theatre – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Meet the Brodie Set

The full cast and creative team of the new production of David Harrower’s adaptation of Muriel Spark’s classic novel The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie have been announced
The production is directed by Vicky Featherstone and features Gayle Rankin as Jean Brodie and is set to tour Scotland in 2026
The full cast is Maureen Beattie, Liberty Black, Dyfan Dwyfor, Brian Ferguson, Sophie Fortune, Tallulah Grieve, Shreya Khaund Marshall and Bobby Rainsbury.
The show will open at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh on Friday 9 October 2026, before touring to the Glasgow, Aberdeen and Pitlochry

Gayle Rankin, photographed by Rankin, takes on the iconic role of Miss Jean Brodie

A National Theatre of Scotland Production

Presented in partnership with The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and in association with Pitlochry Festival Theatre

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

A new stage adaptation by David Harrower

Based on the novel by Muriel Spark

Directed by Vicky Featherstone

Full cast: Maureen Beattie as Miss MacKay, Liberty Black as Mary Macgregor, Dyfan Dwyfor as Teddy Lloyd, Brian Ferguson as Gordon Lowther, Sophie Fortune as Joyce Emily, Tallulah Greive as Monica Douglas, Shreya Khaund Marshall as Jenny Gray, Bobby Rainsbury as Sandy Stranger and Gayle Rankin as Jean Brodie.

Stuart Burt CDG CSA – Casting Director; Robyn Ferguson – Casting for National Theatre of Scotland; Chloe Lamford – Set Designer; Lizzie Powell – Lighting Designer; Lewis den Hertog – Video Designer; Charlotte McLean – Movement Director; featuring music by Anna Meredith; Pippa Murphy – Sound Designer and Music Composer; Anna Orton – Costume Designer; Sally Reid – Associate Director.

Touring Scotland from 02 October to 07 November 2026.

Previews and opening at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh before touring to The Citizens Theatre, Glasgow; His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen and Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

Opening performance at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh on 9 October 2026

National Theatre of Scotland, in partnership with The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and in association with Pitlochry Festival Theatre, is bringing one of Scotland’s most iconic and enduring Scottish literary characters to the stage, in a brand-new production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

This production will mark 60 years since the premiere of the original stage version.

Adapted for the stage by acclaimed Scottish playwright David Harrower from Muriel Spark’s much-loved novel, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is directed by Vicky Featherstone andfeatures Gayle Rankin making her National Theatre of Scotland debut as the charismatic Jean Brodie. Making up the Brodie set are Liberty Black as Mary Macgregor, Sophie Fortune as Joyce Emily, Tallulah Greive as Monica Douglas, Shreya Khaund Marshall as Jenny Gray, and Bobby Rainsbury as Sandy Stranger. They are joined by Maureen Beattie as Miss Mackay, Brian Ferguson as Gordon Lowther and Dyfan Dwyfor as Teddy Lloyd.

‘Give me a girl at an impressionable age, and she is mine for life.’

At the Marcia Blaine School for Girls, junior-school teacher Miss Jean Brodie is, famously, in her prime.

Each year, Brodie selects her ‘set’. The crème de la crème of girls whom she will shape through art and politics, stories of sexual liberation and titillating glimpses of the women they could become. In return, she demands utter loyalty from them all.

Witty, seductive and swirling in contradictions, Brodie’s mythical ability to invent her own truths and manipulate her girls ultimately leads her to risk everything.

This adaptation by David Harrower is a new version commissioned by National Theatre of Scotland, developed and updated from the original play which was presented at the Donmar Warehouse, London in 2018.

This visceral production takes a head-on look at the enduring moral fascination with such a beguiling and dangerous character.

MEET THE BRODIE SET

Gayle Rankin is Miss Jean Brodie. Gayle Rankin is a Tony Award-nominated Scottish performer well known for her role as Sheila the She-Wolf in the hit Netflix series GLOW and as the mysterious Alys Rivers in HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon. Gayle recently finished a run on Broadway as Sally Bowles opposite Eddie Redmayne in the award-winning production of Cabaret (Tony nominated).

Other TV credits include The Listeners (BBC) and Perry Mason (HBO). Film includes Alex Garland’s Men, Amazon’s Blow the Man Down, Bad Things and The Greatest Showman, as well as the upcoming film Incomer, which will close the 2026 Edinburgh International Film Festival. New York theatre credits include Sam Gold’s Hamlet and Phyllida Lloyd’s The Taming of the Shrew.

Maureen Beattie is Miss MacKay, the headmistress of the Marcia Blaine School for Girls. Maureen Beattie previously worked with National Theatre of Scotland in Yer Granny, 27, The Enquirer and Inteference. Other stage credits include extensive Shakespeare productions, including many at the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre of GB, and is appearing as Lear in King Lear at Pitlochry Festival Theatre this summer. Other stage credits include Escape Alone, Death of a Salesman (The Royal Exchange, Manchester), The Scent of Roses, The Cherry Orchard (Royal Lyceum Theatre), Yerma (Young Vic/Park Avenue Armory), Noises Off (Old Vic), Daisy Pulls It Off, My Fair Lady and The Ferryman on the West End. Television credits include Outlander (Starz), Fear (Prime Video) and Playing Nice (ITV). Her film credits most recently include Sunlight (ODIN Productions).

Liberty Black as Mary Macgregor, one of Brodie’s girls. Liberty graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2025 and made her professional stage debut in National Theatre of Scotland and Lepus Production’s KELI. Television credits include the upcoming legal drama Counsels (BBC Scotland) and The Doghouse (Hat Trick Productions/BBC).

