still available where required.
The types of accessible seating options held for members of the free Access Pass initiative has also been expanded to include aisle seats and seats with additional leg room, across all Festival venues.
General booking for the 2024 International Festival opens on Thursday 21 March, with tickets currently on-sale to Members and supporters.
Nicola Benedetti, Festival Director, Edinburgh International Festivalsaid: “As we join forces with the world’s greatest artists and bring them here to Edinburgh, we do so with a deeper dedication to our audience.
“This year the Edinburgh International Festival inaugurates new and reimagined rituals, honouring tradition and innovation, to bind us closer together. We invite you to seek and gather with us this August – there is always something new to discover.”
Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walkersaid: “It’s fantastic to see the 2024 programme for the Edinburgh International Festival. This promises to be a unique and exciting chapter in the Festival’s rich history with over 2000 of the world’s extraordinary artists performing here this August.”
“It’s particularly encouraging to see initiatives such as making free tickets available for young musicians, and £10 Tickets available for all performances.
“Given we are in the midst of a challenging cost of living crisis and our festivals have a key role in providing us all with opportunities to enjoy exceptional and entertaining experiences, these will hopefully contribute towards the goal of choice and access for everyone in our city.
“The International Festival is an integral part of the Capital’s cultural calendar and as a Council we’re proud to support it.”
Kaukab Stewart, Scottish Government Minister for Culture and International Development, said: “As we raise the curtain on another Edinburgh International Festival, we’re reminded of the power of art to unite and inspire us all.
“More than 2,000 artists from 42 countries will exhibit their talents, and these extraordinary performances from a diverse range of cultures and traditions reaffirms Scotland’s place as the perfect stage to host major events.
“As the new Minister for Culture, I’m proud to welcome the world to Scotland for the International Festival, and I’m looking forward to enjoying an abundance of exceptional entertainment taking place on our doorstep.”
Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson said: “For more than three quarters of a century, the Edinburgh International Festival has provided a platform for the world-class music and performing arts we are so proud to have in this country, as well as for brilliant artists and musicians from across the globe.
“The millions of people who flock to Edinburgh to enjoy and take part in it each year enrich our lives and fuel our shared economy. That’s why the UK Government is so proud to support it.
“The arts have a unique power to bring us together, and to help us see the world through others’ eyes. I’m delighted that, this year, the International Festival will focus on the rituals that unite us – and look forward to seeing the diverse and dynamic work that theme inspires.”
Iain Munro, Chief Executive, Creative Scotlandsaid: “Nicola Benedetti continues to drive the Edinburgh International Festival programme forward in her second year as Director with another inspired artistic offering.
“This year’s thematic focus on unity and togetherness provides opportunities to blur the lines between artist and audience, promoting connection and communal experience in our increasingly divided world.
“The International Festival continues to earn its reputation as a shining light in the global cultural calendar by uniting people through great art.”
Further programme information by genre:
Classical Music
Edinburgh International Festival welcomes the world’s top orchestras and musicians for 22 spectacular symphonic concerts at Usher Hall and 19 intimate morning recitals at The Queen’s Hall. The symphonic concert series revolves around residencies from three outstanding orchestras and ensembles.
Offering unique perspectives on how we experience a contemporary symphony orchestra, these residencies allow for a more profound engagement with Edinburgh communities, from primary school pupils to emerging artists, extending the orchestra’s presence beyond Usher Hall.
This approach also lowers the environmental footprint for each performance by the visiting artists.
Special International Women’s Day performances at Assembly Roxy
7 – 9 March 2024 Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh (Roxy Upstairs)
In an exciting Scottish comeback, Edinburgh-based multilingual Fronteiras Theatre Lab (fronteira meaning ‘border’ in Portuguese) is set to bring their intimate physical theatre show La Niña Barro to Assembly Roxy this spring for an exciting three day run, 7 – 9 March 2024, coinciding withInternational Women’s Day.
An ongoing and cumulative creative project first formed in 2013, this run marks a decade since La Niña Barro’s original premier at the 2014 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The performance will feature the original crew and cast, including Director and Producer Flavia D’Avila andlead actress Elizabeth Sogorb as the clay woman.