Dyfan Dwyfor is Teddy Lloyd, the art master at Marcia Blaine. He most recently appeared on Scottish stages in The Seagull at the Royal Lyceum Theatre. Other recent stage credits include Nye (National Theatre), The Man in the Submarine (Perth Theatre), Life is a Dream (Royal Lyceum Theatre) and The Twilight Zone (Almeida West End). Screen credits include Pride (Pathe), The Passing (Severn Screen), Outlander (Starz), A Very English Scandal and Reputation (BBC).

Brian Ferguson is Gordon Lowther, the singing master at Marcia Blaine. In 2024, Brian appeared in the BBC reboot of Ian Rankin’s Rebus in the BBC reboot as Michael Rebus, with his performance being nominated for Best Actor at the RTS Scotland Awards. Other television credits include The Ipcress File, The Dark (ITV), Department Q (Netflix), The Spanish Princess (Channel 4/Starz), Elizabeth is Missing and Shetland (BBC). He most recently worked with National Theatre of Scotland in Cyrano de Bergerac (with Citizens Theatre and Royal Lyceum Theatre). His previous NTS credits include Anything That Gives Off Light, Black Watch, Rupture and Snuff. Other theatre credits include White Nights (Pitlochry Festival Theatre), A Number (Royal Lyceum Theatre), Oil (Almedia Theatre), Hamlet (Citizens Theatre), Earthquakes in London (National Theatre), The Dark Things, The Guard (Traverse Theatre), The Drawer Boy and The Trials (Tron Theatre).

Sophie Fortune as Joyce Emily, a pupil at Marcia Blaine. Sophie trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and was most recently seen on stage in Inexperience (Pitlochry Festival Theatre). Previous theatre credits include Between the Lines (Glasgow Museum of Modern Art), Let the Right One In, That Hopey Changey Thing and The Cherry Orchard (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), and The Multiverse is Gay and Seven Against Edinburgh (Lyceum Young Company).

Tallulah Greive as Monica Douglas, one of Brodie’s girls. Tallulah played Orla the feature film Our Ladies, and was longlisted for the Breakthrough Performance category at the British Independent Film Awards in 2021. She most recently appeared on Scottish stages at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in The Seagull, and Anna Karenina (co-produced with Bristol Old Vic). Other stage credits include Coram Boy (Chichester Festival Theatre/Lowry). Other screen roles include Boarders (BBC/Studio Lambert), My Lady Jane (Amazon Prime) and Cinderella (Sony).

Shreya Khaund Marshall as Jenny Gray, one of Brodie’s girls. Shreya is a third year acting student at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. This is her professional stage debut.

Bobby Rainsbury as Sandy Stranger, one of Brodie’s girls and her special confidante. Bobby is best known for her role as Maura Grant in the Outlander spinoff, Blood of my Blood. Her other screen credits include upcoming feature film Hillside Drive (Element Pictures) and Sam Mendes Beatles film (Neal Street Productions), The Witcher, Department Q, The Crown (Netflix), Summerwater (Channel 4), The Death of Bunny Munro (Sky), Karen Pirie (ITV), Vigil, Holby City and Call the Midwife (BBC). This is her professional stage debut.

“The crème de la crème of Brodie adaptations”

The Theatre Times on The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Donmar Warehouse, 2018

This is the first time that David Harrower’s adaptation of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie has been performed in Scotland, having been originally staged at the Donmar Warehouse in 2018 to critical acclaim. In the Sparkian spirit of reinvention, the 2018 script has been revisited and updated for this National Theatre of Scotland 2026 production.

The original 1966 London stage adaptation was by Jay Presson Allen (Marnie, Cabaret). Scottish productions include Pitlochry Festival Theatre in 1985 and 2009 and at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in 2003. Gayle Rankin played one of the schoolgirls in The Lyceum production and this 2026 production marks her homecoming to Scotland’s stages.

Vicky Featherstone, director, said: “As we hurtle towards the first day of rehearsal for The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie, I am so excited to be working with this incredible group of actors and creatives, led by Gayle Rankin, and with a spicy new version by David Harrower which seeks to honour everything that Spark gave us while creating something which feels urgent, surprising and fresh.

“We are all looking forward to bringing all the thrilling complexity that is Brodie to life once again for Scottish audiences.”

David Harrower is an Olivier and BAFTA Award-winning playwright and screenwriter. Plays include Blackbird (Olivier Award for Best New Play and Tony nominated), Knives in Hens, Kill the Old, Torture Their Young (Traverse Theatre), Six Characters in Search of an Author, 365, Calum’s Road (National Theatre of Scotland).Film & TV work includes Una, Outlaw King, Lockerbie: A Search for the Truth and the forthcoming The Day of the Jackal Season 2.

Vicky Featherstone was the founding Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Scotland, and she returns to direct The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie with the company, following a decade as Artistic Director of London’s Royal Court Theatre. Theatre credits include: Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, Enquirer (National Theatre of Scotland); Shoe Lady, The Glow (Royal Court); The Outrun (Royal Lyceum Theatre for Edinburgh International Festival 2024). Her production of Krapp’s Last Tape with Stephen Rea recently played in NYC following an earlier presentation at Barbican, London and Pavilion Theatre, Dublin in 2025.

Born in Edinburgh in 1918, Muriel Spark wrote 22 novels including The Driver’s Seat, Memento Mori and The Girls of Slender Means with The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie being the best known of her works. First published in the New Yorker and reissued in volume form in 1961, the novel is set in Edinburgh in 1936 with the central character based in part on a teacher at Muriel Spark’s Edinburgh school, James Gillespie’s School for Girls. The novel was subsequently adapted for stage, film and television.

Full cast and creative biogs available here.

Rankin on Rankin

The poster image for this new production was shot by renowned photographer Rankin, captured at his studio in London. The photos were released on 1 February to mark the birthday of Muriel Spark.

Gayle Rankin said: “Working with the legendary photographer Rankin was an incredible experience.

“His deep curiosity as an artist, alongside Vicky Featherstone and me, helped crack open the earliest beginnings of our Jean Brodie—approaching her not just as an icon, a myth or character, but as a real woman for our time.

“We were thrilled to start this journey with Rankin’s lens on her.”

Rankin is a British photographer, publisher, and film director.

Best known for work that is on the cultural cusp and leading future trends, he has produced rule-breaking campaigns for brands such as Rolls Royce, Unilever, L’Oreal, Lego, and Samsonite; creating wide reaching projects for charities including Women’s Aid and Macmillan; and shooting music videos for the likes of Miley Cyrus, Rita Ora and Kelis.

As a photographer Rankin’s portfolio ranges from portraiture to documentary. He has shot The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Kate Moss, Kendall Jenner and Zendaya to name only a few. In 2023 Rankin photographed King Charles III to mark the monarch’s 75th Birthday for The Big Issue magazine.

As a publisher, Rankin co-founded the seminal magazine Dazed & Confused with Jefferson Hack in 1990 and has since published the likes of AnOther and AnOther Man, alongside over 40 books, and the fashion and culture publication Hunger.

His photography has been published everywhere from his own publications to Elle, Vogue, Esquire, GQ, Rolling Stone, and Wonderland, and exhibited in galleries globally, including MoMA, New York, and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

Rankin said: “It was a thrill and a privilege to be invited to capture the extraordinary Gayle Rankin in the iconic role of the dangerous but alluring Jean Brodie.

“Her power as an actor brought an electric theatricality to the shoot as can be seen in the final images. It was fantastic to collaborate with the National Theatre of Scotland on this production, which I hope I can get to see later this year.”

The Next Stage

The Next Stage is an ambitious new pilot project, inviting young people to create and present their own original performances on the set of a major National Theatre of Scotland production.

In its first iteration, pupils from Aberdeen Grammar School will respond to The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, devising bold new performance pieces that will be shared with an invited audience of teachers, peers and family members on Chloe Lamford’s set, at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen in October 2026.

Touring to The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh (Previews Fri 2, Mon 5-Thu 8 October) Fri 9 October to Sun 18 October; The Citizens Theatre, Glasgow Wed21October to Sat 24 October; His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen Thu29 October to Sat 31 October; Pitlochry Festival Theatre Wed 4 November to Sat 7 November 2026.

Full information and ticket info here.

Alan Cumming & Ewan McGregor to star in the world premiere of the stage adaptation of the film Supernova

WORLD PREMIERE

World Première

Pitlochry Festival Theatre production

SUPERNOVA

Adapted by Harry Macqueen

Directed by John Tiffany

Movement Direction by Steven Hoggett

Associate Director Sam Hardie

Starring: Alan Cumming and Ewan McGregor

Based on the motion picture written and directed by Harry Macqueen and produced by Quiddity and The Bureau.

Pitlochry Festival Theatre production of the world première of Harry Macqueen’s stage adaptation of his acclaimed 2020 film Supernova which starred Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci.
Supernova will be the stage debut as a playwright for writer, filmmaker, and actor Harry Macqueen.
Cast to feature Tony, Olivier, BAFTA and Emmy award winner Alan Cumming (Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Artistic Director; Host of Traitors US; soon to be appearing in Avengers: Doomsday) and Emmy and Golden Globe award winner Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge, Star Wars and Black Hawk Down).
Directed by John Tiffany (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Black Watch and Once) with Movement Directed by Steven Hoggett (Hamlet and Once) and Designs by Jamie Harrison (Stranger Things: The First Shadow)
Supernova isbased on the motion picture written and directed by Harry Macqueen and produced by Quiddity and The Bureau.
Production will run at Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 24 July – 21 August 2027 and have its press performance on Friday 30 July 2027 at 6pm.

Alan Cumming and Ewan McGregor to star in the world première of the stage adaptation of the film Supernova

Pitlochry Festival Theatre today announces that the award-winning actors Alan Cumming and Ewan McGregor will lead the company of the world première of the spectacular new stage adaptation of Harry Macqueen’s beautiful, critically acclaimed 2020 film Supernova.

Adapted for the stage by writer, actor and filmmaker Harry Macqueen and directed by John Tiffany (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Black Watch and Once) the production will open next year at Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 24 July until 21 August 2027.

Sam and Tusker have been together for 20 years. But since Tusker’s early-onset dementia diagnosis their lives have changed forever. Now, the two are setting off on a road trip chasing the memories they’ve built, visiting the people they love and dodging the future they can’t outrun.

Macqueen’s profound, intimate story is given new scale by director John Tiffany and movement director Steven Hoggett, the duo behind some of the most visually stunning theatre of the last two decades (Once, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Black Watch).

Supernova is an unmissable, searing examination of what we are willing to do for the people we love.

Supernova’s exciting cast will be led by Tony, Olivier, BAFTA and Emmy award winner and Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Artistic Director Alan Cumming (The High Life – The Musical, Traitors US, X2, Avengers: Doomsday and Cabaret on Broadway) and Emmy and Golden Globe award winning film and stage actor Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting, Star Wars, Moulin Rouge and Black Hawk Down).

Further casting will be announced later in the year.

Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Artistic Director Alan Cumming said: “I am so excited to welcome Ewan, a fellow Perthshire home boy, to Pitlochry Festival Theatre for this extraordinary theatre event.

“Harry Macqueen has adapted his beautiful film, and John Tiffany and Steven Hoggett (fresh from their Pitlochry Festival Theatre triumph with Once) join forces with the theatrical wizard Jamie Harrison to create an evening of true magic.

“A love story, a treatise on life and death itself and a visual feast – with two Scottish laddies at its heart. What more could you want?!”