Created from introspective poems written by Spanish writer Marta Massé, La Niña Barro explores the experience and feelings of a woman made from mud; probing how she feels about and relates to herself, earth, nature, life, and love through a raw and intimate mix of skilled Mbira (traditional Zimbabwean thumb piano) music by artist and performerAlexandra Rodes, moving spoken word, and deeply felt physical theatre.
A performance enacted fully in the nude and spoken in the Spanish language, La Niña Barro creates a sensitive, impactful experience for audiences – asking us to embrace and reflect on what makes us human as the clay woman bears her soul and self.
Director and ProducerFlavia D’Avila said: ‘This is a deeply personal, heartfelt project for all of us. Not only are we celebrating 10 years since our Niña first came into the world, but there have been many changes and losses for us all along the way – and it’s all embedded there, in the work itself.
‘What I find really interesting about La Niña Barro is that it affects people in completely unique ways depending on where they are in their lives. We’re really looking forward to giving her the run she deserves in Edinburgh.’
Actor Elizabeth Sogorb said: ‘I sat down to re-read Marta’s original poems in preparation for this run the other day and I couldn’t stop crying.
“It was a rare grey, rainy day in Alicante and they just really hit me… So many memories stirred inside me; everything we have experienced with this show, all the conversations we’ve had. I can’t wait to get her under my skin again.’
Artist and musical performer Alexandra Rodessaid: ‘What I do is different from Eli, because she’s an actor. I’m an artist by training and trade – so I see my performance in La Niña Barro as more ‘action’ than acting, if that makes sense.
“I have memories from the past few years, but we have all changed as a team so much and I just don’t know what the performance will feel like this time. I won’t know until I have her [Eli] there – flesh and clay, to shape with my bare hands…’
Since 2014, La Niña Barro has toured around Spain, Brazil, Uruguay, and the USA, winning the Impact Award at the 5th Small-Scale Theatre Festival in Miami and making the cover of specialist dance and physical theatre magazine Godoff in Madrid.
Past Praise for La Niña Barro
“It is easy to speak of life and the wonders of human nature with trite, meaningless and fluffy words. It is harder but far more effective to show these things, as La Niña Barro does.” (A Younger Theatre)
“A magical experience to watch” (AllEdinburghTheatre)
Touring to Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness and Edinburgh from 18 April to 8 June
Opening press performance 7.30pm, Thursday 18 April at Dundee Rep Theatre
Dundee Rep Theatre, in co-production with the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, have revealed the full ensemble cast that will star in their thrilling new adaptation of Sunset Song, which will tour stages across Scotland this Spring.
Danielle Jam (Dracula: Mina’s Reckoning, Kidnapped, James IV: Queen of the Fight, Wings Around Dundee) will lead the exciting cast in the role of Chris Guthrie, Scotland’s most beloved and iconic literary heroine. As an alumnus of the Dundee Rep graduate actor scheme – a programme which supports acting graduates in the transition from drama school into the theatre industry – Sunset Song marks a meaningful return to the Rep stage for Danielle.
The award-winning ensemble cast will also include Rori Hawthorn, Murray Fraser, Andy Clark, Annie Louise Ross, Sam Pashby, Naomi Stirrat, and Kirsten Henderson.
This revitalised and reimagined production is brought to life by a leading Scottish creative team. Co-conceived by writer Morna Young (Lost at Sea, The Stamping Ground) and director Finn den Hertog (The Enemy, Square Go), Sunset Song will also feature new music by Composer Finn Anderson (Islander, A Mother’s Song).
One of Scottish literature’s most enduring classics, Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s powerful coming-of-age tale continues to capture hearts and imaginations across the world. Following the spirited Chris Guthrie as she faces a choice between a hard farming life and a world of learning, her journey to womanhood in the early 20th century sees her face crushing poverty, harrowing family trials, stirring love, and the ever-looming threat of the First World War. With a profound lyrical intensity, Sunset Song tells the story of human resilience in the face of great loss.
Sunset Song will open at Dundee Rep Theatre from 18 April to 02 May (previews 13 – 17 April) before touring to His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen (08 – 11 May), Eden Court Inverness (16 – 18 May), and the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh(28 May – 08 June).