Actor Ewan McGregor said: “I am so delighted to be working at Pitlochry Festival Theatre next summer on the beautiful ‘Supernova’ with my old friend Alan.

“I have been very moved by the work so far on the text by Harry Macqueen who is adapting his own screenplay.

“We are going to be discovering this story with the amazing team of John Tiffany, Jamie Harrison and Steven Hoggett and it’s going to be quite something to throw myself into this role with such an extraordinary group of visionaries.

“I can’t wait to get started and to bring this piece to the stage. I look forward to seeing you all there!”

Written and directed by Harry Macqueen and starring Colin Firth as Sam and Stanley Tucci as Tusker, Supernova had its world première in 2020 at both the San Sebastián Film Festival and the London Film Festival.

The film was short-listed for two BAFTA Awards including ‘Outstanding British Film’ and as ‘Best Film’ at the European Film Awards in 2021. In 2022 it was voted one of the ‘100 Best British Films of the 21st Century’ by critics.

On making his stage debut as a playwright Harry Macqueen said: “I’m beyond thrilled to be able to give this story and these characters new life on stage, and to be doing so alongside such incredible collaborators.

“Supernova engages with some of life’s most challenging questions. With debate about end-of-life choices still raging, perhaps these questions feel more prescient now than ever.”

Joining director John Tiffany in the creative team will be Designer Jamie Harrison (Stranger Things: The First Shadow), Movement Director Steven Hoggett (Hamlet and Once) and Associate Director Sam Hardie (Beautiful, The Carole King Story). Additional creatives will be announced in the coming months.

Director John Tiffany added: “Supernova broke my heart when I first watched it. Working with Alan and Ewan, and a creative team of this calibre, to translate this story to the stage is a dream come true.”

Supernova is based on the motion picture written and directed by Harry Macqueen and produced by Quiddity and The Bureau.

The Pitlochry Festival Theatre production of Supernova will run in the Auditorium from 24 July until 21 August 2027 with press night on Friday 30 July 2027.

Further productions for Alan Cumming’s second season as Artistic Director at Pitlochry Festival Theatre in 2027 will be announced later this year.

Priority booking for Patrons and Festival Circle Members opens from Wednesday 29 July, with Festival Friends Members on Wednesday 5 August and on general sale on Wednesday 12 August.

For tickets and further information visit pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com or call the box office team on 01796 484626.

Palestinian-Syrian actor Arwa Omaren fuses Greek tragedy and lived experience of displacement in searing Fringe debut

‘Hecuba: Why Am I In Your Country?’ – At Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026

5^th – 31^st August / 11.50am / Gilded Balloon – The Turret at Teviot

What happens when an ancient queen of war becomes a modern refugee at the UK border?

In “Hecuba: Why Am I In Your Country?”, Palestinian Syrian actor Arwa Omaren combines Euripides’ “The Trojan Women” with her own story of displacement in a raw, urgent solo performance that condenses 2,500 years of history into one voice.

Directed and co-written by award-winning filmmaker William Stirling, produced by Scottish founded Trojan Women Project, and recently nominated for an Offie (Off West End Award) – recognising the show’s powerful fusion of classical text and contemporary testimony, as well as Omaren’s extraordinary solo performance – this strikingly original production asks not only how we tell stories of exile, but who gets to tell them.

Performed at the renowned Gilded Balloon as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the show runs at The Turret at Teviot at 11:50am from 5-31 August 2026.

Arwa Omaren, a trained actor from Damascus, brings both classical know-how and lived experience to the role of Hecuba, the fallen Queen of Troy.

A Palestinian Syrian who fled the Syrian war, Omaren performs the myth alongside her own testimony as a “double refugee” seeking asylum in Britain – dealing with the horrors of homelessness, sleeping on the streets in the UK – and the battle to be re-united with her beloved golden retriever, Jacko, the dog she had to leave behind when she fled Syria.

The result is a really inventive, emotionally engaging piece that blurs the boundary between performer and subject, and myth and memory.

The production is led by the Trojan Women Project, an international initiative pairing and mentoring refugee performers with Greek tragedy as a means of processing displacement and reclaiming their narrative through their very own voices and expertise – they get to do what they know, including writing, acting and more. It has previously been presented at the Voila! Festival, where it drew attention for its intimate storytelling and political resonance.

Developed in community drama workshops supported by the National Lottery Community Fund, it is supported by the Mackintosh Foundation.

At its core, “Hecuba: Why Am I In Your Country?” asks important questions about the language and systems surrounding refuge: borders, bureaucracy, hospitality, and exclusion.

At a time when conversations around migration and identity are increasingly polarised, this production offers a work that is both deeply personal and unmistakably universal.

The Gilded Balloon, one of the Fringe’s longest-running and most respected venues, provides an ideal platform for bold, artist-driven work. Set within the historic Teviot complex, The Turret offers an intimate space that brings audiences into close proximity with Omaren’s performance.

Trojan Women Project is currently welcoming sponsorship and partnership support to help bring this urgent and timely work to its audience and continue its work with refugees, and welcomes conversations with organisations aligned with its themes of displacement, cultural dialogue, and social impact.

SHOW INFORMATION

Title: Hecuba: Why Am I In Your Country?

Dates: 5–31 August 2026
Time: 11:50am
Venue: Gilded Balloon – The Turret at Teviot

Tickets link: ‘Hecuba? Why Am I In Your Country?’ at Gilded Balloon

Language: English
Duration: 55 mins
Age Guidance: 14 plus guideline

Performer/Creator: Arwa Omaren

Directed and co-written by: Award-winning filmmaker William Stirling

Presented by: Gilded Balloon

Produced by: Trojan Women Project

Content Warnings: Themes of war, violence, death, and rape are discussed

Calendar Girls at Church Hill Theatre

With less than 5 weeks to go until opening night….have you got your tickets yet?!

Join us for CALENDAR GIRLS – a heartwarming, hilarious, and uplifting story you won’t want to miss. Expect laughter, friendship, and a few cheeky surprises along the way….!

‘CALENDAR GIRLS’

Church Hill Theatre, Edinburgh

27th ‐ 30th May 2026

7.30pm (Wed-Fri) / 2.30pm (Sat)

www.ticketsource.co.uk/ept

National Theatre of Scotland launches True Story project

20 years ago on 25 February, the National Theatre of Scotland staged its first production. Today, the Company launches a special project to celebrate 20 years of game-changing theatre.
National Theatre of Scotland is issuing a nationwide call out for stories from the public, with one chosen in 2026 to be brought to theatrical life in 2027.
Leading broadcaster and presenter Lorraine Kelly comes on board as a True Story Ambassador.
Leading Scottish cultural figures take on roles as True Story Champions with Val McDermid, Greg McHugh, Shereen Nanjiani, Len Pennie and Irvine Welsh supporting the call-out to encourage the nation to participate.

In the Company’s 20th year and for the first time ever, Scotland’s National Theatre is inviting the public to share real-life stories that deserve to be told on Scotland’s stages; be they true stories rooted in history, place, or community, the personal and family narratives that have shaped lives, or authentic tales that resonate through humour, resilience, struggle, triumph or hope.

“Everyone’s got a story to tell. What’s yours?”

From a shortlist, one incredible story will be selected by public vote, and brought to life by a team of leading Scottish theatre artists, for public presentation in 2027.

The call out will be live until 13 May 2026 with a short list announced to the public in September 2026, with the winner announced in November 2026.

Full details on how to get involved here.

Twenty years of compelling real-life stories.

Over the last twenty years, the National Theatre of Scotland, has gained a world-wide reputation for turning compelling real life Scottish stories into unique new plays that have been shared with audiences, and earned plaudits on stages in Scotland and beyond.

The soldiers in the Black Watch regiment, deployed to Iraq, (Black Watch), the group of girls from Glasgow, who fought for their friend to be saved from deportation, (Glasgow Girls), the story of Adam who crossed borders and genders to find himself (Adam), the historical exploits of three Scottish medieval kings (The James Plays), or the story of Fred Goodwin and the rise of fall of RBS (Make it Happen); all these exceptional stories have captured the imaginations of audiences over the last 20 years.

The National Theatre of Scotland’s 20th birthday programme also includes Stand and Deliver: The Lee Jeans Sit In which will bring the powerful story of the Lee Jean’s Factory workers to life in a new piece of touring gig theatre.

The Company is delighted to have the support of celebrated Scottish cultural figures to encourage the nation to participate.

Jackie Wylie, Artistic Director said :”It feels entirely fitting to mark the Company’s 20th birthday with a project that celebrates Scotland as a nation of storytellers. Real life stories have become part of the DNA of NTS; ordinary people living extraordinary lives, or indeed extraordinary events in history that have resonated across time.

“These stories and characters have captured the imaginations of artists and audiences throughout NTS’s history, and I can’t wait to listen to the great Scottish public and to find out their true stories and to then support the journey of one special story onto the stage, alongside a team of brilliant Scottish artists.”

Lorraine Kelly is joining the team as a True Story Ambassador, and she will be involved in the call out and judging process.

Lorraine is a Scottish television presenter, journalist and Sunday Times bestselling author, best known for her ITV show Lorraine. In 2024, she was awarded a BAFTA for her outstanding contribution to the television industry, marking four-decades of service to broadcasting. She has also been awarded an OBE and a CBE.

She has made special documentaries commemorating both the tragedies in Dunblane and Lockerbie. In addition to her eponymous show, she has also presented many other TV programmes including Lorraine Kelly’s Norwegian Odyssey, The Last Leg, Queens for the Night and Have I Got News For You?

She is also a best-selling novelist with her debut novel, The Island Swimmer, set in Orkney, published in 2024.

Lorraine Kelly, True Story ambassador said: “Ever since I started out as a teenage reporter on the East Kilbride News, and later as a presenter and author, I have been fascinated by real life stories.

“I am a naturally curious person, and I have had the privilege of listening to thousands of stories over the years, allowing me insight into the personal, the extraordinary and the sometimes, dramatic.

“I am thrilled to be an Ambassador for the National Theatre of Scotland’s True Story project and to support their call out to the great Scottish public to find a special story that will resonate with Scottish audiences.

“I can’t wait to sit with the True Story submissions later this year and immerse myself in what I imagine will be a treasure trove of compelling testimonies and exceptional stories.”

TRUE STORY CHAMPIONS

Five fabulous Scottish cultural figures have taken on the role of being True Story Champions, supporting the call out for true stories.

They are Val McDermid, crime author known for Karen Pirie and The Wire in the Blood; Greg McHugh, actor and writer who created and starred in Gary Tank Commander; Shereen Nanjiani, broadcaster for the BBC, and MBE for services to broadcast in Scotland; Len Pennie, poet, Scots language performer; and writer and Irvine Welsh, novelist, screenwriter and filmmaker known for Trainspotting, Filth and Porno.

Val McDermid, author, said: “We’re a nation of storytellers. Everybody’s got a story. You hear it at the bus stop, you hear it in the pub, you hear it everywhere you go. You’ve all got stories.

“We want to hear your stories. And that’s why the National Theatre of Scotland has started a campaign to gather your stories together to make new stories for the next generation and beyond.”

Greg McHugh, actor and writer, said: “They say that truth is stranger than fiction. The National Theatre of Scotland have taken this on board in a big way with their project True Story that involves the great Scottish public.