John Cooper Clarke celebrates 50 years in showbiz with the Get Him While He’s Alive Tour
Tour coming to Queens Hall in Edinburgh on 12th & 13th April 2024
John Cooper Clarke released brand new poetry collection -”What” published by Picador on 8th Feb 2024
Literary phenomenon John Cooper Clarke is back and better than ever, returning with a brand new tour and poetry collection this 2024. John will be performing at Queens Hall in Edinburgh on 12th & 13th April 2024.
John’s new show will take fans on a completely one-of-a-kind journey through poetry and comedy. John’s live touring career has gone from strength to strength, with John recently returning from an epic North America tour in September 2023.
This year he’s back on home turf, as he continues to sell out theatres and halls across the UK, with a stretch of shows in Ireland also recently added.
It’s a chance to see one of the world’s most important and entertaining spoken word artists at his bold and brilliant best.
‘WHAT’ is the new collection from Britain’s “Poet Laureate of Punk” and will be published on 8th February to coincide with John’s 2024 national theatre tour celebrating 50 years of showbiz.
Venues for the “Get Him While He’s Alive” tour include the Edinburgh Queens Hall, a reunion show with very special guest Linton Kwesi Johnson at the London Palladium and three nights at Salford’s Lowry Theatre.
John’s new collection “What”, which will be published by Picador, is full of John’s much-loved sardonic wit and hilarious ponderings on modern life and follows on from John’s bestselling The Luckiest Guy Alive.
The original people’s poet, John’s cultural influence spans literature, music, and fashion, and his unique poetry and delivery style transcends generations.
From creating some of the most iconic poetry of the modern era, including “I Wanna Be Yours” (recently celebrating over a billion streams in its incarnation as a hit record by the Arctic Monkeys) to sharing his life story through his 120k selling memoir of the same name, John is still as relevant as he was when he shot to prominence in the 1970s.”
Megahertz and FERAL are calling all bedroom Breakdancers, Flamenco fanatics and Samba superstars to take part in STRUT: Greater Craigmillar for two local live performances on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st March 2024.
In collaboration with acclaimed visual theatre and scenography company Megahertz and Lyra, who make world-class performances and creative projects for, by and with children and teenagers, STRUT comes to Edinburgh for the very first time, reclaiming the streets of Craigmillar and filling them with joyful movement.
We’re looking for five local dancers to perform their own 2 minute routine along the streets of Craigmillar as part of a night time performance parade over two evenings in late March.
Applicants can live or have grown up in Greater Craigmillar, work there or have family or friends in the area.
Thispaid opportunity is open to all, whether you’re a pro performer or your first time in front of an audience.Any and all dance styles are encouraged.
STRUT has previously taken place across Glasgow, Paisley and Aberdeen, with upcoming performances set for Cumbernauld, Dumbarton, Inverclyde and Dumfries and Galloway.
Past STRUTs have included a delightful mix of Bhangra, Salsa, Romani, Hip-Hop, Afrobeats, Northern Soul and Contemporary dance with many other dance styles yet to be explored.
STRUT performances are rooted in the community with familiar faces taking to the streets to celebrate dance in the local area.
Dramatic lighting, catchy beats and stunning projections enveloping everyday buildings form the perfect backdrop for the neighbourhood to watch the STRUT procession. Snug behind windows or gathered on the pavement, it’s the ultimate ‘Are ya dancing? Are ya askin’?’.
Bex Anson and Dav Bernard, founders of Megahertz said:“We are so excited to meet Greater Craigmillar’s freshest dance stars and celebrate them and their communities. We’ve been wanting to bring STRUT to the area for some time and can’t wait to see these streets alive with dance.”
Successful applicants will receive £750 for their involvement and must be able to commit to a 2 hour rehearsal (on either Sun 10th or Sat 16th March), a full day group rehearsal on Sun 17th March 2024 and 2 show days on Wed 20th and Thurs 21st March 2024.
STRUT: Greater Craigmillar is delivered in association with Lyra and Feral and is funded by Creative Scotland’s Touring Fund for Theatre & Dance.
FERAL and Megahertz also present RUINS, a highly visual dance show exploring togetherness across species, at Cumbernauld Theatre at Lanternhouse on 2 February, 7.30pm, and at The Studio, Festival Theatre Edinburgh as part of Manipulate Festival on 11 February, 6pm.
Film Festival Workshop with Folk Film Gathering (Ages 8+): Learn about film festival programming on Thursday 11 July, 5:30pm-7pm at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.