“They are choosing one brilliant true story to put on stage which I think is a great idea and a fabulously fun way to celebrate the Company’s 20th birthday.”

Shereen Nanjiani, broadcaster, said: “In my 40-year career as a news broadcaster I have reported on hundreds of Scotland’s stories, big and small.

“I was the first person of Asian heritage to become a TV newsreader in Scotland, and that’s made me acutely aware of the need to tell stories that reflect our country in all its rich diversity, and to hear from those whose voices often don’t get heard.

“I’m also passionate about the power of theatre to bring us together, to make us think, to move us, to make us laugh and cry.”

Len Pennie, poet, said: “I am a firm believer that every single person has a story that is worth telling and worth hearing.

“There’s nothing like a good story for making you feel happy, sad, scared – the full spectrum of human emotion!

“But even more special than that is sharing a story with somebody. It’s about connection, community, empathy, just knowing that you’re not alone.”

Irvine Welsh, author, said: “True stories inform everything. They inform our imagination or experience or creation of other stories or embellishment of stories or creation of fiction.

“So there’s the old saying that the truth is stranger than fiction, and generally it’s true. True stories are important because they’re the the bedrock of our creativity and our culture.”

New adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 to headline Autumn season ahead of Scottish tour

1984 is a co-production between Citizens Theatre, Dundee Rep Theatre and The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh

Citizens Theatre, 29 Aug – 26 September

citz.co.uk

Dundee Rep Theatre, 30 September – 10 October

dundeerep.co.uk

His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, 13 October – 17 October

aberdeenperformingarts.com/his-majestys-theatre/

The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, 27 October – 07 November

lyceum.org.uk

Directed by Dominic Hill, Artistic Director of the Citizens Theatre, 1984 is a co-production between Citizens Theatre, Dundee Rep Theatre and The Royal Lyceum Edinburgh which previews in Glasgow from 29 August 2026 and receives its world premiere on 3 September 2026 before touring to Dundee, Aberdeen and Edinburgh.

The Citizens Theatre commissioned this new adaptation from writer Chris Hannan as part of its reopening programme. In recent times, 1984 has surged back up international bestseller lists, as readers return to Orwell’s stark warning about truth, power and control in today’s unsettling world politics.

Playwright Chris Hannan is one of Scotland’s leading writers. He has adapted major literary classics, including Crime and Punishment (for Citizens Theatre in 2013) and The Iliad.

This new stage adaptation of 1984 stays true to Orwell’s dystopian novel about a tightly controlled society built on surveillance, fear and the manipulation of truth – while exploring the love affair between Winston and Julia that catapults them into rebellion.

One of the defining novels of the 20^th century, 1984’s Scottish connections are striking. Written largely on the Scottish island of Jura and completed while he was seriously ill in hospitals and sanatoria, George Orwell spent crucial periods in Scotland while finishing the book – including time at Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride as his health deteriorated.

The physical strain he was under, and the bleak post-war climate in which he was writing, echo through the novel’s stark and unsettling world.

Director, Dominic Hill said: “I am thrilled to be working once again with Chris Hannan. His version of Crime and Punishment for the Citz proved once again that he is one of Scotland’s finest playwrights but also has a great talent at making works of prose feel like immediate, living drama for the stage.

“His new adaptation of Orwell’s chilling classic is equally brilliant. We live in a world that is increasingly called ‘Orwellian’; Chris’s adaptation takes us back to the original story – an appeal for truth, love and moral courage within a system designed to crush. It is a classic story, told for our times, and I can’t wait for audiences across Scotland to experience it later this year.”

Opening in Glasgow in August 2026, it will mark one year since the Citz returned to its home in the Gorbals, following a major redevelopment of the building.

Further creative and cast credits to be announced.

On sale dates are as follows:

Citizens Theatre, Glasgow

Presale to Theatre Pass Members and Supporters on Wednesday 25 February

Public on sale on Wednesday 4 March

Dundee Rep Theatre, Dundee

Friends priority on sale on Wednesday 25 February
Public on sale on Friday 27 February

His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen

Friends priority on sale 03 March

General bookers on sale 04 March

The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh

Tickets on sale June 2026.

The best of British theatre takes centre stage at Vue venues in Edinburgh this Spring

There’s lots for theatre lovers to be excited about at Vue this year, with several productions taking over the big screen in the first quarter of 2026.

Kicking things off is the Royal Ballet and Opera’s La Traviata, arriving on screens from 14 January. Audiences can enter a world of seductive grandeur, experiencing the tender and devastating beauty of Verdi’s opera, directed by Richard Eyre.

Also heading to Vue from the Royal Ballet and Opera is Woolf Works (from 9 Feb), Giselle (from 3 March) and Siegfried (from 31 March). In the former, resident choreographer Wayne McGregor leads a luminous artistic team to evoke Woolf’s signature stream of consciousness writing style in this immense work that rejects traditional narrative structures.

Meanwhile, Giselle conjures up the earthly and otherworldly realms in a tale of love, betrayal and redemption with Peter Wright’s 1985 production of the quintessential Romantic ballet – set to Adolphe Adam’s evocative score with atmospheric designs by John Macfarlane.

The latter is brought to life under Barrie Kosky’s inspired eye, following his spectacular Das Rheingold (2023) and Die Walküre (2025). Andreas Schager, in his much-anticipated debut with the productions house, stars as Siegfried’s titular hero, with Antonio Pappano conducting, drawing out the unspoken tensions and ethereal mysticism of Wagner’s dynamic score.

Fans of Shakespeare can enjoy two of the world’s greatest playwright’s productions at Vue, with Othello heading to Vue from 4 March after being filmed at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London especially for the big screen.

Directed by Tony Award-winner Tom Morris OBE (War Horse, Dr Semmelweis, The Grinning Man) with music by PJ Harvey, this epic story of manipulation, jealousy and toxic masculinity explores the darker side of power, rage and desire.

Meanwhile, the National Theatre’s Hamlet will be arriving from 22 January. Olivier Award-winner Hiran Abeysekera (Life of Pi) takes on the titular role in this fearless, contemporary take on the famous tragedy.

Also returning from the National Theatre is Academy Award-winner Helen Mirren in The Audience (from 26 February), where she plays Queen Elizabeth II in Olivier Award–winning hit production that inspired Netflix’s The Crown.

Finally, from the Metropolitan Opera is Tristan und Isolde– arriving on screens from 24 March. The electrifying Lise Davidsen tackles one of the ultimate roles for dramatic soprano: the Irish princess Isolde in Wagner’s transcendent meditation on love and death. Heroic tenor Michael Spyres stars opposite Davidsen as the love-drunk Tristan.

To find out more or book tickets, visit www.myvue.com/tinc

Full listings

RBO: La Traviata – From 14 January
NT Live: Hamlet – From 22 January
RBO: Woolf Works – From 9 February
NT Live: The Audience – From 26 February
RBO: Giselle – From 3 March
Othello – From 4 March
MET: Tristan und Isolde –From 24 March
RBO: Siegfried – From 31 March

Tickets on sale for new Stef Smith production that brings Queen Margaret University history to life

QMU welcomes audiences to new Stef Smith production at Traverse Theatre

Rising stars of stage and screen will dazzle audiences next February as they perform a new Stef Smith production at the Traverse Theatre, bringing Queen Margaret University’s 150-year story to life.

Drawing on QMU’s rich history, from its origins as a cookery school for women, through two world wars, student activism and a global pandemic, ‘Head. Heart. Hand.’ explores how generations of students responded to the challenges and changes of their times with resilience, passion and hope.

Created by award-winning playwright and QMU graduate, Stef Smith, the production will be performed by QMU final year Acting and Performance students at Scotland’s new writing theatre, the renowned Traverse Theatre, from 19–21 February 2026.

Stef Smith studied Drama and Theatre Arts at Queen Margaret University and won an Olivier Award for the show ‘RoadKill’ just a few years after graduating. 

Her plays include ‘Nora: A Doll’s House’, ‘Swallow’ and ‘Enough’; and her recent screen credits include ‘Float’, the BBC Scotland drama, which shines a light on the lives of LGBTQ+ teens living in rural communities and for which she won a BAFTA for Best Writer.

Stef said: “Coming back to QMU feels a little surreal. I can hardly believe how much time has passed since I graduated, yet in many ways it feels like no time at all!

“Much of Scotland’s theatre scene is built on new writing, so it’s vital that students gain experience working directly with a living playwright.

“I hope this opportunity gives them a real sense of the professional world they’re about to enter – it has been brilliant to see the next generation of students bringing such energy and creativity to the project.”

The development of Head. Heart. Hand. forms part of the QMU150 programme of activities marking the 150th anniversary of the founding of the institution now known as Queen Margaret University.

As part of QMU’s commitment to accessibility, the university will be offering 150 £1 tickets to its students for the Thursday afternoon dress rehearsal. These can be booked directly through QMU and are not available via the Traverse box office.

At its core, Head. Heart. Hand. is a story of perseverance, action, and the enduring belief in education as an act of hope. It promises to be a moving celebration of QMU’s legacy – and the students who shaped it.

Purchase your ticket on the Traverse Theatre website –

https://www.traverse.co.uk/whats-on/event/head-heart-hand-spring-26

Performance dates:

19 Feb 7pm | 20 Feb 7pm | 21 Feb 2pm and 7pm

Venue: Traverse Theatre

Tickets: https://www.traverse.co.uk/whats-on/event/head-heart-hand-spring-26

Age recommendation: 14+

Going to the theatre could boost city’s local economy by up to £295,000 PER SHOW this winter

From pantomimes and touring productions to West End favourites, theatre remains one of Britain’s most cherished cultural experiences, and plays a vital role in local economies.

According to the Society of London Theatre, for every £1 spent on a theatre ticket, an extra £1.40 is generated for the surrounding community through dining, transport and accommodation spending, with new analysis from Twickets showing just how much could be pumped back into local economies through the support of local theatre shows.

VENUE	TOP SHOW via Twickets	VENUE CAPACITY	MIN TICKET PRICE	MAX TICKET PRICE	MIN SOLD OUT SHOW	LOCAL ECONOMY BOOST PER SHOW	MAX SOLD OUT SHOW	LOCAL ECONOMY BOOST PER SHOW
Edinburgh Playhouse	Fawlty Towers – The Play	3059	£36	£69	£108,595	£152,032	£211,071	£295,499
MK Theatre	Miss Saigon	1400	£65	£75	£91,000	£127,400	£105,000	£147,000
Bristol Hippodrome	Mamma Mia!	1951	£35	£80	£68,285	£95,599	£156,080	£218,512
Swansea Building Society Arena	Mamma Mia!	3500	£20	£25	£68,250	£95,550	£85,750	£120,050
The Alexandra	Miss Saigon	1347	£50	£74	£67,350	£94,290	£99,678	£139,549
Empire Theatre	Miss Saigon	2348	£20	£40	£46,960	£65,744	£93,920	£131,488
Donald Gordon Theatre	Miss Saigon	1897	£22	£95	£41,734	£58,428	£180,215	£252,301
Palace Theatre	Mamma Mia!	1998	£20	£70	£38,961	£54,545	£138,861	£194,405
Grand Theatre	The Book Of Mormon	1550	£25	£91	£38,750	£54,250	£141,050	£197,470
Sunderland Empire	Fawlty Towers – The Play	1860	£20	£20	£37,200	£52,080	£37,200	£52,080
New Theatre	Miss Saigon	1785	£20	£62	£35,700	£49,980	£110,670	£154,938
King’s Theatre	Miss Saigon	1785	£20	£40	£35,700	£49,980	£71,400	£99,960

Based on the minimum ticket prices and the maximum capacity of some of the UK’s favourite local theatre venues, research shows that between £50,000 and £295,500 could be generated for surrounding businesses per show.

With many venues facing tighter budgets and rising production costs, it’s never been more important for audiences to show their support. A third of UK theatres are expected to report a financial deficit this year, according to The Stage (2025), as they continue to recover from pandemic-related challenges and inflationary pressures.

Richard Davies, founder of the fan-to-fan ticket resale platform Twickets, said: “Theatre is one of Britain’s greatest creative strengths, it inspires communities, supports jobs, and brings people together.

“Every ticket sold helps sustain local venues and the creative talent behind them. This winter is a brilliant time to rediscover live theatre, and there are still plenty of affordable ways to do it.”

Twickets, which partners officially with a growing number of theatres and touring productions, allows fans to buy and sell genuine tickets at face value, ensuring that seats don’t go to waste and that more people can enjoy live performances at fair prices.

Davies added: “Because plans change, tickets come back on sale all the time. Through Twickets, fans can find verified, face-value seats, sometimes just hours before curtain up, without worrying about scams or inflated resale prices.

“Whether it’s a midweek matinee in Manchester or a last-minute night at a West End show, there are brilliant options available for every budget.”

How to make theatre affordable this winter

Set up alerts: Create a free Twickets account and follow favourite shows to get instant email notifications when tickets appear.
Check 24–72 hours before: Many listings appear last-minute when sellers realise they can’t attend.
Be flexible: Matinees, weekday performances and regional theatres often offer the best-value seats.
Combine discounts: Look out for local access schemes and key-worker discounts.
Make an offer: Lots of listings on Twickets accept offers, allowing you to secure tickets at less than face-value.
Use verified platforms: Always use trusted resale sites like Twickets that cap prices at face value and verify every ticket.

Ten of the most in-demand theatre shows on Twickets this Winter:

Founded in 2011, Twickets has grown into one of the UK’s most trusted fan-to-fan resale platforms, partnering officially with artists, promoters and venues across music, comedy and theatre.

Every ticket sold through Twickets is verified, and transactions are protected, ensuring buyers get real tickets, not inflated prices or scams.

Theatre in Schools Scotland welcomes local MP to performance at James Gillespie’s Primary School

Theatre in Schools Scotland (TiSS), National Theatre of Scotland and Imaginate’s schools touring project, was delighted to welcome Ian Murray, MP for Edinburgh South, to its final school performance of 2025, at James Gillespie’s Primary School in Edinburgh.

TiSS was at James Gillepsie’s Primary School with three performances of A Home for Hamish, by Just Us, presented by Scottish Theatre Producers.

Created and performed by Deaf Dance Artist, Clare Adam and Autistic Dance Artist, Lesley Howard (Just Us), A Home for Hamish is a colourful, immersive, interactive adventure playfully merging dance and British Sign Language and is made for younger audiences.

Across a two day visit to James Gillespie’s Primary School over 170 pupils from Nursery through to P3 enjoyed the performances in the school hall.

Following the final performance Ian Murray MP was joined by performers Clare Adam and Lesley Howard, representatives from National Theatre of Scotland, Imaginate and Scottish Theatre Producers along with pupils from the school to fly paper aeroplanes in the school hall.

Ian Murray MP for Edinburgh South said: “It was delightful to see the young people completely captivated by, and participating in, the performance.

“The performers were utterly superb. The impact of the school’s programme was encapsulated in the questions from their audience at the end.

“The interest in British Sign Language, the challenge of the story, and the “can we play more with you” were all testament to the power of the show. Well done to all involved.”

Ben Horsburgh, Head Teacher, James Gillespie’s Primary School said: “We were delighted to welcome Theatre in Schools Scotland to James Gillespie’s Primary School. A Home for Hamish was a truly memorable experience for our younger learners.

“It brought theatre right into the heart of the school and gave the children a chance to engage with themes of belonging and community in a fun, imaginative way.

“Opportunities like this enrich our curriculum and inspire our young people to see themselves as part of Scotland’s vibrant cultural story.”

Belinda McElhinney, Chief Executive, Imaginate said: “It was lovely to watch the children fully absorbed into the world of Hamish. The performers beautifully integrated British Sign Language into the work and kept the children focused on their every move.

“The excited response from the children encapsulates for me the importance of bringing performance into schools as a key step to ensuring every child accesses their right to culture.”

Liam Sinclair, Executive Director and Joint CEO, National Theatre of Scotland, said: “It was a delightful experience watching the inspiring A Home for Hamish at James Gillespie’s Primary School, Edinburgh and being part of such an engaged and enthused audience. We appreciated Ian Murray MP attending and sharing this occasion with us.

“TiSS is a vital project for National Theatre of Scotland, enabling children across Scotland to benefit from the joy and enrichment that live performance can bring, and we are looking forward to celebrating the Theatre in Schools Scotland 10th year anniversary in 2026”

The performances at James Gillespie’s Primary School concluded a busy autumn term for the Theatre in Schools Scotland project which tours inspiring, live theatre and dance performances to primary schools across Scotland. A Home for Hamish toured to schools from Shetland to Slamannan and will be back on the road with TiSS in March 2026.

Next year will mark ten years of touring world class theatre and dance directly into schools across the country. To celebrate a decade of creativity every Theatre in Schools Scotland performance will be free of charge for participating schools from August 2026 to June 2027, as part of a special TiSS at 10 anniversary programme. Visit the Theatre in Schools Scotland website for more info.